special report fibre in a 3D world
Not since the transition to colour nearly a half-century ago have the television broadcast and film industries experienced so many sweeping and dramatic technology shifts as they are today. Many producers are still in the thick of overhauling their studio and remote operations for HD. Now, some are under additional pressure to transform their operations and meet emerging consumer demand for high-quality HD 3D programming - with critical mass beginning to form around live coverage of sports and entertainment events as well as high-profile movies. Jim Hurwitz, director of product management for Telecast Fiber Systems, Inc., reports.
ibre optic technology is playing a growing role in HD 3D types of productions because of its ability to handle the vastly increased bandwidth requirements of HD, and now 3D, signals. This is good news for broadcasters and producers, many of whom have already come to rely on fibre and its many advantages over copper cable for traditional outside broadcasting. Just as it does with more conventional production equipment, fibre extends the range, preserves the signal quality, and increases the reliability of today’s
Let there be fibre: F
most advanced 3D camera rigs - all at a cost that can be close to that of traditional coax cable.
In this article, we’ll describe the basics of fibre optic systems that can be used in high-end 3D film and broadcast productions, and the technology options available to broadcasters and producers.
Telecast Fiber Systems’ new CopperHead 3400, a fibre optic
connectivity system specifically
designed for high- end 3D production.
Fibre basics
In live television applications, fibre optic systems are often used to carry audio, video, control, and intercom signals between a camera location - or multiple camera locations - and the control room, truck, or ‘video village’. Fibre optic systems are preferable to copper wires because heavy, bulky, fragile cable bundles can be replaced with thin, high-bandwidth, flexible fibre cables that eliminate distance limitations and electrical interference issues.
One company that is very familiar with the benefits of fibre is 3ality Digital, a leading provider of camera rigs and other equipment to enable state of the art live-action
stereoscopic 3D production. From the beginning, 3ality Digital has depended
40 l ibe l january/february 2011 l
www.ibeweb.com
technical considerations for 3D productions
on advanced fibre technology to serve its high-end broadcasting customers. “We rely on fibre in 3D production for the same reason that traditional broadcasters do - it’s highly superior to copper for carrying high-bandwidth HD camera feeds across long distances,” said Howard Postley, the company’s chief technology officer. Fibre optic systems carry information by converting electrical signals into optical signals that are carried over long distances via thin strands of fibre optic cable as a beam of light. On the other end, a fibre optic receiver accepts the optical beam from the cable and turns it back into the original electrical signal. In most outside broadcasting applications, the preferred transmit/receive solution is a transceiver that combines both functions at each end of the fibre. These units accept the multiple audio, video, and data signals used in remote production, and electronically combine (or ‘E-multiplex’) them all onto a single fibre optic wavelength, also known as the ‘lambda’ or ‘colour’ of the laser. To significantly increase each fibre strand’s capacity, up to 16 of these ‘E- muxed’ signals can then be optically combined (‘O-muxed’) onto the strand
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