cabsat - Broadcastpro Middle East

issue 7 | January 2011 

Technology inTelligence for TV, film and radio 

MIXED SIGNALS 

Hybrid TV is the 

way forward 

DIFF’RENT STROKES 

Exclusive sound bites 

from Arab � lmmakers 

PUBLICATION 

LICENSED BY IMPZ 

CABSAT PREVIEW 

UPPING 

THE AAN-TE 

Al Aan TV raises the bar by integrating 

broadcast platform with social media

Capture the best with 

our finest. 

Over the years, Sony’s standarddefinition 

(SD) and high-definition (HD) 

production cameras have been 

widely accepted by a great 

number of video professionals 

around the world, due to their 

excellent picture performance and 

system versatility. 

Sony now proudly introduces the 

HXC-100 and HSC-300 HD/SD System 

Cameras equipped with newly 

developed digital triax technology 

which allows systems to be 

configured with conventional triax 

installations. The HXC-100 and HSC-300 

cameras support high quality HD 

or SD applications. They use the 

latest 14-bit A/D conversion circuit 

as well as the superb 2/3-inch 

PowerHAD FX CCDs to bring out 

high picture quality. With a variety 

of beneficial functions packed 

into these cameras, such as its 

Focus Assist function, they provide 

genuine user-friendliness. 

• Sophisticated PowerHAD FX CCD 

• High-quality 14-bit A/D conversion 

and DSP LSI 

• Digital triax operation 

• Large lens operation (HSC-300) 

• Versatile system configuration 

(HSCU-300) 

• Robust magnesium-alloy 

casting body 

• Position-adjustable shoulder pad 

• Focus assist functions 

• HyperGamma 

For further information contact 

Sony Professional Solutions MEA FZ LLC 

Unit C-50, P. O. Box 502050 

International Media Production Zone 

Dubai, United Arab Emirates 

Tel: +971 4 391 8400 

Email: middle.east@eu.sony.com 

website: www.pro.sony.eu/mea 

HSC-300 HXC-100

Editor’s Pick 

Chris Pollard, a respected 

broadcast veteran tells us 

why hybrid technologies 

are the way forward in 

broadband-starved regions 

such as the Middle East. 

Turn to page 9. 

A lot of people in the 

region said they hadn’t 

fully comprehended what 

the Thomson Grassvalley 

split meant. Guillaume 

Lefevre, MD of Grass 

Valley France, Middle 

East and Eurasia sets the 

record straight. 

Turn to page 34. 

Publisher 

Dominic De Sousa 

COO 

Nadeem Hood 

Cover 

Al Aan studio pictures 

by Peter Lyall. 

Commercial Director 

Richard Judd 

richard@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 4 440 9126 

Senior Editor 

Vijaya Cherian 

vijaya@cpidubai.com +971 (0) 50 768 3435 

VIDEO ROUNDUP 

We are the only 

magazine that 

currently brings you 

short video footages 

of press conferences, 

events and interviews 

with industry people. 

Visit www.broadcastprome.com 

Welcome 

BroadcastPro ME wishes its readers a 

happy New Year. To signify the beginning of 

all things new, we have looked at relatively 

small players in the market this month who 

have expanded their facilities or taken giant 

steps forward both in terms of investment 

and embracing new technologies. One main 

reason for looking at relatively small players 

compared to the industry heavyweights in 

this issue is because their investment is an 

indication of the market growth as more than 

80% of the Middle East is made up of smalland-medium 

business enterprises. So when a 

relatively small player like Al Aan TV invests 

half-a-million dollars in a studio, takes more 

office space, undertakes significant upgrades 

to its newsroom system, and deploys new 

technologies to integrate its on-air platform 

with social media networks, there is reason 

to be impressed. Likewise, when distributor 

MediaCast humbly points out that it has just 

taken up another new office to accommodate 

more staff, and is just about to launch an 

Apple dedicated store with a service centre 

and a keynote area, there is reason to be 

happy. These are only a few examples of how 

businesses in the region are thinking out 

of the box to stand out from the rest of the 

competition. The comeback of the small-andmedium 

enterprise is an indication that the 

Middle East economy, especially Dubai, will 

rise again. You will see no greater testimony 

to that fact than at CABSAT this year. On 

that joyous note, I welcome you to a brand 

new issue of BroadcastPro Middle East. 

Vijaya Cherian, Senior Editor, BroadcastPro Middle East 

Subscribe now 

www.broadcastprome.com 

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Production Manager 

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www.broadcastprome.com 

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© Copyright 2011 CPI. All rights reserved. While the publishers have made every effort to ensure the accuracy of all information in this magazine, they will not be held responsible for any errors therein.

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CaBSat Preview 

Page 42 

12 

UPPing tHe aan-te 

Al Aan TV builds new studios and 

integrates broadcast platform 

with social media networks. 

4 newS 

Sony Open House; MediaCast 

opens Apple dedicated store. 

18 DiFF’rent StrOKeS 

Exclusive sound bites from Arab 

filmmakers at DIFF 2010. 

26 MiXeD SignalS 

Hyrbid technology is the way 

forward, says Chris Pollard. 

28 SOUnD aDviCe 

A look at audio in nextgeneration 

DVB systems. 

in this issue 

34 interview 

Guillaume Lefevre clears the 

confusion about Thomson and 

Grass Valley. 

36 training 

Miranda Davidson launches 

initiative for UAE talent. 

38 teCH FOCUS 

Understanding MXF. 

JANUARY 2011 

48 iPtv 

Bob Gentry takes a closer look 

at the many definitions of IPTV. 

January 2011 | www.broadcastprome.com | 3

PRONEWS 

World’s largest 

video screen 

deployed in Jeddah 

The largest working video screen 

in the world was inaugurated at 

the King’s Road Tower in Jeddah, 

Saudi Arabia last month. The 

screen measures almost 10,000 

sqm and was designed, built and 

installed by French firm Citiled, 

which designs tailor-made “media 

façade” projects for integration 

into architecture. 

Citiled was chosen to take 

up the technological challenge 

in view of past achievements 

such as Agbar Tower designed 

by architect Jean Nouvel in 

Barcelona, the Hermes building 

in Singapore and Cocor Luxury 

Shopping Mall in Bucharest. 

21 floors on the north and 

south façades, and 16 floors 

on the west façade have been 

equipped with LED screens 

developed by Citiled, i.e. a total 

of 9,850 sqm and more than 

five million LEDs, making it the 

largest media façade in the world 

installed on an inhabited building. 

It took more than six months to 

produce the 10,000 sqm of this 

media façade. A team of twenty 

engineers and craftsmen were 

engaged on this project. 

Citiled uses patented 

technology and was able to 

develop and implement systems 

that are almost transparent 

when mounted on the façades, 

guaranteeing daylight for the 

building’s occupants and 

preserving visibility. This structure 

is a reflection of what futuristic 

architecture will look like, a 

Citiled spokesperson said. 

“This demonstrates how the 

city will look in the future, where 

buildings will be interactive with 

controlled energy consumption. 

Buildings will become theatrical 

stages bringing together an 

interactive community around 

them and the content they 

display,” he stated. 

Sony Professional Solutions 

Middle East and Africa 

(PSMEA) completed its 

roadshow in the region for 2010 

with a two-day technology open 

house in Dubai last month after 

hosting similar events in Jordan 

and Qatar. Shuji Okada, who 

joined the Dubai office from 

Sony Japan as GM for Content 

Creation Marketing, MEA from 

December 1, was also formally 

introduced at the event. 

“For the past two years, 

Sony Professional MEA has 

been conducting an annual 

exhibition where our latest 

technologies are showcased,” 

Okada told BroadcastPro ME. 

Film producer Parminder 

Vir will join Pyramedia as a 

consultant in the development 

of film and television. 

Speaking at a press 

conference in Cairo, Nashwa 

Al Ruwaini, CEO of Pyramedia 

said: “Parminder will be a 

development consultant for 

film and television, adding 

to the framework of the 

company’s strategy to hire 

4 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2011 

SONy PSMEA hOldS OPEN hOuSE 

“The roadshow was aimed 

at knowledge sharing so we 

conducted three seminars on 

the latest technology in the 

market; namely 3D technology, 

OLED panels and Network 

Production Solutions.” 

The event was held at the 

manufacturer’s new prebuild 

area in International 

Media Production Zone 

(IMPZ). The facility has been 

designed to build and test 

installations before delivering 

them to Sony’s customers. 

Several new products and 

workflows were demonstrated 

at the Open House including 

the new Super 35mm PMW-F3 

PARMiNdER viR jOiNS PyRAMEdiA 

the most qualified specialists 

in the field of media.” 

In her new role, Vir will 

contract Arab stars and 

actors under the umbrella 

of Pyramedia in order to 

market them regionally 

and internationally as 

well as provide support 

to Arab filmmakers by 

assisting in their training 

and development. 

Shuji Okada, 

Sony PSMEA. 

camcorder; the PVM 740 7.4” 

portable monitor; the MPE- 

200 processing platform for 

Sony’s application software and 

the manufacturer’s network 

production solutions. 

“The Middle East and Africa 

region is very important to Sony 

Professional. This significance 

is evident from the recent 

changes undertaken in the past 

year. Sony PSMEA now reports 

directly to our headquarters in 

Japan and this will enable us 

to further develop confident 

links between our customers, 

the Sony headquarters’ top 

management, and the R&D 

team,” added Okada. 

From left: Pyramedia’s CEO Nashwa Al Ruwaini 

with producer Parminder Vir, who has joined the 

company as a consultant.

MEdiaCaSt tO OPEN aPPlE dEdiCatEd 

StORE; ExPaNdS OffiCE SPaCE 

Apple-authorised reseller and 

service provider MediaCast 

will launch its new retail store 

in Dubai this month. The 

store will be located beside 

MediaCast’s existing pro-audio 

and video store and will carry 

the entire range of products 

from Apple excluding iPhones. 

Both consumer as well as 

professional Apple products 

will be sold at the store. 

The new store will include 

a special service area as 

well as a small keynote area 

designed to host training 

courses on a range of topics be 

it video editing, how to switch 

from a PC to a Mac or even 

using specific professional 

solutions from other brands 

such as Protools or DaVinci 

Resolve that MediaCast 

distributes in the region. 

Speaking exclusively to 

BroadcastPro ME, Dimo 

Valev, marketing manager, 

MediaCast said: “Our store is 

like a one-stop shop. It does 

not just target consumers 

who want to buy an iPad 

or a Mac but is also aimed 

at media professionals who 

OmniGlobe Networks EMEA 

has received full MENOS 

certification for a Fast News 

Gathering (FNG) terminal. The 

company, which also delivered 

the world’s first MENOScompliant 

DSNG vehicle, has 

been working closely with 

Newtec and the Arab States 

Broadcasting Union (ASBU) 

since the launch of the IP-based 

networking concept in 2009. 

Jan Stoop, senior vice 

president of international sales 

claimed this accreditation 

showed “OmniGlobe’s 

determination to consolidate its 

strong market position in the 

Peyman Dadpanah, business director at MediaCast with marketing manager Dimo Valev. 

want to purchase Final Cut 

Studio, Logic Studio, Mac 

Pro, MacBook Pro and so on. 

We are an authorised Apple 

reseller that also works closely 

with systems integrators and 

media entities in the region to 

integrate Apple solutions, and 

provide after-sales support 

and services. We have Applecertified 

engineers at the store 

as we will also have our service 

centre there. This means 

people who genuinely want 

advice or recommendations 

will get that from professionals 

who understand the 

solutions and can accurately 

guide people with their 

purchasing decisions.” 

MediaCast also recently 

invested in a second office 

close to its existing one to 

accommodate more sales 

staff and create a more 

spacious demo room. 

OMNiglObE RECEivES MENOS aCCREditatiON 

satellite broadcast industry”. 

“We are excited to receive the 

ASBU-MENOS accreditation 

for our new FNG terminal. 

The Ghazala system was 

showcased at IBC just a few 

months ago and has already 

generated a lot of interest within 

the industry. It delivers both 

value for money and technical 

innovation,” explained Stoop. 

Ghazala is the latest addition 

to OmniGlobe’s satellite news 

gathering product family. The 

mobile solution incorporates 

key features designed to 

enhance the current MENOS 

concept, combining MPEG-4 

AVC encoding with a lightweight 

antenna, low-power BUC and 

Ku Band LNB, and minimising 

operational costs. Although 

primarily intended for FNG 

operations within the ASBU- 

Newtec MENOS network, 

the terminal will also find 

applications in other IP and 

traditional satellite networks. 

OmniGlobe claims to have 

undergone a rigorous four-stage 

process to receive the MENOS 

accreditation. The final phase, 

which required a live end-toend 

test on the network over 

satellite, was completed at 

Newtec’s facility in Belgium. 

PRONEWS 

Saudi TV inVeSTS in 

VinTen SoluTionS 

Saudi Television has invested in 

Vinten pedestals and heads as 

well as two robotic cameras from 

Vinten Radamec for three of its 

new studios. The solutions will 

be integrated by Saudi systems 

integrator First Gulf Company. 

Two of the studios will share a 

fleet of 12 Quartz Two pedestals 

with Vector 450 pan and tilt 

heads. The Quartz Two is a 

studio pedestal with a two-stage 

column, giving an on-shot 

height adjustment of 770mm. 

It is capable of balancing up to 

80kg, which is sufficient enough 

for a modern camera, lens and 

prompter configuration. The Vector 

450 pan and tilt head offers 

Perfect Balance throughout its 

±90˚ of tilt, giving full flexibility to 

the studio operators. 

The third studio is located 

across the street from Saudi 

Television’s headquarters, and 

the decision was taken to equip 

it with robotic cameras from 

Vinten Radamec, operated from 

the master control suite in the 

main building. The installation 

includes two Fusion FH-100 

robotic heads, which can also be 

used in manual mode if required, 

and two Radamec 431 pan and 

tilt heads, which are designed to 

give high-performance robotic 

operation in confined spaces 

where the camera needs to be as 

unobtrusive as possible. 

Ahmad Nana, regional sales 

manager for Vinten stated that 

the “mix of operator control and 

robotics” help “meet the various 

needs of different production styles”. 

“This is becoming 

increasingly common 

worldwide, and from Vinten and 

Vinten Radamec, we can offer 

a one-stop shop for a complete 

and highly flexible solution.” 


PRONEWS 

ChiNESE bROadCaStER OPENS MiddlE EaSt buREau 

HH Sheikh Hasher bin Maktoum Al Maktoum and CCTV’s VP Sun Yusheng. Inset: Wang Tiegang. 

China Central Television (CCTV) 

officially announced the launch 

of its Middle East regional centre 

in Dubai last month. The news 

bureau will serve as the Chinese 

state broadcaster’s regional 

hub, and CCTV correspondents 

stationed in Iran, Iraq, Syria 

and Lebanon will report to 

the Dubai office. This centre 

will also be responsible for the 

region’s breaking news stories. 


The broadcaster has kitted 

out a studio at its Dubai Media 

City facility and will initially 

produce and feed news 

programmes on the Middle East 

in both Chinese and Arabic 

to its existing channels. 

The plan, however, is to 

eventually launch a channel 

in Arabic for the Middle East, 

stated Wang Tiegang, CCTV’s 

Middle East bureau chief. 

“Initially, we will produce 

a few hours of news feeds for 

China. We have a studio here 

so we hope eventually to do 

more regular programmes in 

Arabic and when we are ready, 

we hope to have a dedicated 

Middle East channel,” he stated. 

CCTV’s VP Sun Yusheng 

added that the regional 

bureau will facilitate 

“comprehensive reporting on 

the Middle East landscape”. 

fujairah media 

launcheS abc TV 

Fujairah Media Group and 

Mamoth Holdings have joined 

hands to launch ABC TV, a free- 

to-air, family-oriented TV channel 

that features Western as well as 

Arabic programming. 

Mekki Abdulla, CEO of Fujairah 

Media Group claimed that the 

channel features “several Western 

productions that have not 

been featured in the Middle 

East market”. 

“We are targeting a diverse mix 

of viewers. We have an exciting 

selection of programmes for 

younger audiences in the morning 

while family-oriented programmes 

are shown in the afternoon and 

evening,” he stated. 

Hany Barakat, who heads 

ABC TV, added the channel’s 

programmes “have been 

developed based on extensive 

research of the preferences of 

our target audiences.” 

“We are confident of catering to 

the distinct demands of TV viewers 

all over the region,” he said.

tWOfOuR54 ibtikaR ShOWCaSES PROjECtS 

Gideon Simeloff, head 

of twofour54 ibtikar. 

broADcASt INFrAStrUctUrE 

Skeleton Cable 

Drums 

Patch Panels 

twofour54 ibtikar, Abu Dhabi 

content generation zone’s 

funding and creative arm 

brought together some of the 

UAE talent, whose projects it 

had funded last year. Ibtikar 

used the occasion to announce 

the launch of a web site that will 

go live from January 2011 and 

showcase some of the work created by UAE nationals. 

Gideon Simeloff, head of ibtikar commented that 

twofour54 ibtikar: creative lab had completed 11 

projects while several others were in late stage 

discussions for investment and support. 

“In addition to these 11 projects, ibtikar has helped 

more than 50 people develop their careers in the 

media industry. These numbers are expected to grow 

significantly in 2011,” he added. 

Completed projects include four from young UAE 

nationals who worked on different media platforms. 

These include a traditional short film entitled Ghafet 

Osha by 34-year-old UAE national Hana Al Zarouni; 

Maitha Al Mehairbi’s Jirfah, the pilot of a series made 

for digital distribution; and two music videos shot to 

commemorate UAE National Day. 

MAXIMISE 

Video and 

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Routing Switchers 

UAE nationals supported by twofoure54 ibtikar at the press conference. 

24-year-old Al Mehairbi worked with 

twofour54 ibtikar as an intern before successfully 

pitching her Arabic web series, Jirfah, to the 

creative lab. The idea was developed into a pilot 

‘web-isode’ about Shamsa, a young Emirati girl 

living in Abu Dhabi and blogging about her daily 

adventures, frustrated about her life compared to 

her brother’s carefree lifestyle. Jirfah is being 

produced in High Definition. 

twofour54 ibtikar’s creative lab portal will also 

go live this month. The portal will provide 

personal and professional support to its members 

as well as share training experiences. 

Fibre Optic 

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PRONEWS 

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solutions, routing switchers, rack systems, KVM 

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adVanced media 

hoSTS WeiSScam 

WorKShoP 

Advanced Media held a threeday 

workshop in late October 

to demonstrate the new 

Weisscam HS-2 MK II to end 

users. Features such as the 

Dark Reference Adjustment 

function; the camera’s 

extended speed rates as 

well as its multi-camera 

synchronisation capability 

for 3D applications were 

highlighted. Advanced Media 

hosts regular workshops for 

Middle East end users. 

Argosy Broadcast Pro Mid-East.indd 1 21/12/2010 15:55 


PROGLOBAL 

cOsTA RicA sTATe uniVeRsiTY 

OPTs FOR BROADcAsT PiX 

The State Distance Education 

University (UNED) in Costa 

Rica is using Broadcast Pix’s 

Slate 1000 video production 

systems at the heart of its 

new mobile video production 

unit. The solution is being 

used for distance education 

and other live productions. 

According to Alejandro 

Astorga, AV producer for 

UNED, the new mobile unit 

is being used for at least fi ve 

programmes each month. 

“It’s been used on 

several distance education 

classes and live event 

roger crUmptoN 

leadS iabm’S 

traiNiNg iNitiatiVe 

The International Association of 

Broadcasting Manufacturers (IABM) 

has appointed Roger Crumpton as 

director of education, employment, 

and training. The appointment 

coincides with the launch of the 

IABM’s new training academy 

designed to address the worldwide 

shortage of qualifi ed broadcast 

engineers and technicians. 

“Our recent industry surveys 

productions,” Astorga 

explained. “Specifi cally, 

we’re producing a series of 

lab videos for the Chemistry 

Professorship. We´ve also 

recorded conferences and 

debates at our auditorium, 

and provided coverage of our 

XV International Congress 

on Distance Education and 

Technology. We have several 

projects in development that 

will need the mobile unit to 

travel extensively next year.” 

The mobile unit was 

designed by Sonivisión, S.A., 

and features three Sony 

have shown that the shortage of 

skilled technical staff has become 

a real constraint to growth and the 

completion of work in progress at 

broadcast and media technology 

suppliers. The decline in training 

provision for broadcast engineers 

is affecting suppliers as well as 

broadcasters who are struggling to 

hire the technical resources they need 

to keep pace in a rapidly evolving 

industry,” said Peter White, director 

general of the IABM. 

“Under Roger’s skillful management, 


cameras with Canon lenses, 

plus a Mackie audio mixer, in 

addition to the Broadcast Pix 

system. Video is produced in 

widescreen SD. UNED relies 

on Slate’s built-in workfl ow 

tools during productions, 

including Fluent Multi-View 

and Clip Store, as well as its 

integrated Inscriber CG. 

“Before the mobile unit, 

we only had portable ENG 

equipment. The Broadcast 

Pix system allows us to 

utilise virtual sets with 

multiple cameras through 

chromakey,” added Astorga. 

IABM’s new education, employment, 

and training programme will take 

aim at this shortage through close 

collaboration with colleges and 

universities, induction training 

for graduates, and continuous 

professional development for 

established engineers.” 

A former CEO of the IABM, Crumpton 

has recently completed a 10-month 

research project to assess the skills 

issues and training requirements of 

the broadcast and media technology 

sectors on a global basis. 

Utah ScieNtiFic 

laUNcheS New 

FacilitY iN eUrope 

Utah Scientifi c has opened a 

training and support facility in Milan, 

Italy, to enhance its European and 

regional customer service. 

“This opening is the next stage 

in our expansion in the region,” 

said Reto Brader, Utah Scientifi c’s 

GM for EMEA. 

“As we continue to deliver our 

product offerings to European and 

regional customers, the new offi ce 

will add to our ability to provide 

the outstanding customer service 

for which we are so well known. 

In addition, Milan’s location, with 

excellent connections to all of the 

region’s major cities, is ideal.” 

Utah Scientifi c’s new training and 

support centre features a complete 

setup of the company’s routing and 

master control products available to 

customers and potential customers 

for demonstration, testing, training, 

and service. In addition, three 

Utah Scientifi c-certifi ed support 

engineers are available onsite 

to provide customer support 

throughout the region. 

“Our customer support and 

10-year free warranty have been key 

to our success in the video router 

market,” said Scott Bosen, Utah 

Scientifi c international sales and 

marketing manager.

news 14 cAROLine cHOOses FOR-A 

News 14 Carolina, North 

Carolina’s 24-hour cable news 

network, recently turned to 

FOR-A for a new, networkable 

HD/SD chroma keyer solution. 

Dawson Heath, broadcast 

engineer at News 14 Carolina 

stated the FOR-A MBP- 

100CK was appealing because 

of its ability to operate the 

chroma keyers remotely. 

“We were able to network the 

FOR-A keyers,” he explained. 

“We have various newsrooms 

around the state, and we do 

much of our work out of the 

Raleigh facility, so the remote 

access to the FOR-A chroma 

Telecast Fiber Systems’ 

CopperHead 3200 cameramounted 

fiber optic 

transceivers were used in 

the first HD broadcast of the 

UK-based television series The 

X Factor. Working in tandem 

with Telecast Fiber’s Python II 

bi-directional transmit/receive 

systems, the CopperHead 

3200 units have enabled 

The X Factor producers to 

leverage the portability and 

low cost of fibre for onlocation 

shooting at a variety 

of outside broadcast locations. 

Late last year, The X Factor 

entered its live studio phase 

after several weeks of onlocation, 

remote production 

at various audition, “boot 

camp,” and “judge’s house” 

sites around the UK and 

the rest of the world. 

To facilitate the remote 

HD productions as cost 

effectively and effortlessly 

as possible, show producers 

talkbackTHAMES and Simon 

Cowell’s SyCo Tv enlisted 

the services of HotCam, a 

broadcast equipment rental 

company based in the UK and 

keyer functions provided us 

with a big advantage over 

using other products.” 

Before installing the FOR-A 

chroma keyers, engineers 

could only adjust the cameras 

remotely, but not the keyers. 

“Now, if something changes 

with the lighting and the key 

is off, we have the ability to 

remotely adjust the key via 

a desktop application until 

we’re satisfied,” Heath said. 

The ability to save presets 

for different environments and 

talent, along with the general 

user-friendly functionality of 

creating a new key, also made a 

the US. HotCam supplied 

the production with 

fibre-optic-based flypack 

production packages that 

included 15 Sony XDCam 

PDW F800 camcorders, 

each equipped with a 

CopperHead 3200 HD 

transceiver. In addition, 

HotCam provided portable 

vision mixing and lighting 

packages that could be 

delivered in flight cases 

and easily installed 

to provide temporary 

“video villages” in venues 

including Wembley 

Arena, Manchester 

Central, and the Cardiff 

International Arena. 

“For a production of 

this type, which requires 

a real ‘documentary’ feel, 

we’ve always resisted 

deploying mobile broadcast 

trucks,” said executive 

producer Andrew Llinares. 

“The portable solution 

that HotCam provided is 

not only cost-effective, but 

also extremely versatile — 

and the Telecast equipment 

has enabled us to leverage 

big difference. “It’s a very clean 

and forgiving signal. Even hair 

wasn’t an issue for it. Initially, 

the keyer realises it needs to 

key the green out, and the 

engineer tweaks it from there. 

In other units we’ve used, 

we had to tweak it manually, 

and it was much more time 

consuming,” he added. 

The compact, standalone 

MBP-100CK HD/SD is 

equipped with FOR-A’s 

algorithm for chroma key 

processing, and its Edge Color 

Replacement function and 

high-performance filtering 

ensure image quality. 

TeLecAsT FiBeR FAciLiTATes RemOTe 

HD PRODucTiOns FOR The x facTor 

all of the advantages of fibre 

for shooting on location in a 

variety of outside venues.” 

The CopperHead 3200 

systems provided a robust 

fibre optic link between the 

camcorders and the temporary 

video village positions, 

transporting HD camera feeds 

as well as two-way signals such 

as camera control, data, tally/ 

call, and intercom over a single 

fibre connection. In addition, 

HotCam provided two eightchannel 

and four 16-channel 

Python II systems to transport 

bi-directional video signals 

to the monitor stacks. 

PROGLOBAL 

ScrippS NetworkS 

StreamliNeS 

chaNNel braNdiNg 

Tennessee-based Scripps Networks 

is introducing more streamlined 

graphics workflows across its 

popular specialty channels using 

a Vertigo XG graphics system 

from Miranda. Scripps Networks 

completed the installation of 26 

Vertigo XG graphics processors, 

as part of a project, which began 

in 2007 to upgrade the graphics 

capabilities for 14 SD and HD feeds. 

“We needed a smarter solution 

for graphics, which would integrate 

tightly with our traffic, promotion, 

asset management and automation 

systems,” said Peter Franks, director 

of design and motion services at 

Scripps Networks. 

“With the Vertigo Suite workflow 

tools, multiple graphics layers, 

and tight integration with our 

automation, Miranda’s Vertigo 

XG has enabled us to deliver the 

more complex graphics we need, 

without having to add headcount 

to our graphics team.” 

The first Scripps Networks 

channels to go on-air with the 

new graphics system were HGTV 

HD and Food Network HD, which 

allowed time to exercise new 

workflows. Deployment across 

other networks soon followed. 

With the recent acquisition of 

the Travel Channel, the Vertigo XG 

offered great flexibility for Scripps’ 

channel-branding requirements. 

“From a commercial 

perspective, we no longer need 

to type in every single character, 

render every graphic, proof every 

bit of text, or go through a lengthy 

approval process, in order to 

execute a snipe,” stated Franks. 

“We can now drive our graphics 

from a spreadsheet full of data, 

which automatically populates 

After Effects files and graphics 

template fields, which the Vertigo 

XG can play to-air. This saves us 

a lot of time.” 


Switcher demand on the rise 

After nearly a decade of lacklustre 

growth and sluggish performance, in 

part due to heavy saturation, then made 

even worse by the recession, the video 

switcher/vision mixer market is enjoying 

a kind of rebirth. 

That trend is seen in the recently 

published Video Switchers World 2010 

report from D. I. S. Consulting in New York. 

Multiple factors have helped drive the 

new growth in production switchers. 

The first of these is the ageing installed 

base, where many professionals who were 

still using SD models have been under 

increased pressure to be HD quality and/ 

or to accommodate 3 Gig. 

Others have sought switchable models 

that can handle both HD and 3D. Some 

users wanted mixers that could blend 

their need to control their audio and the 

video. Finally, there has been a real move 

away from the massive consoles of the 

high end and to small footprint models 

that can be transported easily, in part 

because of the dynamic growth of the 

freelance sector which involves laptop 

video editing, small format camcorders, 

and similarly small scale production. 

Many of the most popular switchers 

Which features would you look for 

in a new production switcher? 

are very small, standards switchable, 

almost what we might call shoulder-bag 

sized, lightweight, use less power (and 

are battery operable) and cost much 

less. Remarkably, some of the most 

desirable units are being sold at prices 

under US $5,000. 

Among the most sought after features 

in video switchers today are multi-camera 

inputs beyond two, such as for four or 

even more cameras (or camcorders); 

the ability to change HD channels to 3D 

inputs to accommodate small 3D remotes 

and independent productions as well as 

SD/SDI switch-ability or VGA; extreme 

compactness; ultra light weights; slim 

profiles; illuminated keypads (formerly 

found mainly in higher priced large multibus 

consoles); Ethernet, SCCI, USB, Firewire 

and other necessary connectivity; 

built-in keying and sometimes frame sync 

options; picture-in-picture; and some 

also accommodate multi-viewing, which 

is becoming an increasingly sought after 

attribute in these products. 

Of course, not only are the small 

footprint ‘pocket’ switchers getting a 

bounce, but also there is a new found 

surge in large switching consoles as 

Where do you learn or update 

your switcher skills? 

11% a/b rollsstrobes-fades 

5% # of wipes 15% university 

or school 

8% training 

centers 

9% a/b 

dissolves 

courses 

11% wipes 

15% Joystick 

control 

33% # of inputs 

20% memory effects 

programming 

15% 

web-based 

tutorials 

15% trade shows/ 

conferences/seminars 

ALL MARKETS ALL MARKETS 

29% 

on the Job 

18% manufacturer 

courses 

PRORESEARCH 

mobile/OB trucks and extra or rebuilt 

studios, which had been placed on hold 

during all of 2009 and early 2010 have 

gotten a go-ahead. This has made such 

venues look to upgrade their switchers 

and that has caused a growth status in 

the large-scale models as well. 

In that regard, most interest has been 

in HD / 3D switchable models and in 

3-Gig architecture. Additionally, there, 

the emphasis is also on memory scene 

and chosen effects pre-sets, such as 

logos, as well as in programmable keys 

and buses. No bargains here, though as 

this is what supports the six-figure part 

of the industry. 

The sources of the small switchers in 

particular have changed substantially. 

While the USA, UK and Japan remain the 

derivation of most switching products, 

today, especially in smaller compact 

models, China is increasingly the source 

of the least expensive gear. This is 

beneficial if you are a freelancer or 

a small operation, but it’s bad news if 

you’re a traditional manufacturer. 

The report which covers — separately but 

under one roof, production switchers, master 

control and routing systems — counts those 

products by type, segment, application 

and region. And, in the case of switchers, 

they are sorted by SD, HD and the growing 

interest in 3D. Counts are done by brand, 

unit and dollar value. Additionally, the study 

looked at leading features, magazines and 

shows, budgets and revenues, brand image 

ranking and more. PRO 

Douglas I. Sheer is CEO and chief 

analyst of DIS Consulting, New York. 


PROTV 

Upping 

the Aan-te 

Al Aan TV has raised the bar by building a 

new studio and integrating its broadcast 

platform with social media networks. 

Vijaya Cherian brings you the details. 

12 | www.broadcastprome.com | January 2011

PROTV 

“We have integrated the 

Viz Ticker on-air branding 

system with never.no’s 

social media aggregator 

platform. This allows us 

to take SMS and Twitter 

messages to air seamlessly” 

Muhammad Irfan, broadcast & satellite operations manager, Al Aan 

Dubai-based infotainment channel Al Aan TV, 

which is primarily targeted at Arab women, 

recently invested in a new studio and undertook 

several upgrades to accommodate its 2011 

programming requirements. The new investment 

includes integrating the channel’s broadcast 

platform with social media networks such as 

Twitter and Facebook. 

An impressive US $500,000 three-camera studio 

that is wired for six, and can support both 

recorded and live productions, will be operational 

from this month. A second news studio is also in 

the final stages of completion while two more are 

in the pipeline. 

A corresponding control room has been fitted 

out with a Grass Valley server base player and 

recorder mechanism; Miranda’s multi-viewers 

and a Yamaha audio console. This control room 

has been configured to support Al Aan’s AVID 

newsroom computer system (NRCS). 

Al Aan TV began its operations on the fifth 

floor of a building in Dubai Media City. However, 

when a tenant on the fourth floor of the same 

building moved out, Al Aan TV took over that 

office as well to accommodate its expanding 

newsroom and new studios. 


PROTV 

The new control room. 


As a result, Al Aan’s challenge has been to ensure 

that its operations on the fourth and fifth floor are 

both linked as and when any new installation or 

upgrades are undertaken to ensure maximum 

flexibility. The master control room (MCR), for 

instance, is on the fourth floor and is managed with 

tie lines and fully integrated with Al Aan’s router, 

talk back and network configuration. 

As the channel’s old studio is kitted out with 

Sony DXC-D55P cameras, Al Aan invested in a 

similar model for the new studio as well. 

“The new DXC-D55 system camera is an 

enhanced replacement for the DXC-D50,” explains 

Muhamad Irfan, broadcast and satellite operations 

manager at Al Aan TV. 

“The main improvement is the analogue-todigital 

converter. This is a key component that 

converts the analogue video signal from the CCD 

into digital form, for the signal processing that 

follows. The DXC-D55 now has a 14-bit ADC, 

which provides four times the conversion 

resolution of its predecessor. The increased bit 

depth brings improved resolution, transparency 

and stability to the camera output,” he adds. 

Although the new studio can operate as a 

“never.no is configuring the solution 

to automatically harvest, sort and 

respond to the Al Aan Twitter feed 

... only authorised messages will be 

responded to and published on TV” 

Saad Mouneimne, VP Middle East & Asia, never.no 

“Now the channel has a 

complete workflow that allows 

it to create graphics templates 

for its journalists to use and 

take to air. This improves 

overall newsroom productivity 

as its previous process was 

manual and prone to error...” 

R.V.Krishnan, sales manager, Vizrt. 

standalone unit, it can also be merged with the 

studio on the fourth floor should there be such a 

requirement. In addition, the new studio has been 

wired for production flexibility. 

“Our new studio has the capacity to go live 

and at the same time, record the clean feeds 

to our Omneon transmission server for repeats 

and archiving. We have also established fibre 

connectivity between our fourth floor facility 

and Samacom, Dubai’s satellite support services 

provider,” says Irfan. 

However, the studio is only part of the 

investments undertaken by the channel. Early 

last year, Al Aan upgraded from an Avid Media 

Manager to Avid Interplay; added six new iNews 

Instinct clients and also moved its news video 

server to Avid ISIS. It presently has 50 iNews 

licences and is looking forward to creating 

a bigger newsroom with a Barco video wall. 

The channel also upgraded its Viz newsroom 

system and integrated it with iNews. 

RV Krishnan, sales manager at Vizrt says the 

“upgrade enables Al Aan’s journalists to directly 

select, edit and publish the graphics as part of 

their stories and can be taken directly to air”.

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PROTV 

Twitter feeds on one of Al Aan TV’s programmes. 

The new studio at Al Aan TV. 

“The solution can further be 

configured to communicate with other 

social networks or mobile solutions, 

as well as publish other information to 

broadcast, like images and video” 


Saad Mouneimne, VP Middle East & Asia, never.no 

Al Aan’s existing version of Viz Content Pilot was 

also recently upgraded. 

“The TV station installed new Active X clients on 

its iNews clients and installed the Viz Gateway to 

integrate its newsroom system and graphics 

systems. Now it has a complete workflow that 

allows it to create graphics templates for its 

journalists to use and take to air. This improves 

overall newsroom productivity as its previous 

process was manual and prone to error, and did 

not allow last minute changes to run orders or 

graphics. The new solution also takes a lot of 

repetitive load out of the creative department 

allowing them to focus on the creative work 

instead,” explains Krishnan. 

Al Aan also deployed a new archiving system 

comprising the Spectra T50e tape library with 

SGL flash net content storage and Avid Interplay 

MAM system. 

As an infotainment channel, Al Aan broadcasts 

15-minute news bulletins every hour and as a 

result, has two separate workflows. 

One includes the Avid network, where wires/ 

feeds and reports come through FTP from round 

the globe. 

“Our iNews NRCS was upgraded in the beginning 

of this year. We doubled the storage and added 

eight more editing clients. The Avid system is 

also connected with the SGL archiving system 

and journalists can send or receive the media 

from the archiving system,” he adds. 

The second is the transmission chain. 

“Here, we have the Harris automation system 

with main and backup playout servers integrated 

with Miranda Pressmaster and Omneon 

Spectrum. We will also upgrade our channel 

branding system to have more GFX layers on 

screen. This will be completed by the second 

week of January. The new system will enable us 

to run now and next programmes on the menu, 

picture-in-picture and squeeze-and-reveal type 

DVE transitions, four keying layers to insert a 

crawl layer or static as opposed to the two layers 

we have now and a Clock Bug that can be fully 

customised in terms of hand and face styles to 

match the channel branding,” adds Irfan. 

More upgrades are in the offing. There are 

plans to upgrade Al Aan’s on-air graphics system 

to Miranda Vertigo and deploy live subtitling for 

its news. Its automation, and sales and 

scheduling systems are also due for an upgrade. 

Besides this, Al Aan has been working with 

both never.no and Vizrt to build web to broadcast 

interactivity, such as from Twitter to broadcast 

and Facebook to broadcast. 

For the purpose, never.no supplied 

Al Aan with an Auto Dialogue System and 

an Interactivity Desk, says Saad Mouneimne, 

VP Middle East & Asia, never.no. 

“Auto Dialogue System enables Al Aan to 

automate communication workflows. never.no is 

configuring the solution to automatically 

harvest, sort and respond to the Al Aan Twitter 

feed. The harvested messages are then passed 

to Interactivity Desk, a moderation and 

publishing platform where Al Aan can view all

the information harvested from Twitter, and 

moderate, sort and publish the information to 

additional channels. This ensures that only 

authorised messages will be responded to and 

published on TV. The solution can further be 

configured to communicate with other social 

networks or mobile solutions, as well as publish 

other information to broadcast, like images and 

video,” adds Mouneimne. 

Al Aan will begin interacting with its viewers 

through live calls and SMS shortly, confirms Irfan. 

“We have already integrated the Viz Ticker on 

air branding system with never.no’s social media 

aggregator platform. This allows us to take SMS 

and Twitter messages to air seamlessly. The unique 

feature of this solution is that it allows for the real 

time updating of on-air messages.” 

While it has invested heavily in expansion 

and upgrades, Al Aan TV has also been careful 

to ensure that revenue can be generated. As a 

result, the channel has been touting its OB 

vehicles, SNG and crew services for local 

productions while also renting out its facility when 

required to third parties. “We have three Advent 

flyaways with 1.2m Mantis antenna and 400 Xicom 

TWTA amplifiers. We also have two OB trucks 

— one four-camera and the other, ten-camera that 

are suitable for news and live productions. We also 

provide 4.5 and 9 MHz capacities for long and short 

term use,” adds Irfan. 

The channel is one of the few medium-sized 

TV stations in the region that has invested at 

a time when most broadcasters have held on to 

their purse strings tightly. Although still to make 

substantial profit, the channel employs more than 

100 staff and has reinvented itself consistently. 

It has readapted itself to embrace new media 

platforms and has looked to new sources to 

generate revenue while also investing heavily in 

local programming to ensure that it can provide 

its clients with high-quality content. PRO 

A new set for a weekly programme that is 

broadcast on Al Aan TV and right, the newsroom. 

The new control room. 

PROTV 


PROFILM 

DIFF’RENT 

STROKES 

BroadcastPro ME brings you DIFF 2010 highlights 

and some exclusive sound bites from Arab 

filmmakers who screened their films at the event 


The seventh edition of Dubai International Film 

Festival (DIFF) saw a much wider selection of 

impressive regional content than the previous 

years. Although celebrities from Hollywood, 

Bollywood and the Arab world graced the red 

carpet, they did not steal the limelight from 

regional talent. DIFF 2010 offered generous cash 

prizes to Arab filmmakers as part of its efforts to 

boost local cinema. The Muhr awards are a 

testimony to that fact. 

More than 36 of the festival’s prestigious Muhr 

Awards were presented to the finest Arab, 

AsiaAfrica and Emirati films and talent. The Muhr 

Arab competition attracted more than 400 entries 

from 42 nations. 

This year, DIFF, which was held from December 

12 to 19, played host to 157 films from 57 

countries including an outstanding collection of 

contemporary Arab cinema; a robust competition 

focused on the UAE, the Arab world, Asia and 

Africa; a growing industry dimension and new 

public initiatives. 

Several industry activities caught our attention 

this year. 

For instance, the Dubai Film Connection, 

DIFF’s co-production market selected 15 new 

regional film projects for potential production 

support from more than 130 submissions from 

Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Palestine, Algeria, Syria 

and Iraq, among other regional markets. Dubai 

Film Connection provides more than US$110,000 

in seed funds to the directors of Levant, Maghreb, 

Gulf and North African origin more. 

This year, 15 films were selected from 130 

entries for the 2010-2011 cycle. Of these, 12 

projects are in development while three are 

works in progress. 

The former include Ali the Goat and Ibrahim 

by Ibrahim El Batout (Egypt/France); The 

Eagle and the Butterfly by Philippe Aractingi 

(Lebanon/France); The Bag of Flour by 

Khadija Leclere (Belgium/Morocco/France); 

Housekeeping by Mazen Khaled (Lebanon/ 

Egypt); Gulf Entry I am Nojood, 10 years old 

and Divorced, directed by Khadija Al Salami 

(Yemen/France); One Day and 124 Nights by 

Sabine El Chamma (Lebanon); The Replacement 

by Gilles Tarazi (Lebanon) and Standstill by 

Majdi El-Omari (Canada). 

The shortlist also includes Trempoline (The Tree)

y Elie Khalife (Lebanon); and documentary Fidai 

by Damien Ounouri, the first co-production with 

China at the DFC and a joint Algeria/France/China 

production. Algerian director and Muhr Award winner 

Merzak Allouache returned to Dubai Film Connection 

with The Time of the Concord, as did compatriot 

Abdenour Zahzah’s documentary The River. 

The three work-in-progress films are Confession & 

Struggle, a documentary by Eliane Raheb (Lebanon); 

Rehleh, a feature by Meyar Al Roumi (Syria) and In 

Search of Oil and Sand, another documentary by 

EAVE graduate Philippe Dib (Egypt). 

In fact, Al Roumi’s Rehleh also qualified for DIFF’s 

dedicated post-production fund called Enjaaz. 

To qualify for selection, the final cut of the 

feature films had to be a work of fiction that 

equaled or exceeded 60 minutes in length, while 

documentary films had to be non-fiction and 

exceed 50 minutes. Rules included that films 

had to be directed by an Arab filmmaker and the 

subject and storyline of the film had to centre on 

the Arab world, Arab history, and/or Arab culture 

for the respective competitions. 

Enjaaz has funded seven films as part of its 

2009 debut, and covers all aspects of post- 

PROFILM 

“I edited this film [Mish Mush] in FCP. I 

captured the tapes on a deck and put them on 

Apple Pro res HQ, which is a great format because 

it allows me to edit in extremely high-quality HD ... 

it’s almost like uncompressed HD. ” 

Amar Chebib, Syrian Canadian, Mish Mush 

A screen shot from 

a regional film. 

The King’s Speech starring Colin Firth 

marked the opening of DIFF 2010. 

Director Souleymane Cissé received the Lifetime 

Achievement Award at DIFF 2010 this year. 

Gaza-Strophe, Palestine is a 

documentary that focuses on the 

fall-out of the 2008/9 ‘Operation 

Cast Lead’ offensive. 


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PROFILM 

“I shot this movie in 16 

mm and blew it up for the 

big screen. I deliberately 

chose this format as I 

wanted to give it a grainy 

look so that it would reflect 

the time period in which 

the story was set. 

Georges Haschem, winner of the first prize in the 

Muhr Arab feature category, about Stray Bullet. 

production including editing, sound, 

special effects and specialised processes 

that begin once filming has wrapped, plays 

a vital role in shaping the final product. 

On another note, Dubai Filmmart, the 

trading and distribution platform of DIFF 

secured a record showcase of more than 

220 films from around the world for its 

2010 edition. 

Ziad Yaghi, director of Dubai Filmmart 

stated the trading and distribution 

platform had grown considerably over the 

past years by successfully accomplishing 

distribution deals for films from the Arab 

world to the wider international markets 

and vice versa. 

“Dubai Film Market is arguably the 

largest of its kind industry event in the 

Arab world, Asia and Africa, showing 

the most versatile collection of movies. 

We have serious buyers from across the 

world, opening doors for producers to new 

and untapped markets. This is particularly 

relevant for Arab films, as they stand 

to gain a new foothold internationally. 

Driving forward its objectives of 

maximising producer-distributor 

interaction, the Dubai Filmmart unites 

industry executives from all backgrounds 

and origins, to trade and distribute film 

content globally,” Yaghi stated. 

The films were available at potential 

buyers’ fingertips via state-of-theart-touch 

screens, designed with 

sophisticated software which includes 

direct links to sales agents, at Cinetech, 

the Filmmart’s digital video library, 

designed to assist buyers, distributors, 

and broadcasters with the screening 

process. The curtains came down on 

DIFF this year with a gala screening of 

Tron Legacy. 


Pan-Arab actress and singer Sabah was awarded 

the Lifetime Achievement Award this year at DIFF. 

SOUND BITES 

ArAb filmmAkers tAlk to 

BroadcastPro About the mAking 

of their films 

film: el mektoub (tAxiphone) 

mohAmmed soudAni, AlgeriAn 

formAt: 35mm 

I was born in Algeria 

but have lived in 

Switzerland for 

the last 40 years. I 

worked as a director 

for Algerian TV 

before moving to 

Switzerland. 

El Mektoub is my 

seventh feature film and my first to be 

shot in Algeria. I have done more than 18 

documentaries in the past. 

This film shows a young Swiss couple 

who cross the Sahara on a truck bound for 

Timbuktu. Usually, you see people migrating 

to the North and adapting to the Western or 

European culture. In this film, I have reversed 

the roles. It’s a film that asks a lot of questions 

and shows the other side. 

Technically, this was a big adventure 

because we shot in 35 mm. We had a budget 

of €2 million, which is not much by Hollywood 

standards but is nevertheless quite a big 

budget film. I am not particular that we use 

35mm all the time. If I have a project, where I 

need my camera to be very mobile, I prefer a 

digital camera. In fact, I shot my previous film 

on the Sony XDCAM. 

rsAssA tAycheh 

(strAy bullet) 

georges hAschem, 

lebAnese 

formAt: 16mm 

The story takes place 

in 1976, just after the 

first round of what 

we call the Lebanese Civil War. It is a straight 

story as it shows a succession of events on 

the same day. The protagonist of the film is 

a 30-year-old lady and about to get married 

in 10 days. But things happen that make her 

question her decision. 

I shot this movie in 16 mm and blew it up 

for the big screen. I deliberately chose this 

format as I wanted to give it a grainy look so 

that it would reflect the time period in which 

the story was set. It is an independent movie 

because it is low budget but it was made 

possible because of the participation of the 

main creative crew for free. We had about 50 

people on set. Last year, I also shot a short 

movie in 35 mm, which is expensive for a 

short. It is called Evening Mass. 

Besides being a filmmaker, I am also the 

chairman of the department of Cinema at 

Antonine University in Lebanon. 

I have several projects in the pipeline 

but to be realistic, a feature needs a lot of 

time to be developed. I will be working on 

another one in the next six months.

mish mush 

(Apricots) 

AmAr chebib, 

syriAn cAnAdiAn 

formAt: hd 

As a boy, I used to often 

go to Syria with my father and as we walked 

through the souq, I used to keep asking 

‘what’s this in Arabic’ and he’d name a few 

things and then, there was mish mush. The 

apricots inspired me to make this film. I am 

a Canadian citizen but I go back to Syria all 

the time as I have family there. I studied film 

in Vancouver and shot this in Syria on a Sony 

HDCAM F900R. This is my second short film 

and it is in Arabic. 

This is a mid-budget film. My first short 

was mostly in French but it had Arabic in it 

and was set in a rundown suburb in Paris in 

a halal butchery so it was mostly like an Arab 

locality. I am mostly inspired by stories that 

have to do with the interaction between the 

Arab world and the West. I edited this film 

in FCP. I captured the tapes on a deck and 

put them on Apple Pro res HQ, which is a 

great format because it allows me to edit in 

extremely high quality HD ... it’s almost like 

uncompressed HD. 

frAgments of A lost pAlestine by normA mArcos, french-pAlestiniAn 

formAt: dvcAm 

In 2005, I could 

not enter Palestine 

through Ben Gurion 

International Airport 

because the Israeli 

authorities did 

not recognise me 

as French but as 

Palestinian so I was 

sent back to France. But then, my mother 

fell ill and on humanitarian grounds, they 

gave me a permit. When I landed in Palestine, 

I began to film things that I thought were 

interesting with my cheap DV camera; the 

mic was more expensive. 

When I returned to Paris, I had about 50 

hours of rushes so the film was actually done 

in the editing room. 

At that time, my husband had offered me 

a book about a French Romanian writer, who 

spoke about truth being in fragments and not 

in the structure, and since I had fragments 

of Palestine, it fitted well with this theory so 

I worked on that premise. At the time when 

I was shooting, my cameraman, who is also 

a painter was painting a picture. The film, 

therefore, goes between the theory in the 

book, the progress of my friend’s painting 

and my film’s progress in fragments. 

This was shot in 2008-2009. It took me 

one year to edit as I did not have any money 

to fund the project. 

Some of my technician friends helped 

me complete this project. Two did the 

editing on Final Cut and one did the sound 

editing. They all worked for free. It was 

done professionally. The sound mixer was 

working on a big feature film in a big studio 

in Paris at the time so on the weekends, he 

used to take me there and do the mix. 

One of my challenges while making this 

movie was to convince my editor, who is 

French Iranian to do the film the way I 

wanted to. Initially, she was not convinced 

by the way I wanted to structure it because 

it is not your typical editing style. I also 

had to choose music that was inexpensive 

but eventually, it turned out very well. It 

was very well received internationally and 

then, I had the opportunity to screen it at 

DIFF and I have had a good response here 

as well. 

PROFILM 

If you … 

wanted to save 

weight, space & 

installation time by 

exchanging your 

analog multi-cores 

for a digital audio 

network... 

www.riedel.net 


imAms go to 

school 

kAouther ben 

hAniA, tunisiAn 

formAt: digibetA 

I am Tunisian although I 

live in Paris now. I came 

to Paris to study screen 

writing after studying cinema in Tunisia. Then, I 

worked for Al Jazeera Documentary channel for 

a year. At the same time, I was also the artistic 

director of the documentary film festival in Tunisia 

and it allowed me to see a lot of documentaries for 

Al Jazeera for buying and for the festival for the 

selection. And I fell in love with documentaries 

because it is life here and sometimes, it can be 

stronger than fiction. Imams Go to School is my 

first feature documentary and it is about a group 

of apprentice imams from Paris’ Great Mosque 

who are asked to undergo secular training at the 

Catholic Institute of Paris. 

What attracted me to this subject was the 

contradiction. I used a digibeta to shoot this 

film because I needed to film a lot and this 

format was less expensive. I don’t have a specific 

preference for any format. It depends on what 

you want to say and show. When you write a 

script, you already imagine how you want it to 

look like: whether it will be crisp images or grainy. 

Depending on the look you want for your story, 

you will choose your format. I am now working on 

another project, which I will shoot in the summer. 

I am also directing another TV series for Al 

Jazeera Children’s Channel now. PRO 

Regional DIFF 

2010 winners 

muhr ArAb short films: 

first prize: Sabine El Chamaa for 

UN MARDI (A TUESDAY) - Lebanon 

second prize: Halima Ouardiri for 

MOKHTAR - Canada 

muhr ArAb documentAry: 

first prize: Mahmoud Al 

Massad for HATHIHI SWRATI 

WA ANA MAYET (THIS IS MY 

PICTURE WHEN I WAS DEAD) - 

Netherlands, USA, UAE 

second prize: Soudade Kaadan 

for SAQF DIMASHQ WA HYKAYAT 

AL JANNAH (DAMASCUS ROOF 

AND TALES OF PARADISE) 

- Syria, Qatar 

muhr ArAb - feAture 

first prize: Georges Hachem 

for RSASSA TAYCHEH (STRAY 

BULLET) – Lebanon 

Best Cinematography: Xavier 

Castro for PEGASE (PEGASUS) 

- Morocco 

best editor: Hicham Saqer for 

MICROPHONE - Egypt 

best screenplay: Jillali Ferhati for 

DES L’AUBE (AT DAWN) - Morocco 

muhr emirAti: 

first prize: Nayla Al Khaja 

for MALAL (BORED) – UAE 

second prize: Khalid Al 

Mahmood for SABEEL - UAE 

PROFILM 

… would you 

want to go 

for a less fl exible and 

robust solution? 



PROHybridTV 

Mixed messages 

A look at why hybrid technology is the way forward 

in broadband-starved regions like the Middle East 

On the face of it, delivery of TV services 

over the internet, or over a private 

network, has a lot going for it. It avoids 

the expense and variability of renting 

satellite transponder space, and it allows 

the broadcaster much better control 

over the distribution of their content. 

It is easier to control and limit piracy 

— in theory, at least — and allows the 

broadcaster to sell packages that the viewer 

can tailor to their own needs. So, although 

broadband delivery has been with us for 

a while, it hasn’t taken over the world. 

There are many reasons for this, 

but one stands out. In the Middle East, 

especially, there simply hasn’t been the 

widespread availability of sufficient, 

reliable bandwidth to support realtime 

broadband TV; that is, streamed 

services, or real-time video on demand. 

This means the kind of services that can 

be offered are all non-real time, unless the 

viewer is prepared to put up with rather 

poor quality, reduced size video. Although 

it’s fine for YouTube, it’s less so for quality 

premium services such as movies or sport. 

Download and play, where the viewer 

orders, say, a movie in advance and waits 

for it to download, is a valid model, but 

this is not really a substitute for live TV. A 

download and play model, where the viewer 


can start to watch the programme before it 

has been fully downloaded, is a possibility, 

but it’s really still not a live service. 

Hybrids can be a way out of this. A 

hybrid, simply, is a set-top box (STB) that 

can receive both conventional satellite or 

terrestrial broadcast TV, and also access 

the internet or a private network to be 

able to download or stream broadband 

delivered content — depending on 

bandwidth, as we have already seen. 

Most viewers are familiar with the way 

that conventional TV works, and this 

can be used as an enabling technology to 

ease the acceptance of broadband TV. 

Watching broadband TV on a 

conventional TV might be unusual to many 

viewers, but having both satellite and 

broadband available on the same TV set, 

accessed by the same box, and using similar 

control screens, means that the familiarity 

with conventional TV can be used to ease 

the path into using broadband TV. This 

is an important point in the design of the 

box as the viewing experience between 

broadband and satellite should be as 

seamless as possible for it to be successful. 

There is another benefit to considering 

hybrids as the way forward, this time for 

the broadcasters themselves. Satellite 

and terrestrial TV may be declining, but 

they aren’t dead yet, and there will be a 

transitional period when both satellite/ 

terrestrial TV and broadband TV will have 

to co-exist. This gives the opportunity 

for the broadcaster to get enhanced 

uptake of their content by making some 

programming available on both types of TV. 

Why would the viewer want this? Well, one 

of the ways this works is for the satellite or 

terrestrial service to broadcast the original 

programming live, and then that same content 

to be available as a downloaded catch-up 

service so that viewers can watch it again, or 

because they missed it first time around. 

Such catch up services (they come under 

different names, but are all basically the 

same idea) have been available in Europe 

for a few years, and are proving extremely 

popular. Here, at last, is a method of getting 

a new revenue stream for existing content, 

“Hybrid systems offer 

the best of both worlds, 

and lets the broadcaster 

move into the broadband 

world without having to 

... change to a completely 

new set of technologies 

and operational methods.”

something which is always high on the list 

of priorities of any commercial broadcaster. 

Hybrids work in areas where bandwidth 

is limited, too. Viewers can watch live TV 

on satellite or terrestrial for their normal 

programming, and order special events 

or movies as broadband downloads to 

watch later. This model is more like 

a video rental, and can be sold as an 

online rental service. The duration of 

the content on the STB can easily be 

controlled (for example, number of plays, 

or length of time the content is viewable 

on the box), so there is no permanent 

ownership of the content by the viewer. 

The important point here is that the 

selection of the content to be downloaded, 

the payment and the whole download 

and play process, is done using the TV 

and the same remote, and uses menus 

which look like normal STB menus. If it 

is simple and familiar, people will use it. 

Hybrid boxes are, of course, more 

complex than a satellite, terrestrial or 

pure broadband box, and are therefore 

more expensive. They do, however, 

provide a route to ease the viewer into 

thinking about using broadband services 

when otherwise they might be somewhat 

resistant. Development of a suitable hybrid 

box can be complicated, but there are 

now several manufacturers who can 

supply readily-designed boxes that 

can easily be configured to suit the 

broadcaster’s preferred way of working. 

The technology is getting easier. 

Overall, the next stage in the evolution 

of TV is via the hybrid system. It offers 

the best of both worlds, and lets the 

broadcaster move into the broadband 

world without having to commit to 

change to a completely new set of 

technologies and operational methods. 

It’s a low-risk strategy, which is an 

attractive option for any broadcaster 

wanting to protect their core business 

whilst, at the same time, diversifying 

into new methods of capturing 

revenue for their content. PRO 

Chris Pollard is a senior 

consultant with more than 

thirty years experience in the 

broadcast, manufacturing 

and IT industries. He 

specialises in the 

worldwide analysis and 

commercialisation of new 

technologies, and is a regular 

contributor to broadcast 

industry publications. 

See you at 

CABSAT 

Stand S1-A32 

PROHybridTV 

ROCKNET 

The Digital 

Audio Network 

160 channels via locking EtherCon RJ45 cables 

| Network redundancy | Simple user interface – 

no computer programming required | Unlimited 

lossless splits | Superb audio quality | … 



PROAUDIO 

Audio in next generation DVB systems 

Along with enhanced video quality, next generation broadcast systems 

are demanding new requirements for audio delivery too. This paper looks 

at the emergence of a new audio codec that caters to these requirements 

The requirements for audio delivery 

have gone up with HD content. 

These include the capability to deliver 

soundtracks from mono to 5.1-channels 

and beyond with greater ef� ciency 

than with current systems, but also to 

maintain compatibility with existing 

consumer home cinema systems. 

Companies such as Orbit Showtime 

Network and Abu Dhabi Media Company 

(ADMC) are already offering viewers 

multichannel audio for their premium 

services, bringing the cinematic surround 

sound experience to programming like 

movies and sports. 

As more services see the bene� ts of the 

HD cinematic audio experience to match 

video quality improvements of HD 

broadcasting, so a new audio codec is 

emerging to meet the speci� c requirements 

of next generation broadcast systems. 

Dolby Digital Plus (or Enhanced AC-3) 

has been standardised in DVB and ATSC 

referring to ETSI TS 102 366 V1.1.1 

(2005-02). The audio codecs previously 

speci� ed within TS 101 154 offer solutions 

for many of the requirements facing DVB 

broadcasters — requirements for high 

quality audio at low bit rates, multichannel 

28 

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 2011 

audio services, guaranteed connectivity 

with consumer hardware through existing 

IEC 61937 interfaces (S/PDIF or Toslink), 

and control by a broadcaster over the 

consumer listening experience through the 

use of audio metadata. Each codec 

previously speci� ed in TS 101 154 meets 

some of these requirements, but presently, 

no single codec meets all of them. 

For example, the AC-3 (Dolby Digital) 

codec can deliver up to 5.1 channels of 

audio, with control over the listening 

experience through comprehensive 

metadata control, and standardised 

connectivity via IEC 61937 to over 40 

million existing consumer A/V systems. 

However, it is not optimised for low bit rate 

performance. In contrast, the MPEG-4 

HE-AAC codec delivers excellent 

performance at low bit rates, but does not 

directly offer IEC 61937 connectivity to 

consumers’ existing A/V systems for 

delivery of 5.1 channel content, and does 

not offer mandated implementation and 

interoperability testing of metadata in 

encoder and decoder products. 

When considering the feature set used 

by current DVB services, a new audio 

codec should offer at least the following: 

AC-3 

• Support for mono to 5.1 channel 

capability 

• Comprehensive metadata support, 

mandated in both encoder and decoder 

– all parameters under encoder control. 

• Dialogue normalisation to ensure 

consistent listening levels between 

programmes. 

• Downmix to ensure backward 

compatibility with matrix surround, 

stereo and mono systems. 

• Control of dynamic range to ensure 

optimal reproduction for all consumer 

listening environments. 

• Delivery of discrete 5.1 channel audio 

to current install base of A/V receivers 

via IEC 61937 interfaces, and support 

for other emerging digital interface 

standards. 

• Improved bitrate effi ciency compared 

with audio codecs currently in use in 

DVB services, in line with ef� ciency 

gains of new video codecs. 

• Licensing costs and terms in line with 

existing audio codecs. 

• Encoder and decoder products subject 

to interoperability testing to ensure 

consistent performance. 

• Carriage over HD-SDI.

PROAUDIO 

PEG-4 HE-AAC 

“Multichannel audio presents a number of challenges 

to a broadcaster; distribution of content within a 

broadcast facility equipped for stereo-only content, and 

the task of creating audio metadata to ensure that 5.1 

programming can deliver optimal backward compatibility 

with all listening environments” 

• Mass adoption on the majority of HD 

STBs and TVs. 

In addition to these requirements for 

core broadcast services, there is also 

opportunity to improve the current 

provisions for deployment of audio 

description services for visually and 

hearing impaired. While relative levels 

between audio description (AD) and main 

programme services can be controlled 

both by the broadcaster and the listener, 

variations in loudness and dynamic range 

between programmes leads to a need for 

regular adjustments to listening levels by 

the consumer. 

A new audio codec should meet the 

following requirements to deliver 

improved AD services: 

• Metadata control of dialogue levels to 

ensure a consistent relative level 

between Main and AD programmes. 

• Metadata control of the dynamic range 

of the main programme to ensure that 

AD services are clearly audible at all 

times. 

• Metadata to control mixing of main 

programme and AD services in a 

broadcast receiver should be 

supported, to remove the need for 


PROAUDIO 

frequent manual adjustment of levels in IMPACT ON BROADCAST PRODUCTION To ensure a consistent listening experience 

frequent manual adjustment of levels in 

the broadcast receiver. Support for 

mixing AD services with multichannel as 

well as stereo programme content should 

be available. 

• To simplify implementation in a 

broadcast receiver, the ability to deliver 

both main programme and AD services 

as a single stream that can be decoded 

and mixed using a single decoder in the 

broadcast receiver is desirable. 

REQUIREMENTS FOR NEW SERVICES 

Standards and technologies are being 

developed for the next generation of DVB 

broadcast services so a new audio codec 

must be � exible enough to adapt to these 

new requirements. Applications such as HD 

television and interactive services present 

new opportunities for audio services. A 

new audio codec should satisfy at least the 

following requirements to meet the 

demands of future broadcast services: 

• Be able to deliver audio quality 

improvements to match video quality 

improvements of HD broadcasting. 

• Flexibility to deliver more than 5.1 

channels of audio to match future 

feature � lm mixing formats. 

• Support for mixing of interactive audio 

content with main programme audio, 

including multichannel content. 

• Deployment of multiple programmes in 

a single stream, enabling multiple 

languages, director’s commentaries, all 

controlled by mixing metadata, to be 

decoded using a single decoder in the 

broadcast receiver. 


The adoption of a new audio codec for � nal 

broadcast should have minimal effect on a 

broadcaster’s working methods, and should 

not adversely affect them. In the case of 

stereo audio services, the process of 

creating audio content does not differ 

greatly from codec to codec — the 

selection of encoding settings need be done 

only once, based upon the target quality of 

a broadcaster’s service and the capability of 

the codec selected. If the selected codec 

supports control of programme loudness 

and dynamics through metadata, this will 

also need to be factored into the 

production process. 

When considering multichannel audio 

services, the interfacing of a new emission 

codec with a broadcast production 

environment must be carefully 

considered. Multichannel audio presents a 

number of challenges to a broadcaster; 

distribution of content within a broadcast 

facility equipped for stereo-only content, 

and the task of creating audio metadata to 

ensure that 5.1 programming can deliver 

optimal backward compatibility with all 

listening environments. 

IMPACT ON CONSUMER PRODUCTS 

AND LISTENING ENVIRONMENTS 

A new audio codec should offer 

performance improvements for the 

consumer, while also ensuring simple 

integration into the current consumer 

listening environment. It must offer 

� exibility for future developments in 

consumer product design and functionality. 

for all consumers, a new audio codec 

should meet the following requirements: 

• Decoders must maintain compatibility 

with existing consumer A/V receivers 

and IEC 61937 interfaces when 

delivering discrete 5.1 channel content, 

without introducing excessive 

complexity to the decoder design. 

• To remove the need for audio 

simulcasting, all decoders must be able 

to receive and decode, as required, 

multichannel audio services, in order to 

deliver either a matrix surround, stereo 

or mono downmix as required. 

• Decoder complexity should be in line 

with current designs for an equivalent 

feature set. 

• Metadata created during the production 

process must be supported by all decoders. 

• The new codec should be compatible with 

emerging and future digital interface 

standards without introducing excessive 

complexity to the decoder design. 

• Licensing costs and terms in line with 

existing audio codecs. 

A NEW SOLUTION 

Considering these requirements, a new 

audio coding scheme has been developed 

for use in next generation applications. 

This coding scheme, referred to as 

Enhanced AC-3 (E-AC-3) or Dolby Digital 

Plus, has already been standardised within 

ATSC and has been selected as the audio 

technology for Blu-Ray players. The 

scheme has also been standardised by DVB

PROAUDIO 

for next generation broadcast services 

as well as by ETSI as TS 102 366. 

Applications for which Dolby Digital 

Plus is well suited include lower 

data-rate carriage of audio and its 

conversion to the Dolby Digital coding 

standard for playback on today’s 

installed base of audio/video 

entertainment equipment; interactive 

multimedia capabilities that allow the 

combination of streamed content with a 

main audio programme; the 

reproduction of greater than 5.1 

channels for the support of playback of 

existing and future cinema content; and 

the ef� cient transcoding of Dolby Digital 

programme content to lower data-rate 

Dolby Digital Plus bitstreams and 

conversion back to Dolby Digital for 

playback on the installed base of Dolby 

Digital decoders. 

COMPATIBLE LOWER DATA-RATE 

CARRIAGE 

There are a growing number of 

applications that require lower data 

rates, but also require compatibility with 

the existing broadcast-reception and 

audio/video decoding infrastructure. 

The Dolby Digital Plus system is 

designed for these applications because 

of its inherent lower tandem coding 


losses with Dolby Digital and its greater 

coding ef� ciency provided by new coding 

tools. Because of the very large installed 

base of such decoders, the Dolby Digital 

Plus system has been designed to permit a 

very low loss conversion to standard 

Dolby Digital over a digital audio 

interconnect such as S/PDIF and decoding 

by a standard Dolby Digital decoder. 

The conversion stage is a special form 

of transcoder that minimises quality 

degradations resulting from tandem 

coding losses. This is feasible with the use 

of the same � lterbank, transform block 

alignment, bit-allocation process, and 

basic framing structure as conventional 

Dolby Digital. 

A NEXT GENERATION TELEVISION SET 

TOP BOX APPLICATION 

The next generation TV application is very 

similar to the conventional Dolby Digital 

reception paradigm except that the need 

for greater channel capacity requires the 

transmission of audio programming at 

lower data rates than is typical for Dolby 

Digital applications. 

Traditionally, Dolby Digital has been 

employed at 128-192 kbps for stereo and 

384-448 kbps for 5.1-channel applications. 

The use of the new coding tools in Dolby 

Digital Plus allows for the practical use of 

lower data rates while permitting ef� cient 

conversion into a conventional Dolby 

Digital bitstream at 640 kbps for 

compatibility with existing home 

theaters. 

The greater ef� ciency of the Dolby 

Digital Plus system allows for a greater 

number of programmes within the 

broadcast system while preserving full 

functionality for legacy receiver 

hardware, shown with a gray interior. 

Such improved coding ef� ciency is 

accomplished using an improved 

� lterbank, improved quantisation, 

enhanced channel coupling, spectral 

extension, and a technique called 

transient pre-noise processing, designed 

to reduce excess noise before transients. 

5.1 surround sound is an important 

component of the HDTV experience. 

Existing H.264-based HDTV services in 

Europe already offer 5.1 surround sound 

using the Dolby Digital Plus technology 

as documented by DVB and ATSC. With 

the move to next generation video 

coding systems, broadcasters have many 

new requirements for audio delivery. 

The Dolby Digital Plus system has been 

developed to meet these requirements 

whilst also maintaining compatibility 

with more than 40 million existing 

consumer home cinema systems. PRO

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On-air Graphics I Virtual Studio I Stereo 3D I Touch Screen Graphics I Character Generation 

T: +971 507305856 I info_mea@wasp3d.com 

UAE - UK - USA - SINGAPORE - INDIA I www.wasp3d.com

PROINTERVIEW 

Grassvalley 

addresses concerns 

Guillaume Lefevre, MD of GV France, ME and Eurasia clari� es 

queries related to Thomson and Grass Valley 


What does the Thomson Grass Valley 

split entail? Who has what now? 

As part of the process of the Grass Valley 

divestiture, Technicolor separated its 

transmission and headend product lines 

from the broadcast and professional 

“studio” products. 

Grass Valley now comprises the 

broadcast and professional business, which 

will operate as “Grass Valley” going forward. 

This includes camera, content repurposing, 

editing, master control, modular, news 

production, production automation, 

routing, servers, storage, and switching 

product lines including their entire product 

portfolios, the R&D centres and factories 

around the world, the sales and systems 

activities and customer support 

organisation worldwide, as well as the 

management and administrative support 

functions dedicated to the business. 

The Thomson piece is now broken into 

two business units that are now operating 

as stand-alone entities under the names 

“Thomson Broadcast” and “Thomson 

Video Networks.” 

“Thomson Broadcast” is the former 

transmitter business. It provides advanced 

services, technologies, and product 

families for terrestrial television and radio 

transmission and scienti� c applications, 

including a comprehensive range of 

antennas, transmitters, and Digital Radio 

Mondiale (DRM) radio systems. Thomson 

Broadcast offers a range of digital 

solid-state and tube-based transmitters for 

DTV, and mobile TV transmission. 

Thomson Video Networks offers a 

Guillaume Lefevre, Grass Valley. 

portfolio of video compression and 

content processing solutions for the digital 

headend, in addition to professional 

services for network operators and 

broadcasters. Thomson Video Networks 

develops hybrid and multi-format 

compression systems for DTH, terrestrial 

and mobile TV, IPTV, as well as Web TV 

networks—all based around the ViBE 

product family of encoders, decoders, and 

multiplexers. The company also provides 

solutions for the migration to IP-based 

video transport, breakthrough video 

server technologies, and redundancy and 

monitoring systems. 

Has there been any restructuring 

within the company as a result? 

In early 2010, we strengthened 

our product line management and 

reorganised the senior management 

team to a � atter organisation that has 

provided better visibility to issues in the 

� eld. Those changes have streamlined 

implementation of the many activities 

now underway as we separate our 

organisation from Technicolor.

Where does Technicolor � t within 

the grand scheme of things? 

Before the sale, Technicolor was the 

parent company of Grass Valley. Now 

operating separately from Grass Valley, 

Technicolor will continue to offer its full 

range of production, postproduction, 

and distribution services to content 

creators, network service providers and 

broadcasters. Technicolor remains the 

world’s largest � lm processor; the largest 

independent manufacturer and distributor 

of DVDs (including Blu-ray Disc); and, 

a global supplier of set-top boxes and 

gateways. It also provides high-end VFX, 

animation, and post production services. 

What are some of the challenges 

you see moving forward? 

Grass Valley has to remain competitive 

and focus on solutions customers want to 

use. Customers are increasingly moving 

to � le-based work� ows—we did that � rst 

in playout, then in news—and now you 

see this re� ected in our live production 

solutions. We’re also focused on delivering 

products at wider range of price points 

to allow our customers to have a Grass 

Valley experience for a very modest 

investment—in some cases, breaking 

down traditional price barriers. This is 

especially true of the K2 Dyno Replay 

Controller and K2 Solo Media Server. 

Has Grass Valley already bagged some 

projects in this region? 

There have been several new orders in the 

Middle East. The Hejen Racing project, 

the largest and most popular camelracing 

complex in Qatar, has upgraded its 

digital production control room with a full 

complement of video server technology 

from Grass Valley. The order includes 

a high-de� nition Grass Valley K2 Dyno 

Replay System, a K2 Summit MPEG-2 Field 

Upgrade Kit and a K2 AppCenterPro server 

control software application. 

New Grass Valley equipment was 

installed last summer by Salam Media 

Cast in Doha to support an in-house 

digital signage system and other video 

displays. The main broadcast facilities of 

the Al Majd Satellite Channel in Dubai 

City, and Qatar Radio and Television in 

Doha, continue to upgrade their Grass 

Valley systems on an ongoing basis. 

I hear you will be exhibiting at CABSAT 

independently this year? Can you 

outline your plans? 

The Middle East is a key priority for Grass 

Valley. This will translate into increased 

activity in boosting awareness of our 

technology and a renewed focus on 

PROINTERVIEW 

customer satisfaction. In this market, 

being considered by our customers as a 

long term, reliable partner is as important 

as making sure our solutions address 

today—and tomorrow’s business needs. 

As we enter the market as different 

companies, we see CABSAT as the ideal 

venue to showcase our latest solutions in 

the � eld of broadcast production as well as 

delivering a clear message to the 

marketplace: Grass Valley is in the Middle 

East to stay and we mean business! 

Who is the internal point of contact 

moving forward? 

As we moved from an integrated entity 

into three separate companies, we took 

particular care in implementing a plan 

to ensure a smooth transition. In case a 

customer has any doubt, the historical 

account manager, regardless of which 

company they’ve joined, will always 

direct you to the relevant person to make 

sure your interests are taken care of. 

Otherwise, customers can contact me 

directly through BroadcastPro ME. 

“The Hejen Racing project, the largest camel-racing 

complex in Qatar, has upgraded its digital production 

control room with a full complement of video server 

technology from Grass Valley. The order includes a 

high-de� nition Grass Valley K2 Dyno Replay System, 

a K2 Summit MPEG-2 Field Upgrade Kit and a K2 

AppCenterPro server control software application.” 

January 2011 | www.broadcastprome.com | 

35

PROTRAINING 


Boosting 

regional talent 

Last month, acting and directing coach Miranda Davidson joined 

hands with Dubai Studio City and Bareface to host a series of talks for 

regional talent. Davidson shares her vision with BroadcastPro ME. 

What is the Miranda Davidson initiative? 

The Miranda Davidson Studios initiative is aimed 

at educating and cultivating the entertainment 

industry from a grassroots perspective from the 

ground up. I teach acting especially for film and 

television and I had invited an A-list teacher from 

Los Angles such as celebrity acting coach Michelle 

Danner and comedian/producer Ronnie Khalil to 

help assist me in bringing their knowledge and 

passion from a developed market like LA to help 

UAE learn and grow. At this event, we also had some 

regional experts like Tim Smythe from Filmworks, 

Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Al Janahi, DoP Harvey 

Glen and Rami Yasin from Imagenation. 

When did you launch this initiative? 

This initiative was unofficially launched in 

November 2009. It started with an idea and some 

brave people that shared my vision including 

Emirati filmmaker Nawaf Al Janahi. 

Michelle Danner, Bareface talent and now 

Studio City. It’s really all about collaboration 

with like minds. There is a big need for creative 

calibration and community. As Nawaf Al Janahi 

said at the event, we don’t have the human 

resources to make five movies at a time. We 

need to make a more aggressive and informed 

push to help teach and/or intrigue talented 

people with experience. It’s not a guessing 

game. There is a formula that works and instead 

of spending our budgets to show off other 

people’s work, let’s invest in creating our own. 

How does your service fill the gaps in the 

local production market? 

For production companies such as Alchemy, 

Filmworks, Imagenation as well as agencies such 

as Bareface, I service them by helping to bring a 

higher level of professionalism to their talent. 

The culture as far as entertainment is concerned 

is still young and a bit naïve here. The idea is 

to help bring up the calibre of the local talent 

market so productions don’t have to squeeze 

their budgets so tight by shipping in talent from 

overseas markets. On movies especially, hotel 

costs and flights quickly eat away at a film 

budget and if we can provide well trained local 

talent, that helps immensely. 

Was the event successful? 

We had around 150 people at the event. The 

outpouring of support and emails I received 

after the event was overwhelming. The 

gratefulness for helping spark interest and 

creative energy is something you cannot 

imagine. Passion is contagious and I believe 

anyone who lives here has a story to tell. Studio 

City has really taken a proactive stance to say 

they are part of this community and want to 

support this industry any way they can.

Tim Smythe, CEO of Filmworks. 

Who attended the event? 

We had producers, directors and writers but also 

families and kids who wanted to be a part of this. 

Having people like Tim Smythe, who have paved 

the way here, say “Hey, let’s stop talking about it 

and let’s do it” was important. 

Will we see more workshops and seminars? 

Yes, more workshops, seminars, guest speakers as 

well as free events revolving around cultivating 

the knowledge are in the offing. I host a nuts-andbolts 

acting 101 for actors and directors every 

month. I designed it because I realised some of 

what I grew up knowing as second nature was new 

here and so I took the more advanced concepts 

of script analysis and broke it down into a more 

streamlined process that is easy for people new 

to the industry to digest. I get lots of complaints 

from casting directors and production companies 

that the talent can’t act and/or don’t understand 

set edict. So I weave much of that into it as well. 

We had some showcase performances as well. 

They were students from my Scene Study course 

which is where the principles of the Acting 

Intensive course are applied to an actual scene 

from a movie or a play. 

We will host more guest coaches in Dubai. 

Michelle Danner had such a great time in Dubai 

last year so she is trying to find time from her 

busy schedule to come back this way — hopefully 

in spring. 

How can the corporate sector help support 

such initiatives? 

The small waves we have made were possible 

because of entities such as Studio City and 

Bareface but we do need more investment from 

the corporate side of Dubai in order to defray 

costs for the consumer. To leverage my 

relationships and bring over the calibre of 

talent for a length of time is expensive. Usually, 

we see talent come for a day or two, say their 

peace and leave. Studio City and I are working 

on creating events and seminars that are 

accessible for everyone. If we can leverage our 

demographic to help elevate other companies 

and be compensated either by capital or 

products and services, that will help the 

capacity in which we can service the industry. 

I see things as a win/win and that all business 

survives by co-oping costs and marketing 

initiatives. We have to invest in the future 

so we can have a future. PRO 

PROTRAINING 

Miranda Davidson. 

“I realised some of what I grew up knowing as 

second nature was new here and so I took the more 

advanced concepts of script analysis and broke it 

down into a more streamlined process that is easy for 

people new to the industry to digest.” 


PROTECH 

Encoding data into MXF files 

In the fi rst of two articles, Paul Turner highlights the role of Material eXchange 

format for interoperability in TV workfl ows 

Material eXchange Format (MXF) is 

becoming widely adopted as the format 

for fi le interchange and interoperability in 

TV workfl ows. MXF offers users signifi cant 

advantages in fi le-based operations 

because vital metadata is included with 

the fi le itself, reducing or sometimes 

eliminating the need to re-enter metadata 

at various stages in the workfl ow. There 

is a misconception that the information 

in an MXF fi le, which is made up of 

metadata and essence, is encoded in 

such a way as to render the information 

diffi cult to extract and unreadable 

by humans. This is not the case. 

At the lowest level, MXF does use some 

encapsulation techniques (wrapping) when 

encoding data into a fi le. However, these 

techniques in no way compromise the data 

elements themselves, which means that it’s 

possible to view and extract information 

using the most basic binary viewer. 

In order to monitor and analyse the 

health of any individual clip, engineers must 

fully understand the techniques involved in 

the creation and modifi cation of MXF fi les. 

Unfortunately, available texts designed to 

explain these techniques tend to be 

confusing. This paper details the various 

encoding technologies used in the creation 

of MXF fi les. These technologies are the 


ISO-IEC Basic Encoding Rules (BER) and 

the MXF Key-Length-Value (KLV) 

wrapping scheme. 

WHY MuST daTa BE WRappEd? 

The term “wrapper” is used extensively in 

the media industry when talking about 

media. Wrapping refers to the techniques 

that software uses to create containers 

that can hold items of data, and a wrapper 

encapsulates a single data source to make 

it usable in a more convenient fashion 

than the original unwrapped source. (By 

their nature, wrappers do not directly 

defi ne the format of the data contained 

within them; that’s usually constrained by 

some other specifi cations.) MXF is one of 

these wrapper formats. 

MXF fi les can be very big. It’s not 

unusual for a single video clip (with audio) 

to occupy several gigabytes of storage. As 

with all broadcast formats, the object with 

MXF wrapping is to make the decoding of 

these enormous fi les as simple as possible 

by putting more of the processing load on 

the encoder. Because there are likely to be 

many more decoders than encoders, it is 

desirable, from a system–level perspective, 

to make these decoders as inexpensive as 

possible for any given task. As material 

passes through the workfl ow to the 

consumer, different requirements apply to 

different tiers of decoders — ranging from 

decoders that simply synchronise and play 

the essence (video, audio and timecode) to 

those that allow applications to modify/edit 

the essence or interact with metadata 

embedded in the fi le. 

As a format, MXF is intended to fulfi ll 

the fi le access and transfer requirements 

for many workfl ows, from simple to 

complex. When the standards for MXF 

were fi rst being written, it was recognised 

that the complexity of MXF fi les could 

make it diffi cult for broadcasters to 

employ simple, inexpensive decoders. 

A simple decoder is unlikely to be able 

to deal with a very complex MXF fi le. The 

solution was to develop a scheme in which 

decoders could fi nd out very early in the 

process whether or not they could deal 

with a particular fi le. If not, then the 

decoder could produce an error code and 

move on to the next task. 

The same question of decoder 

sophistication applies for metadata. It can 

be argued that a simple playout decoder 

can probably ignore all but the most 

important structural elements contained in 

clip metadata. But, how does that encoder 

know whether or not any particular 

metadata item is important in a specifi c

in association with Axon, 

Thomson Video Networks 

and Tektronix 

Would like to thank everyone who 

attended the recent networking 

event held at the Jumeirah Emirates 

Towers hotel in Dubai. 

We hope you found the workshop 

sessions informative and enjoyable, 

and we look forward to seeing you 

all at CABSAT 2011.

PROTECH 

application and ignore the ones that aren’t? 

These considerations led to the creation of 

the Key-Length-Value wrapping scheme 

used in the MXF file format. KLV wrapping 

itself is dependent on some other work: It 

makes heavy use of ISO-IEC BER in 

formatting numerical data. So a full 

understanding of KLV wrapping begins 

with an examination of BER. 

ISO/IEC 8825-1: BER 

ISO/IEC 8825-1 is a 30-page international 

standards document that details the 

methods that can be used to pass data 

from one computer system to another. 

It actually covers the BER, Canonical 

Encoding Rules (CER) and Distinguished 

Encoding Rules (DER). MXF files only use 

BER, so this paper will ignore the others. 

BER defines an encoding method that 

first gives a piece of data a label (called an 

object identifier or “OID”) that tells the 

receiving computer what kind of data 

(integer number, real number, Boolean 

value, string, etc.) is being transmitted. 

The OID is followed by a length number 

that is equal to the number of bytes 

immediately following the length number. 

It is these subsequent bytes, called the 

“content bytes,” that usually make up the 

value of the item being transmitted. 

BER allows for “short” and “long” 

versions of the length. The simple form 

has the length specified by a single byte, 

whereas the long form can have the length 

defined by multiple bytes. For the short 

FIguRE 1: BER COdIng 

Identifier 

Byte 

Fig. 1 illustrates the structure of a BER-encoded value 

FIguRE 2: KLV COdIng 

Key 

(BER coded) 

Length Byte(s) Contents Bytes 

1-n Bytes 

Length 

(BER coded) 


form, the most significant byte (MSB) of 

the first (and only) byte is set to “0,” 

whereas for the long form, the MSB is set 

to “1,” and the remaining least significant 

bytes (LSBs) are used to indicate how 

many additional bytes are being used for 

the length value. Thus, a short-formencoded 

value is limited to a maximum 

payload of 127 bytes. 

This encoding scheme creates unique 

strings of bytes that may represent any 

kind of item — a name, a value, or even a 

string of individual bits to be used in some 

logical activity. The specifications for MXF 

use this coding methodology extensively 

and expand it for use in KLV coding. 

KLV WRappIng 

All data in an MXF file, including the 

essence, is KLV-wrapped. At first glance, 

KLV wrapping looks very much like BER 

encoding. At the 50,000-foot level, they 

use very similar structures to encode data. 

However, KLV wrapping offers a great deal 

more flexibility in the types of data that 

it can encode. Whereas BER is typically 

limited to the encoding of a single data 

item, KLV can be used to encode an 

entire set of data values. This capability 

allows KLV wrapping to encapsulate all 

of the parameters of an object — such as 

the metadata for a frame of video, which 

has height, width, and bit depth as its 

parameter set — into a single entity. 

The key is a SMPTE-specified 16-byte 

string that specifies exactly what kind of 

“Length” Bytes 

Value 

16 bytes 1-n Bytes “Length” Bytes 

Fig 2. shows the basic structure of a KLV-wrapped piece of data. Compared to Fig.1, its major difference 

(at least superficially) is that the single byte OID is replaced with a 16-byte key. 

data is being carried in the KLV triplet, 

and it always starts with 0x06, 0x0E, 

0x2B, or 0x34. Software decoders can look 

for this pattern to determine the start of 

any KLV triplet. The remaining 12 bytes 

make up the detail of the label itself. 

Finding the meaning of the label requires 

a dictionary/registry, against which the 

rest of the label is compared. Bytes 5, 6, 7 

and 8 of the UL are used to indicate which 

type of reference document to look for 

(and which version of it applies), and this 

is either a dictionary of metadata terms 

(SMPTE RP 210) or a dictionary of labels 

(SMPTE RP 224). 

For KLV wrapping, the length value 

performs the same function as the length 

byte(s) in the BER. This value is itself 

BER-coded, but the specification 

mandates that the length can never be 

more than nine bytes in size (which means 

eight bytes of payload length). In most 

cases, real-world MXF files use four or 

eight bytes to define the size. 

The last part of the structure is the 

value. This is where the actual data is 

placed, and it is inserted exactly as it 

appears in its original form, in byte order. 

There is no additional processing applied 

to the data bytes themselves. 

This method of wrapping metadata and 

essence within MXF files provides 

decoders of all types — from the simplest 

to the most sophisticated — with the 

information they need to handle video files 

appropriately. As a result, broadcasters 

can select and deploy decoders across 

their operations as cost effectively as 

possible, investing in just the functionality 

required at specific points within the 

overall workflow. 

The next installment in this series will 

cover the use of packs and sets to improve 

the efficiency of KLV coding. PRO 

Paul Turner is VP of 

Broadcast Market 

Development at Omneon.

PROCABSAT 

CABSAT 2011 

GLOBAL VSAT FORUM 

As part of the CABSAT Academy at 

CABSAT & Satellite MENA 2011, the 

GVF Satellite Summit that is organised 

in collaboration with the Global VSAT 

Forum, will take place on February 9 

and 10. 

The forum will tackle business 

and technical issues, including the 

developing regulatory landscape, 

disaster recovery and the practical 

issues around hybrid broadband and 

broadcast services. The event will 

cover “New Drivers, New Dynamics: 

MENA Communications Markets, 

Applications & Technologies” on 

February 9 and GVF MENASAT “Case 

Studies’ Portfolio” on February 10. 

CABSAT will also host a dedicated 

Broadcast Conference on February 

8 and 9. Each session will focus on 

a particular aspect of the broadcast 

industry including: Tools and 

Technologies for Content Creation in 

the Middle East, Managing Content and 


Broadcast Workflows, Content Delivery 

Options “from aggregator to audience” 

and the “Best of IBC 2010” – a selection 

of some of the most popular papers 

from the IBC Broadcast Conference. 

In addition to the conferences, visitors 

will have the chance to participate in 

vendor presentations and tutorials 

where CABSAT & Satellite MENA 

exhibitors will be providing information 

on their latest products and services. 

During CABSAT & Satellite MENA, 

twofour54 tadreeb will also be offering 

a series of free one-hour workshops in 

conjunction with industry leaders such 

as BBC and INA. Global experts in the 

fields of broadcast technology and digital 

archiving will share their knowledge and 

experience with visitors to the CABSAT 

Academy over the three day event. 

Satellite MENA, alongside CABSAT 

runs from February 8 to 10 at the Sheikh 

Saeed Halls of the Dubai International 

Convention and Exhibition Centre. 

Argosy to demo CAlibre 

UK’s solUtions At CAbsAt 

Calibre UK has appointed Argosy to 

distribute its HQView, PremierViewPro 

and VideoExcel ranges of image 

processing, scaling and warping 

products to the EMEA broadcast 

and production communities. 

Pauline Brooksbank, managing 

director, Calibre UK stated that 

Argosy was “an ideal fit for Calibre 

UK’s plans for growth in the EMEA 

markets”. “Our products complement 

the already specialist ranges of 

broadcast and studio infrastructure 

products that Argosy distributes,” 

she stated. 

Systems integrators can purchase 

a variety of cabling, connectivity 

solutions, equipment racking, cable 

management & patching equipment 

from Argosy and the company provides 

support and assistance for partners 

and their installations worldwide. 

“Argosy will start the ball rolling 

firstly in the Middle Eastern market 

with the first ever public demonstration 

of Calibre UK’s VideoExcel range at 

CABSAT, and this relationship will then 

roll out to cover EMEA,” Mike Purnell, 

director at Argosy stated. 

“The Calibre UK products are a 

natural extension to Argosy’s existing 

product line for the broadcast market. 

We like to work closely with 

manufacturing partners to support and 

provide the best level of technology 

to the market and we see that Calibre 

UK are able to work with us a true 

‘value add’ partner. Argosy are also 

looking to further expand its business 

into the corporate AV markets in 

future and Calibre UK are a perfect 

fit for this arena.” 

Industry Fact 

The satellite capacity leasing market has been 

growing at an annual rate of 4.2% globally with 

annual revenues for this segment to exceed 

US $650 million by 2018. The MENA region 

is predicted to see the largest FSS Ka-band 

demand in the world over the next two years. 

Source: Northern Sky Research

At Harris, we’re delivering the future today. 

For nearly a century, Harris has pioneered the technologies that drive the world’s leading television and radio broadcast operations. 

Today, Harris is the industry’s total communications leader — uniquely merging traditional broadcast and IT systems with powerful 

media software to streamline your current workflow and unlock all-new markets such as 3DTV, Mobile DTV, digital radio and 

out-of-home advertising. 

Where are we headed tomorrow? Wherever you and your audience want to go. 

To learn more, please visit us at www.broadcast.harris.com. 

Europe 

+44 118 964 8200 

Sales.Europe@Harris.com 

Middle East 

+971 4 433 8250 

Sales.MiddleEast@Harris.com

PROCABSAT 

tsl At CAbsAt 2011 

TSL management will be at 

CABSAT to discuss some of its 

success stories such as First 

Media Dubai, CNBC Pakistan, 

MediaCity UK, TVNZ New 

Zealand, ESPN STAR Sports 

Singapore and many others that 

illustrate how TSL’s expertise and 

experience can be applied in 

order to assist broadcasters in 

developing systems technology 

that is specifically tailored to their 

individual business. 

Alongside its integration 

capabilities, TSL will also focus on 

its professional audio monitoring 

and power management 

solutions. TSL’s PAM2-3G16 is 

a professional, multi-standard, 

multi-format audio monitor that 

simplifies multichannel audio 

monitoring via preset menus 

and shortcut keys for rapid 

and intuitive access to critical 

elements of complex broadcast 

audio systems. 

The PAM2-3G16 has been 

upgraded with state-of-theart 

loudness measurement 

capabilities; a user-assignable 

input matrix for non-SMPTE 

channel order; lip sync audio 

delay capabilities; and advanced 

data reporting. 

TSL’s range of Power 

Distribution Units (PDU’s) will 

also be showcased. To take 

full advantage of the extensive 

functionality of TSL’s PDU 

products, TSL has developed 

PsiMon, an SQL server-based 

system and a dashboard display 

that provides comprehensive, 

future-proof monitoring and 

control of all TSL’s PDU products. 

PsiMon features include ultrafast 

fault finding, where a single 

click advances the user straight 

to where the problem lies; highly 

accurate numerical readings 

for actual parameter values; 

the ability to view Power Factor 

as well as voltage, current and 

temperature; real-time alarm 

status monitoring; and up-todate 

analysis of hundreds of 

mains distribution units from a 

single application. 


Volicon Observer Pro 

Video monitoring and logging solutions 

provider Volicon’s Observer Professional 

will have its Middle East debut at 

CABSAT. Based on Microsoft Silverlight, 

the Observer Professional includes an 

intuitive, streamlined user interface for 

both Mac and PC platforms that supports 

Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, 

and Firefox browsers, as well as integrated 

export functionality to H.264, Flash, 

MPEG-2, or MPEG-4. The system includes 

improved streaming capabilities and gives 

users the flexibility to export video files 

in .ASF (WM9), H.264, Flash, MPEG-2, or 

MPEG-4 formats. By employing Silverlight 

for the Observer Pro, Volicon has gained 

access to a wide array of building blocks, 

which Volicon engineering and product 

design teams can quickly customise in 

response to prioritised customer feedback 

and requirements. 

Version 5.5 of the Observer Remote 

Program Monitor (RPM) will also be 

showcased. This solution specifically 

addresses the effective management of 

large-scale installations with the new 

Element Management Services (EMS) 

module, which enables centralized 

configuration and alert management of 

multiple probes in a large operation. RPM 

5.5 also includes significant enhancements 

to the Interactive Services Module 

(ISM), which enables users to reliably 

test complex on-demand or interactive 

services using pattern matching, advanced 

decision-making, and improved qualityof-experience 

detectors. The ISM now 

includes an Interactive Services Wizard, 

a desktop application for developing 

reliable interactive services scripts, and a 

module that enables the ISM’s operation 

on every encoder in the operation.

AXON 

glue and beyond 

Committed. 

3D signal processing 

Axon also provides modular solutions for 3D-TV: the G3D100 (3Gbps version, 

also available in HD version: H3D100). This product, part of the Synapse family is a 

pragmatic toolbox for customers that are involved in 3D production and need to 

monitor, process and transmit stereoscopic images. 

So, when you become involved in 3D production, select Axon as your technology 

partner and you will be in good company. Many major broadcast companies have 

made the same choice, and they also discovered that Axon is really all about 

‘glue and beyond’. www.axon.tv/G3D100

PROCABSAT 

Thomson 

Video Networks 

Thomson Video Networks will be coming 

as a new and separate entity to CABSAT 

this year. The company will showcase its 

portfolio of video compression solutions 

that enable operators to deliver highquality 

video services to TVs, PCs, and 

mobile devices. 

The ViBE EM3000 HD encoder now 

features advanced 3D functionality 

and also boasts an additional 

general compression performance 

gain of 15 percent. The upgraded 

ViBE video compression range is 

already on the air, broadcasting 

pan-European sports content. 

The most important of the portfolio will 

include ViBE EM1000/EM2000 encoders, 

ViBE Mobile TV encoder, and 3D and 

3G contribution solutions. The ViBE 

EM1000 and ViBE EM2000 encoders 

now support MPEG-2/4 compressed 

input, providing the ability to re-encode 

signals received on ASI or IP. With this 

option, the ViBE EM1000 and EM2000 

become the metaphorical Swiss Army 

Knife, giving broadcasters the ability 

to reduce infrastructure costs on the 

path to a full IP architecture with no 

CABSAT 8 - 10 Feb 2011 

Venue: Sheikh Saeed Halls, Dubai International Convention and Exhibition Centre 

HigHligHts At CAbsAt 

3D/HD chill out Zone 

Twofour54 master classes and 

interactive workshops 

Special OB showcase 

Creatasphere Interactive 

Camera Workshop featuring live 

tutorial sessions on HD and 3D 

broadcast camera technology 

and techniques with RED 

Camera, 3ality and others 

Broadcast Conference organised 

by MECIA in conjunction with 

IABM and ABU, featuring a series 


compromise on picture quality. Built-in 

DVB subtitle transcoding capabilities are 

also now offered in the ViBE EM1000 and 

ViBE EM2000 encoders. This new DVB 

subtitle software license, based on Cavena 

technology, simplifies the management of 

DVB subtitle redundancy and saves space 

by avoiding external subtitling equipment. 

Next on the demo rack will be the 

cost-effective ViBE Mobile TV encoder 

for MPEG-4/H.264 video compression 

and HE-AAC audio compression, 

which features scalable video coding 

(SVC) as well as a unique region of 

interest (ROI) encoding system. 

Thomson Video Networks will also 

showcase its 3D innovations with the 

ViBE EM3000 HD encoder, which now 

ensures that 3D shoots are encapsulated 

in a single stream, delivered in perfect 

synchronisation, and feature highquality 

video quality. The company will 

also spotlight the ViBE VA5004 codec, 

which comprises a state-of-art JPEG 

2000 compression engine, making it 

an ideal codec for high-quality SD, 

HD, and 3D contribution transmission 

over telecommunication links. 

of “Best of IBC 2010” keynotes 

(AED 300 per session before 

February 1 and AED 350 per 

session onsite) 

GVF Satellite Summit organised 

by Global VSAT Forum 

(Free to Attend). 

televes HeAds to dUbAi 

Spanish company Televes Middle 

East FZE will present several new 

products at CABSAT including its new 

modular headends for RF networks 

T0X – DVBS2-COFDM, DVBS2-QAM, 

QPSK-PAL, A/V to COFDM; its new 

DTKOM range of amplifiers, its full 

range of products for fibre network 

distribution, its broadcasting range for 

DTT transmissions and more. Televes 

has had a lot of success with its IPTV 

solution in the MENA region and will 

showcase some of its success at the 

show. The company will also unveil 

solutions for digital signage and highspeed 

internet access (HSIA) as well 

as the brand new Televes IPTV STB 

manufactured in the company’s main 

factory in Spain. 

“As the technology and market 

demands progress, Televes Corporation 

aims to show at our stand our 

commitment to provide all our 

customers with the full range of 

products to satisfy all the network and 

installation demands in this competitive 

market,” commented David Goldar, 

managing director at Televes.

PROGUEST 

Unravelling the mystery of IPTV 

The term IPTV has come to denote 

many variations of technology these 

days and it can be difficult to pin 

down what people mean when they 

use this term. I’m sure every reader will 

have had a similar experience and I’m 

equally sure that everyone knows that the 

term IP in this context refers to a form of 

computer communications technology. 

So is IPTV merely an alternative 

mechanism to the traditional broadcast 

method of delivering programmes? In the 

UK, the cable service delivers multiple 

broadcast channels in real time to my set 

top box via an IP process, but is that really 

IPTV? When people use computers to 

watch TV content online, we refer to this as 

delivery via the web, but is this really IPTV? 

Although all of these descriptions 

are right in some way, a more common 

definition may emerge when consumer 

equipment carries the label ’IPTV ready’. 

Interestingly, consumer equipment 

manufacturers are offering ’web-enabled’ 

TV sets or STBs with an Ethernet port 

sitting alongside a host of other connectors. 

Some also offer ’walled garden’ websites 

containing content that can be streamed 

directly or downloaded to the hard 

disc in the device — now an essential 

component of the viewing experience. 

For the viewer, IPTV probably denotes 

the content offering being available through 

the range of devices they use every day 

(TV, PC, laptop, tablet, Smartphone etc). 

Broadcasters and platform operators are 

aware that loyalty is key if revenues are to 

grow. It is technically possible these days for 

platform subscribers to watch highlights of 

a future show that have been sent to their 

48 

| www.broadcastprome.com | January 2011 

In the long run, one can envisage a situation where 

people will access a number of content services delivered 

via alternative methods, each offering a slightly different 

viewer experience and all made available to any device 

in their ‘fast broadband and wi-fi networked’ home 

Smartphones through the internet and then, 

via SMS or e-mail, send a command back to 

the platform to instruct a device at home to 

record the actual show when it is broadcast. 

If the home device is ’web-enabled’, 

statistics on which programmes have been 

watched can be sent back to the operator. 

As the audience increasingly consumes 

content that has been downloaded to 

disk in non-real time, multiple targeted 

advertising opportunities open up. Here, 

significant parts of the viewer experience 

will have become possible through the 

use of so-called IPTV but it has not been 

necessary to use the acronym at all — 

because to the viewer, it’s irrelevant. 

In the long run, one can envisage a 

situation where people will access a 

number of content services delivered 

via alternative methods, each offering a 

slightly different viewer experience and all 

made available to any device in their ‘fast 

broadband and wi-fi networked’ home. 

Therefore, while the concept of IPTV still 

exists, it will be invisible except, that is, 

for the ’IPTV-ready’ label on the device. 

In this case, the most significant issue 

for the technology and viewer may be 

’channel change time’ on the TV. For 

example, if a viewer can receive platform 

A (delivered via satellite), platform B 

(delivered through fast broadband) and 

platform C (terrestrial), the operating 

system in the set will know that and must 

be equipped with appropriate middleware 

and enough processing horsepower to 

reduce the channel change time between 

platforms to an absolute minimum. 

However, this scenario has to prove 

itself as commercially viable and attractive 

for many reasons, not least of which are 

the market dynamics of television set 

purchasing. We also have the influence of 

HDTV and 3D to consider, not mentioning 

the issues related to copyright protection 

and the DRM solution but these are out 

of scope of this article. My point is that it’s 

not specifically an IPTV issue as such. 

For now, the definition of IPTV that 

most viewers would recognise is watching 

television on the web. Broadcasters are 

reacting to this in many ways but they 

are all looking at it from the content 

perspective and not a technology one. 

Some are just making their archive 

available through a website. Increasingly, 

however, others are producing content 

specifically for computer-based viewing, 

and programmes made for a one-hour 

broadcast slot will have additional material 

posted on the web for viewers to follow up. 

In this case, there may be links to other 

websites where there’s more information 

and e-commerce opportunities. 

It is the ability of IPTV to deliver more 

than just one-way or interactive television 

as part of the user experience and the 

general business model that makes it unique 

and why different definitions exist today. 

As the technology becomes ever more 

powerful and inexpensive, IPTV will evolve 

in parallel and the industry will use it as an 

essential way of producing and delivering a 

much richer viewer experience that keeps 

an audience engaged – especially as the 

“high tech’ devices they use become an 

indispensible part of their daily lives. PRO 

Bob Gentry is managing partner of Marquis Consulting.

KP 12 CLD 

12-position color display keypanel 

The revolutionary KP 12 CLD from RTS introduces several 

new features designed to enhance capability and ease of 

use. The intuitive graphic interface is housed inside two 

full-color LCD displays. 

The front panel also features conveniences such as a userprogrammable 

buttons, one-touch listen volume adjustment 

on each of the 14 new multifunction keys, and a backlit 

keypad. In addition, the KP 12 CLD can be ordered with the 

new KP 12 CLD rear connector module or/and our sophisticated 

RVON-2 VOIP module. Like all RTS products, the KP 12 CLD 

is designed with expansion in mind. The front-mounted USB 

port and modular rear panel allow for future upgrades that 

will keep the KP 12 CLD on the forefront of technology for 

years to come. 

Innovating the Future of Global Communications 

Bosch Communications Systems · Headquarter Europe, Middle-East & Africa 

EVI Audio GmbH · Sachsenring 60 · 94315 Straubing · Germany · Phone: +49 9421 706-0 · www.rtsintercoms.com 

UAE: Robert Bosch Middle East FZE, Phone: +971 42123-363

cabsat - Broadcastpro Middle East

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