10 TVBEurope News & Analysis
NEWS INBRIEF A quality threshold Kevin Burrows, CTO of broadcast
AJA releases lo 4K software update
AJA Video Systems has released its v.10.5.1 Mac software driver package for Io 4K. The software upgrade adds 4K/UHD high frame rate support to AJA’s device for video I/O, customised for Thunderbolt 2 technology and 4K workflows. The upgrade adds Io 4K support for 50, 59.94 and 60fps capability at 4K and UHD resolutions. The v10.5.1 software also adds new format support into the AJA DataCalc desktop app, along with overall performance and format support enhancements to Io XT, Io Express, T-TAP, and the current KONA lineup of capture cards.
www.aja.com
Panasonic to launch ‘cloud ready’ camera
Panasonic is set to launch its first handheld ENG camera with wireless connectivity. The AJ-PX270 removes the need for traditional video uplink, making it suitable for the live stream and freelance news gathering market. The camera enables a wireless production workflow via LAN, with additional 3G/4G/LTE application from Autumn 2014. The P2 HD handheld camera recorder has integrated AVC-ULTRA recording, offering a range of recording bitrates.
www.panasonic.com
Sennheiser introduces HDM Pro technology Sennheiser has introduced new technology to its HD25 headphone range, with the aim of helping to protect users’ hearing against noise induced hearing loss (NIHL), and improving reproduced sound quality. Sennheiser Solutions is the first company to market LimitEar’s HDM Pro device, which enables sound levels to be adjusted dynamically to reduce the impact of NIHL. The HDM Pro device changes users’ sound levels through the day to ensure that their exposure to reproduced sound stays within legally defined limits.
www.limitear.com www.sennheiser.co.uk
and distribution at Channel 4, and DPP technical standards lead, looked at what happens to files once they are at the broadcaster. This is a nonlinear process full of side processes and lots of individual workflows going off to other platforms. Focusing on linear broadcast
and keeping things simple, Burrows said: “The file would be available to broadcast depending on the timing. The metadata would have been entered or extracted within the conditioning and scheduling systems, so whoever is scheduling that programme will know where the parts are and how long it is. They put it into an automated schedule driving the play out server.” There is an option. If the
broadcaster cannot play out in the AVC file format at any time, there is the potential for a transcode, but this incident will be rare. “It takes quite a long time to get something in place. We are seeing some quite big improvements in some of the Long GOP versions of AVC, and we have to start somewhere in terms of standardisation,” said Burrows. “At least then we have a quality threshold.”
Waiting for Insert editing The strict procedures for recalling files were explained by Bill Brown, head of media standards at ITV. Editorial and technical corrections are more problematic in the file world, and you must replace original versions. “Obviously if you send a file to
a broadcaster or a play out provider you have not got a clue of how many times that file has been copied. So if you do not change the version when you alter the content either technically or editorially, you increase the risk of the wrong content going out with all the ramifications,” said Brown. “The first stage if you must make a correction is to contact
your dynamics. Start to bring some nice fidelity into it,” said Metcalfe. “If you deliver R 128 compliant content it will go right through to the TX chain.” Another EBU spec with lots
Tennant: “In our file-based world, metadata is absolutely mandatory”
your broadcaster (media management department or programme planning) and get permission. Once you have consent, you go back to the beginning editing station. Once corrections are done, you have to
linear tape suite and made a quick correction,” he said. “In the file world we still don’t have any means of insert editing, so we have to go way back to the first stage of the process.”
of numbers required more plain English. “You measure the entire asset and there is the target loudness of -23, and that’s what you have to hit. If not correct, you simply move the whole mix up or down, give it attenuation and gain, until you get the correct value,” said Metcalfe. “There is confusion around tolerances on target loudness, but R 128 is the letter of the law. That said, most broadcasters have a built in tolerance anyway. Tolerance is built in for live content.” The EBU PLOUD group is looking at adding a tolerance, and at loudness range. “The other thing you have to ensure is that there are no peaks in the audio above -3dB; the reason is if it is intended to go to a further compression codec such as Dolby Digital. The more you push it to zero, the greater
“There is confusion around tolerances on target loudness, but R 128 is the letter of the law. That said, most broadcasters have a built-in tolerance anyway. Tolerance is built in for live content”
re-enter the metadata, re-wrap the file, re-evaluate and QC it.” Brown cited the questions
around this subject: how close are you to TX, how good is your connectivity, how quickly can you transfer files, what are the limitations in terms of the workflow at the play out provider that is sending this file back to you, and how long will it take them to re-process the file content and get it onto servers. “We have all known the
days when we just dived into a
The letter of the law Garry Metcalfe, a broadcast design engineer with Sky, covered the must-adhere-to subject of the EBU R128 loudness specs. These are essentially a measuring method modelled on how the human ear responds to frequencies at different loudness levels. The result is measuring the average sound of an entire asset. “There is no opportunity to be louder anymore. You are much better starting to open up
www.tvbeurope.com March 2014
Garry Metcalf, Sky
chance of creating artefacts when you data reduce something,” said Metcalfe. He ended by pointing at a major benefit. “If you are doing long form content it is arduous to measure it and find you have not hit the target loudness. It can be much more efficient to use a package and create your mix. The software will measure the content and calculate the offset that is required and automatically shift it to the correct loudness target.”
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