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Last time, we talked about the history that created modern digital cinema technology, and particularly the factors which lead to the modern push for ever larger sensors. It’s been going on in some form for twenty years, to the point that we’re now asking for bigger imagers than cinema has ever commonly used, achieving more resolution than cinema commonly achieved, with greater sensitivity than was ever available to directors of photography in the twentieth century. To get that we’re tolerating all kinds of inconveniences in terms of the lenses we must use and the light levels, or sheer accomplishment in focus pulling, that big chips tend to demand.
It’s not controversial to say that film production in London has been booming for a few years, and there’s no real secret as to why: in 2006, Gordon Brown’s government introduced tax incentives that have played at least a part in provoking a doubling of production spend since 2009, and the post-financial crash and post-Brexit-referendum state of the pound has probably helped too. There are all kinds of arguments to be made about whether tax incentives for film production actually represent public funding of private enterprise, and whether they drive a race to the bottom in which various jurisdictions vie with each other to give away the largest amount of potential public money.
Broadcast control systems have become a necessity to provide a unified and efficient user experience in a notoriously fast-paced environment involving IP edge devices and network infrastructures; baseband video routers and switchers; audio routers and mixing consoles; multiviewers; intercom systems, etc. Which system qualifies as the definitive “broadcast whisperer”?
HDR is taking the broadcasting world by storm. The combination of a greater dynamic range and wider color gamut is delivering images that truly bring the immersive experience to home viewers. Vibrant colors and detailed specular highlights build a kind of realism into broadcast productions that our predecessors could only have ever dreamed of.
Our auditory system is incredibly sensitive to the smallest sound distortion or discontinuity. Even the slightest audio pop, stutter, or level clip grabs our attention and distracts us from the television or radio program. Consequently, vendors working in the audio space, especially in IP, have spent years refining their Audio over IP solutions to make the sound clear and distortion free, as well as easy to use.
Latency is the millisecond delay between the time an audio signal enters an electronic system and when it emerges. Though a simple concept to understand, latency can play havoc in a range of audio applications, including well-known issues in live broadcasting.
One of the key issues is making sure you are ready for the job. The old Boy Scout motto — Be Prepared — is essential. This means learn in advance where the recording will occur and determine if there are any unique issues at the venue. Then take the right equipment to the location site. It might sound elementary, but many a recording has been tripped up due to not bringing all the necessary gear.
Professional audio production has turned into an endlessly complex place where what was valid in the past is no longer true today. Powerful tools abound to fix anything in audio, but having a light touch is essential to truly good sound.
