Michael Grotticelli, Broadcast Engineering Online Editor, talks with Dennis Wharton, NAB Executive Vice President, about wireless broadband spectrum, auction process, Mobile DTV, who owns the rights to content, the NAB Show, and the great content shift.

This demonstration shows DDN’s xStreamScaler file storage and HSM system tightly integrated with MXFserver 5.0, showcasing a high-speed, frame accurate quality of service editing solution which offers a single shared workspace and storage solution for Avid Media Composer, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Adobe Premier Pro.

Couldn’t make it to the Digital Rapids booth at the 2012 NAB Show in person? With help from the folks at Broadcast Engineering, you can see what you missed in our video booth tour, including overviews of Digital Rapids’ newly unveiled or upgraded media transformation and workflow solutions. Highlights of the tour include:

• The ground-breaking new Kayak dynamic workflow platform, which enables content owners to design, deploy and manage customized workflows that empower their businesses with new levels of operational efficiency, agility and insight

• The new version 2.0 of the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager automated, high-volume media processing software, with featured demonstrations including the creation of Common File Format (CFF) media assets for the DECE consortium’s UltraViolet initiative

• The new StreamZ Live Broadcast integrated live encoder, featuring simultaneous encoding for broadcast television and multi-screen streaming delivery

• The latest updates for the StreamZHD multi-format ingest and encoding system, including expanded Closed Caption support for adaptive bit rate streaming and support for automated advertising insertion

Triveni Digital is showcasing a new cloud-based version of its GuideBuilder metadata generation system at the 2012 NAB Show.

The new version of GuideBuilder leverages a Web-based GUI, centralized control and management capabilities, and a new network-based PSIP carousel download service to provide broadcasters with a low-maintenance method for generating the required PSIP elements of the ATSC signal.

By eliminating hardware infrastructure costs, the cloud-based GuideBuilder service reduces a broadcaster’s overall power and operational expenses. The turnkey solution handles listing inputs for both legacy ATSC and ATSC M/H, enabling users to deliver accurate PSIP data for DTV services on TVs and mobile DTV-enabled PCs, smartphones, and tablet devices — all from a single, unified platform.

See Triveni Digital at 2012 NAB Show booth SU5202.

German production company Media Mobil has selected Grass Valley to re-equip its Unit 7 outside broadcast truck ahead of its summer schedule of events.

The large, fixed-axle Unit 7 — widely used to cover sports and music events — will feature a Grass Valley 3M/E Kayenne Video Production Center switcher.

Media Mobil came to Grass Valley looking for live-production tools and flexible workflows to increase productivity. Kayenne offered a solution that has a small footprint, offers low power consumption and is cool and silent operation. The switcher will allow directors to create effects, transitions and motion graphics in conjunction with the built-in K2 Solo clip store.

Unit 7’s infrastructure will be based on the Grass Valley Trinix NXT router. To ensure the truck is ready for any requirement in future, it is equipped with a 256×512 router frame, currently fitted with a 160×192 matrix and a 32-input multiviewer output.

Incorporating the multiviewer inside the Trinix NXT router saves both space and power, eliminating the need for outboard processing and cabling, reducing the weight of the installation, and thus saving fuel when moving from location to location.

Media Mobil also has selected six LDK 8000 HD cameras using the new 3G transmission system for Unit 7. This solution provides full digital-HD functionality over either triax or fiber, allowing the truck to be used for a range of projects in a range of locations.

The entire upgrade was designed by Grass Valley systems engineers, and the refurbishment is planned to ensure that Unit 7 will be in service shortly after May 2012.

See Grass Valley at 2012 NAB Show booth SL106.

Vimond Media Solutions has entered a partnership with Akamai that allows Vimond to bundle Akamai’s media distribution services with its own online video platform.

The deal positions Vimond to offer broadcasters and service providers a single source for designing, deploying and supporting over-the-top (OTT) services.

Vimond is now a member of Akamai’s NetAlliance Partner Program. The Akamai-Vimond NetAlliance Partnership benefits customers by defragmenting the complex ecosystem of solutions needed to deploy OTT services.

See Vimond Media Solutions at 2012 NAB Show booth SL10711.

See Akamai at 2012 NAB Show booth SL8124.

Phil Kurz, Broadcast Engineering Online Editor, talks with Colleen Brown and Brian McHale, Fisher Communications about Mobile 500 Alliance, Twitter interface, interactivity, and broadcasting to all screens.

DDN has an ideal ecosystem for designing best in class production workflows. In this video DVS and Dalet will be discussing the critical workflow problems they are able to solve for their broadcast, postproduction, film, and animation customers by partnering with DDN.

Videssence shows a variety of powerful LED lighting fixtures for TV, studios, film, theater and stage. There are four ExceLED Series models available. The smallest, 25 watt fixture competes with many 500 or 650 watt Fresnel fixtures in spot beam focus and is also offered in a kit. The ExceLED 100 watt has an adjustable beam spread and is able to produce amazing light levels at a distance of 25′ and more. It out performs a typical 1000 watt Fresnel fixture in spot beam focus and comes very close to competing with many 2K fixtures. The daylight option can easily replace a 400 watt HMI fixture. Finally the “Nine Light” ExceLED at 225 watts can provide the long throw and high light levels required for film and video in large production studios. Light levels over 200 footcandles at 50′ can be achieved with daylight LEDs. All of these optically engineered fixtures, with their low wattage, extremely long throw and performance, have again raised the bar for fixtures for the studio, film and theater. We proudly design and manufacture in the United States. Please visit www.videssence.tv for more information.

Chris Lyons, Shure’s manager of technical and educational communications, showcases several new broadcast-related products announced at NAB 2012. The company introduced its first comprehensive portable wireless system: FP Wireless. The system gives independent videographers, electronic field production producers and others in the broadcast and media production industry the ability to capture crystal-clear audio in demanding environments.

Also showcased is Shure’s first full line of broadcast headsets: the BRH31M, BRH440M and BRH441M. Designed specifically for broadcast and media production applications, each BRH headset provides exceptional audio quality, comfort and durability to meet the demanding needs of professionals.

Finally, Chris looks at the UA874 Active Directional Antenna. A flexible solution featuring an integrated amplifier for improved wireless signal reception, the UA874 is able to adapt to a variety of wireless challenges facing today’s broadcasters in the field, delivering exceptional performance in even the most hostile production environments.