digital broadcast - october 2012
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Digital Broadcast (Middle East) - October 2012 - Volume 5 - Issue 10 "52 Pages" ITP Technology Publishing, Dubai, UAETRANSCRIPT
An ITP Business Publication | OCTOBER 2012 | VOL. 5 ISSUE 10 THE BUSINESS OF DIGITAL CONTENT DELIVERY
SENDING A SIGNAL
TESTCARDWe speak with the latest entrant to the UAE’s broadcast industry - Broadcast Solutions
TVTIMEWhat it means to have OSN release the region’s fi rst Internet-enabled box
Du’s Samacom, is getting ready for some big technology changes in the Middle East as HD becomes mainstream
www.digitalproductionme.com 01OCTOBER 2012
CONTENTS
04UpdateZee launches new channel; Yahlive boosts HD content; KIT digital restructures; MTV India launches; Astrium integrates subsidiaries.
16AnalysisAn in-depth look at the new ultra HDTV technology.
40What’s new?A look at the latest products released in the last month.
46DataSome hard figures about the triple play figures from around the world.
48Test cardIn conversation with Broadcast Solutions’ Peter Jakobsson.
20COVER STORYTO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW?An in-depth look at the business of teleport operators through du’s Samacom facility.
26OSN PLUS ATOP YOUR TVOSN’s new set-top box reveals the wide variety of technologies being used in the field.
34IBC 2012 REVIEWTHE BOTTOM LINEA look at some of the highlights from the world’s biggest broadcasting exhibition.
People in the industry invest in the
technologies and are the first to launch many new concepts.
AHMED AL MUHAIDEBSamacom.
20
OCTOBER 2012VOLUME 5 / ISSUE 10
04
48
26
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02 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
COMMENT
Phew! What a month it has been. It seems like IBC really tired the whole broadcasting world out, but we are just starting! As the weather turns pleasant in Dubai, the city will get busier with exhibitions and conferences popping up every weekend. And for those heading east or west, there are other options as well.
IBC really was a mammoth
event. And it felt like everyone
was there - broadcasters, film-
makers, technicians, product
vendors, and experts. It would
be an understatement to say
that a lot of new products and
topics were introduced this
year. There were discussions
about everything from 3D and
its possibilities, to more abstract
topics like innovation, which
keynote speaker will.i.am said
was absolutely essential for the
broadcasting industry. Of course, we had to high-
light some of our favorites from the show.
But as we say good-bye to Amsterdam, Dubai
is already hosting GITEX. Touted as one of the
biggest electronics shows, GITEX attracts a wide
variety of people from the technology sector.
Although not directly related to the broadcast
industry, many of our readers are sure to attend
the event that takes place in October.
Despite the busy month and keeping up with
IBC, we managed to get some very interesting
interviews this month. I like to think of this issue
as the ‘technology-behind-broadcasting’ edi-
tion. We had the opportunity to visit Samacom’s
teleport site in Jebel Ali and if nothing else, it was
a truly eye-opening experience. In what seems
like a remote location in the middle of the desert
outside Dubai, Samacom is uplinking most of
what we are watching on TV here in Dubai (if you
subscribe to du, that is). Considering I recognised
most of the channels on its roster, it was almost
On the tech side
VISIT US ONLINEFor the latest news, analysis and reviews from the Middle East content delivery, media management and new media distribution business head to digitalproductionme.com
like being in my own living room. The conversa-
tion with Ahmed Al Muhaideb further delves into
the matter of operating a teleport and what really
lies at the heart of the business - the vision to be
able to see the future of technology.
Another hot topic in the Middle East TV in-
dustry that we seem to grapple with constantly is
the matter of set-top boxes. While there are many
options, the technology still lags behind that in
the US and even in India. Maybe that’s why we see
so many Indian satellite dishes
in the UAE.
OSN launched its new set-
top box service and we got to
sit down and chat with Mark
Billinge about the new box and
what OSN hopes to achieve
from the new service. The box is
one of the first Internet-enabled
boxes in the region, and offers
more content than ever before.
But while it may not seem like
there is much new to offer in
the box, it does pave the way
for a future of Internet-enabled
boxes. The box could be a sign
of the design and abilities set to arrive in the set-
top box market.
As always I would love to hear your com-
ments and suggestions about the current issue.
Please do send them my way.
RUCHI [email protected]
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04 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
Zee Entertainment offi cially launched its new Arabic-language
channel, Zee Alwan, on September 9. The Indian company has
invested $100 million in the new channel and plans to launch fi ve
new free-to-air channels in the Middle East by 2017. The network
features dubbed versions of Indian shows, as well as Arabic series
such as Hindistani, Banaat Al Jameaa and Banat Al Alilah. It is also
considering investing in its own Arabic shows.
Most of the $100 million launch budget for Zee Alwan was
spent on research, marketing and content, said Mukund Cairae,
Zee invests $100m in AlwanThe new network aims at a family audience with a particular focus on women.
BROADCAST
the head of Zee Network in
the Middle East, North Africa
and Pakistan. The channel,
beamed via the Nilesat and Ar-
absat satellites, is targeting to
break even in three and a half
years, Cairae said.
The low per-capita ad spend-
ing in the Arab world makes it
appealing for the TV industry,
Cairae added. “The money that
an advertiser spends to get one
eyeball is one of the lowest in
the world,” he said. “So the po-
tential for growth – and there-
fore our investment in this
market – is huge.”
Zee is planning to launch
dedicated channels in Moroc-
co and Egypt in the next two
years, which will feature diff er-
ent shows and Arabic dialects
suited to those markets. It is
also planning a Turkish-lan-
guage channel. Cairae also said
that Zee is planning an Arabic
station in Iraq, but said this
would be the same as an exist-
ing channel.
The money that an advertiser spends to get one eyeball is one of the lowest in the world.
MUKUND CAIRAE,Zee Network.
RESEARCH
Zee Network’s Mukund Cairae.
Regional IPTV market shares in Q1 2012Western Europe remains the largest IPTV market,
with more than 34% of subscribers. However, this
share has been declining steadily over time. This
has occurred alongside accelerated growth in other
regions, such as Asia and Eastern Europe. Asia
is rapidly eating into the regional dominance that
Europe has established in IPTV. The pace of growth
in China against other markets makes that an inevi-
table picture in the coming quarters.
Source: Point Topic
2012
Western Europe
South and East Asia
Asia-Pacifi c
North America
Eastern Europe
Latin America
Middle East and Africa
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06 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
OCTOBER 2012
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YahLive to get HD services from Arqiva Arqiva will uplink HD television services to YahLive capacity.
BROADCAST
UAE-based satellite operator YahLive has entered
a partnership with UK-based communications
infrastructure and media services company, Ar-
qiva. As part of the deal, Arqiva will uplink HD
TV services to YahLive capacity from a European
hub and MENA viewers with access to YahLive at
52.5 East will be able to access the European TV
programming in HD.
“The signing of this agreement will enable
YahLive to distribute a broader range of pro-
gramming content on our satellite and is another
example of YahLive fulfi lling its ambition to be
the region’s leading satellite service provider of
HD,” said CEO Mohamed Youssif. “As a market
leader in the provision of high quality broadcast
solutions and satellite uplinking in Europe, Arqi-
va is a clear choice for YahLive as our partner for
delivery of HD signals to our satellite. The high-
est quality HD, combined with YahLive’s growing
bouquet of international TV channels, delivers
the best HD TV experience to YahLive viewers.”
Arqiva’s assets include the UK terrestrial
broadcast network together with teleports and
media hubs at key locations around the world,
plus comprehensive satellite capacity, multi-
plexes and international fi bre network. It also
provides extensive media services.
Dubai One re-launched with a new on-air and online look that went live on September 30th. The re-launch includes locally-produced favourite shows, new drama seasons and ex-clusive movies.
Sara Jarman, director of Dubai One, said that production of local programs will high-light important issues in UAE society as well as refl ect the strategy of Dubai in the English language for viewers. Ad-ditionally, the shows help
Dubai One re-launches showsdevelop local talent and the media production industry in Dubai and the UAE, in general.
Among the key local productions is reality business show ‘The Entre-
preneur’, produced in coopera-tion with ITC (DU). The new
schedule will also feature new series of popular shows like ‘Emirates News’; season three of ‘Studio One’, with Tom Urquhart and Aish-
warya Ajit; as well as sea-son six of youth magazine
‘Out & About This Week.’
MBC4 brings back ‘Stars of Science’The fourth season of the
docu-reality TV show ‘Stars of
Science’ returned to MBC4 on
September 13.
The nine-week series will
choose 16 fi nalists from Egypt,
Kuwait, UAE Qatar, Jordan,
Lebanon, Tunis and KSA. The
live fi nale will award a total of
$600,000 in prize money to one
winner and three runners-up.
MTV India launches in the Middle EastIndiaCast, TV18 and Viacom18
have launched the interna-
tional version of MTV India in
the MENA region. MTV India,
featuring Hindi-language
shows, will complement Viacom
International Media Networks’
existing MTV channel, which
services the Middle East and
North Africa region with Arabic
and international music, and
entertainment content.
MTV India is IndiaCast’s second
channel in the region after its
fl agship channel COLORS
which launched in two years
ago in September 2010.
FAST FACT
1.6mNumber of IPTV
subscribers in the MENA region by
2014. Source: TV Connect MENA.
YahLive CEO
Mohamed Youssif.
Judges
IndiaCast’s
Gaurav
Gandhi
08 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
KIT digital set to cut 300 jobsRestructuring efforts are expected to generate $40 million of net cash savings.
BUSINESS
As part of the next phase of its restructur-
ing program announced in May 2012, KIT
digital has significantly reduced its work-
force. This phase was meant to rightsize op-
erations and streamline general corporate
functions.
Approximately 300 employees, or 22% of
the total KIT digital workforce, will be made
redundant as part of the restructuring. The
associated savings from employee-related
expenses will be approximately $40 million
on an annualised basis. This total excludes
additional savings from divestitures, which
occurred during the second quarter of 2012.
The majority of the expense reductions will
arise from non-core areas and general and
administrative redundancies.
“By accelerating the integration of the
company, we will be able to enhance our
product offerings, improve time-to-mar-
ket efficiency, and bring the business to a
place of financial strength,“ said Peter Hei-
land, KIT digital’s interim CEO. “While we
have completed some non-core divestures
and reduced the non essential support in-
frastructure, we are preserving all of the
strategic initiatives surrounding our core
competencies as we believe they will drive
significant growth.”
The layoffs will primarily take place in
the third quarter of 2012 and will be com-
pleted by the end of the year. The company
estimates that it will record a restructuring
expense of approximately $4 million.
Smart TV Alliance adds new membersQualcomm, MStar, Obigo and YuMe will join the Smart TV alliance. Founded in June by LG Electronics and TP Vision (Philips), Toshiba also joined the Alliance shortly after. Qualcomm and MStar specialise in hardware design while Obigo will provide input from a web browser and ap-plication developer’s perspective and YuMe will provide its adver-tising expertise.
Nevion and T-VIPS planning mergerFollowing a mutual due diligence, Nevion and T-VIPS intend to merge the companies. The merger is structured as a cash and shares transaction of the companies, which provide video transport for broadcasters, service providers and government entities. Nevion head, Geir Bryn-Jensen, will be CEO of the new entity and will be joined by senior managers from both companies.
SpaceX and SES to launch three satellites Space Exploration Technologies has agreed to launch three addi-tional SES satellites on its Falcon 9 or Falcon Heavy rockets. The launch agreement was under-taken with SES affiliate, SES-SL, and expands on the partnership that began in March 2011 with the agreement for SES-8 that will be launched in 2013. The first SES/SpaceX mission under the new contract is scheduled for 2015.
KIT digital interim
CEO Peter Heiland.
30+ Service Provider Speakers Debate the Future of MENA TV:
Matthew Willsher,CMO,Etisalat
David Hanson, Director of Digital, OSN
Luke Beermann,General Manager – IPTV ContentIntigral
Kasia Kieli,EVP & MD,Discovery Networks CEEMEA
Samer Geissah,Vice President - NetworkDevelopment - Core and VAS, du
Bernhard HafenscherHead of Business Development,Red Bull Media House
“ Taahir Hoorzook,Head of New Platform Development,Al Jazeera
Rudolf Kogler,Head of IPTV Engineering,Multichoice
Ahmed Ossama,Managing Director, TE Data, & VPTelephony & Home, Telecom Egypt
Saad Dhafer Al Qahtani,CEO, Group Strategic Operations,STC, Saudi Arabia
Ahmad Zahida,Former OSN & MBC digital mediaspecialist and Co-Founder of Shashat
Ari Kesisoglu, Managing Director Middle East North Africa, Google
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010 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
OCTOBER 2012
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Astrium integrates Vizada and ParadigmThe subsidiaries will be marketed under the Astrium brand name.
BUSINESS
Astrium has announced that the satellite tele-
communications services off ered by Vizada,
Vizada Networks and Paradigm will be marketed
under the Astrium brand name from October
2012. The products and services of the compa-
ny’s London Satellite Exchange (LSE) and TD-
Com subsidiaries will also be renamed Astrium.
This rebranding gives Astrium Services a new,
unifi ed organisational structure and marks the
fi nal phase in the full integration of the Vizada
group, which was acquired in December 2011.
Now comprising four business lines (business
communications, government commu-
nications, satcom systems and solu-
tions, and geo-information Ser-
vices), the company reportedly
provides both telecommunica-
tions services and Earth obser-
vation satellite services.
“By bringing Vizada fully into
the fold, we have opened up a new busi-
ness line in commercial satellite
communications (business com-
munications) and enhanced our
range of solutions and global
presence in the government
domain,” said Astrium Services
CEO Eric Beranger.
Arabian Radio Net-work to launch new stationArabian Radio Network will
launch a new radio station in
the last quarter of 2012. “Any
radio station needs this kind of
research, and we won’t push
the button on a new station
until we’ve done our research
now,” said Steve Smith, COO
of ARN. “We can use social
media to make programming
decisions, to move forward.”
Iraq to launch fi rst satellite before end of 2013 The Iraqi Ministry of Science
and Technology in collaboration
with Italy’s La Svanza univer-
sity aims to launch the fi rst Iraqi
experimental satellite, Al-Shorfa
reported. Sameer al-Attar,
senior undersecretary at the
Ministry, reportedly said that the
new satellite ‘Dijlah’ will be used
for educational and research
purposes.
Amer Abdul Ahad, General
Director of the Ministry’s Depart-
ment of Space Technology and
Telecommunications, told the
publication that “the satellite
will fl y at a low space orbit at an
altitude ranging between 600 to
800 kilometres, while its lifespan
will last about two years.”
It will make linear TV even stronger and more compelling
and ensure satel-lite will remain
the most powerful TV infrastruc-ture in the
future.BRIAN SULLIVAN,
CEO of Sky-D, on Ultra-HDTV.
QUOTES OF THE MONTH
We would work with the [UAE] Government and admin-istration to put some kind of legisla- tion by which they could be
stopped.SUBHASH
CHANDRA, chairman of Dish TV
parent Essel Group,on illegal
satellite dishes in the UAE
FAST FACT
858.1mNumber of global
pay TV subscribers at the end of 2012
Source: ABI Research.
Astrium CEO Eric Beranger.
ARN COO
Steve Smith
The Online Home for Digital Content Production in the Middle EastThe Online Home for Digital Content Production in the Middle East
For advertising enquiries, please contact: Wissam Khodur, Sales Manager, Digital Broadcast,Tel: +971 4 444 3272, E-mail: [email protected]
012 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
OCTOBER 2012
UP
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OCTOBER 2-3Telecoms World Middle EastOver 600 attendees will
discuss the pressing issues
facing the telco market in
the Middle East and around
the world. The event will
have morning and afternoon
keynote plenary sessions
that will encompass some
of the biggest names of the
industry.
http://www.terrapinn.
com/2012/telecoms-
world-middle-east/index.
stm
OCTOBER 2-3Apps World Europe 2012This year’s Apps World
series ends with an event in
London, bringing together
international brands, op-
erators, platform providers,
marketers and developers
for two days of industry
exhibition, insight, developer
workshops, thought provok-
ing discussion and analysis
of the rapidly expanding
apps industry.
http://www.apps-world.
net/europe/index.php
OCTOBER 8-11Mipcom 2012The world’s entertain-
ment content market is the
only place where you can
network, do business, dis-
cover new trends and cement
partnerships face-to-face
on a global level. The event
includes the International
Interactive TV Awards by
AFDESI on October 9.
http://www.mipworld.com/
mipcom/
Karama to be ADFF competition directorEmirati director Saleh Karama takes over from Ali Al Jabri.
COMMUNITY
Saleh Karama, one of the founders of Abu Dhabi
Theatre and well-known Emirati director, has
been appointed as the new Director of the Emir-
ates Film Competition at the Abu Dhabi Film Fes-
tival. Saleh succeeds Ali Al Jabri who was promot-
ed to Director of ADFF earlier this year.
“He is one of the leading Emirati fi gures of the
fi lm industry, having made great contributions
to cinema and participating in international Fes-
tivals including the Al Watba Cultural Festival in
Morocco and many outstanding creative screen-
writing workshops,” Al Jabri said about Karama.
The Festival runs from October 11-20 under the
management of twofour54. Nicolas Jarecki’s “Arbi-
trage,” starring Richard Gere and Nate Parker will
open the festival. Saudi producer Mohammed Al
Turki is behind the project about hedge funds.
TECOM Investments’ Media Clus-ter held a discussion on ‘Advertis-ing Trends in the Arab Region: The Present and the Future’ as part of its ‘Thought Incubator’ series. The panel featured high profi le advertising ex-perts including Facebook MENA’s Jon-athan Labin, Flip Media CEO Youssef Toqan, Motivate Publishing’s Joe Mar-ritt, Nielsen’s director of media Sarah Messer, ARN’s Steve Smith, and OMD Dubai’s Nadim Samara, General Man-ager, OMD Dubai and was moderated by Mamoon Sbeih, Managing Director, APCO Worldwide - Arab Region.
Mohammed Abdullah, Managing Di-rector of TECOM Investments Media Cluster, said, “We acknowledge the role of advertising in the development
Advertising in the Middle Eastof the media industry. However, it is also essential to recognize that pro-viding content that draws higher au-dience interest will inevitably surge advertising revenues. In order to en-hance the media sector as a whole, dialogue is essential.”
Panelists at the discussion.
ADFF Director Ali Al Jabri.
www.digitalproductionme.com 013OCTOBER 2012
THE BRIEFING
SCENE CHANGE
BROADCAST PIXLee Griffi n joined Broadcast
Pix as Europe, Middle East, and
Africa (EMEA) regional sales
manager. He will be respon-
sible for driving company sales
and marketing eff orts in the re-
gion, as well as providing prod-
uct demonstrations and dealer
support. Griffi n has worked for
Eurotek Ireland Limited.
ASIA BROADCAST SATELLITE
Asia Broadcast Satellite ap-
pointed Samuel Wong as
Chief Financial Offi cer. Wong
had worked as CFO and EVP
at the Hong Kong Exchanges
and Clearing. Willy Chow, who
previously served as CFO, will
be elevated to the new role of
Chief Commercial Offi cer.
OSNThe pay TV network appointed
David Hanson as Director of
Digital and Frederic Copper-
Royer as Business Develop-
ment Director. Hanson was
formerly the Director of OSN’s
movies channels and On De-
mand services while Frederic
was at Nokia Corporation ME-
NA’s music division.
DATADIRECT NETWORKS
Pascal Barbolosi was appoint-
ed vice president of EMEA for
DDN. Previously he held the
global role of vice president for
Extreme Computing at Bull,
leading the High Performance
Computing business unit. He
will manage and scale the com-
pany’s operations.
014 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
DPME.COM ROUND-UP
Syrian TV o� Nilesat
AROUND THE WEB
In growing opposition to President Assad’s regime, Egyptian satellite operator Nilesat cut
transmission of Syrian state channels, as requested by the Arab League group for Syria.
Syria’s information ministry denounced the measure, saying it was “biased” and part
of a “campaign aimed at undermining Syria,” the state-run SANA news agency reported.
“Nilesat is violating the contract it has with Syria and is siding with parties hostile to our
nation whose action falls within the Zionist (Israeli) project,” SANA said.
According to the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, more than 26,000 people
have been killed in the coun-
try since the revolt broke out
in March 2011.
In related news, Al Jazeera
news network said a num-
ber of its websites had been
hacked, and pro-Syrian re-
gime slogans were posted
on the broadcaster’s pages.
The news channel blamed a
cyber-attack which “caused
readers wanting to access
Al-Jazeera websites to be
diverted to other pages not
linked to us.”
Samsung tops fl at panel TV vendorsABI Research evaluated select TV vendors on various factors including, market share, con-nected platforms, user inter-face, and ecosystems. Samsung ranked number one with LG and Sony second and third, respectively. Samsung came on top in implementation, fol-lowed by LG and Sony. LG tied Samsung for the top spot in in-novation, followed by Sony and Vizio in the category.
MOST VIEWED EDITOR’S CHOICE SPOT POLL1 Google Earth expands
Middle East imagery
2 Sony Ethio-pian growth continues
3 Digital Do-main sold to China/India team
4 OSN launches new DVR box
5 Avanti launches news gathering product
A total of 16 companies will represent Korea at the Big En-tertainment Show in Dubai.
Korea brings its A-game to dazzle Dubai at BES
Will you be watching OSN Play?
Nah – who wants to watch telly on their PC.
12%
The online home of:
Syrian TV o� Nilesat
Nilesat satellite
58%Yeah – It’s is a great idea!
Al Jazeera reports websites hacked with slogans.
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TECHNOLOGYTHE LATEST HIGH QUALITY
LOW BUDGET CAMERAS
PLUS: IBC 2012 PREVIEWED — YOUR FIVE MUST-SEE IBC MOMENTS
OSN YAHALA! PRESENTSKHULUD ABU HOMOS AND AWS AL-SHARQI
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HINDISTANI
Vol. 14 Issue 8 August 2012An ITP Business Publication
IN
CASE STUDYCLOCKWORK VFX’S
INTERNATIONAL SUCCESS
EXCLUSIVEINTERVIEW
TECHNOLOGYTHE LATEST HIGH QUALITY
LOW BUDGET CAMERAS
PLUS: IBC 2012 PREVIEWED — YOUR FIVE MUST-SEE IBC MOMENTS
OSN YAHALA! PRESENTSKHULUD ABU HOMOS AND AWS AL-SHARQI
Vol. 14 Issue 8 August 2012
IN
EXEXCLUSISIVEINTERVIEWEW
TET CHNOLO YGYYTHE LATEST HIGH QUALITY
LOW BUDGET CAMERAS
— YOUR FIVE MUST-SEE IBC MOMENTS
OSN YAHALA! PRESENTSKHK ULUD ABU HOMOS AND AWS AL-SHARQI
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Vol. 14 Issue 9 September 2012An ITP Business Publication
PLUSNEWS
OPINIONANALYSIS
HEAD-TO-HEADREVIEWS
COMMUNITYCAREERSEVENTS
PRODUCTS“The technology
supply market is in a state of constant
and unprecedented change. Suppliers
are demonstrating surprising adaptability
in response”PETER WHITE
P27STILL
ON TOP IN 2006, AL SHARQIYA WAS FORCED TO CLOSE DOWN ITS DOMESTIC OPERATION IN BAGHDAD. IN 2012, THE
DUBAI-BASED CHANNEL IS IRAQ’S MOST WATCHED
PRODUCTIONOn the set of MBC teen
favourite 04
TECHNOLOGYVirtual Reality is getting less virtual and more, well, real...
CASE STUDYStar 2000 keeps Palestine’s industry moving
PRODUCTSOur look ahead to the hot
products at this year’s IBC
ALL
A A
L D
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HA
N, P
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GR
AM
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016 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
ANALYSIS
CRYSTAL CLEAR AND THEN SOMEThe United Nations’ International Telecommunication Union recently approved the super hi-vision 8K TV standard. Japanese broadcaster NHK showed off the technology at the Olympics amid much fanfare. But how successful will 8K become?
Ultra high-definition is a relatively new concept in the
market. While many televisions in the Middle East
are still struggling to be HD-compatible, developers
in other parts have already started thinking of and
manufacturing what could be the future. Currently
ultra HD TV includes two digital video formats – 4K and 8K – as pro-
posed by Japan’s NHK Science & Technology Research Laboratories
and approved by the United Nations’ International Telecommunica-
tion Union.
WHAT IS 8K?The London Olympics were the first outing for NHK’s 8K technol-
ogy, which it has dubbed Super Hi-Vision along with a 22.2 surround
sound system. The BBC and NHK’s R&D departments collaborated
to stage an experimental run of live coverage from both the opening
ceremony and a section of the swimming events, transmitting these
to five appropriately equipped venues in the UK, Japan, and
the US. A 145-inch prototype display co-developed with
Panasonic was used to show off the footage. NHK
loaned its Super Hi-Vision cameras (of which there
are only three in existence), sound equipment, ed-
iting facilities, and relevant personnel to the BBC,
which hosted the experiment from its TV Centre
broadcasting location in London. Other partners
involved in the project were Olympic Broadcast Ser-
vices (OBS) and Janet, a publicly funded, high-capacity
broadband network serving UK research and education or-
ganizations.
The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers first re-
leased Standard 2036 for UHDTV in 2007. At the time UHDTV was
defined as having two levels called UHDTV1 (3840 × 2160 or 4K
UHDTV) and UHDTV2 (7680 ×
4320 or 8K UHDTV). In its cur-
rent 8K format, Super Hi-Vision
provides a 33.2 megapixel reso-
lution – that is 16 times greater
than the existing 1080p HDTV.
NHK’s three cameras
can capture the 8K
UHD action at
60 frames per
second, but it
is hoping to
increase that
to 120 frames
per second to
better capture fast-
moving subjects for
large displays. By contrast, a
network like the BBC currently
broadcasts HD programming at
25 frames per second.
FAST FACT
16Number of times 8K resolution is
greater than regu-lar HD.
“The experience of viewing
and listening to live sports and
entertainment coverage is dra-
matically enhanced by Super
Hi-Vision, and Ovum envisages
it representing the logical next
step in TV transmission technol-
ogy, following on from regular
HD,” said Ovum analyst Jonathan
Doran, in a report. He further
envisages ultra HD to be a more
important technology than 3D:
“In our view, it is a far more sig-
nificant development than 3D,
which offers a limited range of
use-cases.”
HOW DOES IT WORK?NHK is using two banks of 16 × 64
GB P2 cards (1 TB total), each of
which allows it to record 1 hour
One of the three super
8K cameras in the world.
www.digitalproductionme.com 017OCTOBER 2012
ANALYSIS
TH
E T
EC
HN
OLO
GY
BE
HIN
G 8
K
of footage compressed to 100
Mbit/s. Focus is not controlled
at the camera, but rather in the
truck by the CCU operator, as
the viewfi nder has a resolution
of 1K, which makes the camera-
man unable to accurately deter-
mine focus.
NHK researchers had to
build their own UHDTV proto-
type from scratch. In the sys-
tem demonstrated in Septem-
ber 2003, it used an array of 16
HDTV recorders to capture the
30-minute-long test footage. The
system was also demonstrated
at Expo 2005 in Aichi, Japan, at
the NAB 2006 and NAB 2007
conferences in Las Vegas, at IBC
2006 and IBC 2008 in Amster-
dam, and at CES 2009.
In November 2005, NHK
demonstrated a live relay of a
UHDTV program over a distance
of 260 km by a fi bre optic net-
work. Using dense wavelength
division multiplex (DWDM), 24
Gbit/s speed was achieved with
a total of 16 diff erent wavelength
signals. During IBC 2008, NHK,
Italy’s RAI, BSkyB, Sony, Sam-
sung, Panasonic, Sharp and
Toshiba (with various partners)
demonstrated the fi rst ever pub-
lic live transmission of UHDTV,
from London to the conference
site in Amsterdam.
In May 2012, NHK showed
the world’s fi rst ultra-high defi -
nition shoulder-mount camera.
By reducing the size and weight
of the camera, the portability
had been improved, making it
more maneuverable than pre-
vious prototypes, so it can be
used in a wide variety of shoot-
ing situations. The single-chip
sensor uses a Bayer colour fi lter
array, where only one colour
component is acquired per
pixel. Researchers at NHK have
also developed a high quality
up-converter, which estimates
the other two colour compo-
nents to convert the output
into full resolution video. To
handle the sensor output of ap-
proximately 4 billion pixels per
second with a data rate as high
as 51.2 Gbit/s, a faster analogue-
to-digital converter has been
developed to process the data
from the pixels, and then a high-
speed output circuit distributes
the resulting digital signals into
96 parallel channels. This 1.5 in
(38 mm) CMOS sensor is smaller
and uses less power when com-
pared to conventional ultra-
high defi nition sensors, and it is
also the world’s fi rst to support
the full specifi cations of the ul-
tra-high defi nition standard.
For the regular customer it
How does 8K resolution work with a TV screen and get to the viewer?
Image format of Super Hi-Vision
7680 pixels
100°43
20 p
ixel
s
0.75x Picture Height
Digital Cinema
Super Hi-Vision
7,680 pixels
Source: Japan Broadcating Corp.
4,32
0 p
ixel
s
0.75 times thedisplay height
Video• Scanning specifi cation: 60 frames/• second, progressive scanning• Aspect ration: 9:16• Standard viewing distance:0.75times the display height• Horizontal viewing angle:100°
Audio• 22.2 multi-channel surround sound
To give viewers the ‘ultimate’ sensation of reality, Super Hi-Vision was designed to have a 100 degress viewing angle.
horizontally
100°
4096 pixels
2160
pix
els
55°
1.5 x Picture Height
Visual acuity=1.0=20/20
Standard viewing distance1920 pixels
1080
pix
els
30°
3.0 x Picture Height
HDTV
018 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
ANALYSIS
will be a long wait as the new
products on the market are
pretty pricey. Sony released
the world’s first consumer-
prosumer projector using the
4K UHDTV system with shutter
glasses stereoscopic 3D technol-
ogy priced at $24,999.99 on May
31. On August 22, LG announced
the world’s first 3D UHDTV us-
ing the 4K system.
ISSUES?Like any new technology, ultra
HD faces some roadblocks be-
fore it can be seen in regular
homes. Super Hi-Vision equip-
ment is currently in its 3rd gen-
eration, and in addition to being
costly (cameras costing over US
$1 million), it poses logistical
challenges, primarily because
of the vast volumes of data
involved. The three streams
used for the Olympics experi-
ment were transmitted un-
compressed via fibre from the
venue to the BBC’s broadcast
facility, at a rate of 85Gbps. They
were then coded into a single
280Mbps stream using eight
H.264 AVC encoders. The five
individual streams, converted
into IP packets and with added
sound, were sent to the public
viewing venues at 350Mbps via
a 10Gbit connection on the Janet
network. NHK is participating
in the development of the new
MPEG HVEC coding standard,
which is expected to cut
the bit rate used for
the experiment
by at least half.
The longer-
term aim
is to drive
down the
b a n d w i d t h
requirement for
delivering an indi-
vidual Super Hi-Vision stream
to around 70Mbps, enabling the
signal to fit into a single tran-
sponder for satellite delivery.
The broadcasters’ current es-
timates put the arrival of Super
Hi-Vision into consumers’ living
rooms at around 2020. Between
now and then further develop-
ments in video codecs, along
with wider expansion of high-
capacity FTTx networks carry-
ing faster broadband speeds to
consumers, will help improve
the viability of investing in Su-
per Hi-Vision distribution and
reception technologies to an ex-
tent that will bring economies of
scale. But it will be some time
before such models be-
come commercially
available. TV mak-
ers are currently
focusing efforts
on launching 4K
enabled devices
offering a quarter
of the resolution.
This is the format cur-
rently used by most digital cin-
ema cameras. Some analysts
even predict that it will be more
than a decade before the regu-
lar consumer can think of 8K.
“I suspect that we won’t see this
become available to consum-
ers below $10,000 until 2025,”
said Paul O’Donovan, principal
analyst at the tech consultancy
Gartner. “Those will be in sizes
55 inches and above.”
CONCLUSIONLike any new technology there
are those who are big fans of
8K as well as those who don’t
believe it will get off the ground.
One thing is for sure: NHK will
leave no stone unturned to get
its technology out there and
available to those who can af-
ford it. But a consumer being
able to buy an expensive tele-
vision set is not the only key to
successful technology adoption.
There are many kinks that need
to be worked out in the 8K life-
line before it truly becomes a
medium to reckon with. And
closer to home, it seems like the
Middle East’s tryst with 8K will
of course have to wait until the
television industry gets basic HD
right first.
FAST FACT
3The number of 8K ultra HD-compat-
ible cameras in the world.
The Broadcasting House Radio Theatre with
Super Hi Vision installed for the Olympics.
In our view, it is a far more significant development than 3D, which offers a limited range of use-cases.JONATHAN DORAN,Analyst at Ovum.
Providing industry news, technical insights and expert business advice,
Sound & Stage Middle East aims to provide readers with the technical and business know how they require to run more successful businesses.
Official Magazine
FOR ADVERTISING CONTACT: FOR EDITORIAL CONTACT:TO SUBSCRIBE:Subscription is FREE for industryEmail: [email protected]
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RAMADAN KAREEM
S&S takes a look inside Jumeirah Beach
Hotel’s two-level Iftar tent
BYBLOS
FESTIVAL
How the month-
long festival
rocked Lebanon,
on the rocks.
DUBAI SPORTS WORLD
Ray Tinston discusses Dubai Sports
World’s second year at DWTC
ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION
S&S visits the Olympics to discover what
equipment was used to celebrate the games
Vol: 6 Issue: 9 September 2012
An ITP Business Publication
THE GUIDEThe latest products
to hit the market ›› P52
THE BRIEFING
Philips releases second-
quarter reports.›› P4
THE HITLIST
A preview of this month’s
videos and apps ›› P56
Congress Solution
Internation’s
Alex Lolliot
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ENTERTAINMENT TECHNOLOGY AND PRODUCTION
Vol: 6 Issue: 10 October 2012An ITP Business Publication
THE GUIDEThe latest products to hit the market ››P41
THE BRIEFING D&B and Pioneer hit the Cavalli Club ››P4
THE HITLISTA preview of this month’s videos and apps ››P48
InHouse Production’s Nick Groves
10M I N U T E S W I T H . . .
Jeancarl Saliba chats with S&S to discuss the Red Hot Chili Peppers’ first ever performance in Beirut
COVER STORY
020 OCTOBER 2012
ith the variety of
tasks that satel-
lites perform, it
is no wonder that
teleport operators
are increasingly
important to the
technological development of an area. And look-
ing at du’s teleport facility in Dubai’s Jebel Ali, one
realises that they are preparing to be the leaders
of an industry ready for change. Du is investing in
new technology at Samcom for advances in digital
video broadcasting to give their clients the most
up-to-date technology available in the market.
Being the largest teleport operator in the Middle
East and one of the World Teleport Association’s
top 10 in the world, Samacom has to keep up with
the latest technologies and is even looking to
move to a more isolated location and expand its
satellite farm. “The Middle East broadcast industry
is very demanding,” says Ahmed Al Muhaideb,
vice president of broadcasting and IPTV services
technology at Samacom. “Our picture quality is on
par with the rest of the world and we are in very
good shape.”
THE BUSINESS OF BROADCASTTeleports are the ground-based segment of the
global satellite network. They provide Earth sta-
tions terrestrial networks with access to satellite
transponders in orbit 22,500 miles (36,200 km)
above the Equator. Accessing satellites may be
what distinguishes teleports from other com-
munications service providers, but it is only part
Teleport operators truly stand at the forefront of the broadcast industry. They have the difficult task of foreseeing what technologies will be popular in the future and thus can influence the eventual path of the TV industry. We look at du’s Samacom, one of the biggest teleport operators in the region and how it is investing in the future.
TO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW?
of their functionality. Teleports provide the in-
frastructure by which satellites can be integrated
into complex networks involving fiber, microwave,
wireless and mobile technologies in order to ex-
pand their reach beyond the edge of the network,
broadcast one-to-many, or feed bandwidth-hungry
applications.
In recent years, teleport operators have be-
come experts at bridging “incompatible” systems
and solving problems in content delivery or end-
to-end networking. They know how to simplify
the complexities of space-based networks in order
to make satellite links router ports for ease of
operation. They are among the world’s leading
experts in adapting Internet Protocol technology
for high-latency circuits, push applications and
other uses never envisioned by the developers of
IP. The expertise they have developed increasingly
enables teleport operators to win a wide variety
of business, whether it is providing hosted mobile
switching or managing video distribution on ter-
restrial networks.
The commercial teleport industry had global
revenues of $19 billion in 2010, with an average
compound annual growth rate of 7% since 2004.
That $19 billion in transmission service revenues
equaled 27% of total satellite transmission rev-
enues worldwide.
The core business of teleports has traditionally
been broadcast-quality video transmission for TV
program contribution (incoming news, events and
other “feeds” from the field) and distribution (to
network affiliates, cable headends and direct to
homes). From this base, however, teleports have
People in the industry invest in the technologies and are the first to launch many new concepts. There is no fear here in taking the first step.
AHMED ABDULLATIF KHALID AL MUHAIDEBVice president of broadcasting
and IPTV services technology at
Samacom.
www.digitalproductionme.com
www.digitalproductionme.com 021OCTOBER 2012
COVER STORY
TO LEAD OR TO FOLLOW?
022 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
COVER STORY
networks deployed to disaster areas for voice and
Internet access.
MIDDLE EAST FOCUSRanked ninth in the world by the World Teleport
Association for 2011, Samacom uplinks over 240
TV channels from its location in Dubai and of-
fers the biggest hub for broadcasters in the
Middle East. The operator was initially
launched by Tecom under Dubai
Holding Company and in 2006
it became a part of du. It offers
satellite broadcasting services
as well as terrestrial services,
including for Dubai Media Inc.
The operator started by uplink-
ing MBC’s first two channels from
its original location in Dubai Media
City. “Our growth is linked to the growth
of Dubai Media City,” said Muhammad Koya
Methar, director of teleport operations technol-
ogy. “We uplink almost all the channels that
originate from there.”
Samacom provides a variety of services. After
acquiring transmission facilities from Dubai TV,
evolved into the providers of end-to-end solutions
to customers in media and entertainment, govern-
ment and military, retailing, resource extraction,
financial services, publishing and a wide range of
other businesses. Teleports also deliver enterprise
and government multimedia networks carrying
voice, Internet, data and video to remote offices,
ships at sea, oil wells, mines, farms and
military forces on the move. Like the
Samacom facility, teleports also
uplink ethnic and foreign televi-
sion channels to niche audiences
of immigrants scattered around
the globe. They help transmit
news stories recorded live from
the field via satellite, fiber or
broadband. Within telecommu-
nications, teleports aide in Internet
trunking and access via satellite, inter-
national backhaul of mobile and wireline voice
and data. They also play a role in the deployment
and management of mobile networks in which
satellite takes the place of terrestrial links between
base stations. And perhaps their most important
function is to help in emergency communications
Our growth is linked to the growth of Dubai
Media City. We uplink almost all the channels
that originate from there.
MUHAMMAD KOYA METHAR
Director of teleport operations
technology, Samacom.
OVER
240Number of chan-
nels uplinked from Samacom’s
facility.
Samacom’s satellite farm
www.digitalproductionme.com 023october 2012
cover story
it has been providing satellite uplink services
for Dubai TV as well as terrestrial TV and ra-
dio services. To provide one-stop solutions for
broadcasting clients, it has also introduced TV
playout services and 15 channels, including the
new Zee Alwan, are using this service. To fulfill cli-
ent demand, Samacom has upgraded many of its
component technologies. The operator is rolling
out a new playout system with improved service
availability and quality control within the system
for content. Clients have asked for faster electronic
transfers and the new systems allow for that, adds
Al Muhaideb. The new upgrade will also allow for
HD content and dynamic graphics to be played
out seamlessly. “High-definition is driven by our
clients and if a client elects to do this, we have to
be able to provide the service he requires,” Al Mu-
haideb says about the need to invest in forward-
thinking technologies.
Clients have already started recording content in
HD, says Methar. The limitation, however, is the satel-
lite bandwidth allocated to HD content in the region
and the cost associated with the said bandwidth. “In
the Middle East we adopted HD a lot slower than in
Europe or the US – we were delayed by at least three
or four years,” says Al Muhaideb. “For free-to-air
channels they have to see a response in revenue be-
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024 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
COVER STORY
fore they can invest in HD. But now there is a definite
growth in the demand for HD content.” The YahSat
satellite service which caters solely to HD content
has provided a push for the industry. Samacom
serves two channel bouquets for MBC and Dubai TV,
and is the gateway for YahLive in the UAE.
ENHANCEMENTS IN THE OFFINGWith all the interest in future TV formats, Samacom
has actively upgraded its systems. The company
has invested in an enhanced DTH multiplexer sys-
tem. Samacom also engages in multiplexing chan-
nels from different sources, and bundling them
into one bouquet or space segments on satellites to
ensure better quality transmissions. “We work with
optimum bit rate to deliver high quality signals to
home receivers,” says Al Muhaideb. “Although our
facilities were only about five years old we have
upgraded it to keep up with client demands.” The
new system is better suited for MPEG-4 and HD
encoding which is more in demand these days.
Further, the enhanced system can manage different
picture quality for each client within the bouquet.
With more technology demands and an increasing
client base, Samacom needs more space. Its current
facility with 36 satellites is too limited and it plans
to move into a bigger space.
One of Samacom’s biggest selling points is its
connectivity with a variety of locations. It has
clients in Dubai Media City, the newly-started
twofour54 with Abu Dhabi TV as well as inter-
national players like Cartoon Network Arabia,
which manages the channel in London and sends
content via fibrelink. Samacom has also started
providing services for the recently-launched Sky
News Arabia channel.
“The terrestrial broadcasting services in the
UAE are analogue,” says Al Muhaideb. “These ana-
logue services will cease by December 2013. So we
are seeing much interest and have just confirmed
for digital terrestrial broadcasting.” According to
him, there are many advantages to the switcho-
ver, including the ease of rights negotiations due
to a more concentrated area of transmission.
Samacom will launch DVB T2 services by the first
quarter of 2013. The second-generation terrestrial
system transmits compressed digital audio, video,
and other data in “physical layer pipes” (PLPs), us-
ing OFDM modulation with concatenated channel
coding and interleaving.
Samacom is also offering second-generation
satellite broadcasting (DVB-S2) which better uti-
lises satellite bandwidth. “Almost 50% of the chan-
nels are broadcasting on DVB-S2,” said Methar.
“With the DVB-S we were delivering 38mb per
transponder and with the new system we can go
up to 54 or 55mb. So we can accommodate more
channels within the same satellite capacity or
enhance the quality of the existing channels.” All
OSN and MBC channels as well as Taj TV are now
utilizing this new medium.
NAVIGATING THE TECHNOLOGY SPACEConventional thinking suggests that the Middle
East broadcast industry is behind the times and
lagging in terms of technological development.
But Al Muhaideb vehemently refutes this notion.
“People in the industry invest in the technologies
and are the first to launch many new concepts,”
he adds. “For example, some stations tried 3D
technology in 2010, but were not very successful.
There is no fear here in taking the first step.” He
also says that the way Samacom prepares itself
for new technologies is by “picking up” on clients’
conversations and gauging their needs from that.
Although it might seem that teleport operators
have to follow the requirements of their clients, a
larger part of their business is anticipating the fu-
ture needs of the broadcast industry. With the in-
creasing demand for HD content and channels in
the region, teleport operators are slowly preparing
for what will be a true television revolution. In a
way then, they are the true leaders of the industry,
paving the way for others to develop their content
and walk in step with the current times.
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A mobile news gathering unit
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The 7th Annual CommsMEA Awards set out to celebrate and pay tribute to the telecoms industry professionals
and operators that have shown outstanding performance and results in key market segments.
Tuesday 4th December, 2012The Westin, Dubai
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026 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
OSN
www.digitalproductionme.com 027OCTOBER 2012
OSN
With OSN launching its new box, there is another player in the set-top box market in the Middle East. But there are so many variations in technology that can be incorporated into the device. Digital Broadcast Middle East talks to Mark Billinge, vice president of broadcast operations and technology at OSN, to see what’s new about the box.
ATOP YOUR TV
028 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
OSN
SN has launched the first
Internet-enabled set-top
box in the Middle East.
With a host of features and
a new chip-set technology,
the box could be seen as
paving the way for future
Internet streaming here. But it will have to work
hard to make its presence felt in what is quickly
becoming a cluttered market for set-top boxes.
With competition from Etisalat and du, as well as
the illegal satellite king Dish TV, OSN has its work
cut out to make its mark.
While it may seem like there is a lack of choice
with most people having to get either an Etisalat
or du subscription service,
things are slowly chang-
ing. Abu Dhabi’s twofour54
became the first region in
the UAE where both ser-
vices are offered and now of
course there is the option of
adding OSN. As set-top box
technology evolves from
being satellite-based to being
Internet-based one of the
main advantages that will
come about will be the cost-
effectiveness of the latter. This
will add options for more con-
tent on boxes as we are seeing
in some other countries. Also
IPTV boxes can compete well
with local cable companies
in countries with multiple
providers.
Besides an IPTV-enabled
box or a digital television
adapter box, users also have
the option of getting a hybrid
box. Hybrid set-top boxes,
such as those used for Smart
TV programming, enable
viewers to access multiple
TV delivery methods and
include VOD, time-shifting
TV, Internet applications,
video telephony, surveil-
lance, gaming, shopping, and
e-government. By integrating
varying delivery streams,
hybrids enable pay-TV opera-
tors more flexible application
deployment, which decreases the cost of launch-
ing new services, increases speed to market, and
limits disruption for consumers. They also allow
traditional TV broadcasts, whether from terrestrial
(DTT), satellite, or cable providers, to be brought
together with video delivered over the Internet
and personal multimedia content.
Although a wide variety of choices are avail-
able, there is still some limitation with the Middle
East market. Policies restricting content down-
loads will affect the future development of set-top
boxes here. But even then there are quite a few
options to indulge in for now.
We talk to Mark Billinge of OSN to learn more
about the new device:
The main feature that we are focusing
on at launch is the VOD library and
from the customer’s perspective this
gives them access to a lot more content
than before.
MARK BILLINGE,Vice president of broadcast
operations & technology at OSN.
The OSN Plus HD box
www.digitalproductionme.com 029OCTOBER 2012
OSN
What is new about the box?This is the new private video recording for the OSN platform and
it has been a 10-month project to develop the new system. It has
several enhancements over and above what the previous PVR had
to off er. The key off ering of this PVR is that it is
a hybrid box meaning that for the fi rst time
it has Internet connectivity as an active
IP port on the box. This opens a whole
new roadmap for the platform. The
fi rst off ering at launch on the box is a
video on-demand library with about
1,000 hours of both SD and HD con-
tent. The box uses progressive down-
load technology to download content
on to the box using the customer’s own
029OCTOBER 2012
OSN
UN
DE
R T
HE
HO
OD
How does it work?
Jeelesh Patel, platform project & delivery manager for OSN, walks us
through the functionality of the new PVR:
There are two main libraries in the new on-demand service. ‘Catch-
Up’ is linked to a customer’s subscription and depending on the
level of subscription, most of the programs are available for viewing.
Movies and TV shows are both in the section as well as shows for
kids and Arabic content.
‘Box Office’ are all the pay-per-view events on offer for the customer.
Content in this library can be bought directly on the box without
having to make a phone call. Once you select a movie, the box asks
the customer if they want to rent and once selected it downloads a
buffer of content enough to start watching smoothly. It can download
and play at the same time. All the content is pulled from our servers
on the Internet, so none of the browsing happens on the box but on
the Internet. It is pulled as a customer requests content – we call it
‘pull VOD’.
A ‘Download Manager’ lets customers keep track of the content they
are acquiring. You can stack up to 10 downloads at a time in case you
want to watch content later. The box also gives a purchase history.
The box also supports the latest HDMI specifications which allow
content to be converted automatically into 3D. Instead of users
manually configuring their TVs to 3D settings, the box does it
automatically. This is the first 3D electronic programming guide
(EPG) in the region.
Broadcom’s 7356 chip-set
The Broadcom BCM7356 is a single-chip, multi-format HD satellite
STB solution featuring integrated Ethernet MII and PHY capabilities
for connectivity with Broadcom’s Wi-Fi and powerline solutions that
enable service providers to deploy multi-room DVR while reducing
cost and power requirements. The BCM7356 allows multiple
users to store, time shift or access content from media servers or
residential gateways for playback on STBs anywhere in the home.
FAST FACT
1,000Number of hours of content on the
OSN box at launch
030 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
OSN
own Internet connection at home. Other features
on the box include a 1 TB hard drive and a cam
slot to enable the customer to use other
smart cards they might have from
other platforms. The additional
hard drive allows up to 300
hours of HD content to be
recorded, giving the customer
the ability to choose the con-
tent they want to watch and
when they want to watch it. The
new box builds on the strategy we
have had all year with the launch of
OSN Play about giving additional value
to the customer for their subscription.
What are some of the main differences
from the Show-box, which
has been around for two years?The key
difference is
that OSN Plus
has the hybrid
capability so
it has the active
Ethernet port on it. We
also worked with our part-
ners to ensure that
security is still abso-
lute in our new ser-
vice as well. After we
closed the platform
in December 2010
we eradicated the
piracy issue. The OSN
Plus box is based on
the latest set-top box
technology which is
the next-generation
chipset from Broad-
com, and is manufac-
tured by Humax. It is
the first deployment
in the world of this
particular chip-set –
the 7356.
Where is the con-tent downloaded from?We use Level 3 as content delivery net-
work providers and they were our partner
for OSN Play as well. So the content is
sitting on the CDN and the customer
pulls the content from there onto their
set-top box. At the moment, there are no
live streaming capabilities, and content is
available on-demand only.
What are the main benefits of having an Ethernet port?Like I mentioned, the Ethernet connectiv-
ity opens up a future roadmap for us with
various possibilities. The main feature that
There are two main libraries in the new on-demand service. ‘Catch-Up’ is linked to a customer’s subscription. ‘Box Office’ are all the pay-per-view events on offer for the customer.
JEELESH PATEL, Platform project & delivery manger
at OSN.
FAST FACT
10The number of
months it took to develop the new
OSN box
Mark Billinge
A wide variety of content is available
on the new box.
www.digitalproductionme.com 031OCTOBER 2012
OSN
we are focusing on at launch is the VOD library
and from the customer’s perspective this gives
them access to a lot more content than before.
While the current PVR has a push VOD service
where we can push up to 80 hours of content on
the customer’s hard drive, the new box has that
service and additionally the online service that
at launch has 1,000 hours of content. The library
uses progressive download and the theory behind
that is that it downloads a buffer of content onto
the hard drive before it allows you to start watch-
ing. The reason for doing that is that once you do
start watching you get a seamless experience that
is not interrupted by buffering. There are different
settings depending on what a customer wants.
Content can be
booked so that it can
be downloaded now
and watched later.
Or there is an ‘auto-
matic’ mode where
it will download a
buffer of content
until it has enough
on the hard drive to
start watching with-
out interruption.
So depending on
the home Internet
connection it can be
an almost instanta-
neous experience.
How is the con-tent licensed?All the content has
different license
agreements attached
to it. Depending on
the license period
the content is kept
on the server and
is available for
viewership. The
other new element
is ‘box office’ with
a return path. This
allows users to order
box office content
on their set-top box.
There is potential to
add new content as
well. The box also
offers packaged content from premium channels
such as Food Network, Jim Jam, Disney and the
History channel.
Are you concerned at all about the lack of Internet connectivity in the region?
Our new service is available in UAE, KSA,
Kuwait, Qatar, Jordan and Bahrain and requires a
minimum internet download speed of 1MB. I think
the Internet connectivity is improving in this part
of the world with more people getting smart de-
vices, and we do not lag much far behind Europe
or the United States. This is proved by the success
of our previous PVR box, OSN Play and the launch
of our HD channel bouquets.
We use Level 3 as content delivery network providers and they were our partner for OSN Play as well. So the content is sitting on the CDN and the customer pulls the content from there onto their set-top box.
MARK BILLINGE
A wide variety of content is available
on the new box.
s technology becomes more pervasive in
our lives, selling it correctly has become
imperative. InfoComm MEA 2012 will
bring together a host of AV technologies
and systems that will be applicable in
all fields. More than 80 companies will
display the latest products and offer
expertise on a range of applications.
From October 14-18 at the Dubai World
Trade Center, the newest audio-visual and information communica-
tion equipment will be demonstrated. Free education programs will
help participants learn new ways of using AV/IT technologies, as well as
consult with specialists and experts.
The inaugural InfoComm conference in 2011 attracted 12,000 visi-
tors from across the MENA region. Of these 68% of visitors were from
INFOCOMM MEA 2012
032 OCTOBER 2012
One of the biggest technology events of the year in Dubai is the GITEX Technology Week. As part of the event, InfoComm MEA focuses on audio-visual developments in the region and brings together some of the biggest names in the industry to display their wares. We give you a preview of the event.
LIGHTING UP YOUR LIFE
the UAE, while 15% were from the rest of the GCC. Systems integrators
and distributors formed the biggest chunk of participants (26% each),
along with manufacturers (11%) and dealers (10%). Business and cor-
porate users represented the majority of institutional end users (69%)
along with the government and military (12%). Exhibitors included
Extron, Crestron, AMX, Jupiter Systems, Mitsubishi, Samsung, Sharp,
NEC, Hitachi, Wolfvision and projectiondesign.
Further the InfoComm MEA 2012 Summit, organised under the
auspices of InfoComm International, will offer market perspectives, and
technology updates to specific industry practices. The University Semi-
nar will include technical updates on industry practices and trends.
The CTS prep course is designed to assist those who wish to obtain
InfoComm’s CTS certification - the recognised credential of professional
AV personnel. The IMCCA Unified Conferencing Seminar will address
issues in conferencing, collaboration and unified communication.
www.digitalproductionme.com
* DDS 5900
* Qumi Q5 pocket projector
www.digitalproductionme.com 033OCTOBER 2012
INFOCOMM MEA 2012
The IT industry conference on 16th October will
focus on the future of AV/IT systems integration and
where the industry expects to be by 2015. One of
the sessions will address the issues and varieties of
streaming codecs available on the market and what
each means for the user. Manufacturers will also
moderate and host presentations. Lightware Visual
Engineering will look into the digital system design
and the operation of DVI and HDMI interfaces.
Members of Extron Electronics Middle East will
look into the challenges and solutions of fibre optic
implementation.
The conference will highlight some important
solutions in a variety of fields, including enterprise,
transportation and government, retail, hospitality &
events, and education.
Within enterprise, discussion systems will be
highlighted. The DDS 5900, the new Digital Discus-
sion System from DIS has a plug and play system
allowing users to fully focus on the event. Consisting
of a central unit and single programmable multi-
user type units enabling discussion, interpretation,
grouping, VOX (voice activation) and encryption, the
system facilitates conferencing, two-language inter-
pretation and language distribution, as well as event
management such as systems set up, assignment of
seats, operation modes, etc.
The smart pocket projector is another one to
look out for. Weighing just 490 gms, Vivitek’s Qumi
Q5 pocket projector packs a punch delivering crisp
pictures and rich colors. Qumi can display Power-
Point presentations, Word, Excel or Adobe PDF files
straight from a USB flash drive – no laptop necessary.
It even has a built-in Web-Browser, making it the first
“Smart-Projector”. Its multitude of connectivity op-
tions, including HDMI, makes the Qumi Q5 the ideal
companion for tablets, laptops, and smartphones.
With an LED light source guaranteeing 30,000 hours
of operation and just three seconds to power on/off,
the Qumi Q5 is projection-ready whenever needed.
The Video Wall Visualization and Collaboration
Solution is an interesting bit of transportation and
government. The ability to visualise display wall
content and collaborate from a remote PC or mobile
device is essential and will become the new industry
standard. Jupiter Systems’ new Canvas visualization
and collaboration solution allows any source on
the traditional display wall - video, data, application
screens and more - to be shared with colleagues
anywhere on the network. Users in the control room,
or anywhere around the world are able to see, share,
annotate and collaborate on video and desktop
streams.
Another product in the section will be the Public
Address Systems Solutions. Australian Monitor
will display its DMA-1 imessage storage and play-
back device, designed to integrate seamlessly with
commercial PA systems and paging networks. This
device utilises a standard SD card for the storage
of messages, which are saved as MP3 files via your
computer. Up to 255 different messages or tracks can
be stored on the card and replayed via on-board Play,
Fast Forward, Rewind and Stop buttons, which can
also be activated from remote switches.
A host of new products will also be displayed at
the event. The Active Stereo 3D DLP Projector by
projectdesign is touted to be the world’s highest
resolution DLP projector and will be on display at
InfoComm. The exhibition along with the summit
should present some interesting solutions for the
audio-visual industry, which is so closely tied with
the rest of the IT industry. Further, the industry will
come together to discuss pressing issues.
We participated as an enterprise group and have had customers who were quite surprised because they knew Samsung as a one-product group, in particular. But they never knew Samsung offers such a wide range of solutions – like multi-functions printers, PCO/IP solutions, or digital signage.
KARAN CHOPRAHead of solutions and
visual display for Samsung
Electronics.
FAST FACT
12,000The number of visitors at the
inaugural Infocomm 2011
THE BOTTOM LINE
T
IBC HIGHLIGHTS
034 OCTOBER 2012
he IBC is truly a behemoth
of an exhibition. In 2012,
50,937 people attended the
fi ve-day event in Amster-
dam with more than 1,300
companies exhibiting their
wares. It was no easy task
then to narrow down what
we thought were some of the highlights for the
show. Here are our top picks:
CONFERENCE SPEAKER WILL.I.AMAlong with co-host Johan Jervoe of Intel Corp.,
will.i.am got the audiences excited at IBC. His key-
note address was titled ’Creativity and Technology
Forces Combine - Transcend the Barriers of Con-
vention and Rethink What Can Be Achieved’ and
he talked about the importance of connectivity in
today’s world. He said that the world needed more
innovation and companies need to invest in it. “Con-
nectivity is a fact of life,” he said. “Whether it was
early phonographs, and the radio, to gramophones,
to music players, they were all linked. Now it’s Twit-
ter and Google and Facebook – and Intel of course!
It is all about connecting with people.” The artist has
been working with Intel for almost two years on a
series of projects related to the Ultrabook comput-
ers. He also urged broadcasters to not make their
decisions solely about money because sometimes
that curbed innovation. “What if Google or Twitter
were initially only about the money? I am not sure
they might have had the same success.”
JAMES CAMERON’S 5D PRESENTATIONOne could have expected any less from the vision-
ary director of ‘Avatar’ and ‘Titanic’. The man who
went to the deepest place on the planet to research
for his forthcoming fi lm introduced a new concept
at IBC. Along with PACE Group (CPG) co-chairman
Vince Pace, Cameron revealed the technology and
the methodology that enable broadcasters like ESPN
to launch an entire 3D channel from productions
they’re already shooting. The CPG 5D production
methodology, which provides both 2D and 3D deliv-
erables from a single production, is also now being
implemented in China, targeting over 6000 hours of
programming. They unveiled their newest 5D solu-
tions for broadcasters and fi lmmakers, including
the revolutionary Handheld Shadow camera. CPG
also showed publicly for the fi rst time, 3D footage
The irony is that we are doing the hardest things in 3D - visual e� ects cinema and huge multi-camera broadcast shoots, yet nobody is exploring the easy, low-hanging fruit of two camera scripted drama .JAMES CAMERON
FAST FACT
50,937Number of attend-
ees at IBC 2012
www.digitalproductionme.com
IBC set a record with the number of participants in the conference and exhibition hitting over 50,000. Many new products were unveiled and important discussions undertaken at the event. We look at some of the main highlights of the event and what some of this means for the industry at large.
Feature sponsor
THE BOTTOM LINE
www.digitalproductionme.com 035OCTOBER 2012
IBC HIGHLIGHTSFeature sponsor
036 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
IBC HIGHLIGHTS
from the National Geographic
documentary about Deepsea
Challenge, James Cameron’s
record-setting dive to the low-
est point on the planet.
DRIVING AROUND IN HDNewTek’s distributor for
the EMEA region, 3D Storm,
unveiled an interesting
concept at IBC. It integrated a
Mini Countryman with a fully
operational HD live produc-
tion system that could be used
for live broadcasting. The
compact system incorporated
NewTek’s TriCaster 455 and
3Play 425. The whole set-up
could be extremely useful in
delivering news from hard-to-
reach locations with compact
approaches. The car has
toured more than 10 European
countries and was integrated
by SIS Live in less than two
weeks. It features a uPod – an
automated, SNG uplink system
mounted on to the roof. There
are two JVC Pro 24-inch LCD
monitors and two cameras to
make recording and replaying
material very easy. TriCaster
Live Streaming also enables
the Mini-station to record and
output in multiple formats, in
any resolution up to HD, expands live production
broadcast possibilities on television, on big screens
or to stream live on the web.
KEEPING PRIME MINISTER IN CHECK!Vortex announced at IBC that it will supply a Debate
Timing System to the Houses of Parliament in the
UK based on its new FLX TouchScreen. Like its
name suggests, the system will keep track of the
length of speeches and arguments and will indicate
when the allotted time nears the end. There will
be an option to add more time. Vortex director Ian
Prowse said that the FLX is “a cost-effective, flexible,
networked timing system that handles almost any
time-keeping requirement from a standalone stop-
watch to a building-wide multi-display, multi-time-
zone solution.” The standard configuration provides
three separate timers configurable as count-up,
count-down or count-through with pre-set count-
down times and users can add or subtract blocks
of time on-the-fly plus show an alarm. The timing
elements – with or without time-of-day – can also
be shown on remote displays that can also include
elements such as On-Air lights and Telephone ring
and Emergency indicators. The recession is hitting
everyone – even the politicians’ speeches!
THE NEXT BIG THING IN SET-TOP BOXESYouView is an IPTV television service in the UK
which was formally launched on July 4, and
receivers went on sale from July 26. The venture
is a partnership between four broadcasters – BBC,
Channel 4, Channel 5 and ITV – and three com-
munications companies – Arqiva, BT and TalkTalk.
Humax showed the first YouView box, the DTR-
T1000, at IBC. Further the company also unveiled
Convention key-note speaker
will.i.am of the Black-Eyed Peas.
Connectivity is a fact of life. Whether it was early phonographs, and the radio, to gramophones, to music players, they were all linked. Now it’s Twitter and Google and Facebook – and Intel of course! It is all about connecting with people.
WILL.I.AMKey-note speaker
Feature sponsor
www.digitalproductionme.com 037OCTOBER 2012
IBC HIGHLIGHTS
OCTOBER 2012
a host of other products,
including the next-generation
Freesat box for the UK market.
An Android-based, pure IPTV
box for over-the-top content
was also launched. It
remains to be seen
when these products
will make their way
to the Middle East
due to the limita-
tions of Internet-
connectivity in the
region. Another new
addition to Humax family
was a new home media server
with multi-tuners that support content sharing on
tablets, smartphones and other set-top boxes.
A UNIQUE VIEW ON SOCIAL MEDIA…In a world with that is increasingly dependent on
social media, you have to wonder how eff ective it
really is. Ratings agency GfK teamed up with Red
Bee to examine the way viewers watch television by
using the video-on-demand specialist’s TV Genius
Content Discovery platform. The agency revealed
its fi ndings at a session titled ‘Social Media Meets
TV’ and the results were surprising. “Trend spotters
are coming at this from a diff erent perspective to
the customer – it’s important to remember that not
The Mini LiveMan
FAST FACT
1,300Number of exhibi-
tors at IBC 2012
Trend spotters are coming at this from a di� erent perspective to the customer – it’s important to remember that not everyone has an iPad We must put social media in context – it has a role to play but recommendations by trusted TV critics still also feed into e� ective recommendation engines.
NICK NORTH, head of innovation,
audience measurement, GfK
everyone has an iPad,”
said Nick North, global
head of innovation for
audience measurement at
GfK. “We must put social
media in context – it has
a role to play but recom-
mendations by trusted TV
critics still also feed into
eff ective recommendation
engines.”
The research further re-
vealed that second screen
viewing is not as cohesive
as content providers
would like to believe. DB
Middle East looked at this
same issue in last month’s
IBC special.
…AND AN OPPOSING OPINIONOne of the most interest-
ing sessions of the conference was the one that
discussed the role that social media played in
the Arab Spring and how it changed the political
landscape of the Middle East. While many websites
were clamped down on, enough word got through
to carry out revolutions in many parts of the region.
Of course, social media became an important tool
due to the overwhelming number of young people
that reside in these countries – two-thirds of the
population is under 30. Nart Bouran, head of Sky
News Arabia, said that governments had responded
to the revolutions by becoming more streamlined
in their functions. But he said that a major problem
was the lack of verifi cation with content shared by
citizen journalists on social media. “The majority
of news coming out of Syria is generated via social
media,” Bouran said. “But despite the passion, can
they be trusted? We attempt to verify every event
via our own trusted sources.”
UK’s YouView box
Feature sponsor
www.arabsat.com
Our world. Now sharper than ever with the HDTV portal of the Middle East. Your world. See the difference with the region’s largest satellite operatorWith the reach, power and unmatched capacity of Arabsat’s state-of-the-art satellite fleet, the largest Arab community in the sky now brings you more power to experience the future in incredible detail. No wonder over 90% of free-to-air HD-TV channels in the MENA region are now exclusively broadcasting on Arabsat satellites. Join our premium community today!
www.digitalproductionme.com
product FocuS
040 october 2012
Back to the futureRobots have always captured the human imagination. Digital Broadcast Middle East looks at one company, Vinten Radamec, which is bringing this piece of human imagination to the real-life broadcasting market.
inten Radamec, part
of Vitec Videocom, a
Vitec Group company,
showcased its next-gen-
eration fusion robotics,
incorporating the com-
pany’s new Intelligent Control Engineering
(ICE) technology at the IBC2012 event.
The ICE technology delivers better
control and accuracy in a highly compact
form, and is incorporated into the recently
released FH-145 and FHR-145 heads, which
were showcased at the event. The two
next generation pan and tilt heads were
displayed alongside Vinten Radamec’s
first-ever product to incorporate the ICE
platform, the FHR-35. The ICE technology
platform provides a motion control system
and drive train within the heads to deliver
both the fastest and the slowest broadcast
quality movement. The ICE motion control
vsystem is also able to
drive a wide range of
full-servo broadcast
lenses. The ICE
platform harnesses
IP technology, al-
lowing control from
either the Vinten
Radamec VRC or
LCS systems over
a standard Ethernet
infrastructure.
The key to working with the robotic
heads is Vinten’s CP4 product, designed
specifically for use with small, robotic
heads. It provides the solution for a variety
of applications - from regional news stu-
dios and conference centres, to houses of
worship and legislatures.
“This entry level robotics solution is set
to play a fundamental role in those smaller
robotics applications, either in non-studio
environments or in remote studios, such
as regional news programmes,” said Karen
Walker, commercial manager for Vinten
Radamec. “It’s simple to install and straight
forward to use so it can be ready and op-
erational in minutes – we’re confident that
we’ve created the ultimate out of the box
solution. CP4 will provide operators
with the most reliable entry-
level robotics solution; it was
designed with simplicity in
mind while still providing the solid,
high quality performance that customers
would expect from a Vinten Radamec
product.”
Utilising flexible Ethernet
network architecture, the CP4 has
a Windows-based touchscreen user
interface that can be configured to
control up to four heads, and store
up to 40 pre-set shots. The desktop
solution can include a user configurable
option, with the capability of controlling
up to 8 heads and 200 pre-set shots. The
CP4 is designed to meet the needs of op-
erators regardless of their level of robotics
knowledge, and provides a solution that
is easy to use, install and maintain. It sup-
ports the Intelligent Control Engineering
(ICE) protocol that is incorporated into the
recently released series of the next genera-
tion heads.
“This year has been revolutionary for
Vinten Radamec in terms of growing our
range of next generation ICE products,”
Walker added. “Every element of the new
motion control platform demonstrates
our continued commitment to creating
innovative and advanced technology to
meet the precise requirements of today’s
broadcasters. There are several very dif-
ferent products in our new robotics range,
from pan and tilt heads, to a brand new
positioning system for pedestals, as well
as an innovative compact and portable
control solution. The new products ad-
dress the distinctive change taking place
in the robotics industry. Each individual
product is tailored towards specific sectors
of the market, yet they all deliver the same
outstanding performances and offer real
operational advantages to our customers.”
Virtual Reality upgrades for the range of
ICE heads were also on display.
the cP4 control solution
the Fusion FHr 145
www.digitalproductionme.com 041OCTOBER 2012
PRODUCTS
OCTOBER 2012
The EDIUS Neo 3.5 is a sub-set of the latest
EDIUS Pro 6.5 NLE package. It is designed for
prosumers and amateurs. Users can also deliver
their fi nished work to the web and DVD/Blu-ray
disk. Video formats supported include: AVCHD
(2.0), MPEG-2, HDV, DV, Windows Media, and
QuickTime. The new version includes the ability
to natively work with images shot with Canon
DSLR cameras, as well as to stabilize shaky foot-
age and easily edit stereoscopic 3D content.
GRASS VALLEY / EDIUS Neo 3.5
TMD announced upgrades to the Mediafl ex Re-
purposing module of its asset management plat-
form at IBC 2012. The new capability, Mediafl ex
StreamCoder, creates multiple outputs while
reducing cost of ownership. It provides a trans-
code engine to streaming formats for the web,
IPTV, VoD and proxy browse environments,
performing multiple transcodes simultaneously
and, where required, creating live streaming. It
handles metadata shuffl ing as well.
TMD / Mediafl ex StreamCoder
The HyperXLP is a dual-channel-capable broad-
cast graphics platform in a compact 1-RU design.
It leverages the Lyric PRO graphics creation
and playback software and has an optional
second channel. The system’s graphics engine
simultaneously manipulates 3D graphics and
also allows stereoscopic 3D graphics to be built
from existing scenes without any modifi cation.
It off ers a set of update tools including ODBC
connections and Adobe XMP metadata.
CHYRON / HyperXLP
New products come on to the market at a great rate. While many shout about their innovation or competitive pricing, it can be di� cult to spot the true merit of a product without the right information. DB o� ers a few top tips that are always worth keeping in mind when purchase orders are on the way.
1. FOCUSKnow what you are looking for and exactly what you need it to do
2. RESEARCH Get suppliers to provide detailed product information based on your specifi c requirements
3. PRICE VERSUS...Is price the most important factor?
4. ...QUALITYOr will quality matter more in the long run?
5. IS IT NEEDED?Is the product something the project really needs? Could it be done without or bought at a later stage?
6. SUSTAINABILITYDoes this product need to be ‘green’?
7. STANDARDSDoes the product need to conform to any specifi c standards?
8. SHIPPINGWill the product make it to production on time, or is there an order backlog?
9. LIABILITYHow long will your company be liable for the product’s performance?
10. BOTTOM LINEWill this purchase actually do the job or will it come back tohaunt you?
New ProductsDigital Broadcast Middle East reviews the latest gadgets, essential kit and serious product innovations making an impact in the GCC broadcast market. Let us know if there is something you would like to see on these pages.
WANT TO FEATURE YOUR PRODUCT HERE? E-mail ruchi.shro� @itp.com
042 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
PRODUCTS
Across the DVM line of MPEG video monitors,
products have been enhanced to extend their
I/O fl exibility. Each monitor now provides not
only for MPEG-2 and MPEG-4 decoding via
DVB-ASI streams through BNC input, but also
accommodates IPTV sources (through Gigabit
WOHLER / DVM Line
Vizrt’s new integration allows editors to search
and select source material from Viz Media
Engine within Adobe Premiere Pro CS6. This
integration has been further enhanced to allow
Adobe Premiere Pro CS6 access to EDLs in Viz
Media Engine as well as the capability to stage
offl ine media. Newsroom editorial staff can
perform rough-cuts of video content using the
Viz PreCut and Viz EasyCut proxy editors within
their newsroom systems.
VIZRT / Viz Media Engine
The new range of IQ Modular products enable
broadcasters to extend the useful life of their
current SD or HD infrastructure. These new
modules incorporate low latency and
virtually lossless video compression in
order to allow high-bandwidth HDTV
signals to be transported effi ciently and
cost-eff ectively over existing lower-
bandwidth SDI infrastructure, without
any compromise of video quality. The
SNELL / IQ Modular
The company will launch ControlCenter-Digital,
a new KVM matrix switch at IBC 2012. The
modular system supports CAT or fi ber or both.
The switch has up to 288 ports (with 160 and 80
versions in preparation) that can be cascaded
in up to 3 levels. The dynamic ports can be used
as input or output. The switch supports diverse
signals including HD video, USB and PS/2 key-
board and mouse, audio, USB 2.0 transparent
and RS-232.
G&D / ControlCenter-Digital
OCTOBER 2012
SE
LL IT T
O M
E!
new Snell modules also enable 3Gbps signals
to be carried through existing HD-SDI video
networks.
Ethernet input) and HDMI sources, both with
audio level meters, GPI, and tally. Each monitor
is capable of displaying in-picture level meter-
ing, video waveform, and vectorscope display
with classic CRT-style image calibration.
ASIASAT 5 MCPC
PLATFORM UPGRADED
TO DVB-S2
SatLink Communications
upgraded its MCPC platform
on the AsiaSat 5 satellite to
DVB-S2. This upgrade will
allow International HD, SD &
3D channels to be distributed
more cost effectively on
the satellite that provides
access to 620 million Asian
households and hotels.
The new DVB-S2 platform,
which utilises SatLink ’s full
C-band transponder on
AsiaSat 5, will deliver higher
throughput and greater
bandwidth efficiency,
enabling distribution
solutions to and from the Asia
Pacific.
William Wade, President
and CEO of AsiaSat, said:
“The introduction of a more
efficient DVB-S2 platform
on AsiaSat 5 by our teleport
partner SatLink is an
important move to meet the
growing demand for more
cost effective end to end
transmission services from
international broadcasters
who are expanding into
the rapidly growing Asian
market. We are pleased to
work with SatLink to continue
to provide innovative and
comprehensive services to
broadcasters through this
new DVB-S2 platform.”
RECOGNISING EXCELLENCE IN ENTERPRISE COMPUTING
Monday 15th October, 2012Jumeirah Beach Hotel, Dubai
Have your achievements acknowledged at the 8th annual ACN Arab Technology Awards 2012
For more information, please visit:www.itp.net/acnawards
SPONSORSHIP PACKAGES AVAILABLE
SILVER SPONSORGOLD SPONSORS CATEGORY SPONSOR
044 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
PRODUCTS
The DCC-7000 is a real-time, multi-
matrix color corrector ideal for live
sports and post production applica-
tions. As the live HD/SD-SDI signal
passes through the DCC-7000, this
product performs real-time adjust-
ment, enhancement, and color cor-
rection of up to 12 separate colors and
hues in the video. It also off ers 12-axis
color correction, which includes RGB,
saturation, and hue. It supports HDTV
and SDTV standards, with 10-bit, 4:2:2
digital signal processing.
FOR-A / DCC 7000
Tel. +971 4 238 1555
e-mail [email protected] www.bluetruck.ae
Fax. +971 4 238 2325
The market leader in mass door-to-door distribution and controlled bulk distribution of magazines within the UAE.
Tailor made distribution solutions to suit your requirements.
Distribution 100% controlled by Blue Truck employees (no external management or distributors).
Comprehensive in-house audit and reporting structure, we also welcome external audits from the company of your choice.
A full solutions package, including Design, Photography, Printing & Distribution.
Associatemember
Award winningcompany
The new version of the app, Prompter
V2 allows presenters not just to re-
ceive and view real-time social media
content while on the air, but to pub-
lish it as well. Prompter gives on-air
talent a way to view real-time social
media comments from their view-
ers and fans, and incorporate that
input into their programs. Incoming
comments are pushed directly into
Prompter on a presenter’s iPad.
NEVER.NO / Prompter
Updated media asset management
system, DIVAdirector V5.1, contains
new features that make it easier for
any media organization with a DIVAr-
chive system to manage its digital fi les,
especially if that organization is using
Front Porch Digital’s new LYNXsm
platform for moving, archiving, and
online video publishing to the cloud.
It also has enhanced integration with
other components, including SAMMA
for content migration and DIVApub-
lish mpx for taking media to market.
FRONT PORCH DIGITAL /DIVAdirector V5.1
046 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
DATA
$149 billionGlobal triple-play subscription revenues in 2017.
257 millionTriple-play subscribers in Asia-Pacific by 2017.
Triple play – Triple threatThe growing interest in satellite TV subscriptions will translate into increasing numbers of triple play subscribers. Digital Broadcast Middle East looks at some research that forecasts figures for 2017.
Triple-play
Double-playStandalone
200
7
200
8
200
9
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
I BC2012 FUTU R E ZON E EXH I B ITOR S
Exhibitor Project Name Stand
Mediapro Research Project FINE 8.F40
School of Engineering and Design, Brunel Unviersity
3d VIVANT 8.F49
Actual Customer Behaviour LLP Industry Neutral 1-3-9 Longitudinal Media Lab
8.G41
Computer Graphics, Technische Universitat Berlin
Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera 8.G29
NHK NHK 8.G30
Faceware Technologies, Inc. Faceware Technologies Inc 8.G48
NTT NTT 8.G44
ETRI ETRI 8.G35
NICT 8.G33
700,000
600,000
500,000
400,000
300,000
200,000
100,000
0
TOP 10 TR I PLE- PL AY COU NTR I ES BY HOUSE HOLDS (000)
2012 2017
China 38,998 China 192,667
USA 20,723 USA 45,785
France 5,729 India 17,535
South Korea 4,528 Japan 13,954
Japan 3,927 Germany 11,530
UK* 3,663 South Korea 10, 202
Canada 3, 265 Russia 10,094
Germany 3, 265 France 7,920
Netherlands 2,327 Canada 7,171
Russia 1,670 Brazil 5,393
TOP 10 COU NTR I ES BY TR I PLE- PL AY R EVE N U ES (US$ M I LLION)
2012 2017
USA 26,955 USA 59,432
Canada 4,629 Japan 13,368
Japan 3, 289 China 11,576
France 2,814 Canada 10,125
UK* 2,603 France 4,112
China 1,725 Germany 4,041
Belgium 1,529 Brazil 3,561
Netherlands 1, 265 Belgium 3,198
Spain 1, 245 South Korea 3,006
South Korea 1,149 UK* 2,905
Source: Digital TV Research Ltd
Source: Digital TV Research Ltd UK excludes Sky
Global households by bundle (000)
JAYANT D
EY
Sales M
anag
er
Tel: +
971 4 444 3246
Email: ja
yant.d
ey@itp
.com
GEORGE H
OJEIGE
Sales D
irecto
r
Tel: +
971 4 444 3203
Email: g
eorge.h
ojeige@
itp.co
m
048 www.digitalproductionme.comOCTOBER 2012
TEST CARD
Business Development Director, Broadcast Solutions
Test Card
PETER JAKOBSSON
The Middle East broadcast industry is still booming. While there are many broadcasters in the area, many more are appearing on the scene.
PETER JAKOBSSON,Business Development Director,
Broadcast Solutions
What is Broadcast Solutions all about? Broadcast –Solutions is one of Europe’s big-
gest and most established system integrators.
Although Europe-based, we have for years been
operating on a nearly global basis especially in
connection with major events. For instance, we
supplied the main OB vehicle to Korea for the
World Athletics Games, and right now we are
in the middle of a very large contract for “ANO
Sports” in Russia in connection with the coming
winter Olympics in Sochi. This is a complex
project containing seven large SNGs, four
16-camera OB vehicles, one large mobile MCR
vehicle as well as one large support vehicle with
eight camera flight case-based production. We
are also rapidly growing our product portfolio
with SNG antennas and multi channel recording
products.
In your opinion, what is the future of 3D technology?The hype that we have seen for some time
seems to have calmed down, but we are quite
active in helping various customers with pilot
projects in several countries. I believe that once
the technical thresholds are low enough, then
3D technology will become a commodity, per-
haps not for all materials, but certainly there is
content where viewers would prefer 3D before
2D. And as long as that mentality persists, the
technology will be prevalent.
Why have you decided to invest in the Middle Eastern market?The Middle East broadcast industry is still
Digital Broadcast Middle East delves below the corporate strategy to understand what really makes the region’s broadcast leaders tick.
booming. While there are already many broad-
casters in the area, many more are appearing
on the scene. On the other hand, the change
to HD has just started, so there will be a lot of
projects in the area. Also, from a political point
of view, the Arab Spring will bring more players
to the media arena. This will increase the need
for solution providers and we intend to play an
important role in this field in the Middle East.
Where do you think the Middle East industry will head in the next five years?I believe that the industry will still be growing,
but it will be very complex with established
players as well as newcomers both on the sup-
plier and customer sides. I also think that the
broadcasters will have picked up on a lot of the
best technical solutions and workflow models
offered today, and will perhaps foremost be as-
sociated with Europe.
Digital Broadcast readers should use your services because…We are a well established traditional systems
integrator for OBs, SNGs and fixed installa-
tions. Our new “Streamline” line of OBs brings
a completely new approach to the way HD OBs
are constructed. Within the concept we have
models from 8 to 16 camera OB Vehicles. We
also have the Slomo TV product which we
represent in both Europe and the Middle East.
This complete line of multi channel recording
servers is equipped with all the features one
would expect, plus it offers compatibility with
most NLE systems, which is rather unique.
Contact us:
Tel: +971 4 446 7480 Email: [email protected]
PCCW Global Connected with your worldPCCW Global designs, builds and manages IP, Fiber, Satellite, Ethernet and Voice communications worldwide, while enabling service providers to take their business overseas and run operations worldwide.
Resilient global infrastructure and robust network covering 1,800 cities and 120 countries
More than 120 regional MPLS partners globally, with over 70 partners in the EMEA region
PCCW Global’s media solutions enable broadcasters to deliver high quality media broadcasts over an enhanced MPLS network.
Awarded the ‘Best International Wholesale Carrier’ title at the Telecoms World Awards Middle East 2011PCCW Global serves the international connectivity needs of enterprise and wholesale customers across the Middle East, and beyond.
www.pccwglobal.com
Middle EastSales: +971 4 433 825024x7 Service: +971 4 433 [email protected]
harris.com
The cost of a transmitter extends well beyond the purchase price. But with groundbreaking
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IT’S LIKE A SAVINGS VAULT IN DISGUISE.
Learn more at Broadcast India 2012 - Stand A-101 or us online at broadcast.harris.com/TVTransmission.