GB Labs to showcase Mosaic asset organization software and CORE.4 OS at Techtel's Booth during BroadcastAsia 2019

Techtel (Booth 4K3-05), BroadcastAsia Singapore, 18-20 June 2019: Intelligent storage solution leader GB Labs will feature the all-new Mosaic automatic asset organizer, and the brand-new CORE.4 OS software, at BroadcastAsia.

Mosaic, CORE.4, and its sibling, CORE.4 Lite will be featured as part of wide-ranging exhibits by GB Labs’ regional partner Techtel (Booth 4K3-05).

Mosaic is an all-new, highly intuitive, automatic asset organization system that combines GB Labs’ already intelligent storage with additional AI that together provide a vastly enriched way to search for and retrieve media. By automatically scanning and intelligently tagging all metadata, Mosaic makes it easier – and much faster - for users to find exactly what they are looking for.

GB Labs Chief Business Officer (Asia) & Co-Founder, Ben Pearce said, “There is no ‘automatic’ in MAM, which is why we call Mosaic an asset organizer. Mosaic goes one better than traditional MAM with its automated metadata tagging and integrated AI, which substantially reduces the amount of time that can often be wasted searching through terabytes of data. Those AI capabilities also eliminate the need to assign someone to the tedious, laborious, and time-consuming task of manually entering metadata.”

Also featuring at BroadcastAsia for the first time in the region, will be GB Labs’ latest operating systems, CORE.4 and streamlined CORE.4 Lite. Both are high-performance, custom storage operating systems specifically designed to serve media files with GB Labs’ additional intelligence layer for unrivalled stability and quality of service, no matter how many users are on the system.

Both new operating systems benefit from the inclusion of Analytics Center, an easy-to-read dashboard that continuously analyzes and displays an accurate, easy-to-understand overview of network parameters, including real-time speed and data consumption.

Pearce added, “The main cause of slow read/write speeds are misconfigured internal networks. Those issues can be difficult to locate and resolve with manual monitoring and intervention. Analytics Center automatically identifies potential problems and where to find and fix them. Moreover, it anticipates and identifies problems that may occur.”

As a further bonus, both CORE.4 and CORE.4 Lite include Mosaic software as standard.

“All of our products offerings are designed from the start to put users in control, and I look forward to demonstrating that at BroadcastAsia,” concluded Pearce.

###

About GB Labs

GB Labs is the global leader in Intelligent Media Storage, creating a shared storage ecosystem for the media industry. By understanding real-world industry problems, cutting-edge technologies have been developed for the unique "CORE" software that fulfils end users’ needs. Regardless of where the production is being filmed, how big the team is or the size of budget, GB Labs can provide a solution to ensure deadlines are met and throughout the whole process, content is secure.

Find out more at: www.gblabs.com or call: EUROPE (+44) (0)118 455 5000 or USA (+1) 661 493 8480.

Company contact:
Matt Worth
GB Labs
Email: m.worth@gblabs.co.uk
Phone: +44 (0) 118 455 5000

Media Contact:
Jennie Marwick-Evans
Manor Marketing
Email: jennie@manormarketing.tv
Phone: +44 (0) 7748 636171

Techtel to Address 5 Key Broadcast Business Drivers with 9 Global Leaders during Broadcast Asia 2019

Representing 9 global industry leaders, Techtel will be showcasing a great number of broadcast technology innovations with a special emphasis on five key business drivers: Transition to IP-Based content delivery, Autonomous workflows, 4K Content Production, Unprecedented Low Cost Media Distribution and Integrated Newsrooms. This follows’ Techtel’s appointment of a new country manager and strengthens the company’s commitment in bringing innovative and affordable broadcast technology to South East Asia.

VB440 Probe by Bridge Technologies. The award-winning VB440 supports uncompressed media flows over IP with both ST2110 and ST2022-6 transports, providing network operators and digital media organisations with an analytics solution for numerous streams and multiple technologies in real-time and in parallel. Using VB440, Bridge Technologies will demonstrate full network and content analytics in a 4K over IP world and reveal how one can deliver comprehensive 4K analytics capability to multiple users in a 100 Gigabit environment.

Lightspeed Live Capture by Telestream. Telestream will show viewers how integration with Lightspeed Live Capture can create unlimited workflow possibilities. They will reveal how this unique Multi-Channel Video Capture and Processing platform realizes the fastest possible delivery of all assets by closely integrating the latest parallel file-based open workflows in Telestream’s Vantage platform together with the combined CPU/GPU power of the Lightspeed Live server and applications.

OmniGlide™ Roving Platform (RRP-1) by Telemetrics will demonstrate full ease of hands-free operation by leveraging its Custom Artificial Intelligence (AI) technology, similar to the one used in the autonomous car industry, which helps the pedestal “learn” the environment it is operating in.

The Associated Press will demonstrate the advances in the modern newsroom workflow with the latest version of their news production software, AP ENPS as well as AP Playbook – a new planning system that allows editorial and corporate newsrooms to effectively and efficiently manage coverage plans and assignments.

Ensemble Designs will show their BrightEye NXT Compact Routers line which offers solutions for video routing, scan conversion, streaming, audio embedding, reference generation, video conversion, HDCP and more. In addition, the company will show how their Avenue signal integration system enables any combination of 1.5 Gb/s HD, 3 Gb/s HD, SD, MPEG, analog video and audio processing modules being used together in the same frame.

SKAARHOJ, a leading designer and manufacturer of tactile universal broadcast controllers will display NewTek’s NDI® PTZ Camera - the world’s first video camera to integrate NDI technology as well as Blackmagic’s ATEM Television Studio Pro 4K - a professional all in one Ultra HD live production switcher with integrated hardware control panel.

GB Labs will reveal the world’s fastest SSD-based shared storage system – Space SSD, with scalable performance and capacity up to 18 Gbytes/s and 1.4PB. It will also launch brand new software, features and updates to its FastNAS and SPACE, ECHO and VAULT to the South East Asia market. The intelligent new features include Mosaic asset organizer and the latest Analytics Center to the SPACE, ECHO and VAULT ranges and brand-new "CORE.4" and "CORE.4 Lite" software to the S.E.V. and FastNAS ranges.

Spectra Logic will share their insights derived from over 40 years’ experience in the storage industry.  Whether you are looking for a Network Attached Storage (NAS), Object Storage S3 gateway, tape, disk cloud, or a tape archive – Spectra has a solution for every storage need.

Net Insight will introduce Nimbra Edge – a secure cloud media transport solution, which will enable broadcasters to extend their offerings with a cloud-native transport solution across public and private clouds.

All of these solutions and many others will be demonstrated at Techtel’s booth 4K3-05. Prior bookings are recommended and are available at: https://docs.google.com/forms/d/19Q_-M9fYQyrN9IEM-oPe68AMA12j7TS9su3h3Iu2bXY

Techtel Rebuilds ABCs 12 Head Studios into Automated Production Facilities

Download Full Case Study

Techtel and Samoa Digital Communications Limited to Build and Operate the Country’s First Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting Infrastructure

Sydney, 5 April 2019 - Techtel was selected by Samoa Digital Communications Limited, Samoa’s recently formed multiplex network operator to deploy the country’s first Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting infrastructure. This end-to-end solution will provide every household across Samoa’s two inhabited islands, Upolu and Savai'i with access to a variety of digital TV services.  Due for completion by the end of 2019, the new digital services will increase the volume of channels available for a large section of the population who up until recently received either no service or limited channels via the legacy analogue transmissions.

As a part of this greenfield project with zero legacy infrastructure, Techtel will install, integrate, commission and support the headend facility as well as 18 DVB-T2 transmission sites, which will deliver free-to-air digital TV services to 100% of the islands’ population. To be built in Vaitele, a suburb in Samoa’s capital with high line of sight, the new headend will represent a fully redundant broadcast facility for reliable distribution of Digital TV signals which involves SD/HD ingestion, MPEG-4 compression and multiplexing using Appear TV and PSI/SI generation and EPG Insertion by Barrowa; complemented by Egatel transmission systems and Bridge Technologies’ Nomad for signal monitoring.

Once processed, the TV signals will be transmitted to three other redundant remote transmission sites for broadcasting to local households and further downstream terrestrial transmission stations to reach geographically challenging areas. A total of 18 locations across two islands will receive transmission signals required to make the DTT services available to the entire population, enabled by Egatel’s DVB-T2 transmitter network consisting of four (1+1) transmitters for redundant and fourteen (1+0) transmitters for non-redundant sites. Egatel’s transmitters cover the main TV and RF spectrums and are equipped with the latest technology in signal processing allowing Digital TV signal broadcasting with the highest quality and reliability. In addition, Techtel provided RF infrastructural solution including DTT antennas, and feeders for every site and some filters and combiners at specific sites.

As a systems integrator, Techtel will provide professional services including system design, proof of concept and field measurements. This will be followed by years of ongoing support once the new DTT network is in operation.

“At Techtel, over many years we have developed a comprehensive approach to broadcast systems integration that now provides us with a unique ability to tackle projects from live production through to live transmission,” said Mal Chandler, CEO at Techtel. “We are proud that because of this capability, Samoan inhabitants residing in remote areas will soon have the privilege of enjoying Digital Terrestrial Television - the service that can be accessed anywhere on the two islands with a set-top-box and an existing antenna”.

“Samoa Digital Communications Limited is thrilled to make television viewing accessible for every Samoan household.  We will continue to invest in this venture, adding that there will be opportunities for pay and free-to-air services, local and international channels and new content opportunities”, said Tuiaopo Fa’amausili Andrew Ah Liki, Chairman Samoa Digital Communications Limited.

Techtel supplies a large Singapore Broadcaster with 18 TSL Power Distribution Units for their facility-wide monitoring, management and control.

Developed by a global equipment provider to the broadcast industry, TSL Products, these 14-way MDU14-B Power Distribution Units (PDUs) provide system management and power distribution capabilities, enabling systems managers to monitor and control all rack-mounted equipment anywhere in the world through a simple web interface and to manage power requirements while reducing overall costs. The units have been designed to monitor all aspects of the customer’s power infrastructure over local and international networks including equipment fuse status, power consumption by outlet, rack equipment GPIs, temperature and input voltage, total power consumption and power source. In addition, TSL’s PDUs enable remote monitoring for most intricate  tasks such as choosing between re-booting individual equipment, rack, or a complete facility; apply rules to alert local maintenance and initiate action; manage and track energy consumption; instantly react to power outage and many others.

The Singapore based broadcaster has already based most of their facility on the TSL PDU platform with now over 60 units in service constantly monitoring and supplying power to mission critical broadcast systems.

“Increasingly, today’s broadcast systems need to be remotely monitored”, says Mal Chandler, Techtel CEO. “Equipment needs to be powered up in an ordered way, while many installations rely on redundant power sources. Because we diligently source broadcast equipment from a consortium of global vendors – we can ensure our customers get the solution that is the perfect fit for them.”

For more information about TSL Products’ PDUs, visit https://www.tslproducts.com/products/power-management/basic-power-management/mdu14-b/

Christmas Message from the CEO

Dear Customers, Vendors, Partners and Friends

I trust like Techtel, you have all enjoyed a successful 2018 and are looking forward to creating more impact in 2019 and beyond.

2018 saw Techtel achieve some meaningful milestones. This included the establishment of a new division of valuable sales and support team members in our Singapore branch, helping the company serve the South East Asian market on a local level.

Although our core business has been systems integration, this year we have launched our own IPTV offering – a professional grade IPTV solution, designed to serve the specific streaming needs of enterprises, sport, live events and remote workers’ industries.

This year also saw the delivery of some exciting global projects including the first operational remote broadcast centre in Australia for the Australian Open, where together with Gearhouse Broadcast we created the infrastructure that would enable the domestic broadcaster to match what they traditionally did on-site, at a much lower cost. This work was recognised by a Content & Technology Award at the ABE Show, awarded to Gearhouse Broadcast for their excellent work at Australian Open 2018.

We were also proud to expand our expertise into the South Pacific by commissioning a transmitter system for Digital Terrestrial TV in Papua New Guinea for the country’s largest ICT provider Digicel, enabling the delivery of more than 30 additional services for its subscribers in Port Moresby, over two newly added transport streams.

We are pleased to conclude the year with the launch of seven studios at the ABC throughout Australia with Techtel’s comprehensive broadcast automation solution, including their first HD news studio. Today, Australia’s flagship news programs such as the 7.30 Report, News 24 Channel, Behind the News, local 7PM bulletins and many others are now being broadcast from brand new studio and control rooms, featuring fully automated broadcast technology, widespread use of robotic camera systems, integrated with the latest software solutions.

Right now, we’re preparing towards the completion of ABC’s national rollout of the AP ENPS newsroom system, a key component of their new Integrated Media System (IMS) which will be fully commissioned and live once Darwin cut over in early 2019.  This was a multi-year project which involved Techtel connecting approximately 70 TV and Radio sites in capital and regional cities to one central ENPS server. As a result, ABC News production teams throughout the country can easily collaborate on and share content produced for their TV, Radio and Digital News platforms.

In 2019, our continued focus will remain on consultancy, project engineering and support excellence, helping our customers grow their customer base and continuing to strengthen our strategic partnerships with technology vendors.

On behalf of the Techtel team worldwide, I wish you all safe and happy holidays!

Mal Chandler

Techtel CEO

Australia's flagship current affairs program goes on air at ABC's first live HD studio

The 7:30 report, ABC’s flagship news and current affairs program, has gone live to air in what is the ABC’s first Live HD Studio, featuring brand new studio and control rooms with widespread use of automation and robotic systems, integrated with the latest software solutions. This transformation comes as the next step of a multi-year project - integrated, managed and supported by Techtel, covering ABC news studios nationwide and involving a global range of strategically chosen software and hardware technology partners, including Telemetrics, Cuescript, Apantac, Vizrt, TV Logic, Yamaha, Panasonic and others.

Techtel enables delivery of Digital TV channels in PNG via a new DVB-T2 Transmitter

Techtel, Australia’s leading broadcast systems integrator has commissioned a transmitter system for Digital Terrestrial TV in Papua New Guinea for a local service provider, enabling the delivery of more than 30 additional services for its subscribers in Port Moresby, over two newly added transport streams.

The DVB-T2 system itself incorporates power amplifiers based on LDMOS transistors technology characterized by high power density, allowing very high efficiency. Furthermore, it integrates a modulator that covers the main TV and Radio spectrums, equipped with the latest technology in signal processing allowing Digital TV signal broadcasting with the highest quality and reliability. The integrated transmitter is compatible with both single frequency (SFN) and multiple frequency (MFN) networks, a result of Egatel’s system’s configuration flexibility. In addition, the new DVB-T2 system features integrated digital adaptive pre-correction for easy commissioning and testing requirements; and flexible configurations accommodating various redundancy scenarios.

As a part of its integrated offering, Techtel supplied, installed, commissioned and tested a new 600Wrms (2+1) DVB-T2 transmitter system by Egatel, as well as seamlessly integrating the platform into Port Moresby’s existing transmission facilities by adding a new RF combiner with two narrow-band and one wide-band inputs. The combiner and its internal filters have been custom designed and fine-tuned to accommodate for four adjacent RF channels compliant with PNG RF spectrum allocations for broadcasting of DTV services. After comprehensive testing, Techtel’s integration team were able to achieve exceptional RF signal performance with shoulder value measured over 49dB, and MER value of higher than 35dB. 

Mal Chandler, CEO of Techtel says: “We are proud to enable PNG’s largest service provider deliver a state of the art DVB-T2 Digital Terrestrial Television System resulting in the expansion of broadcast network coverage citywide.  Egatel is continuing to demonstrate to the market that they are a reliable and trustworthy partner who together with Techtel will offer the region a better value option for many years to come.”

Techtel is an established provider of digital TV broadcasting transmitters with many other channels powered by Egatel in service in the Asia-Pacific market.

Astro Arena goes LIVE today with the latest version of AP ENPS, implemented by Techtel

Malaysia's leading Sports channel Astro Arena broadcasts their Nadi Arena program using the latest version of AP ENPS with multiplatform Mobile functionality, implemented and supported by Techtel:

Broadcast Asia Digest

Thank you for visiting us at Broadcast Asia last week. We hope you found our time together valuable, and would like to provide a synopsis of our valued partners and their offerings, which we have carefully selected for you: https://lnkd.in/g96H3UU

Also, a big congratulations to Mr. Ismali Ali from Mediacorp on winning a pair of BOSE QuietComfort Headphones in our lucky draw dip for confirmed meetings at Broadcast Asia:

And a big Thank You to LYNX Technik AG - Techtel is proud to receive an award from the ccompany for being a long-term supporter of their technology. Pictured Joehan Tohkingkeo with Mal Chandler, Techtel CEO

Channel 9 Chooses Techtel to Transform their Digital Preservation Practices and Leverage Genetic Diversity in Storage

(Singapore, 18 June 2018) Nine Network (“Channel 9”), Australia’s largest commercial free-to-air television network selected Techtel as the systems integrator of choice to develop a seamless interface between their Media Asset Management (MAM) platforms and deep storage across their news and production studios and playout centre at two different locations.  This transition will make Channel 9 the first Australian broadcaster to switch from a traditional HSM (Hierarchical Storage Manager) architecture to an on-premise Spectra Logic object storage solution, enabling the company to significantly reduce asset restoration times, utilise genetically diverse media and separate their storage geographically – all via one purpose-built and highly flexible solution.

Developed by Spectra Logic, the BlackPearl® Converged Storage System allows for data storage on multiple targets, including Spectra LTO tape libraries and disk, and multi-site replication for data protection and MAM redundancy. Coupled with a new and seamless integration with Imagine Communications’ Nexio® Motion™ workflow and media management system, as well as combining with Avid Interplay’s existing BlackPearl client, the Spectra Logic system provides a new, long-term storage solution to preserve Channel 9’s persistent data, which is growing from 5PB.

In addition, the newly integrated content management system is expected to lower storage costs by reducing the overhead of multiple software and hardware systems running independently, as well as cutting out the need for multiple vendors and middleware.

“Living in the age of highly sophisticated cyber threats and where digital content outlasts its storage technology, it is critical to have a failsafe storage solution in place, which is also scalable across its capacities, technologies and interfaces. We are confident that Techtel is the ideal broadcast technology systems specialist to provide the optimal mix of hardware, software and integration expertise to serve this purpose,” said David Bowers, CTO Channel 9.

Mal Chandler, CEO of Techtel says: “By entrusting Techtel, Channel 9 can store their data with a greater sense of confidence knowing that their solution is growth-enabling, redundant and genetically diverse.  This project illustrates our unique position to independently choose strategic partners and their technology, and deliver the critical project management, commissioning and support that our customers expect.”

Media Contact:
Nadia Hardiwidjaja
M: +65 9011.8294
nadia@techtel.com.sg

Apantac T# Multiviewers Selected by Australian Broadcasting Corporation, installed by Techtel at twelve studios throughout Australia

Apantac, an internationally recognized manufacturer and pioneer of cost-effective yet feature-rich multiviewers announces that its TAHOMA T# Multiviewers are being installed by Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) for its nationwide news studio technology upgrade.

For this turnkey systems integration project, Apantac worked with leading independent Australian broadcast technology systems specialist, Techtel. Through the partnership with Techtel, an extensive line-up of Apantac’s T# Multiviewers are being installed in ABC control rooms at all twelve studios throughout Australia.

Specifically, Apantac developed an interface between its T# Multiviewers and the Grass Valley Karrera K-Frame switcher housed at each studio. This software integration provides a level of communication between the switchers and the multiviewers that streamlines the synchronization between the two systems. The integration allows the T# Multiviewers to sync directly with the K-Frame, so that all source, UMD naming and labels as well as auxiliary source setting changes on the switcher are automatically populated on the T# multiviewer output windows. This ensures that the monitor wall driven by the Apantac T# multiviewers and fed by the switcher is automatically updated with display information that is continually updated as switching events occur.

The T# Multiviewers are considered one of the most flexible and versatile Multiviewers on the market today. With the T#, a facility can build the Multiviewer that they need by choosing from a selection of input and output boards, or from a selection of pre-configured models. Plus, one can mix & match a variety of signal types (SDI, HDMI, IP, Fiber, HDBaseT and more) for multi-image display processing and monitoring on displays, without any external conversion. T#’s unique and high bandwidth universal mid plane architecture allows any type of future format to be added by simply plugging in a new hot swappable input board, making it truly future-proof.

“Working with the Apantac team has been an excellent example of flexibility working in a turnkey technology environment, seamless integration with a variety of solutions, as well as a commitment to providing the customer with an advanced solution to meet their needs,” comments Mal Chandler, Techtel CEO.

GB Labs launches intuitive "Easy LTO" range

GB Labs presents EASY LTO

IT organizations are facing an incredible challenge keeping up with their company's storage growth demands. Enterprise Strategy Group in their 2015 Data Storage Market Trends report found that 53% of respondents at the organizations they surveyed are experiencing annual storage growth rates of 10%-40% and 25% are dealing with astronomical numbers in excess of 50% growth. Advanced LTO-7 tape technology allows you to handle even the toughest challenges of long term storage with 15TB of compressed data and 6TB uncompressed digital data per cartridge, however most locally attached LTO’s are not a shared resource and are incapable of being used over a network.

Introducing EASY LTO from GB Labs, the network attached all in one backup and archiving solution designed for everybody. Incredibly intuitive, EASY LTO supports accelerated throughput at 300 Mbps and advanced security with the inclusion of TAR and LTFS and the ability to exchange files with any other standard LTO system. 

Already using LTO, but want to work with Easy LTO? There’s even built-in support for importing entire catalogs from third party vendors, so migrating from your old system to Easy LTO is a breeze. GB Labs Snapshot backup is built-in and allows you to keep an ongoing automated backup of your most important systems. Create a backup tape set and add tapes without limit. Handling storage growth demands of 20%, 30%, 50% and more are all manageable. Time to take control of your company’s long term storage demands with EASY LTO by GB Labs.

GB Labs presents Easy LTO Easy LTO Key Features :-

Advanced LTO Manager Software
LTFS and TAR Intergration
Support for LTO6 and LTO7
8TB to 30TB of Internal Data Storage Option
Dual 10Gb/1gb Ethernet Connection

About GB Labs

From Archive to Online Storage, GB Labs is the leader in Video Shared Storage innovation for the media and entertainment industry with groundbreaking products like our unique hybrid disk technologies (Hyperspace & Nitro) we apply decades of industry experience and outperform all competitors. Let us prove it. Trusted and used by Reuters, Sony Pictures, Formula E, BBC, Nissan and many more organisations, GB Labs is known for safe, secure, reliable, a ordable and most importantly FAST products that allow you to work at the speed of creation. To do your best work you need technology that doesn’t get in the way. Technology that supercharges your efforts and safeguards 

Marquise Technologies to provide first look at IMF-TV with ProRes at NAB

Geneva, Switzerland, 18.04.2017 – Marquise Technologies, a Swiss-based developer of high-end, post-production solutions will showcase at NAB 2017 a draft IMF Application based on Apple ProRes.
Television today is not just about receiving content for transmission, it is also about producing and selling content worldwide. Exchanging and managing the multiple versions of programming needed for this expanded business model must be done efficiently, both technically and financially.
 
The advantages of IMF workflows are well documented in theatrical post-production, but IMF adoption in television has been very limited so far. Broadcasters have very different distribution paths and often work on tighter schedules. Furthermore, many broadcasters currently use ProRes for both long-term conservation and as a mezzanine format.
 
Therefore a new IMF Application — more oriented towards the specific needs and workflows of broadcasters — is needed.
 
Last year, the European Broadcast Union (EBU) started an IMF-TV workgroup, led by the BBC’s Andy Quested.  This group studies the applicability of IMF for the main broadcaster use cases.
 
 “There was no need to reinvent the wheel,” says Andy Quested. “IMF already closely aligns with broadcaster needs for mastering and versioning for international exchange. Also many of the new proposals are a 1:1 fit with broadcaster requirements.  What we want to do is literally sit the IMF workflows on top of our existing content infrastructures, which is why we are looking at a new Application.”
 
EBU's Hans Hoffmann, Head of Media Fundamentals and Production Technology, stated: "We are very supportive of IMF as a mastering format. The principles developed in the cinema industry are equally applicable in broadcasting, hence the work we are doing in the EBU IMF-TV group."
 
Marquise Technologies, a member of the IMF-TV work group, will demonstrate these new IMF-TV workflows, from mastering an IMF package in ProRes to the creation of multiple deliverables (including AS-11 DPP and iTunes packages), at their booth at this year’s NAB.
 
 “We are leading the implementation of IMF for mastering and QC solutions, not only by adding the latest specifications for the Studio Profile or the Cinema Mezzanine Apps, but also by being the first to support OPLs and sidecars,” adds Laurence Stoll, CEO of Marquise Technology. “We know how critical it is for a film lab, a studio or a broadcaster to manage multiple versions (intermediaries and finals) of content, and we see the IMF not just as another format, but also as a protocol. Working with the EBU on using IMF for broadcast workflows and extending IMF implementations with ProRes support are the continuity of our work in that domain.”

Telestream and Unified Streaming Join Forces to Offer Industry-Leading Enterprise Streaming Capabilities

Combination offers unprecedented scalability with extended format and DRM support

Nevada City, California, April 18, 2017 – Telestream®, a leading provider of digital media tools and workflow solutions, today announced it has entered into a strategic partnership with Unified Streaming, a pioneer of smart video streaming technologies. This agreement allows Telestream to offer Unified Streaming’s Origin as an option to its Lightspeed Live Stream system to provide an industry-leading, all-in-one streaming solution with extended format and DRM (Digital Rights Management) support.

The combined solution provides just-in-time packaging of Adobe HTTP Dynamic Streams (HDS), Apple HTTP Live Streams (HLS), Microsoft Smooth Streams (MSS) and MPEG-DASH formats, coupled with the most comprehensive DRM support available. With sophisticated server-side ad insertion capabilities, broadcasters and content owners no longer have to worry about ad-blockers cutting into online revenue.

“Unified Origin is an industry standard well known to the major CDNs (Content Delivery Networks), and we’ve worked closely with the Unified team to create a tight integration with our Lightspeed Live Stream encoder,” said Paul Turner, VP of Product Management at Telestream. “Customers can be assured that the performance, scalability, and flexibility of our combined offering will be the absolute best in the business.”

The number of players, DRM systems, codecs, and protocols in use creates an enormous matrix of possibilities that an origin server must respond to, at scale, in real time. “Both Telestream and Unified Streaming have a reputation for building bullet-proof systems that can be trusted and relied upon by the largest broadcasters and CDNs in the world 24/7/365. This partnership builds on those reputations while offering our customers exciting new capabilities to enhance their revenues,” said Turner.

As part of the integration, Telestream’s Lightspeed Live Stream encoder sends an enhanced, high-quality, multi-bitrate common base format to Unified Origin. This enables the Origin to create any type of playout package required including encryption or DRM in real time, on demand.

“We’re happy to be partnering with Telestream to deliver such a high-quality solution. It allows us to offer a best of breed solution with a single point of contact,” said Simon Westbroek, VP Global Sales at Unified Streaming. “Lightspeed Live Stream is an incredibly powerful streaming encoder with a small footprint that pairs perfectly with our Origin.”  

The option with Unified Origin will be showcased at NAB on the Telestream booth (SL3316) and the Unified Streaming booth (SU9624). It will be available from Telestream and its global network for resellers as of May 1st, 2017.

- See more at: http://www.telestream.net/company/press/2017-04-18-UnifiedStreaming.htm#sthash.D69fTQzw.dpuf

A Star Is Born - Omnitek Debut Ultra TQ Broadcast Waveform Rasterizer at NAB 2017

BASINGSTOKE, UK. April 13th 2017 – Omnitek, specialists in Test & Measurement and IP & Design Services for the video industry, will launch its new Broadcast Waveform Rasterizer, which will be previewed at NAB this year. The Ultra TQ can be seen on Booth C7915 in the Central Hall, Las Vegas Convention Center from 24th to 27th April.

The Ultra TQ builds on the success of the Ultra platform and is fully equipped waveform rasteriser for the broadcast market. The Ultra TQ inherits functionality from the highly successful Ultra 4K Tool Box and the Ultra XR products to provide an unrivalled comprehensive set of tools to support broadcasters with the challenges posed by HDR and WCG production.

The Ultra TQ supports analysis and generation of all SD, HD and 3G-SDI formats as standard with an upgrade path to 4K/UHD if needed. It is aimed at broadcast production, engineering, outside broadcast, operations and control rooms that require the comprehensive tool set that is offered as standard.

The Analyser instruments within the Ultra TQ include Picture, Waveform monitor, Vectorscope, gamut meters, full audio monitoring and loudness measurement, video timing, video / audio status monitoring, event logging and closed caption logging as standard.

The Picture monitor provides a high-quality HD display with closed captions overlay, safe area cages and O-Zone TM (Omnitek’s false colour display for HDR and SDR production).

The full resolution Waveform monitor can display YCbCr or YRGB and provides full horizontal & vertical zoom of single, multiple or all line displays. Analysis can be made of full frame video or Region of Interest.

Audio Meters display 16 audio channels with industry standard ballistics and scales. Loudness Meter supports ITU-R BS.1770 and EBU RP 128 to allow program or continual loudness logging.

Ultra TQ provides full logging of all physical and functional parameters of the video signal against timecode, ideal for program QC and Compliance.

The integrated line test pattern generator allows the generation of 38 line-patterns. This can be upgraded to a full test pattern generator with a range of moving and static zone plates and test sequences.

Physical layer analysis and advanced physical layer analysis are available as options for use anywhere signal integrity needs to be checked.

Omnitek will continue to roll out new functionality on its Ultra family of products with its established customer base with 4K/UHD / 12G-SDI equipment manufacturers and 4K/UHD/HDR post production houses.

The NAB software release for the Ultra family adds full audio and loudness monitoring, enhanced high dynamic range analysis and other functionality. This builds on the recent V3.2 release which added Omnitek’s O-Zone TM false colour display for HDR and SDR material, closed caption / subtitle display and full timecode based logging of events.

Rob Arnold, Head of Worldwide Sales at Omnitek, commented “We’re really excited to be launching the new Ultra TQ at NAB only just a year after the successful launch of the Ultra XR. The Ultra TQ is a clear indication that Omnitek’s proven track record for leading-edge test & measurement equipment is maintained. Our engineers’ experience, spread over the past 16 years, enables us to provide fully comprehensive and sophisticated solutions for real-world customer requirements at product launch.”

NewTek Introduces TriCaster® TC1 – The First Affordable End-to-End 4K IP Video Production System

NewTek Introduces TriCaster® TC1 – The First Affordable End-to-End 4K IP Video Production System

—16 inputs and output resolutions up to 2160p60 with no compromises—

San Antonio, TX, April 6, 2017—NewTek today announced TriCaster® TC1, the culmination of more than a decade of IP video experience for live production, with uncompromising support for 4K UHD switching, live streaming, recording, data-driven graphics, virtual sets, social media publishing and more. Continuing innovation around the iconic product that has defined an industry, TriCaster TC1 supports 16 external inputs of up to 4K UHD 60p resolution without sacrificing functionality. Powered by NewTek’s NDI™ technology for IP-based workflows, TriCaster TC1 also offers multiple studio-grade Skype TX channels for adding remote video guests to live shows.

NewTek’s TriCaster TC1 and IP Series systems, now also 4K-capable, will be on display at NAB 2017 Booth #SL5016 at the Las Vegas Convention Center, April 24-27, 2017.

IP Makes 4K A Reality Today
NewTek’s software-driven, IP-native approach to 4K eliminates the need for conversion to and from baseband video, allowing all integrated features including video playback, mix/effect busses, keying layers, and streaming to be 4K-capable without limiting the number of available resources. TriCaster TC1 has 16 inputs available, regardless of video resolution, and NewTek’s top of the line IP Series now offers 44 external inputs in 4K UHD without sacrificing functionality.

“Working with IP video makes you feel like you are living in the future, today,” said Dr. Andrew Cross, NewTek’s president and CTO. “Once you have it, you can’t imagine going back. It enables so many new ways of working and greatly simplifies infrastructure. It also makes things like live streaming even easier. I can’t imagine anyone buying a product today that isn’t capable of delivering content to all of the places the viewers want to watch.”

Live Streaming and Publishing of Recorded Content
With the explosion of online and mobile video, broadcasters and content producers need a way to stream live and encode/publish video to social media quickly and easily. Whether you need to go live for breaking news or post recorded video clips that viewers can see on demand, TriCaster TC1 handles it all. Users can stream directly to Facebook Live, YouTube Live, Microsoft Azure, Periscope, Twitch, and other streaming sites, or deliver video clips directly to social media sites right from the TriCaster TC1 interface.

The Most Complete Solution
It’s not just the ability to deliver content that makes TriCaster TC1 so special. It is truly a production powerhouse with an unbelievably rich feature set that typically requires 4 or 5 other devices to accomplish in traditional baseband video workflows. With built-in video servers, macro automation, advanced chroma-keying, ISO-recording, replay, and more, TriCaster TC1 ideally suits broadcasters, sports, esports, educational organizations, corporate entities, houses of worship, event producers and digital video teams looking to get the most production power with high-quality content delivery in a single system.

Integrated Skype TX
A new feature with TriCaster TC1 and IP Series is integrated multi-channel Skype TX integration. NewTek is the only company to offer this functionality in a live production system in the world. Any one of the TriCaster TC1’s 16 external inputs can be designated for live, broadcast-quality Skype video calling, giving producers the capability to reach any one of the 300 million monthly active users of Skype and deliver a pristine HD video call with balanced audio. With studio-ready call control from an external laptop or workstation running the Skype TX controller application, calls can be configured and monitored without impacting the TriCaster TC1 operator’s workflow. Other active call channels from NewTek TalkShow® systems can be managed from the controller for additional call capacity and streamlined management.

A World of Connectivity
Like its predecessors, TriCaster TC1 is an integrated solution, however, TC1 is also very capable of connecting to the bigger IP universe. With native integration of NewTek’s NDI™ technology, TriCaster TC1 connects to the most prolific IP-based ecosystem in the industry, networking seamlessly with compatible products from hundreds of manufacturers and developers. This means that many connections to both NewTek and third-party products from TriCaster TC1 will be direct via IP without any baseband video connections.

NewTek Connect Line
In addition to TriCaster TC1’s onboard SDI I/O, customers have the option to configure the number of physical SDI connections based on need with the NewTek Connect line of connectivity and productivity products. With versatile functionality ranging from SDI to IP video conversion and I/O channel expansion, to 4K UHD connectivity and IP interoperability, along with video recording, monitoring, and scopes, NewTek Connect solutions seamlessly integrate with TriCaster TC1 and IP Series to deliver the workflow required. Customers can add NC1 IN modules each with 4 SDI inputs, and/or NC1 I/O modules that provide 8 SDI inputs or outputs. The NC1 I/O module can also be configured for quadlink 3G-SDI delivering 2 channels of 4K UHD video.

Optional Redundant Power & Control Panels
Customers have the option of a 2RU unit or a 3RU unit with redundant power and a choice of two control panels providing complete command of the advanced capabilities and functionality of TriCaster TC1.

TriCaster TC1 Key Features

• Switching, streaming, and recording in 4K UHD, with support for video formats up to 2160p60, along with 3G, HD, and SD resolutions
• 16 external inputs with any combination of SDI, NDI, IP, or Skype TX
• 4 Mix/Effects busses supporting separate mixes, keying layers, virtual sets, compositing, and more
• Multi-channel ISO recording to full-resolution QuickTime® and H.264 files for VOD, post-production, and archive
• Dual-channel live streaming to Facebook Live, Microsoft® Azure®, Twitch, Twitter, YouTube™ Live, and more
• Real-time export for social media sharing to Facebook, Imgur, LinkedIn, Twitter, Vimeo, YouTube, and more
• Integrated video servers allowing playback, replay, and live editing without additional hardware
• Powerful production automation with custom macro commands, sophisticated full-motion compositing, and flexible control options
• Advanced audio mixing with multi-source configuration and control, professional DSPs, and 4x4x4 channel routing
• Premier creative capabilities, including multi-bus mix effects, animated titles and transitions, advanced chroma keying, spectacular live virtual sets, and more
• Over one hundred operator centric features to maximize efficiency in video production including, PTZ camera control, 4x4x4 audio matrix router and mixer, DANTE and AES 67, animated buffers, and more.

Bridge Technologies Addresses New Classes Of User With Uniquely Portable Probe for Monitoring and Managing IP Networks

At IBC 2016, Bridge Technologies launched NOMAD, a unique, innovative and affordable tool for anyone tasked with managing, supporting and optimising IP networks and hybrid networks with RF signals. 

A highly portable, self-contained and versatile network probe, NOMAD covers all the monitoring requirements of hybrid IP multicast, OTT and RF networks, and provides every conceivable interface for media signal monitoring and analysis with Gigabit Ethernet, ASI In/Out, DVB-C QAM cable, DVB-T/T2 COFDM terrestrial, DVB-S/S2 satellite signals with even advanced external 1PPS GPS time-reference. It is specifically designed to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of those who do not have an in-depth understanding of moving content over IP.

As well as broadcasters and network operators, potential users could include corporate facilities managers responsible for a videoconferencing network; retail, leisure and hospitality professionals who manage IPTV systems; or those in the defence industry charged with ensuring the timely and accurate distribution of video within and between vehicles. Through its unparalleled ease of use, NOMAD provides novice users with instant understanding of the behaviour of any OTT network.

“NOMAD is the culmination of our 12 years of experience in designing the ultimate probe functionality for network monitoring and analysis; it includes everything we know about IP and RF,” said Simen K. Frostad, Chairman, Bridge Technologies. “Within the company, our brilliant engineers refer to it as the Swiss Army knife of digital media, containing everything a user could need in almost every conceivable circumstance. And, like the Swiss Army knife, it can be a constant companion – on a user’s desk or in a user’s bag. We see endless possibilities for it, and expect NOMAD to take us into channels and markets in which we have not previously participated.”

The unit is also a Wi-Fi zone; by pointing a laptop towards NOMAD, it is ready for use without further configuration, representing the ultimate in ease of set-up. This capability also makes NOMAD a completely self-contained, autonomous solution without the need for an external host system. 

NOMAD is characterised by its small size and light weight (around the size of two tablets one on top of the other) making it extremely portable. It is also distinguished by its outstanding aesthetics: NOMAD is cut from a single block of high quality aluminium, CNC-milled to a precision of 10 microns with laser-engraved logotypes. 
Recessed rubber feet make it appear to hover 0.2mm above a surface. 

It is also rugged and capable of being deployed in the harshest, most challenging environments. This is a function of its uniquely durable construction, together with cooling that ensures heat from its powerful processors is dissipated via the aluminium chassis.

NOMAD can also be left unattended, with its alarm-triggered recording facility (32GB of Flash memory is included) meaning that errors can be captured for later analysis.

Built in to NOMAD is Bridge Technologies’ patented MediaWindow™ user interface, giving easy visibility into, and understanding of, packet streams, providing unequalled simplicity of confidence monitoring. NOMAD can be simply accessed via any web browser.

Telestream Acquires UK-based QC Specialist Vidcheck

Integration of best-in-class Vidcheck file-based QC technology enhances Telestream’s product portfolio

Nevada City, California, 5 September, 2016 – Telestream®, a leading provider of digital media tools and workflow solutions, today announced the acquisition of UK-based Quality Control (QC) technology specialist, Vidcheck. Established in 2009, Vidcheck is recognized as a leading developer in automated QC solutions within file-based production workflows. Its system solutions are used by broadcasters, facilities and content owners worldwide, such as ITV, BBC, CBS and many others. The privately funded acquisition is complete and the new combined company will take its bow at IBC (stand 7.B26).

In recent years, Vidcheck QC technology has enjoyed significant commercial success, especially in European markets. Vidchecker, the company’s flagship product, is the gold-standard for file-based automated QC with correction and sales have shown strong and sustainable growth for a number of years. Similarly, Telestream’s Vantage media processing platform has maintained rapid worldwide sales growth for the last six years. Telestream will build on Vidcheck’s success, providing greater reach around the globe and strong sales and market presence offering its customers even more effective and efficient solutions.

“Vidcheck’s team and product portfolio line up very well with our area of expertise,” said Dan Castles, CEO of Telestream LLC. Castles continued, “It is not just some great technology and products that we are acquiring but also a gifted, talented and passionate team that will reinforce our resources here at Telestream. We look forward to leveraging our combined know-how to offer our worldwide customer base an even more complete and exciting product portfolio.”

"Telestream is a great home for Vidcheck, technically, commercially and culturally,” commented Thomas Dove, CEO of Vidcheck Ltd. “The companies have complementary technologies which will feed into both product ranges, the most obvious being the perfect fit of Vidchecker auto QC with Vantage.  With Telestream's sales and support reach, Vidchecker will naturally be available to a much wider set of customers, particularly in North America. Being part of Telestream provides a great launch pad for the next phase of growth for Vidcheck."

Vidchecker is the file-based QC solution of choice at many major broadcasters worldwide. Feedback to news of the acquisition from this audience has been strongly positive. One example of this is UK-based commercial broadcaster, ITV. “Vidchecker is a trusted tool that we at ITV use to ensure that the content we create, and receive is of the highest image quality and meets all the required format specifications for our online platform partners and linear broadcast.  With the ever increasing number of formats and standards, we look forward to seeing continued improvements now that Vidcheck has been acquired by Telestream, whose Vantage platform is at the heart of ITV’s Content Delivery Platform,” said David Hornsby Head of Content Technology at ITV.

About Vidcheck and Vidchecker:
Vidcheck provides elegant, advanced software applications to automatically check and correct video and audio in file-based digital video, focusing on the requirements of the broadcast industry, at a cost-effective price.

Vidchecker is an easy to install Windows software application for PCs/servers. It removes the labor intensive tasks of manually checking conformance by eye and hand, the need to check video/audio compliance with waveform monitors and audio loudness meters, and to manually correct levels with video processing amplifiers, and other tools. The GUI is accessed through a web browser either on the local machine or remotely over a network. It is optimized for checking file-based video before and after distribution, and for use by broadcasters for checking files received from post production and content distributors to ensure that file, video and audio parameters and levels are correct and ready for broadcast.

World's First Long Distance NDI IP Video Test

NDI.Cloud - Global Video Network
World's First Long Distance NDI Test

Today, the world of broadcast IP Video got a little smaller, as we witnessed the future of global broadcast video collaboration via IP Video.

In a test of the new NDI.Cloud video service, a feed from an NDICam camera in London was offered to an NDI.Cloud wide area network group including distributor Techtel in Singapore, currently exhibiting at Broadcast Asia, booth 5J3-03.  The NDICam source instantly appeared inside a TriCaster in Singapore, and was selected on the Program Bus.  Simultanously, in London, the outputs of the Singapore TriCaster appeared in NDI Monitor, and a mix minus confidence feed was returned to London. Total round trip latency was under half a second, running over the public internet.
 

Learn More about NDI.Cloud

NDI.Cloud uses high quality compression and advanced WAN acceleration technologies to bridge between NDI facilities over long distance, moderate bandwidth connections. Adding tools like NewTek's NDI Connect, this global IP video WAN can also include SMPTE 2022 and other IP Video protocols. 

NDI.Cloud will be launched later this summer.
For more information, visit Techtel at Broadcast Asia or http://sienna.tv/ndi