AJA Video Systems released FS-HDR, a versatile 1RU, rack-mount universal converter/frame synchronizer for real time HDR transforms as well as 4K/HD up, down, cross-conversion. FS-HDR delivers breakthrough real time High Dynamic Range (HDR) and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) conversion and processing capabilities for 4K/UltraHD/2K/HD HDR workflows.

There is a new generation of Ross Video® XPression, the company’s real-time graphics engine.

So, after lots of speculation and excitement, the NAB 2017 exhibition opened its doors with the usual crowds flooding in to be first to see all of the new advances in technology in the flesh. Talk of the impending ratification of the ST 2110 standard for IP video, and its variants had dominated discussion, and everyone in the broadcast industry seems all in agreement that these new standards will be the unified way forward.

The Oates Victorian Open is one of the premier events on the Australian golf calendar. Both men's and women’s championships are played simultaneously over four days at the beautiful 13^th Beach golf course. This year organisers Golf Victoria wanted to raise the standard and level of innovation higher than ever before and include live streaming of the tournament. For that they turned to Sean Mulcahy from Australian Network Productions and Videocraft who provided all the OB and live streaming facilities. Mulcahy explained, “This event has gone from strength to strength and the addition of live streaming really took it to new heights. As a result I wanted an OB company that were innovative and that I could trust. Having dealt with Videocraft for years I knew they would be the perfect OB partner. They are a boutique operation who have great people like Andy Liell and Mark Grooby on their team, stock the very latest in equipment, have great local support and backup and a fantastic work ethic.” Having again been entrusted with the coverage of the Oates Victorian Open, the job of integrating live streaming and knowing golfing superstars including Karrie Webb, Nick Cullen and Richard Green would be taking part Mulcahy knew a great tournament awaited them and for that they needed to provide the very best services to meet expectations. He continued, “We asked Videocraft for a professional, high quality production and live streaming solution that could be backed up and supported by a substantial local presence and be very cost efficient to work within our tight budget. I’m delighted to say they 100% delivered. Most impressive was the way they answered all of our requirements with the utmost dedication and commitment. This meant I could trust them as I always have and knew I could rely on their solution.” Mulcahy and the Videocraft team designed and implemented a flexible and powerful onsite OB setup that included Yamaha audio, six channels of EVS, a Blackmagic 4K switcher, Ross Xpression graphics and RF links all based around Videocraft’s unique FlyPack. With the production day at the Open starting early and the live feed going to air at midday everyone on the team had to be prepared.

The first day of the NAB Show has wrapped up in Vegas. The Videocraft team on the ground have been posting snippets of what is on the show floor and we have been wading through the press release announcements here at the office. Here are a few things that caught our eye and there will be more, make sure you are following us on social media (see the links in the footer of this page) for the most up-to-date information.

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This year at IBC, Ross Video will be demonstrating a new version of their award winning Carbonite Production Switcher. The new switcher will incorporate a set of groundbreaking features that will be available for free to all existing Carbonite customers. “The most modern production switchers are still based on a very traditional workflow with Upstream, Midstream and Downstream Switching, Layering and Effects,” stated Nigel Spratling, Switcher Business Development Manager, Ross Video. “Signal flow that was essential in analog designs is no longer necessary in digital systems. Carbonite’s unique new MiniMEs include a mixer and 2 keyers – one traditional keyer that accepts linear and chroma keys and one reserved for DVE use.” MiniMEs can be used anywhere in the signal flow – as pre-keyers to build a layered composition with keyed graphics, or as a virtual set background with a chroma key and add an OTS DVE selected as a direct input. If an independent key and transition is needed on several aux outputs for on-set displays, an operator can chain MiniMEs together expanding Carbonite’s 1 or 2 MEs to 5 or 6 – each with its own effects memories, or for use as independent DSKs for multi-program production. “MiniMEs live in a resource ‘pool’ and are only assigned when required. Once the transition or effect is completed they are instantly available for use elsewhere,” continued Spratling. “MiniMEs are not like ‘split MEs’ or ‘multi program mode MEs’ where ME resources are divided up and reassigned into smaller sections. MiniMEs are entirely independent devices leaving all standard ME resources available.” MultiScreen production is now possible directly within a standard Carbonite with Ross’ new MiniMEs. Up to four outputs can be controlled independently of the Carbonite’s main MEs and allows for a single source to be scaled over all four outputs in multiple screen layouts. Keys and DVEs can also be included to facilitate compelling multiscreen productions. With Carbonite MultiScreen, additional screen processors are no longer required as bezel compensation and edge blending for multi-projector setups are part of the package – a major system cost saving. “The best part of these stunning additions to our award winning Carbonite series – they are FREE! Regardless of the age or model of Carbonite, customers can simply download this new firmware and update their system to add this amazing new functionality – all part of the service from Ross,” concluded Spratling.

Ross Video enters the Newsroom Control System (NRCS) product space with the launch of Inception News at IBC 2013. With Ross’ extensive experience in news production, Inception was designed as a next generation NRCS to support the requirements of a modern newsroom.

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Videocraft recently completed one of its biggest systems integration projects to date – a new studio for the Australian Football League (AFL) integrating advanced file-based workflows, virtual sets and editing suites. Videocraft sales director James Taylor explained, “This studio build involved total integration from acquisition and ingest through to editing and playout.” The tender which was successfully won by Videocraft at the end of 2011 came as part of the AFL’s new rights deal negotiations were taking place giving scope for a forward thinking solution. Taylor continued, “Essentially we walked into a green field site, something that’s pretty rare at the moment. The AFL wanted the best possible systems solution that included fitting out the studios from scratch.” AFL Media produces content for the AFL’s website, AFL clubs, corporate partners and a variety of internal departments. According to Taylor, the new studio had to be able to accommodate this high level of demand for content creation and maintain the AFL’s high quality standards. Taylor added, “We built the TV studio with a full XDCAM HD acquisition workflow (any content that comes in as SD is upconverted) that included XDCAM EX, XDCAM HD 4:2:2 and a new XDSPD1000 professional media station which enables seamless card-based and optical material to be fed into the EVS network. The EVS network itself is the key part of the entire system design as the EVS servers manage all the studio recording and playout making this is a very clever and efficient system.” Executive Producer of AFL Media, Greg Miles said, “It was critical that we built a facility than could handle not only a high volume of content but be flexible enough to cope with the future demands of the business.” Despite being one of the largest systems integration projects Videocraft has undertaken it came with one of the tightest timeframes the company has ever had to work with. This was combined with the systems integrator’s trickiest request – a move mid-installation. Taylor explained, “The AFL needed to move earlier than expected so we managed moving the entire facility that was in operation into the area created for the new studio whilst simultaneously building the new facility. Complex logistically but ultimately successful.” Videocraft has built its reputation for excellence on this kind of systems integration project and the AFL’s new studio was no exception with the company responsible for everything from over 5km of cabling to building the signal routing at the heart of the system. Taylor said, “We installed a 128x128 Ross NK3G128 router and used a combination of Ross and Blackmagic open gear distribution and glue which all went into open gear frames for maximum efficiency. Once this was live we had our heartbeat.” Videocraft integrated the signal distribution throughout the existing facility migrating incoming feeds through the new router, whilst managing the move and integrating the AFL’s existing FCP editing suites into the new facility. Taylor added, “It was a carefully planned installation done in precise stages. Building the studio and EVS network came first. Once these went online we moved to the next stage. Using 6-channel EVS XS and 8-channel EVS XT3 servers for ingest and logging was the biggest change to the AFL’s existing workflow. We also installed an ECS IP Director to control all the ingest, logging and playout which meant that the AFL had completely migrated from a bespoke logging system to EVS. This represented a significant, forward thinking and future proof move of their data feeds and metadata that now meant they were all scalable and integrated. The final piece in the EVS puzzle was the use of the EVS Clean Edit System which allows the sharing of media by users across the EVS network using EVS XStore NAS, enabling fast turnaround highlights editing.” The new studio facility designed and built by Videocraft also integrated a Ross Carbonite 2ME vision switcher with in-built multi-viewers, new Sony HXCD70 studio cameras, Sony PVM1741 OLED monitors, RTS comms with Chromus matrix and KP32 and MKP12 keypanels and Ross XPression for on-air graphics and the virtual studio. James Taylor concluded, “We are particularly proud of this studio build. It was a lot of hard work but the result has been excellent and the client is delighted. We were lucky to be able to work with such a great, forward thinking client as the AFL to build a world-class facility that will truly stand the test of time due to its level of scalability. That said Videocraft, with our key partners, is continuing to further develop the system and workflows for the AFL to make them even more efficient as requests for their media content continue to grow.”