4K imagery has become the quality standard for many broadcast applications. A key requirement is that the transmission links be of sufficient bandwidth. Links using H.264 can be overwhelmed by the much higher bandwidth requirements of 4K video. HEVC is often the better solution. How does it work and what are some benefits?
In the five months since The Broadcast Bridge published Frank Beacham’s article discussing Using the iPhone for Professional Video there have been many world events that offered ideal opportunities to cover events with smartphones rather than traditional ENG camcorders. Opportunities where the camera or camera/newscaster would have been far safer shooting with a cellphone.
Apple’s iPhone has been with us for ten years now and the onboard cameras for each generation have gotten incrementally better. Some broadcasters began using iPhones to shoot video for television news several years ago. However, with the latest generation, the image quality has gotten so good that the all-iPhone television news operation now makes a lot of economic sense.
In the world of video production, change in data storage comes so fast it is often out of sight, out of mind. For some applications, we have switched in the past few years from hard drives to flash memory. Each new model of gear we buy — whether cameras or editing — accommodates faster formats and generates ever larger files. Where is storage heading?
Live TV is a like a magic act. It works best when the audience can’t see what’s really happening.
Few devices in professional audio evoke as much emotional attachment as microphones. Many of us grow up (and older) with favorite mics and refuse to give them up — even after they are past their useful lives. So the question is often asked, can a microphone’s magic be revived with a modern clone of the original?
With each new technology transition—from SD to HD to 4K— remote production truck companies in the U.S. have been at the forefront, providing clients with the latest production tools to expand their production capabilities and make live sports and entertainment telecasts the best they can be.
Since the earliest days of television, sound has played second fiddle to video. Only at the highest level of television production has audio been treated with great care. With local production, viewers are still lucky to get basic stereo audio.
