Recent Content

Checking the quality of digital media streams

Standards Don’t Answer all the T&M Questions August 13th 2015 - 12:09 PM

Without standards, the world would be a very difficult place to live in. There are many kinds of standards that affect almost every aspect of live – technology is just one of those areas. We can consider language as a kind of standard that allows people in one part of the world to communicate with each other. International finance uses standardised methods of accounting to try to provide a consistent framework for doing business. Currency itself is a symbolic representation of value that we use as a standard for exchange of goods and services.

So we need standards to get on with our daily lives. In our industry and many others, technological development is not regulated or centrally organised; it takes place in a free-for-all where commercial realities hold sway. But in order to build workable infrastructure for a national or international cellular phone system or a broadcasting network, these commercial interests have to be tempered by some kind of framework that allows competing energies to be channeled in roughly the same direction.

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Applied Technology: IP-based Networks for Outside Broadcasting August 12th 2015 - 01:55 PM

The outside broadcast (OB) truck is a microcosm of a studio control room. Placed in any number of settings, from theater productions and sporting events, to one-off concerts and festivals, OB trucks play a crucial role in delivering up to the minute, high quality content.

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Netflix is one of the few networks offering 4K content.

4K Status: Production Yes—Delivery No August 11th 2015 - 12:05 PM

For all of last year’s talk about distributing 4K television to home viewers, there has been little real progress on making it a reality. The only place 4K technology is being used regularly is in some sports production and in the making of premium television programming.

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Myth and Reality of Auto-Correction in File-Based Workflows August 6th 2015 - 03:39 PM

File-based workflows are ubiquitous in the broadcast world today. The file-based flow has brought enormous efficiencies and made adoption of emerging technologies like Adaptive Bit-Rate (ABR), 4K, UHD, and beyond possible. Multiple delivery formats are now possible because of file-based workflows and its integration with traditional IT infrastructure. However, the adoption of file-based flows comes with its own set of challenges. The first one, of course, is - does my file have the right media, in the right format and without artifacts?

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​In Remote Control - Making the Case for Collaborative Media August 6th 2015 - 12:30 PM

How collaborative media platforms can help the broadcast industry win the war for talent.

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Pronology

​MAM is Alive and Kicking… August 5th 2015 - 11:00 AM

In response to our series of commentaries questioning the future of the current generation of asset management technologies, we have had a response from Pronoloy, a vendor with a different perspective. It says reports of MAM’s death are greatly exaggerated.

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Media organizations increasingly rely on LTO 6 technology for backup.  This LTO 6 tape can store 6.25TB of data.

Storing Data for the Ages August 4th 2015 - 10:03 AM

The differences in archive and backup technologies are significant. Be sure you know which solution you really need.

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Between broadcast and studios, IP is the standard connection method. Why not within studios also? Image courtesy HD Broadcast Arizona.

Live Video Over IP: More Confusion Than Clarity August 4th 2015 - 08:01 AM

Just when I thought it was going to be safe to go in the water, out comes a survey and a statement that Live over IP is still 5 to 10 years away. Really?

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