SMPTE Symposium Highlights 3-D

"The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers will open its annual Technical Conference & Exhibition with a pre-conference symposium on stereoscopic 3-D production, which is scheduled for Oct. 23, and sponsored by Sony and Texas Instruments.

The event was developed to explore the core technologies, applications, and challenges of 3-D and provide a roadmap for 3-D deployment. Speakers on the 3-D session include: Jason Goodman, president, 21st Century 3D; Rob Engle, stereographer/digital effects supervisor, Sony Pictures Imageworks; Buzz Hays, senior VFX producer, Imageworks; Phil McNally, stereoscopic supervisor, DreamWorks Animation; Jim Mainard, head of production development, DreamWorks Animation; and Chuck Comisky, 3-D visual effects specialist, Lightstorm Prods. Representatives from Real D, 3ality Digital Systems, Dolby Laboratories, In-Three, Insight Media, Lightspeed Design Group, MKPE Consulting, Pace, and Quantel, are also scheduled participants.

The SMPTE conference will be held Oct. 24-27 in Brooklyn."

Source: The Hollywood Reporter

MovieLabs Shows Results of Fingerprint Testing

"The MPAA and MovieLabs, its R&D arm, spent months testing a dozen software programs designed to identify copyrighted videos from brief samples of their data. Each "fingerprinting" program was fed about 1,000 test files of wide-ranging format and quality, including a number of camcorded movies and other bootlegs downloading from the Net. Of the technologies submitted (11 by firms and one by a Scottish university), the MPAA said, three successfully identified more than 90 percent of the files with no false positives. In other words, when they erred, it was in not spotting a copyrighted movie within a file, rather than identifying a movie that wasn't there.

Steve Weinstein, CEO of MovieLabs, summarized the results as follows: "This stuff works." Of course, that's just in a laboratory setting. The next step for MovieLabs and the MPAA, in addition to testing more iterations of the technology, is to try out the technologies in the field, where commercially important issues such as scaling (how well they handle a large volume of ID requests) can be measured.

Weinstein and other officials declined to say which firms had scored highest in the test. That honor was claimed by Santa Clara-based startup Vobile, although executives from two more established competitors, Gracenote and Audible Magic, also said their technology performed well. Other contenders included Thomson and Philips.

For the studios, though, the important thing is that several firms actually seem to be able to do what they claim. That could raise the pressure on networks with a large amount of unauthorized copying, such as user-generated video sites and college campuses, to deploy fingerprinting technologies. In fact, Joshua Metzger, a senior vice president at the UGC site Veoh.com, said at the conference that his company would add fingerprinting technology within 30 days.

A lot of details remain unsettled, and the courts have yet to weigh in on whether copyright law actually obliges anyone to install fingerprinting technologies on their system. But a fingerprinting technology that works well enough to satisfy the studios could be the key to advertiser-supported sites such as Veoh and YouTube striking major content deals and ramping up their ad sales. After all, one of the things holding back revenues at UGC sites is uncertainty over liability. If fingerprinting settles that issue, that's a powerful motivator for companies to deploy it. On the other hand, if it chokes off so much content that users run away, then it's a lose-lose situation."

Source: Los Angeles Times

Codex Digital Delivers Universal Support for Data Cameras

"Codex Digital, specialist in high-resolution media recording systems, is extending the capabilities of its HD 2K 4K recording systems to support the capture of the data output from many leading digital cameras for broadcast and motion picture cinematography.

The Codex Recorder and forthcoming Portable field recorder will interface with the ARRI D-20 in data-mode, unleashing the full potential of this camera. By recording the D-20 in data-mode, Codex extends the camera's capabilities to levels way beyond HD: Codex captures and stores the raw, unprocessed data from the camera's 4:3 sensor, making maximum use of its 2880 x 2160 resolution and 12-bit bit-depth, with real time unsqueezed playback of anamorphic material. This results in far superior picture resolution than when using the D-20's 1920 x 1080 HD video output, as all the image data captured by the sensor is retained.

Codex also features the ability to demosaic and downsample the Arri D-20's Bayer pattern images in real time. This feature – already used when recording from the DALSA Origin 4K data-mode camera – means that material captured with the D-20 can be viewed and passed onto editorial without the need for lengthy, time-intensive de-Bayering and downconversion. Codex produces on-demand HD proxies for review and editorial via its Virtual File System, whilst storing the raw, unprocessed sensor data from the camera for best-quality processing at the conforming and finishing stage.

Codex already integrates with a huge range of leading digital cinematography cameras, such as Sony's HD series - including the Sony F23 - Panavision Genesis and Thomson Viper FilmStreamTM and will fully-support data-mode recording from cameras such as Vision Research's high-speed Phantom range and Red Digital Cinema's RED ONE as data-mode outputs become available from those devices.

Codex Digital's uncompressed data-recording enables users to record the highest possible resolution and dynamic range that each of these cameras can deliver, then send the captured material, ready for immediate use, directly into the post-production chain. The material is complete with required metadata, in any format required for effects and finishing.

The Codex Recorder can capture well over 1 Gigabyte/sec (8Gigabits/sec) of raw data – up to three times faster than other systems suitable for field use, and enough for completely uncompressed recording of HD or 4K cameras even at higher frame-rates. It also offers dual camera inputs, enabling two cameras to be used either independently for A & B camera shoots, or locked together for applications such as 3D stereoscopic production.

Codex has already streamlined the entire workflow for HD-based productions of every scale from low budget to multi-million dollar productions. For example, principal photography has recently completed on a $200 million Hollywood production, shot in Germany. Connected to six Sony F23 cameras, Codex and its partner Sohonet provided immediate recording, transcoding and storage for every aspect of the production from instant Avid MXF proxies to full-resolution files sent at high-speed to the effects facility in Los Angeles. Each unit was able to monitor, review and generate edited, full-resolution sequences literally overnight, for viewing before the next day's shooting."

Source: Stereoscopy

MOG Solutions Toboggans For NBC Beijing Olympic Coverage

"MOG Solutions has been selected by NBC Olympics to provide tools for enabling integration between NBC Olympics’ Media Asset Management System, editing suites and video servers during the network’s coverage of the 2008 Olympic Games from Beijing, China.

Following the success of the 2006 Torino Olympic Winter Games, where MOG Solutions provided MXF Proxy Encoders to NBC for capturing on-the-fly metadata in a real-time MPEG-4 MXF file, MOG Solutions will now be providing NBC with the Toboggan, a full set of tools that will enable NBC Olympics’ New Media production group to share media and tasks between the operations located in Beijing and in New York. The new Toboggan product line provides a set of automation tools that will conform the live event coverage video and metadata, managed in NBC Olympics’ Blue Order Media Asset Management system, and export these for further processing to Avid edit stations or transcoding engines for eventual delivery to multiple distribution platforms. Toboggan will be a key element used by NBC Olympics to create a fully optimized and interoperable system for New Media production for the Beijing Olympics."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

MOG Solutions Licenses MXF Technology to Adobe for Premiere PRO CS3

"Adobe Systems has licensed MOG Solutions MXF development tools which will enable Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 to feature expanded MXF support.

Adobe Premiere Pro will now benefit from MXF compatibility through optimized workflows ensured by MOG Solutions’ tools. The release of Adobe Premiere Pro, the start-to-finish solution for efficient video production, integrating MOG Solutions’ MXF technology will be available soon."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

On-Set Digital Recording Options Expand at CineGear

When CineGear Expo opened in West L.A. this summer, one of the hottest product categories was solutions for tapeless acquisition from cameras running at resolutions of 2K and above. Debra Kaufman hoofed it from tent to tent to get a look at the latest offerings from Codex Digital, S.two, Colorspace, and Wafian.

Watch the Video

File-based Production: Making It Work In Practice

An interesting white paper from BBC R&D.

Abstract
"Many organisations are moving from video tape based television production to file-based production. A number of difficulties arise during this migration including unexpected costs, workflow complications and lack of equipment interoperability. Such difficulties can be solved in practice using novel applications of low-cost IT equipment, software tools and industry standards for file formats.

This paper describes a number of problems of file-based production which arise in practice and demonstrates the techniques used to solve them using real-world examples from BBC productions.

The application of commodity PCs to achieve flexible real-time software encoding in a multi-camera TV studio is shown. Software tools to overcome incompatibilities between different MXF implementations are described. The design and format of MXF files for long term programme archival on LTO-3 data tape is explained. We show how file-based systems can be interfaced to legacy broadcast equipment. Finally, the problem of migrating from SD to HD production is shown to be mitigated by the HD capable nature of many IT components."

Pixel Instruments - LipTracker

LipTracker is a non-invasive measurement tool for in-service lip sync analysis. After detecting a face in the video, LipTracker compares selected sounds in the audio with the mouth shapes that create them in the video. The relative timing of these sounds and corresponding mouth shapes (called Mutual Events or MuEvs) is analyzed to produce a measurement of the lip sync error. Audio offsets of up to ± 5 video frames can be measured. This unique approach of analyzing real time video and audio content does not require the insertion of cues, codes or watermarks into the program material. Therefore, LipTracker can be used at any point in the transmission path.

Download video presentation (32.90 MB)

CloseVU Garners IBC 2007 Pick Hit Award

"CloseVU was awarded the IBC 2007 Pick Hit Award for its brand new CloseVU Live Producer solution.

CloseVU Producer allows content editors to easily transform conventional HD and SD media to produce rich content for a compelling mobile experience. "Smart Zoom" technology lets editors frame and zoom to adapt images for mobile TV delivery. "Smart Zoom" computes framing parameters, focuses on the object of interest, fine tunes and stabilizes the images for a "natural" camera view that optimizes small screen viewing.

CloseVU Live Producer is a unique solution to deliver enhanced, high quality video coverage of live events, such as action-packed sports matches, to mobile devices. With the simple-to-use CloseVU Live Producer editors can re-frame and re-size their content within the safety of a predetermined buffer, to show the best camera angles and close-ups for the small screen. The software allows editors to zoom in on the action in just a few seconds and deliver a mobile-friendly version with smooth, natural camera angles and quality close-ups. CloseVU Live Producer will easily integrate into production workflows with SDI or Analog video connectors.

CloseVU is an innovative start-up that develops production tools that allow editors to adapt video content to formats that are optimized for viewing on the small screen of Mobile TV. CloseVU products are aimed mainly at content creators, television stations, and mobile telecom operators. CloseVU has developed unique image processing algorithms and technologies to adapt and repurpose original HD or SD video content to Mobile TV."

Watch video demonstration

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Streambox Earns IBC Innovation Recognition

"Streambox is among the key partners behind a CNN digital newsgathering project that has been awarded the 2007 IBC Innovation Award for content creation as well as the Judges' Award, the most prestigious award for innovation given at the yearly IBC trade show.

CNN's complete digital newsgathering project incorporates the Streambox ACT-L3 Portable Video Transport solution that was used by the network in its remote coverage of the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict in July 2006. Utilizing Streambox's sophisticated encoding technology, journalists were able to file hundreds of live reports with portable IP transmission gear that fit neatly into a backpack and yielded images delivered over IP-based networks in tandem with satellite uplinks, which proved significantly better than earlier technologies.

The groundbreaking project has enabled CNN to deliver high-quality breaking news reports from around the world. The Judges' Award noted that it is the first complete newsgathering tool that works over any existing IP infrastructure, affording reporters ultimate flexibility in terms of live and store and forward transmission, real-time content editing and monitoring, as well as voice communication.

The Streambox ACT-L3 Portable Video Transport solution enables broadcasters to deliver high-quality live and stored broadcast video over low-data-rate connections such as BGAN, 3G networks, and other IP and satellite networks. Typically used for mobile newsgathering, Streambox's real-time portable video transport systems are ideal when mobility, flexibility, and a low power requirement are needed. Performance, reliability, and low end-to-end latency are hallmarks of Streambox solutions. These features, along with robust error correction technologies, ensure unrivaled video quality at low data rates."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

SquareHead Technology - AudioScope

SquareHead Technology has developed a high-performance audio capturing system that allows the operator to zoom in audio a particular object, in a similar way we are used to zoom in picture with a camera, and record the audio. The AudioScope is perfect for separate sound sources in a complex noisy environment. You can zoom in and hear audio you never have been able to hear before. In addition to real-time zoom function, the operator also has the freedom to move back in time and zoom in on an object in the same way as in real-time. This unique functionality is great for producing replays for sports broadcasting.

The AudioScope consists of one or more microphone arrays, a signal distribution unit, a signal processing unit and a storage system. Inside the microphone array there is a wide-angle camera to provide live video to the user interface. The massive signal processing power provide real-time processing of audio from hundreds of microphone elements in the array. The system works by using phase delay, spatial filtering, and being optimized for speech. As the cursor is moved the system automatically adjusts the phase delay of the 300 microphones to grab audio from upwards of hundreds of meters in quieter situations.

The system has a very intuitive user interface to enable fast and accurate operation of the AudioScope. The AudioScope control panel and a monitor is easily integrated in your production environment. The live picture from the integrated camera is displayed on the monitor and the operator simply uses the trackball to point where to zoom and capture the sound. It's all designed to make an uncomplicated production in an extremely hectic outside broadcast production situation.

Key functions:
- High directivity. Attenuates audio sources outside the audio focus with up to -30 dB.
- Real-time zoom. Zoom in players or regions at the field where the action is.
- Post event zooming for replay. Full functionality in post processing gives the producer the freedom to go back in time to capture an incident.
- Multiple static sound regions. Listen to the comments from the coach bench.
- Integration with industry standard cameras and tripods that deliver coordinates of the camera lens focus and zoom.
- Multi-channel system for 5.1 surround sound for HDTV.

Pricing for the system is approximately $210,000.

Tapeless Recording Media Storage Capacity Grows

"Tapeless acquisition systems continue to improve, providing more capacity and faster transfer rates in the same form factor.

There’s new word that Panasonic has increased the capacity of its P2 cards to 32 GB and Sony now offers a dual-layer blue-laser optical media disc. And, working with Iomega, Thomson’s Grass Valley REV Pro media is also rumored to be available in larger capacity cartridges soon. When all of this new data-storage media is available (only the new optical disc is currently), each system will offer more than twice the record time of a year ago.

Panasonic’s new 32 GB P2 solid-state memory card (model AJ-P2C032RG) will be available in November carrying a suggested list price of $1,650. A 16 GB P2 card ($900 list) has been shipping since May. With five 32GB P2 cards installed, the AJ-HPX3000 and HPX2000 P2 HD camcorders can record for up to 2.5 hours (over 3 hours in 24p) in AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD compression and 5 hours (over 6.5 hours in 24p) using the built-in AVC-Intra 50 or DVCPRO 50 codec.

Panasonic said the 32 GB card is fully compatible with the current 16 GB P2 card, so users who’ve upgraded their P2 products and computer system for 16 GB operation (a free firmware download) can use the 32 GB cards. P2 users who haven’t completed this upgrade must do so before using the 32 GB cards.

The 16 GB P2 card is compatible with all AG-HPX500 recorders and with AG-HVX200 camcorders carrying a serial number beginning with E7xxx0001. The 16 GB card is also compatible with AJ-PCD20 drives beginning with the serial number E7xxx0001.

At $60 per disc, Sony’s new dual-layer version of the XDCAM Professional Disc media more than doubles the storage capacity (from 23.3 to 50 GB) and recording capabilities of the original single-layer optical media.

The new dual-layer disc, model PFD50DLA, gives users up to four hours and 30 minutes of HD recording when shooting in MPEG HD 4:2:0 mode at 18 Mbps, or 3 hours and 20 minutes at 25 Mbps and 2 hours and 30 minutes at 35 Mbps. (It also captures in DVCAM mode, 25 Mbps, where shooters get about 3 hours and 10 minutes). The PFD50DLA media works with the Sony PDW-F355L XDCAM HD camcorder, PDW-F75 deck and PDW-U1 drive unit. It will not work with first-generation XDCAM SD or HD equipment.

Meanwhile, Sony announced that its PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX camcorder (which was previewed in prototype form in April) will also ship in November, recording to two solid-state Sony SxS flash memory cards. The new HD camcorder can accommodate two cards (an 8 GB card ships with the camera and a 16 GB will be available soon). The SxS memory cards, to be available through Sony or SanDisk, are provided in the PCIExpress form factor (not the PCMCIA format used in the Panasonic P2) with 800 Mbps data-transfer capability.

Company reps said they’re still unsure how many cards will ship with the camera, but two 8 GB SxS cards (at $500 each) offer about 90 minutes of record time at 25 Mbps and 45 minutes at 35 Mbps. The 16 GB cards (listed at $900 a piece) offer 140 minutes at 25 Mbps and 100 minutes at 35 Mbps.

Sony said the PCI Express card slot found in most new laptops and desktop computers will obsolete the PCMCIA card, and even offered a quote from a website that warns developers the format will not be supported going forward.

As for Thomson, production models of the Grass Valley Infinity camcorders will begin shipping soon, so demand for more storage than what the current 35 GB version (about 45 minutes of 1080i HD at 75 Mbps; more than two hours in 25 Mbps HDV), offers will be certain. The REV Pro disk cartridge costs about $70."

Source: HD Studio

U2 in 3D

"The 3D feature film U2 3D from directors Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington and directors of photography Peter Anderson (3D DP) and Tom Krueger (2D DP) rocked this year's Cannes Film Festival. U2 3D production company 3ality Digital and technology company Assimilate teamed to bring the experience to the 2007 IBC audience. A 55-minute, nine-song preview of U2 3D screened at IBC in September. Both this preview and the full-length version of the film were edited by Bluerock's Olivier Wicki. The film's opening title sequence, logo and movie poster were crafted by Spontaneous creative director John Leamy.

3ality's stereoscopic 3D technology coupled with Assimilate's Scratch real-time 3D data workflow and DI tool suite delivers a thrilling visual ride in which lead singer Bono reaches out toward the 3D camera and appears to step into the theater. U2 3D is scheduled for release to theaters this year.

The U2 3D concert film is the first non-IMAX project to be shot, edited and exhibited solely in 3D. Co-directors Catherine Owens and Mark Pellington pieced the feature-length film together from hundreds of hours of footage they shot of U2 at several South American shows during the band's 2005-06 “Vertigo” tour.

The film's producers from 3ality Digital Entertainment assembled nine Fusion 3D camera systems, the largest assemblage of 3D camera technology ever used for a single project, to film the band. Developed by Vincent Pace and Director James Cameron, each Fusion stereoscopic rig consists of two modified Sony HDC-F950 high-definition cameras mounted side by side, simultaneously recording left- and right-eye footage, as well as a complex set of software and servos that maintains appropriate intraocular distance for accurate 3D.

Between two and nine 3D camera rigs were set up at different positions around the stadium to capture the action both on the stage and in the audience. Cranes and dollies were provided by Chapman/Leonard Studio Equipment.

3ality CEO Steve Schklair explains that his company has created a 3D workflow that perfectly aligns footage recorded by the two separate digital cameras in the 3D rig. The 3D pipeline efficiently takes the video streams from the two cameras and manipulates them to become matched left- and right-eye data with appropriate convergence and intraocular distance. The technology also helps blend depth of field between scenes to make 3D viewing easier for audiences.

3ality Digital uses Assimilate Scratch software running on a BOXX workstation as the lynchpin of its real-time stereoscopic/3D digital workflow. On U2 3D, Scratch was used for conform, color grading, preview, dailies, playout, rough cuts and finishing.

Schklair says 3ality chose the Scratch DI software suite because of its ability to provide 3D screening directly from the system without additional processing. “With its speed, ease of use and quality results, Scratch enabled us to reduce the 3D post process from months or weeks to days or hours in numerous instances,” adds Schklair.

By using the dual DVI outputs on the Nvidia Quadro FX cards and the functionality of Scratch CONstruct, 3ality created a timeline with right-eye material on one layer and left-eye material on another. The two clips were edited as a single instance; color grading and other effects were easily applied and copied. Once the editorial fine-tuning and color grading were applied, the dual-stream stereo imagery was output directly from Scratch to the screen for review by the directors of photography, directors and client."

Source: DigitalCinematography

ENCO Releases Affordable Phonetica Search System For Broadcast Audio Archives

ENCO Systems has announced the immediate release of Phonetica2, a new phonetic-based search system for digital audio, targeted to the broadcast industry.

Phonetica2 is available as an integrated module in ENCO’s DAD Digital Audio Delivery system. The module allows users to search through a library of audio files containing spoken material and find specific words or phrases simply by typing them. Phonetica2 is a robust audio search tool incorporating the latest advances in speech technology offered at a price affordable by even small content producers.

Gene Novacek, President of ENCO Systems said, “With the release of Phonetica2, broadcasters can easily and quickly search massive libraries of news actualities, programs or other spoken material to locate material that using other methods would have required hours or days to find, in some cases, impossible. We think that Phonetica2 will be an ideal addition to news, talk and sports radio formats plus any broadcaster who archives large amounts of audio.”

According to Vice President of Sales and Marketing Don Backus, “Phonetica2 is truly accessible hightechnology. It’s simple to use, fast and quite accurate. You just type the words you’re looking for and press the SEARCH button. Then, in order of accuracy, your list of audio cuts where the words appear is displayed. You can then either press PLAY to hear the audio in question or click on EDIT and begin working with the targeted audio.”

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Ingex

Ingex is a suite of software applications designed to enable low-cost flexible tapeless television production. The functionality of the software includes SDI video and audio capture, real-time transcoding and wrapping in MXF, archiving to LTO-3 tape and network file serving of media files. The software was originally developed by BBC Research and Development in 2005 for series three of the BAMZOOKi BBC children's program and is now released under the terms of the GPL software licence.

Two white papers describing Ingex and its use for the BBC BAMZOOKi production are available. The first paper looks in particular at the use of MXF and AAF files in the system, while the second paper looks at the practical benefits achieved by the tapeless capture and logging system. An 8 minute video (63MB) has been produced demonstrating the use of Ingex for BAMZOOKi.

The software consists of the following components :
Ingex Studio - a multi-camera television studio ingest and transcoding system.
Currently supported SD codecs are :
- Avid-compatible JPEG codec resolutions known as 2:1, 3:1, 10:1, 20:1, 15:1s, 10:1m, 4:1m
- DVCPRO50 (50 Mbps)
- DV (25 Mbps)
- D10 50/40/30 Mbps
- Uncompressed SD video at 8 bits-per-sample and 10 bits-per-sample

Supported HD codecs are :
- VC-3 (DNxHD) at 120 and 185 Mbps
- DVCPRO HD (100 Mbps)
- Uncompressed HD video at 8 bits-per-sample

Ingex Player - software player for playback of MXF OP-Atom and MXF OP-1a files. Supports playout to computer monitor or over SDI I/O card. Features include quad-split, audio monitor, timecode display and jog-shuttle control.

Ingex Archive - ingest system designed for video tape archive preservation. Video tape is played back from a VTR, ingested over SDI, and stored as an MXF OP-1a file, including all audio channels, VITC and LTC timecodes and archive database metadata. Features include VTR-control, D-3 tape error recording, PSE analysis and H.264 browse generation.

MediaHarmony - a Samba VFS module which allows multiple Avid editing workstations to use low-cost commodity storage without conflicts around the .pmr and .mdb database files. This is particularly useful for workgroups of editors using Avid XpressDV.

The source code for the Ingex software is available for download.

Reach Out and Touch

An article about 3D by The Sunday Times.

CalDigit Breaks the 2TB Barrier Limitation for Windows Platforms

"CalDigit, a provider of RAID storage, has overcome the 2TB limitation normally associated with storage on Windows platforms. This is a big bonus for Windows users working with Matrox, Blackmagic Design and AJA capture products alongside the Adobe applications.

In the past, Windows used 32-bit block numbers in the lower storage stack. This effectively limited support for single disk devices-which might be hardware RAID sets, sometimes called virtual disks or LUNs-to being no larger than 2TB. To get storage unit sizes beyond 2 TB, one had to combine multiple LUNs using the Windows Disk Management. This problem would give those users no other alternatives than to combine with software RAID.

With the new HDPro driver and firmware from CalDigit, there is no longer a 2TB limitation with storage when using Windows platforms and editors can utilize the full capacity of the HDPro product as a single volume and manage media files effectively. Users who have purchased the HDPro product can take advantage of this breakthrough technology by downloading the latest driver."

Source: Digital Production BuZZ

Reuters Uses Viewdle to Recognise Faces in Video Search

"Reuters is using facial recognition to provide real-time indexing and searching of satellite television feeds. The news agency is demonstrating systems supplied by Viewdle, a start-up company that specialises in visual search. The technology is showcased on the Reuters labs web site.

The system looks inside the video stream, frame by frame, to find appearances of previously identified people on screen. It allows users to locate relevant footage and instantly cue to the right point.

Based in New York City, with offices in Kiev, Ukraine and London, Viewdle is building the world’s largest people-in-video reference database. The Viewdle engine is capable of simultaneously indexing multiple video streams. Initially focused on providing internal and private-label indexing and search capabilities to news and entertainment media, Viewdle is expected to launch targeted advertising solutions, developer tools, as well as a consumer-facing search site."

Source: Informitv

Jean Michel Jarre's Oxygene Concert in 3D on Philips WOWvx 3D Displays

Philips has shown the well known Oxygène concert that was re-recorded by Alfacam, in 3D without glasses, to a private audience of media and financial analysts at the Eurocam Media Center in Lint, Antwerp.

Belgium-based Alfacam, the European leader High Definition television facilities, re-recorded Oxygène with four sets of stereo cameras. Oxygène is the former number 1 album with instrumental electronic music composed and produced by Jean Michel Jarre in 1976. Now, more than 30 years later, Philips makes it possible to view this concert in 3D, using their stereo-to-3D conversion tool, the BlueBox.

Philips has developed the BlueBox, a service suite of advanced 3D content creation tools that convert stereo and 2D video content to 3D. This empowers content creators by enabling efficient (semi-automated) and high quality offline conversion of existing 2D video content to the 2D-plus-Depth format, used in the Philips WOWvx 3D displays.

The 3D experience and its out-of-screen 3D effects fascinate and seduce viewers, making concerts in 3D much more immersive than in 2D. No glasses are needed to view the Philips 3D displays and it gives an element of surprise that leaves the target audience with an amazing and entertaining 3D multimedia experience.

Gabriel Fehervari, CEO of Alfacam and CEO of EURO1080: “Alfacam has always positioned itself as an innovator in the TV facilities world. We were the first to introduce HDTV in Europe and we were also the first to broadcast HDTV in Europe. Now we are taking it a step further by gaining experience with the newest 3D HDTV technology. To many, 3D might seem still far away, but to us the future started today.”

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Swarmcast Expands Availability of its Autobahn Accelerator to Support Veoh.com

"Autobahn Accelerator, the free tool that boosts download speeds for online videos, is now available for Veoh.com. Autobahn Accelerator enhances the user experience for Veoh subscribers by providing faster video loading and more reliable streaming of bonus content, television shows and movie previews, including NBC’s “Heroes,” Showtime’s “Weeds” and Lionsgate’s “Good Luck Chuck.”

Autobahn Accelerator for Veoh has been developed by Swarmcast, the provider of multi-source streaming technology for high-quality online video delivery. It is the third in a series of accelerators from Swarmcast and follows the launch of Autobahn Accelerator for iTunes and MySpaceTV earlier this year.

Users that download the latest version of Autobahn Accelerator will significantly reduce the download times of music, movies, TV episodes and other videos from the iTunes store, and improve streaming performance on MySpaceTV and Veoh.com. Autobahn ensures reliable streaming, minimizing both the frustration of waiting for videos to start and re-buffering, even over a wireless network. By installing the Autobahn Accelerator for Veoh once, users can increase the streaming rate of videos hosted on Veoh.com as well as videos hosted by Veoh and embedded on sites throughout the Internet by up to 15 times faster than before.

Autobahn Accelerator applications can be installed easily in seconds. Autobahn Accelerator runs in the background, automatically accelerating downloads of music or videos from supported sites. The tool is completely free of adware and spyware. Autobahn Accelerator is currently available for users with Windows 2000, Windows XP, and 32-bit Vista, running Internet Explorer 6 and 7, as well as Firefox. It will soon be OS X compatible.

Swarmcast’s Autobahn Accelerator utilizes patent pending technology to optimize consumers’ broadband connections by creating multiple connections to the requested content, and downloads it over those connections in parallel. By creating multiple connections, Autobahn allows downloads to approach the maximum inbound rate of a user’s broadband connection."

Source: StreamingMedia

Ambarella Announces the Introduction of a New Video Codec Chip

"Ambarella has announced the introduction of a new video codec chip to its product line. The Ambarella AmbaCast 3000 processor is targeted for broadcast applications and can encode full 1080x1920 HD resolution at 60 frames per second. It more than doubles the processing power of its precursors and will enable broadcasters to increase picture quality at lower power consumption and with a reduced form factor, the company said.

The chip can accept uncompressed video at rates greater than 3 Gbps and produces H.264-compliant main and high-profile streams at bit rates as low as 4 Mbps in 720p and 1080i formats, and as low as 6 Mbps with 1080p video. It incorporates a spatio-dimensional three-dimensional noise filter with full-range motion compensation.

The AmbaCast 3000 processor has been selected by Harmonic, a technology supplier to cable, satellite, telecom and terrestrial operators, to be incorporated in the company’s next-generation H.264 encoder product. The new device can also function as a decoder."

Source: TV Technology

Tools for Media Production

"The Tools for Media Production project is developing a distributed system for film and broadcast work which will offer seamless exchange of data between film and television production.

This will allow productions to prepare content in an integrated production, postproduction, and archiving environment for a variety of output formats, such as Digital Cinema, television, HDTV and mobile display devices.

The technologies for the project are being developed by the Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS, the Institut für Rundfunktechnik (Institute for Broadcast Technologies IRT), CinePostproduction Bavaria Bild & Ton, Audio Video Technologies, Dalet, IRIDAS and associate partner Bayerischer Rundfunk. The objective of the project is to develop tools, interface solutions and formats which will allow access and data exchange among production systems.

To date this type of interoperability has been a significant challenge – even within dedicated film or broadcast production workflows – due to the wide variety of technologies and formats available. A modular approach in the new production environment will simplify the work of content creators and production companies in generating a variety of media outputs.

The scalability of data formats such as JPEG2000 and H.264 will be employed both in the production and porting of content to various distribution channels. Automated metadata generation will allow for efficient media and asset management and the automatic transcoding of content into final delivery formats. One of the advantages of a comprehensive solution is that it ensures optimal quality for each output format. The use of an open architecture means savings in production costs. In addition, production work, whether for film or broadcast, can focus on the quality of the content. The transparent content management and data exchange of the new production system will provide greater investment security for both users and vendors.

The plan envisions the development of a distributed production system which will include both the creation and processing of images, multiple sound channels, and metadata – as well as integrated asset and rights management solutions. The project is scheduled for completion in early 2008."

Source: Fraunhofer Institute for Integrated Circuits IIS

FileCatalyst integrates with Omneon MediaGrid

"Unlimi-Tech Software today announced that the FileCatalyst wide area file transfer product is now fully integrated with the Omneon MediaGrid active storage system. The integration of FileCatalyst technology allows the fastest possible transfer of video assets to and from a MediaGrid system over a wide area network (WAN)."

Source: BroadcastEngineering

SGT Integrates MXF Into Its VEDA Software Suite

"SGT has confirmed its determination to offer customers the most seamless, open and dependable workflow by partnering with MOG Solutions to keep track of all media associated information.

MOG Solutions is a world leader in professional MXF and metadata technology. SGT ingests MXF metadata to make it available throughout the workflow and the media’s life-cycle.

With VEDA’s MXF interface, you now manage your metadata can be seamlessly and efficiently managed. Crucial metadata does not have to be retyped anymore, therefore time is saved to fully secure media operations.

MXF Interface, as part of SGT's VEDA software suite, comes also as a standard feature of SGT’s bundled end-to-end solutions: VEDA 100 and VEDA150.

VEDA’s MXF interface is bound to evolve as new metadata standards and new market demands emerge."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Panasonic Announces 1080P HD Shoulder-Mount Camcorder

"Panasonic has announced the availability of the AJ-HPX3000, a five-slot P2 HD camcorder capable of producing full-quality 1920x1080 high-definition images, optimal HD recording quality, in a one-piece camcorder. This is the first camcorder to achieve native full HD in 4:2:2, 10 bit without pre filter.

The inclusion of AVC-I (H.264 compliant) gives this camcorder a significantly better compression scheme than the much older MPEG-2 and offers DVCPRO HD quality at half the bandwidth, creating substantial savings in both storage and distribution, not to mention increasing the capacity of P2 mobile storage devices. This means a single 32 GB P2 card can record more than an hour of HD content. With all five slots in use, the HPX3000 can record continuously for more than five hours without the need to transfer content onto a hard drive.

The AJ-HPX3000 uses three newly developed high-density 2.2-million-pixel CCDs, 14-bit A/D conversion and 12-pole matrix colour correction to produce stunning 4:2:2, 10-bit 1920x1080 HD images. Its AVC-Intra recording capability is offered in two switchable modes, 100M mode for near D-5 HD quality, and 50M for situations where high bandwidth efficiency is also important. The camera is 50/60-Hz switchable for use around the world and offers superb 1080 recordings in DVCPRO HD in 30p, 60i, 50i, and at 24p (over 60i) and 25p (over 50i), as well as SD recording in DVCPRO50.

Equipped with five P2 card slots and a side-mounted, 3.5-inch colour LCD monitor, this P2 HD camcorder combines high performance and high reliability, with solid-state P2 technology. Unlike tape- or disc-based systems, it has no moving parts and offers immediate access to recorded digital content for an efficient IT-based workflow. The AJ-HPX3000 is equipped with five 32GB P2 cards to allow extended recording time of 320 minutes in AVC-Intra 50, 160 minutes in AVC-Intra 100, and 160 minutes in DVCPRO HD.

The AJ-HPX3000's performance is enhanced by innovative technologies such as a Chromatic Aberration Compensation (CAC) function that fixes registration errors and minimizes lateral chromatic aberration in lenses. Multiple advanced gamma settings, including VariCam's noted Film-Rec mode, provide filmmakers with versatility when shooting. The AJ-HPX3000 achieves a high F10 sensitivity at 2,000 lux (at 1080i) and a minimum illumination of .064 lux (at +56db gain-up).

The AJ-HPX3000 comes standard with professional input/output options including industry-standard IT interfaces such as USB 2 host and device, IEEE 1394A for high-speed file transfer, line recordings and uploading to nonlinear editing systems, and optional HD/SD-SDI. Features that add flexibility include genlock input for HD Tri-Level Sync or VBS input use, SMPTE timecode, two-wheel optical filters (ND and CC) and an optional HD/SD-SDI input for external line recording.

The AJ-HPX3000 will be available this month at a recommended retail price of 49,900 euros including the five-year limited warranty program."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

RipCode Announces General Availability of On-Demand Video Transcoding Appliance

"RipCode today announced the general availability of its RipCode V4 video transcoding appliance, an innovative, on demand transcoding solution that revolutionizes the way Internet and mobile video is prepared and delivered to consumers.

RipCode’s patent-pending transcoding appliance rapidly processes multiple video files simultaneously for viewing across a variety of media including PCs, mobile phones and iPods. This consolidated, high concurrency processing eliminates the need for broadcasters, syndicators or user generated video sites to pre-transcode and store multiple file formats of their entire video library.

The leading lifestyle portal MySpaceTV is among RipCode’s first customers to complete a successful trial of the RipCode V4 transcoding appliance. This sets MySpaceTV apart as the largest video Web site to address the growing volume of video transcodes using an appliance-based solution.

Until now, video transcoding happened using software solutions that run on servers. These servers, however, are expensive, slow and utilize a disproportionate amount of power and space to keep up with the volume of videos uploaded daily. RipCode is the first company to address video transcoding as a true network appliance, a far more efficient solution for content providers. On average, one RipCode unit replaces 10-20 general purpose servers, saving both space and energy usage. Using best-in-class digital-signal processor (DSP) technology, the RipCode V4 simultaneously supports stream-to-stream, file-to-file, and on demand transcoding in a single appliance for optimal flexibility in addressing a wide range of video application needs."

Source: StreamingMedia

Sony Shows European Version of Solid-state Camcorder

"Sony introduced its PMW-EX1 XDCAM EX HD camcorder to Europeans at IBC2007. The camcroder records on two solid-state compact flash cards. Two 8GB cards ship with the camera, and a 16GB will be available soon. The camera offers switchable bit rates, variable frame rates and three 1/2in CMOS sensors (each with 1920 x 1080 resolution). The camera is being sold under Sony’s CineAlta product line.

Two 8GB SXS memory cards, to be available through Sony or SanDisk, are provided in the PCIExpress form factor with 800Mb/s data transfer capability. Together they provide up to 50 minutes at 35Mb/s and 100 minutes at 25Mb/s.

The camera features high-quality HD image capture, even in low light. It supports both 1080i and 720p acquisition, at 50i as well as native 25p."

Source: BroadcastEngineering

Colour Decision List Plug-in for Autodesk’s Lustre

To carry colour choices through the workflow from production to post, the Digital Intermediate subcommittee of the American Society of Cinematographers has been developing a Colour Decision List (CDL). Functioning like an editor’s Edit Decision List, or EDL, but for colour-grading choices, the CDL is designed to carry the cinematographer’s choices through the digital workflow and increase efficiency.

French-based software developer Cedric Lejeune of Workflowers has been working on a CDL plug-in for Autodesk’s Lustre colour-grading platform. "I have a Lustre CDL plug-in plus a few others currently in development," says Lejeune. "At the moment, the CDL plug-in loads the nine supported values (we are waiting for an official statement for saturation parameter), can edit them, load/save a CDL file and export a 2D LUT to use as an input LUT in Lustre. This can be used in other software, too. "At the moment, the plug-in is in beta and not available to the public, but clients can contact me if they need it now."

Source: BroadcastPapers

Free AviSynth MSU Frame Rate Conversion Filter

This AviSynth filter is intended for video frame rate up-conversion. It increases the frame rate integer times. It allows, for example, to convert a video with 15 fps into a video with 30 fps.

Exchange of BMF-Compliant Metadata in TV Production

"IRT's new data model Broadcast Metadata exchange Format (BMF) in the Version 1.0 is now available.

The aim of BMF (Broadcast Metadata exchange Format) is a uniform, generic model for metadata in the field of television production. The data model maximises interoperability among all broadcasters and production sectors.

BMF provides the universal exchange of metadata in the television production and for this reason BMF will bring down costs and risks when integrating data interfaces. Interested companies can receive a detailed specification of the BMF class model after online-registration."

Source: IRT

EBU's Camera and Codec Shoot Out

"The EBU, along with Germany's IRT, is in the middle of an intensive codec standards examination, looking at the most widely-used camera systems, their compression codecs and the accumulative impact of multi-generation copying. Interim results were presented at an IBC conference session, with the final evaluations due at the end of October.

Thomson/GV's Infinity with its JPEG2000 camera system, Panasonic Broadcast's DVCPRO-HD and AVC-1, Sony Professional's XDCAM HD-422 and Avid's DNxHD codec were some of the new products under evaluation but the work, largely undertaken by a team at RAI's Technology, Research & Innovation Centre led by Massimo Visca, was massively complex when each was compared and contrasted with established legacy systems.

The overall objective was to see how the assorted kit coped with the various picture formats in common use (720p/50, 1080i/25 and 1080p/25), as well as how much image quality headroom was left after up to seventh generation copying. Also in the evaluation mix were storage requirements, network needs and error resilience while not ignoring the cost of storage and transcoding speeds.

Hans Hoffmann, the EBU's senior engineer and chairman of the session, stressed that the study is not to come up with a 'best buy', but to provide "guidance and neutral information" to broadcasters and users.

The scope and breadth of the study is impressive, and embraced short and long GOP (Group of Picture) comparisons, at various bit, pixel, interlaced, progressive and framerates. The complete results matrix for any single camera system when extended down to a seventh generation copy, through 1080i/25, 720p or 1080p/25 - "very comparable" for Sony's XD-CAM HD-422, for example - must be read for the complete picture.

Massimo Vista said that the final reports had all been agreed with each manufacturer, and would be available for EBU members at the end of October."

Source: IBC

Panavision Previews New Lightweight Recorder

"A new dockable recorder for Panavision’s Genesis Super 35 Digital Cinematography Camera System, which reduces the weight of the Genesis camera to equal the lightest 35mm sound camera, received its first public preview at IBC 2007 in Amsterdam on the IBC Big Screen.

The SSR-1 has been designed to reduce the camera’s weight to roughly the same as the lightest 35mm film sound cameras. Weighing only 2.5 kilos (5.5 lbs.) the Genesis SSR-1 recorder is intended for use in handheld, Steadicam and similar shooting situations."

Source: Cinematographer

Video Products Group Announces VS901 JPEG2000 Solution

"Video Products Group (VPG) has introduced the VS901, a JPEG-2000 compression solution that will transmit high-quality HD-SDI signals over existing 270Mb/s networks.

The VS901, the initial offering in VPG’s GIGA-Ventura product line, installs in VPG's Ventura chassis and employs advanced field-programmable gate array (FPGA) technology.

Because of its compatibility with the Ventura product line, the VS901 offers NEBS-3 compliance and straightforward integration with existing VPG and third-party installations. It employs JPEG2000 to achieve subjectively lossless to near-mathematically lossless compression, translating HD-SDI input into SDTI for OC3/STM-1, OC12/STM-4 or 100/1000 Ethernet transmission. For efficient long distance transport, output from the VS901 can feed VPG multiplexing equipment, such as the Ventura VS411 or VS811, or the BRAVOnet VPG9000."

Source: BroadcastEngineering

Doremi Breaks the Price Barrier for HD Video Recording and Playback

"Doremi Labs introduces the affordable V1-UHD/LE disk recorder for A/V applications. The V1-UHD/LE's real-time recording excels in A/V applications where the video material is updated frequently.

The V1-UHD/LE is a full-featured, stand alone uncompressed 4:2:2 HD-SDI video disk recorder. The V1-UHD/LE can record up to 80 minutes of video on its two internal removable hard drives.

Applications for the V1-UHD/LE include theme parks, museums, concerts and other stage events. The V1-UHD/LE also excels in broadcast and post production applications were it can function as a drop-in replacement for professional HD video tape recorders.

The V1-UHD/LE's real-time recording of HD video is particularly valuable in A/V applications where the video material is updated frequently. Until now, only HD video media players provided affordable HD video playback. However, without the ability to record they are impractical in today's fluid live show environments.

The V1-UHD/LE breaks through the price barrier and provides a practical solution for A/V projects that require a real-time HD video recorder. It provides uncompressed video quality for an unbeatable combination of features and image quality."

SanDisk Fuels the Next Generation of Professional Video

"SanDisk today launched the SanDisk Express line of high-performance flash memory products, based on the ExpressCard technology standard. The first product in the SanDisk Express line is the SanDisk ExpressCard, a flash memory card designed for a new generation of professional camcorders that record to ExpressCards rather than magnetic tape, hard discs or optical discs.

The SanDisk ExpressCard is expected to be available in November, in 8 gigabyte (GB) and 16 gigabyte capacities. Recording time for high-definition video capture, at 35 megabits per second, will be approximately 30 minutes on the 8GB card and 60 minutes on the 16GB card.

Sony is the first major video equipment manufacturer to adopt ExpressCards as video recording media, with its new XDCAM EX camcorder. SanDisk and Sony have jointly developed SxS, a specification to verify that ExpressCard memory cards will support the high-speed performance required for professional video. The SanDisk ExpressCard carries the SxS logo, and is expected to be fully compatible with the XDCAM EX, which has two ExpressCard slots.

ExpressCard is a standard created by the Personal Computer Memory Card International Association (PCMCIA) as a successor to the PC Card standard. By connecting directly to a computer’s PCI Express bus, ExpressCards can read and write data at least 2.5 times faster than PC Cards. Also, ExpressCards are half the size of PC Cards – allowing slimmer designs in notebook computers and ExpressCard-based camcorders.

Solid-state recording using flash memory is widely viewed as the future of video. Camcorders become lighter, more durable and gain battery life without the many moving parts required for turning tape reels or disc spindles. Digital video can also be quickly transferred into computers for processing with non-linear editing (NLE) applications.

The SanDisk ExpressCard is expected to be available in November in North America and Europe, in two capacities: 8GB, with a manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $499.99 in the United States; and 16GB, with a U.S. MSRP of $899.99."

Source: SanDisk

3D Biz Ex Exhibitors to Feature Cutting-edge 3D Display Technologies

Exhibitors at the upcoming 3D Biz Ex, September 18-19, 2007 will be featuring the latest in cutting-edge 3D display technologies. 3D displays "have to be seen" and the assembling of many 3D displays in one exhibition hall will provide 3D Biz Ex attendees with an opportunity to experience and assess the different 3D display technologies. This is a rare event - most 3D displays are shown only at specialized vertical market events and rarely in close proximity.

See below for a list of some of the exhibitors and the 3D products they will be exhibiting :

DDD will be exhibiting a range of mass-market 3D content and display solutions for PC, mobile telephones and television. The solutions, marketed under DDD's TriDef 3D brand include :

- Sharp Corporation's AL3D 'glasses-free' 3D notebook PC that includes DDD's TriDef DVD Player that converts conventional 2D DVD content to 3D automatically. DDD and Sharp entered into a licensing agreement in October 2003 for DDD to provide a range of 3D software solutions for Sharp's 3D notebook computers that are sold in Japan and the United States.

- A Cingular 2125 (HTC Faraday) mobile telephone handset equipped with an Ocuity 2.2 'glasses-free' 3D display and DDD Mobile. DDD Mobile is DDD's comprehensive mobile phone content solution that has recently been licensed to one of the world's top five mobile handset manufacturers. DDD Mobile performs real time conversion of photos and videos on the handset and also supports the download of premium 3D mobile content.

- DDD's TriDef Vision set top box together with an LCD TV equipped with Arisawa Manufacturing's Micropol polarizing material. Vision converts conventional video signals from DVD players, cable, satellite and games consoles to 3D automatically and is a key component of the TriDef 3D TV solution being marketed to leading consumer electronics companies by DDD and Arisawa. Arisawa's polarizing materials form the basis for today's 3D Digital Cinema solution that is marketed by RealD.

i-Art will be exhibiting its "Auto3D Display" is a device of Autostereoscopic Display or a 3D LCD Monitor, which is prepared for those who need a 3D display without glasses for their specific applications like 3D Navigation, 3D Kiosk, Advertisement, Education, Entertainment, Scientific Research, Commercial 3D Presentation, etc. It is positioned as a dedicated 3D display device for professional and commercial use. i-Art also offers a series of professional authoring tools for your options to facilitate producing multiple-view 3D images :

- The "Cinema3D " is an economic and cost-effective 3D projection solution with just a single DLP projector for small business sites, educational training, learning and home entertainment purposes. It is basically composed of a "Cinema3D Card" with two pairs of wireless 3D Glasses, one Infrared Emitter Unit and a "Cinema3D Player".

- The "EZ3D Photo Print" is basically designed for those who have photo printer and digital camera, and want to do something amusing and special for the photos. Indeed, it can help you easily create 3D photos with your existed normal 2D photos.

Dolby 3D Digital Cinema is an exciting extension of Dolby Digital Cinema, an established, proven technology. Dolby continues to revolutionize the cinema experience by developing a new 3D solution that meets the needs of exhibitors, filmmakers and moviegoers.

Eclipse 3D Systems will exhibit a novel 3D format for 3D cinema and home theater. Four primary colors are used to superimpose left and right-eye images. This format produces full-color 3D when viewed through color filter glasses.

Barco will exhibit various display solutions available to comprehensively visualize information in high definition, stereo 3D and facilitate team-based collaboration. Barco representatives will open your eyes to ground-breaking 3D visualization technologies that can be used across a wide range of industries and applications to help companies increase productivity, minimize training requirements, and reduce visualization room support.

Sensio Technologies will exhibits its 3D S3D220 ASIC Chip, a 3D high definition decoder chip which also features JVC's unique real time 2D to 3D conversion technology. The chip decodes Sensio 3D content and formats it in a plurality of supported stereoscopic formats ranging from anaglyphic to dual stream and alternating images (page flipping). The Sensio 3D chip is designed for seamless integration in home theatre consumer products such as HDTV (plasma, LCD, DLP, etc.), DVD players and AV receivers.

Mitsubishi's latest innovations include x.v.Color powered by "6 Color Processor", a new HDTV industry standard with a wider color gamut for digital televisions. While most TVs use three colors, Mitsubishi uses six to deliver a wider range of rich, true-to-life colors and whiter whites. The new standard will broaden the range of colors, adding shades of cyan or bright green, which should lead to more natural-looking colors. This year the company revolutionized television design with its new "Ultra Thin Frame" cabinets, allowing the Mitsubishi 46-inch 1080p LCDTV to fit in the space of a 42-inch plasma.

Building on its rich history of innovative display technology, Planar has developed a line of stereoscopic 3D monitors to meet the demands of professionals in the geospatial intelligence, medical imaging, molecular modeling, oil & gas exploration, scientific visualization and other complex application. Planar's StereoMirror technology exhibits unsurpassed stereoscopic image quality, comfortable viewing and a simple design that is easy to setup and use.

Progeny 3D Imaging is a pioneer in delivering glasses-free 3D content for Auto-stereoscopic displays and will exhibit a content-rich and visually attractive production solution that is tailored specifically to clients' needs.

e-MDT will feature its 3D HMD solutions and stereoscopic display device, a one chip solution for 3D technology based on Micro Display Driver IC design technique.

The Pavonine Stereoscopic 3D Display makes it possible to view real 3D on a LCD monitor, which means the content literally jumps out of the screen and shows depth deep into the screen! Pavonine is offering displays that achieve this with the help of polarized glasses or also totally glasses-free. Screen sizes from 17" to 32", internal image formatting technology and 2D-3D switchablility make our Dimen and Miracube monitors the leading solutions in the 3D Display sector.

NewSight offers one of the most extensive 3D Screen product lines on the market, from 4" to 183".

3D Bix Ex 2007

"The 3D industry (stereoscopic, volumetric and holographic) is much more diverse and rich than most people realize with 40 distinct market and application segments. Insight Media (IM) and the US Display Consortium (USDC) have organized the 3D Business Symposium & Exhibition (3D Biz-Ex) to create a “Big Tent” environment that will bring together developers, providers and customers in all of these 3D market/application segments."

Screen International’s Digital Cinema 2007 Conference

"The day that the cinema industry becomes completely digital is no longer a dot on the horizon. The debate is not just about how we get there, but how the film industry will work when we do.

- What form will the cinema audiences of tomorrow take ?
- Will alternative content, liberated by the digital format, be the saviour of exhibitors ?
- How will new formats such as 4K fit into rollout initiatives ?
- Will the rebirth of 3D both stimulate audience growth and stem piracy ?
- Will digital projection expand content choice or simply drive the costs down for the mainstream ?

These questions and many more will be addressed and answered by the industry’s key professionals at Screen International’s Digital Cinema 2007."

Harry Potter and The Order of The Phoenix: an IMAX 3D Experience Sets New Record

"IMAX Corporation and Warner Bros. Pictures announced that Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix, which has grossed more than $906 million worldwide to date, continues to break IMAX box office records through its 7th week. The IMAX 3D release, which has shattered multiple IMAX box office records, has now earned more than $24 million on 91 IMAX screens domestically and more than $11 million on 52 IMAX screens internationally. The worldwide IMAX total is now more than $35 million with an impressive per screen average of $243,000 making it the highest grossing live-action Hollywood IMAX release.

IMAX Corporation used its proprietary 2D to 3D conversion technology to transform the film's finale into an IMAX 3D Experience, the most immersive cinematic 3D in the world. The film has also been digitally re-mastered into unparalleled image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience with IMAX DMR (Digital Re-mastering) technology."

Source: Stereoscopy

International Datacasting and Sensio Technologies Join Forces to Offer Integrated 3D Digital Cinema Broadcast Solutions

"International Datacasting Corporation and Sensio Technologies announced today that they have signed a letter of intent to jointly develop and offer complete end-to-end integrated broadcast solutions for 3D digital and e-cinema.

The strategic agreement combines and builds on the complementary leading-edge technologies and products of the two companies. Under the agreement, Sensio will be providing their expertise in 3D digital content encoding and decoding and IDC will be providing their broadband satellite distribution networks expertise. The companies intend to offer their integrated solution for broadcasting live 3D sporting and cultural events and also for the distribution of movie files to the emerging international digital and e-cinema market.

Sensio’s 3D technology, originally developed for the consumer 3D entertainment market, transforms stereoscopic high-definition video (e.g. from dual HD cameras) into a format that can be efficiently distributed over standard infrastructure intended for 2D broadband using existing protocols and then transforms the content back into 3D video for direct digital projection. The technology features visually loss-less stereoscopic compression and is compatible with all existing and future 3D projection technologies for 2D or 3D viewing. The Sensio 3D Live! Encoder was first introduced at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) annual convention in Las Vegas earlier this year and the companion Sensio Cinema Decoder has been launched at IBC.

IDC’s SuperFlex technology, along with their Datacast XD content management and distribution software, is a family of products and systems solutions for the implementation of secure broadband satellite broadcasting networks using Internet Protocol (IP) and the industry’s Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) standard. The company’s DVB-IP systems are in use worldwide for a variety of multimedia point-to-multipoint distribution applications including IPTV, syndicated TV, broadcast radio, news/financial information services and digital cinema. The technology features open standards for content connectivity, a variety of standard encryption and conditional access options, proven network management and a suite of advanced application-specific satellite receivers that are interoperable with terrestrial IP networks including the Internet."

Source: Digital Cinema Info

Xilinx and Barco Announce Single-chip JPEG2000 Implementation

"Xilinx, the world’s leading supplier of programmable solutions, and Barco Silex, the leading center of micro-electronics of Barco, announced the joint development of single chip JPEG2000 encoder and decoder solutions. Based on the successful implementation of Barco Silex JPEG2000 cores on Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs, the solutions significantly reduce the cost of broadcast and Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI) archiving, post-production, distribution and server systems.

The encoder chip solution allows the creation of a single board capable of real-time encoding, performance that previously required a cluster of PCs or Application Specific Standard Products (ASSPs). The encoder and decoder solutions sustain the high encoding requirements of DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) formats including 2048 x 1080 and 4096 x 2160 resolutions with up to 48 frames per second and broadcast formats including 1080i and 1080p. The decoder chip solution replaces up to twelve separate ASSP chips. System developers further benefit from the capacity and flexibility of Xilinx Virtex-5 FPGAs with the ability to add encryption or watermarking functionality.

Barco Silex has developed and implemented JPEG2000 hardware cores since 2002. For enhanced security, Barco Silex’ IP portfolio also includes crypto cores such as Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) and Public Key Crypto Engines. As a custom electronic design house, Barco Silex can also provide integration design support as well as chip and board solutions.

The Barco Silex JPEG2000 hardware cores are immediately available for third party licensing."

Source: Digital Cinema Info

DVidea Introduces its Innovative Theater Management System for Digital Cinema Exhibitors

"DVidea, the company focused on developing tools to meet the challenges of digital asset management for theater owners, today unveiled its state-of-the-art Theater Management System (TMS) at IBC 2007. Designed to meet the needs of digital cinema exhibitors, the TMS was developed with the cooperation of industry partners and end-users to provide the most comprehensive tools for media management and automation.

DVidea’s Theater Management System offers a comprehensive set of easy-to-use tools to manage each aspect of the new digital workflows involved in theater exhibition. Intuitive interfaces for each task are easy to learn and use, and adaptable to a range of workflows. The DVidea TMS system is built on open standards for straight-forward installation, easy administration and reliable third-party integration. The benefits of the DVidea TMS are significant for small independents as well as larger network theater operators.

Key Features of DVidea TMS :
Library – Easy manual or automated ingest of features, pre-shows, local productions to the Library, your Central Content Catalogue.
File and KDM Management – DVidea automatically handles your internal and external transfers and tracks the progress.
Scheduling – Programming made simple; build or import pre-shows and ad blocks. Total flexibility for current and future scheduling as well as updating shows in-progress.
Monitor – Real-time status of all devices and multiple viewing screens; built-in alerts.
Equipment Automation – Pre-set controls for sound, lights, cinema servers, projectors and third party automation systems.
Exchange – Automated data transfers of playlists, logs, financial information with booking, ticketing, point-of sales and network operating centers.

A wide range of additional features designed to improve workflow is included in DVidea Theater Management System.

DVidea Technology :
DVidea’s Theater Management System is based on open technology standards. Built on proven, non-proprietary platforms, DVidea’s TMS integrates easily with industry-standard operating systems and hardware, including third-party automation systems. The system is DCI compliant, handles multiple formats and includes security protections with full control of the workflow processes."

Source: DCinemaToday

DVS Upgrades 4K to 60p

"With the development of a 4K 60p player, DVS opens up new possibilities in digital cinema. Instead of the customary 24p or 30p, the new DVS player Cine4K achieves up to 60 progressive frames per second. 60p for 4K can thus be displayed at a resolution of 3820 x 2160, which is four times the resolution of HD.

Beyond the usual industry standards, DVS is capable of fulfilling the extreme requirements of presenting 4K material in 60p at full resolution.

Cine4K is the optimal feeder for high-end 4K projectors. The data-intensive presentation is ideal for large projectors or for digital cinema. The new DVS player is multi-device capable - that is, more than one of these systems can be linked together to fill very large screens or to create 3D projections in 4K.

With the frame rate of 60p, motion in film is lifelike, fluid and optimally presented, such as for so-called “motion rides”. In them, viewers can perceive not only perspective, but also depth in movement.

It is also possible to use Cine4K to create a stereo effect, e.g. one image in 30p for each eye in the highest resolution 4K. This too is an all-new sensation in the cinema and TV world."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Codex New Portable Unleashes HD 2K - 4K Production

"Codex Digital used IBC to launch a lightweight, high-resolution portable field recorder that will unleash revolutionary potential for HD, 2K and 4K broadcast television and motion picture production.

With cutting-edge design, and packed with today’s most advanced technology, the new Codex Portable is the first lightweight disk recorder to record any high-end digital camera - from HD to 4K, at cinema quality - and to seamlessly deliver the material to any post-production workflow.

As a rugged, self-contained unit, no larger than a toaster, it can be used for ‘run and gun’ broadcast production, and be easily carried anywhere – around a set, up a mountain or into a field. However, the Codex Portable also creates new opportunities for multi-camera production.

Using visually-lossless compression, it has the unique ability to record from two 4:4:4 cameras simultaneously – either independently for A and B camera shoots, or locked together for 3D stereoscopic projects. It is the first to record from four 4:2:2 cameras simultaneously, and even allows the synchronisation of multiple recorders. With this feature, six synchronised Codex Portables can act as a 24-track video, 48-track audio-recorder – enough to record an entire concert, sporting event, or TV drama at higher-than-broadcast quality.

The Codex Portable is packed with technical capabilities that take production workflow to new levels. Via its multiple high-speed networking interfaces, it will deliver the seamless transfer of shots to all post-production workflows. Direct outputs include H.264 (MP4) over a secure Wi-Fi link, allowing unique remote wireless monitoring and immediate transfer into editing systems.

After recording, the Codex Portable’s DiskPacks can be plugged directly into a matching Codex Transfer Station, which copies and backs-up the material (much faster than real-time), and then delivers it, plus the associated metadata, across local or worldwide networks.

In conjunction with the Transfer Station, the Codex Portable can deliver shots in all industry-standard formats, including DPX, MXF, QuickTime, AVI, JPEG, BMP, and BWF (WAV) files. It can even provide native-mode files that editing-systems can use with no importing at all.

Flexible I/O configurations mean it can record from virtually every digital camera available today – including all HD cameras in video mode, plus data-mode from cameras such as the ARRI D-20 and DALSA’s Origin. It can also record Red Digital Cinema’s RED ONE camera in 4K data-mode, when this becomes available.

Recording is made to hot-swappable, shock-mounted RAID DiskPacks that can hold up to three hours of continuous recording at the system’s highest quality – the first portable recorder (disk or tape) to offer such capability and capacity.

The compression method used is JPEG2000, a wavelet-based system that forms the basis of the DCI standard for cinema delivery. The compression is visually indistinguishable from the original and is comparable to the highest-quality mode of HDCAM-SR tape.

Constructed from carbon fibre and with rubber-sealed connections, the Codex Portable is weather-resistant, and weighs only 9 lb / 4 Kg. It is powered from any standard camera battery and can be carried on an operator’s shoulder, or secured to camera equipment such as dollies and cranes. The Codex Portable is always ready-to-record, and near-silent operation lets it get close to the action.

When used in the field the Codex Portable delivers immediate full-frame playback and review of footage on a daylight-readable touchscreen. A unique feature is a secure wireless system, which enables instant shot logging, or remote-control of the system, from any networked computer or PDA. The Codex Portable even features a special “Mutter Track” microphone input, which allows the user to add comments during a take for shot-logging and notes.

The Codex Portable is priced at £22,500 (GBP), €33,000 Euros, $44,500 (USD). Codex Digital expects to ship the first production-ready units at the end of 2007."

Source: Broadcast Buyer

Panasonic Introduces 32GB Solid-State P2 Memory Card

"Panasonic introduces a 32GB P2 solid-state memory card for its popular line of P2 HD and P2 solid-state camcorders and decks. With the availability of the 32GB P2 card in November, Panasonic will have quadrupled the storage capacity of its solid-state memory card in just this year, providing HD recording time greater than most tape-based and disc-based systems.

The 32GB P2 card, model AJ-P2C032RG, will have a suggested list price of $1,650 and is scheduled for initial deliveries in November. The new 32 P2 card will be offered in addition to the 16GB P2 card that has been shipping since May.

Camcorders equipped with the new 32GB P2 card will offer greater recording capacity than tape-based and disc-based systems, and offer the proven benefits of no-moving-parts reliability and fast IT file-based workflow. With five 32GB P2 cards installed, the AJ-HPX3000 and HPX2000 P2 HD camcorders can record for up to 2.5 hours (over 3 hours in 24p) in AVC-Intra 100 or DVCPRO HD and 5 hours (over 6.5 hours in 24p) in AVC-Intra 50 or DVCPRO 50.

Panasonic’s P2 card is based on ultra-reliable, solid-state memory, consisting of four SD cards, like those now used in digital still cameras, packaged in a rugged, die-cast frame that weighs only 0.099 lbs (45 grams). This convenient card has four times the capacity and four times the transfer speed of a single SD card. The P2 card is reusable and connects instantly with laptops and major non-linear editing systems to eliminate the time-consuming task of digitizing.

The P2 card is resistant to impact (up to 1,500G), vibration (up to 15G), shock, dust and environmental extremes including temperature changes. It operates in temperatures from -4° to 176°F (-20 to 60°C), and can be stored in temperatures from -40° to 176°F (-40 to 80°C). Unlike tapes and discs, the P2 card has no rotating or contact parts. The solid-state P2 memory card can transfer data at speeds up to 640Mbps to provide the professional user with fast, easy operation. Compared to tape or disc, P2 acquisition requires no media consumption, resulting in tremendous savings in media costs as well as environmental benefits.

The new 32GB card is fully compatible with the current 16GB P2 card, so users who’ve upgraded their P2 product(s) and computer system for 16GB operation are ready for 32GB operation. For P2 users who haven’t completed this upgrade, it is a requirement to take advantage of 32GB operation."

Source: Broadcast Equipment Guide

Inlet Technologies Announces Digital Watermarking For Extended Security During Encoding Process

"Inlet Technologies, the leader in advanced encoding solutions for new media, announced today that the company has partnered with Thomson, the world leader in digital video technologies, to enhance content security during the encoding and production process. Inlet’s Fathom encoding solution will feature Thomson’s underlying digital watermarking technology, adding an important layer of traceable security to complement traditional digital rights management (DRM) controlling access to content.

Digital watermarking has become a hot topic of discussion among content creators, specifically studios and post-production houses. In the case of leaked programming or content, this digital “trace” allows producers to determine where and when a breach occurred, helping them take corrective action and prevent future leaks. Such security breaches can cause devastating financial losses to content owners. Watermarking pairs well with current DRM solutions, with DRM preventing the content from being played and digital watermarking allowing content creators to determine where the content is from."

Source: Broadcast Equipment Guide

Quantel Launches Stereoscopic 3D Post Production Systems

"At IBC Quantel is launching a range of Stereoscopic 3D post production systems to provide a true real time end to end 3D post process. There are many challenges in Stereo 3D post. The first is how to see exactly what you are doing while you are doing it. If you can't see what you are doing or have to use inaccurate preview modes, or move media to playout servers, everything becomes less interactive and therefore takes much longer. Another challenge is handling at least twice the data as a conventional post session. That places heavy demands on rendering, media movement and disc management. The third challenge is handling Stereo 3D specific issues like scene to scene convergence, effect strength and flutter.

The new Quantel 3D systems overcome all these challenges by providing the right combination of toolset and horsepower to finish the most demanding stereo projects on time and on budget. Colorimetry, sync, editorial and imaging errors can all be fixed in context. Other special 3D features include a comparison mode (50/50 mix, left/right eye, difference map) and the ability to see when left/right eye link is broken. All of these deliver a true WYSIWYG experience for the operator and, most importantly, the client.

The new Stereo 3D toolset is available as an option on all new Pablo 4K, iQ4 and Max 4K systems. Additionally all existing Pablo 4K or iQ systems can upgrade to Stereoscopic 3D, providing a 'start to finish' Stereo workflow including previsualisation, editing, VFX, colour correction, trailers and mastering. Stereo projects can now take place 'in context' without the need for guesswork. The Quantel Stereoscopic 3D Option for Pablo iQ and Max has the ability to playout and manipulate two simultaneous streams of HD or 2K in sync and without rendering.

To address the needs of more cost sensitive post houses Quantel is also launching a brand new dedicated stereoscopic post production workstation - Sid. Sid comes in two configurations - as a full Stereo online system and also as a straightforward viewing, conform and mastering system.

All Quantel's Stereo 3D products are available after IBC."

Source: Broadcast Equipment Guide

Livewire Digital Launches JATS File Transfer Software Package

"Livewire Digital has launched its new Java Automated Transfer System (JATS) software package.

The software allows companies to benefit from fast, automated and efficient transfer of large files, between remotely located offices.

JATS is of particular value to broadcasters, whilst also being suitable for companies with a requirement for the transfer of large media, or corporate files. It can be easily integrated with a company's existing software and reduces transmission times from hours to minutes using optimised transfer protocols. JATS offers throughput optimisation and firewall traversal, is capable of sending and receiving files from other JATS based systems, and can be inter-operated with Livewire Digital M-Link products.

As with the entire M-Link Broadcasters suite of products, JATS incorporates automatic retry and auto append if a network connection is unreliable. Alert messages, statistics reporting, and easy accessible logging make it the most capable, configurable and easy-to-use automated file transfer system.

Livewire Digital's M-Link Broadcasters systems can be fully integrated with BGAN terminals and relevant support peripherals for broadcasting from remote locations."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Aspera to Acquire DigiDelivery Product Line

"Aspera announced an agreement with Avid Technology, under which Aspera will acquire DigiDelivery, a secure digital file-exchange system developed by Avid’s Digidesign audio division. Aspera is recognized as a worldwide leader in the development of high-speed file transfer technology. Under the terms of the agreement, Aspera will assume the development, manufacturing, sales, and support responsibilities of the DigiDelivery product line, continuing to enhance the technology that is integrated within Avid’s flagship Pro Tools system and Media Composer applications. Avid and Digidesign will continue to distribute DigiDelivery worldwide, both directly and through existing reseller channels.

Emeryville, CA-based Aspera is a privately held company that develops innovative, high-performance data transport technologies. Aspera’s Fasp 2.0 software transport platform provides maximum speed, complete security, and breakthrough bandwidth control at global distances. With several thousand endpoint and server licenses installed worldwide, its Fasp software products are becoming an industry standard for high-speed transfer of digital content. Fasp software is currently deployed in hundreds of major Hollywood studios and service companies, post-production houses, broadcast studios, satellite and on-demand media networks, as well computer game and software development companies."

Source: Aspera

Harmonic Supports Video Content Acquisition from Virtually any Source with Integrated On-Demand Software

"Harmonic has introduced MediaPrism, a powerful suite of integrated content preparation tools ideal for creation of on-demand video assets from any source (tapes, DVD, live broadcast, Web or user-generated content).

Bringing together Harmonic's CLEARcut offline storage encoding, LIVEcut scheduler, Rhozet Carbon Coder universal transcoding solution and Ingest Gateway, MediaPrism offers operators a powerful, unique and easy to manage solution for video-on-demand (VOD) content preparation.

In order to provide consumers with a compelling VOD service, cable, telco and satellite operators need to continuously add to the library of available video assets. Furthermore, as the video landscape continues to shift toward anytime viewing on any device, they must also expand the types of VOD assets to encompass not only the movies and TV shows generally available today, but also programming created for Web delivery and user-generated content.

In conjunction with Harmonic's market-leading DiviCom encoders, CLEARcut converts tape and DVD-based content into professional VOD assets and prepares the relevant metadata. Linear broadcast channels are captured using the LIVEcut scheduler, in conjunction with Harmonic's ProStream 1000 with Mentor re-encoding technology for conversion of variable bit-rate content to constant bit-rate format required for unicast service delivery. LIVEcut's advanced rule-based scheduling engine provides operators with the most compact, integrated and flexible solution available today for capture of hundreds of broadcast channels for anytime on-demand viewing. The Rhozet Carbon Coder software also makes it possible for traditional service providers to add user-generated content to the lineup with its highly versatile transcoding capabilities. The video assets are processed for ingestion to the on-demand server by Harmonic's Ingest Gateway."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Agreement on a First Common Standard for Audio Contribution using IP

"Manufacturers and broadcasters from N/ACIP, the European Broadcasting Union's technical project group, have reached an agreement on the release of a common standard providing interoperability between audio over IP contribution equipment for radio and TV.

The agreed interoperability standard is based on open IETF standards such as RTP and SIP and can be seen as an extension of the Voice over IP standard to accommodate wideband high quality audio codecs. One of the advantages of using the IETF standard is that it has already been implemented in many markets other than broadcasting and that equipment already exists.

"Network systems and formats such as ISDN, E1, X.21 currently used for audio contribution will tend to become very expensive and disappear. It is therefore necessary to find replacement solutions. In the context of a converged telecommunication world, IP seems the natural choice." says Lars Jonsson, Chairman of the EBU's technical N/ACIP project group.

There are different solutions for audio over IP but, until today, there hasn't been a common framework and consequently no interoperability between equipment. Interoperability is instead crucial for broadcasters as they exchange lots of content. The benefits of this agreement are not evident only for broadcasters but also for manufactures as it will mean increased sales for compatible products.

Created in the beginning of 2006, the N/ACIP group deals with the different aspects of audio contribution over IP. In this group, manufacturers and members of the EBU are working together. The EBU technical group decided to meet manufacturers during IBC 2006 in order to discuss a common interoperability framework standard. Last year's meeting with 15 manufacturers turned out to be a great success and many of them have already started to implement the proposal, making improvements to the common standard. Early interoperability tests have already been carried out successfully."

Source: BroadcastBuyer

Harmonic Introduces Rhozet Carbon Coder 3.0 Transcoding Solution at IBC

"Harmonic has introduced Rhozet Carbon Coder 3.0, the latest version of its universal video transcoding solution.

This new version of Carbon Coder features distributed transcoding across multiple machines, new Adobe Flash and VC-1 format support, server failover for fault-tolerant performance, and an automated quality assurance (QA) module to ensure the highest quality video output.

Carbon Coder's new multi-machine transcoding capability tackles the increasing demands of video transcoding by allowing a single transcoding job to be distributed over multiple computers in a transcoding farm. This feature is especially useful for processor intensive formats such as Flash, VC-1, and MPEG-2. Long transcoding tasks are split into segments which are distributed to multiple machines for processing and then spliced together to create the final output. This greatly accelerates the process of, for example, creating very high-quality VC-1 content for high-definition optical discs. Even on a single computer, transcoding tasks are accelerated by running across multiple CPU cores.

In addition to speeding up the transcoding workflow, Rhozet has also implemented fault tolerance and quality assurance features to increase reliability. Carbon Server's fault tolerance feature allows multiple Carbon Servers to manage the same farm in a redundant configuration. If one machine goes down, another is automatically assigned to take over control with no loss of information or transcoding time. Carbon Coder's new quality assurance module helps identify possible problems in encoded material and flag them for analysis. This can greatly reduce the amount of human interaction with transcoded output, thereby saving substantial time and money."

Source: BroadcastBuyer