24 l February 2014
www.psneurope.com
broadcastevent SOUNDBITES
Video Europe is building a new HD/5.1 OB truck with a Calrec Omega console for light entertainment, music and sports projects. The UK-based hire company intends the new OB3 to be a ‘cross-hire’ vehicle for rental by other outside broadcast companies. Jonathan Lyth, systems manager at C2S, comments that a major challenge was to get “a high level of equipment in a small double-expanding OB footprint whilst providing operational comfort.”
www.videoeurope.co.uk
Scrub has provided Absolute Radio in London with the latest Avid Pro Tools software and hardware as part of the station’s latest upgrade. Head of broadcast technology and IT, Dean Woodcock, explains why the decision was made to switch to Pro Tools: “Our producers are often expected to turn around content in minutes, so the faster- than-real-time offline bounce is essential when they are working on the station’s branded content.”
www.hhb.co.uk
Evolutions, the UK-based independent post-production house, will open a new facility in the heart of Soho at 2 Sheraton Street, off Wardour Street. Evolutions’ operations director, Owen Tyler, said: “It is a pleasure to be able to build a facility from the ground up, delivering to the evolving needs of file-based television in 2014 without having to work around a baseband legacy infrastructure designed for the last decade.”
www.evolutions.tv
VB Audio has announced the release of its latest version of the MT128 recording software, ideal for live broadcast environments. The latest software has an integrated soundpad module, which operates completely independently of the MT128 recording and playback workflow. Developed as a sample reader, the sound pad can launch sounds in several different ways via a touch screen, MIDI keyboard or fader start and it supports all file formats.
www.vb-audio.com
UNITED KINGDOM
More support for UK digital radio
Backed by broadcasters, network providers and car manufacturers, the UK government is to increase efforts during 2014 to promote digital technology as the future for radio, writes Kevin Hilton
PROPOSED FUNDING of £21 million and a possible second national commercial digital multiplex were the key announcements made at the Go Digital Conference held just before Christmas at the Radio Theatre in BBC New Broadcasting House. Hosted by Digital Radio UK,
the organisation that will oversee any switchover from analogue transmission, the event was attended by industry representatives from Europe as well as the UK. In opening remarks, Ed
Vaizey, minister for culture, communications and the creative industries, stated the government’s commitment to a move away from analogue broadcasting by saying: “I absolutely believe the future of radio in this country is digital.” To boost the adoption of
digital radio, Vaizey announced a series of measures, including a
UNITED KINGDOM DPP compliant file processor from Wohler By Kevin Hilton
WOHLER HAS launched a file- based processing system to work specifically with new UK broadcast delivery specifications, including loudness and channel format. It conforms to the UK Digital
Production Partnership (DPP) standards for exchanging programme material from facilities and between broadcasters, which will move to completely databased operations from October this year. WohlerDPP is described as a turnkey package that has been
Wohler RadiantGrid vice president Craig Newbury
built on the RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation platform. RadiantGrid vice president Craig Newbury comments that augmentations for WohlerDPP have been added to established technologies in the existing system. Specific audio features include a loudness controller based on Linear Acoustics’ intelligent analysis and correction technology. Newbury adds there are also functions for channel mapping, Dolby encoding and decoding, down- mixing and up-mixing. “The system is able to take a variety
of files that post organisations have to deal with now,” Newbury comments. “In the past there have been thousands of permutations for audio structure as people had slightly different workflows, which was complex, but there is a move to a common structure with DPP.” Facilities and other
programme suppliers are now having to consider delivering DPP AS-11 files to broadcasters, with the added requirement for post houses to perform quality control checks (see facing page).
www.wohler.com
£21 million programme by the government, the BBC and the commercial radio sector to create local multiplexes to cover 90% of the UK population; a second national commercial multiplex
the growth of DAB+, which is being used in both Germany and the Netherlands, among other countries.
On the consumer side the retail chain Halfords, which specialises
WorldDMB is headed by president Patrick Hannon
president of WorldDMB, said: “WorldDMB supports the many positive announcements made by the UK government, public and commercial broadcasters, and the UK automotive and digital radio
“WorldDMB supports the many positive announcements made by the UK government, public and commercial broadcasters, and the UK automotive and digital radio manufacturing industries”
Patrick Hannon, WorldDMB
licence to be offered during 2014; government backing for local stations to move to digital; and a Digital Tick mark on consumer equipment. Vaizey also pointed to the
shift towards digital on the international radio scene, with Norway and Denmark committed to switch over from analogue in 2017 and 2019 respectively. Also significant is
in equipment for cars, has announced that its range of radios will be fully digital from 2015 onwards. Auto manufacturer Ford is also committing to making DAB standard in selected commercial vehicles and is working with Radioplayer to provide streamed radio services in cars as well as vans. Commenting on the announcements, Patrick Hannon,
manufacturing industries. The UK has shown that it is clearly committed to a digital future for radio – with generous investment and support from the UK government. I am delighted that the UK government and leading industry figures will continue to take a strong lead in the development of digital radio around the world.”
www.worlddab.org
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