theibcdaily For the latest show news and updates follow #IBC2014
Keeping the virtual real Opinion
Software still has to perform as if it worked to dedicated hardware says Ian Prowse, director, Vortex Communications
Looking back, virtually the whole of our year has been spent in the virtual world of hardware emulation and this IBC our stand is packed with virtual products; FLX Virtual Clocks and Timers which use low-cost HDMI screens for display, i- PPM which uses TFT screens that look like – and behave like – conventional level meters and MIDAS (Multi-Instance ACCESS Software) codecs from Comrex which are being used as part of the BBC Virtual Local Radio project (ViLoR), behaving just like the hardware equivalents they are replacing. Compared with a software application, dedicated hardware has big advantages – dedicated hardware for a start – and designed for a specific purpose, hardware devices generally do
what they do and do it well. On the other hand, software has big advantages, flexibility being perhaps the highest on the list.
But by being able to easily offer so many choices in software, what should be a straightforward simulated device can become cluttered with distracting features that only serve to confuse. Take for example the smartphone – good at everything – except making a call. I rest my case. And herein lies the key; by making all this virtual stuff behave just like the 'real thing' – constraining it to the hardware version in effect – with luck and good management, it will still be straightforward to use. The flexibility provided by software of course has its
advantages but there can be so much realtime data available that meaningful interpretation becomes difficult. A hardware box may have a light showing 'OK' but in software, there are likely to be many degrees of 'OK' and whilst becoming better informed, you are quite likely to end-up none-the- wiser. Just like the weather forecast, we don’t need to know every minute of every day, just whether to take a coat – or not. We took this thought with us with our MCC Multi-Codec Control 'Glass Cockpit' which provides the user interface for both hardware and MIDAS software ACCESS codecs. Simple Dial buttons produce the address book whilst realtime graphs show how a connection may be deteriorating and virtual 'traffic lights' show connection status at-a-glance – three degrees of 'OK' if you like.
With FLX, our virtual clock and timer system, users can choose combinations of timers and clocks of any type, in any colour, in any size and on any display, making it extremely flexible. However, it is still intuitive and easy-to-use. And in the spirit of emulating hardware, we
have gone to a great deal of trouble to produce graphical images that match our conventional digital and analogue clock ranges. So many choices… Our iPPM looks just like a
conventional audio monitoring unit but uses TFT screens to emulate conventional 22AF PPMs (or VU meters, or Bargraphs, or Loudness Meters or LED meters), selectable in combinations and they look and behave just like the real thing. So many choices – at the touch of a button.
It all seems so simple but while from above we seem like swans gliding along, we are actually paddling like hell underneath. 11.G11
Robo Eye makes its position clear
Telemetrics By David Fox
The new Robo Eye integrated HD pan/tilt/zoom camera from Telemetrics has a Sony Exmor 2.18-megapixel CMOS image sensor and 30x zoom lens, and boasts a signal-to-noise ratio of 50dB and sensitivity of F8 at 2000 lux.
It offers native 1920x1080 HD-SDI and HDMI outputs, plus SD composite video signals in NTSC and PAL. Gain set-up is automatic with a manual override, and up to 1,000 presets can be stored. It has servo motors for
Integrated robotics: Telemetrics’ new Robo Eye HD PTZ camera
positioning, with stop accuracy of 0.005° and feedback accuracy of 0.000375°, and offers a pan/tilt velocity of 0.01 - 90° per second.
The unit is IP65 rated for indoor and outdoor use, and can be remotely controlled via its built-in web-server from a web-enabled device, via Ethernet or RS-232C/422. A USB port is also included.
“Robo Eye allows camera robotics systems to be designed and expanded with a high performance HD imaging solution that is specifically designed for professional camera robotics system applications,” said Telemetrics’ president, Anthony Cuomo. 11.D35
theibcdaily 29
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104