Brad on Broadcast

Hold on to your IP hats; IP traffic is exploding, and video apps are leading the charge. Cisco released its annual IP usage forecast this month, and it confirms that the growth of IP continues to break all records. more

At “The Wall Street Journal’s” D8 Conference, Apple CEO Steve Jobs was interviewed on the future of television and was asked about over-the-top (OTT) delivery solutions. Basically, they’re dead, he said. more

A Japanese research team has announced the successful development of a new optical storage technology that could greatly increase the amount of data stored on a DVD. The technology is based on a material called titanium pentoxide. It has similar characteristics to those used to create regular DVDs, but is smaller and less expensive. more

In the first part of this series, we examined the basic technology underlying LTO backup/archive systems. We also looked at some key cost comparisons between using disk and tape as archive platforms. Now it’s time to examine other issues surrounding backup and archive storage. more

The FCC released today what the agency calls “Spectrum Analysis: Options for Broadcast Spectrum.” The paper, written by the FCC’s Omnibus Broadband Team, details for the first time many of the agency’s decided options for retaking 120MHz of TV broadcast spectrum. The paper also presents several new analysis and methodologies to support FCC positions on spectrum reclamation. more

You’ve heard the statement, “Tape is dead.” Let me correct the statement: Not by a long shot.

The choice of backing up content on disk or tape, Linear Tape Open (LTO), sometimes gets video folks all heated. If the video engineers propose that all video content be stored on real-time disk, the IT department may at first push back saying, “Let’s use tape. It’s cheaper.” The media folks may respond, “But it’s unreliable and slow.” The truth is some of both opinions. more

In the not so distant future, TV stations may be required to supply their own power. Here is a plan suggested by Hewlett-Packard engineers: cow power. Yep, cow poop could power the local TV station. more

I vividly remember watching the first broadcast of CNN live. I was home having lunch and eagerly anticipated the new network’s appearance on my local cable system. Ted Turner gave a brief speech laying claim to the high road of journalistic excellence. Sometimes called the “Mouth of the South,” Turner said, “We won’t be signing off until the world ends. We’ll be on, and we will cover the end of the world, live, and that will be our last event … and when the end of the world comes, we’ll play ‘Nearer, My God, to Thee’ before we sign off.” Only Turner could be so loquacious. more

Are you certain that your AC voltmeter is safe to measure an incoming 480V power feed? Sure, the manufacturer may rate the meter as good for “600VAC,” but is that sufficient? Let’s look closer at voltmeter safety voltage ratings. more