In Broadcast - May 2013 - 28

I N T E R N A T I O N A L

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 19 - MAY 2013

N E W S

InREPLY

International Success For ATG Broadcast
ATG Broadcast’s Head of Sales & Marketing, Tim Felstead, ﬁelds our questions on broadcast
infrastructure, ﬁle-based content management and systems integration…

Tim
Felstead
ATG

InBroadcast: What criteria does
the market use to make decisions
for your services?
T i m F e l s t e a d : B ro a d c a s t
infrastructure is migrating increasingly
from dedicated hardware to softwarebased products running on standard
computer platforms. They see this,
quite rightly, as delivering the best
possible return on investment in
today’s IT-centric world. But they
also need experienced technology
managers to integrate these
various elements into an efﬁcient,
reliable and expandable system.
ATG Broadcast pioneered the
advance into file-based content
management some 15 years
ago, making full use of IT-based
technology whenever possible in the
systems we design. The majority of
our customers come to us knowing
we have the proven experience
necessary to ensure the seamless
uniﬁcation of hardware and software
from multiple sources.
InB: Which territories are showing
particular activity?
TF: We are currently working on a
DTT multiplex system as part of the
extension of terrestrial digital video
broadcasting services for a major
European transmission service
organisation. Recently completed
projects include a networked
ENPS newsroom for South African
Broadcasting Corporation. With
1,100 user licences, this is the

world’s ﬁfth largest of its kind. Its
primary role will be to prepare
content for all SABC television and
radio news operations, including
regional stations and international
bureaux. The core installation is
located in SABC’s headquarters
at Auckland Park, Johannesburg.
In Sweden, we recently
completed playout facilities
for the new HD2 Sports highdeﬁnition channel at the Stockholm
headquarters of TV4 Sweden.
And in Iceland, we expanded
the playout system at the
Icelandic Broadcasting Service’s
Reykjavik transmission centre.
Nearer home, we completed
a major project for Associated
Press (AP) in London and a
broadcast-quality insert studio for
an international financial service
organisation at Canary Wharf.
InB: Any innovations ahead that
you can discuss?
TF: The whole industry is watching
and waiting to see what will happen
to television display resolution.
Standard deﬁnition is perfectly good
for screen sizes of up to 40 inches
diagonal at normal viewing distance
but consumer display manufacturers
want to promote bigger screens to
maintain their sales volume, hence
the push for 4K. 1080-line HD
production equipment was expensive
in the early days but prices eventually
came down to levels that production
companies and broadcasters could
afford. We can work to any resolution,
2D or 3D, including 8K if that ever
takes off.
InB: Give some examples of your
services in action
TF: AP is upgrading its global
newsgathering infrastructure to HD.

A key element
in the transition
was
the
construction
of a new highdefinition
master control
room at AP’s
L o n d o n
premises. The HD MCR installed by ATG Broadcast at AP’s global video
MCR is the hub in London
international hub of AP’s global video
cabled to allow future expansion
operation, serving client broadcasters
to 1080p. Newly integrated
on a round-the-clock basis every
equipment included Miranda up/
day of the year. ATG Broadcast
down converters for incoming lines,
was chosen as systems integrator
a Harmonic high-deﬁnition video
on the basis of its successful track
server, Miranda Imagestore master
record in designing and integrating
control switching, Cavena subtitling,
comparable systems for major
Harris multi-rate routing, expanded
broadcasters in many countries.
Snell transmission matrices, Evertz
An important requirement was the
multiviewer cards and Axon glue.
need to control existing SD services
The entire project was completed
alongside the new expanding HD
within a week of commencement.
activity as well as dealing with any
Midsummer we completed an
necessary conversions between the
expanded playout system for the
two. The system is closely linked
Icelandic Broadcasting Service,
to AP’S automation and asset
RUV. Two new 1080i high-deﬁnition
management system for recording
channels, TX2 and TX3, have
been integrated at the network’s
incoming content to the video server.
We have worked with Swedish
headquarters in Efstaleiti, Reykjavik.
broadcaster TV4 and its transmission
RUV chose ATG Broadcast to
partner Ericsson Broadcasting
integrate its 625-line playout system
some years ago and was keen to
Services over many years during
the network’s transition to an ITmaintain continuity with the same
based production and playout
engineering team. Each of the two
workﬂow. During the summer of
new HD channels is equipped with
a Snell Integrated Content Engine
2012, we integrated a second
high-deﬁnition sports channel for
plus a Morpheus automated
TV4. The contract provided playout
routing control system. A new
facilities for the SportXtra HD channel
monitor wall has been constructed
which gave TV4 additional editorial
in the transmission suite. An Axon
capacity to focus on major events.
multiviewer system together with
The new channel was completed on
Genelec audio monitors have
schedule and went on air in time
also been incorporated to provide
to allow expanded coverage of the
monitoring for all three channels.
European Football Championship.
The SportXtra playout system is fully
InB: Thank you for taking timeout
to answer our questions.
equipped for 1080i operation and

Level Magic II - Managed Loudness.

EBU R128
ITU.1770-1/-2/-3
ATSC A/85
ARIB TR-B32

/jungeraudio

raudio

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In Broadcast - May 2013

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