In Broadcast - May 2014 - 32

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

WWW.INBROADCAST.COM | ISSUE 31 - MAY 2014

N E W S

InGEAR

Alpha Grip Camera Support Success
A

lpha Grip, based at Shepperton
Studios, continues to supply
the most advanced in camera
supports, from camera pursuit
vehicles to the latest in shock
absorbers.
The newest and most impressive
camera car to be produced is the
Alpha Scorpio Arm. Unlike the
"Russian Arm", the Alpha Scorpio
Arm is unique in that it allows a
complete 360˚ rotation in less than
5.5 seconds. Mounted on a V10 VW
Touareg, the car is fully loaded with
the latest in recording systems and

32

kitted out to the highest of safety
standards. Also to join the stable
of camera support vehicles is the
multi-purpose 4x4 all terrain, The
Scarab. Designed to carry any crane
including the heavy MovieBird 44
and SuperTechno 50, its onboard
3kw generator offers constant power
to the crane and remote head.
Alpha Grip has a range of AntiVibration Systems to ensure the
camera remains stabilised whether
ﬁlming takes you across uneven
roads at high speed or over rough
terrain. The Large and Small Vertical
Shock Absorbers can be
used with remote heads
to reduce vibrations;
the Rotary Damper
increases the efﬁciency
of stabilised remote
heads while the Vibration
Isolator is designed to
assist with removing
camera shake.
Designed in-house,
the Alpha Multi Rig Kit
is a comprehensive
package of clamps,
spigots,
mounts
and tubing allowing
for infinite rigging
possibilities, including
boats, quad bikes,
sledges, carriages -
anywhere that size and
space is a concern.
Speciﬁcally created for
use with all cameras,
Designed in-house, the Alpha Multi Rig Kit

The Alpha Scarab multi-purpose 4x4 all terrain vehicle

with extra ﬁttings for DSLR and
lightweight cameras.
Also originating from the Alpha
Grip technical team is the Alpha
Body Rig. Easy to set up and
comfortable to wear, it enables
unique and dynamic shots to be
captured by attaching the camera
to the person. Made of high strength
aluminium, the vest and camera
support can be hidden by wardrobe,
making it very versatile.

Alpha Grip stocks an impressive
range of other camera supports:
Telescopic and modular camera
cranes, jib arms, remote heads,
dollies, track, tripods and
accessories. The Alpha Grip
technicians are some of the best
in the business and have the
knowledge and expertise to create
bespoke pieces of equipment to
help you achieve that perfect shot.

Contemporary Research Preview's QMOD-SDI 2
ontemporar y Research
previewed its new QMOD-SDI
2 HD Modulator/IPTV Encoder at
this year's NAB Show.
Introduced at the 2009 NAB Show,
the original QMOD-SDI dramatically
reduced the cost of distributing HDSDI over RF coax.
"The revolution continues with the
QMOD-SDI 2, which has the ability
to deliver two HD-SDI streams over
RF and IPTV. It retails for nearly half
the cost per channel of the original
QMOD-SDI," says Contemporary
Research President Scott Hetzler.
The heart of the technology
shift is a totally new dual-channel
encoder that also adds new
capabilities to the QMOD product

C

QMOD-SDI2 Front view

line. Integral scaling can accept 3G
SDI, 59.94/60 Hz video as well as
international 50 and 25 Hz formats.
An optional upgrade key adds the
ability to cross-convert resolutions,
such as scaling all input formats to
720p or 1080i.
Embedded or SPDIF AC-3 audio
will pass through to the channel, and
stereo AES, PCM or analogue audio
will be converted to stereo AC-3. In
addition, encoding supports duallanguage audio channels.
Embedded 608/708 captioning
is added to the encoding, as well
as Line 21 data on the unit's dual
Composite/CC inputs. Each of the
two SDI inputs is matched by coax
SPIDF and analogue stereo audio

inputs, so that audio can be added
when it's not embedded.
In a novel innovation, the QMODSDI2 can send the encoder's
dual-program MPEG-2 Transport
Stream over RF as a QAM channel
and/or over Ethernet as an IPTV
stream - multicast or unicast. In
the future, the encoder can be
updated for MPEG4 or other
standards as they arise. The unit's
1G IP port also supports onboard
Web pages, setup, monitoring and
ﬁrmware updates.
"Change creates new demands
and opportunities. Once you start a
revolution, you have to start thinking
about what's trending now and
in the future.

QMOD-SDI2 Back view

"For us, that next revolution is
triggered by a totally new solution
for encoding; dual channels to
reduce distribution costs, integral
scaling to fix feeds that aren't
exactly perfect, and expanding
opportunities for both RF and IP
applications. It is ﬁtting that the next
step again begins at the NAB Show,"
Hetzler stated.
Contemporary Research
designs and creates solutions for
an HDTV world, offering cuttingedge, professional quality QMOD
HD Modulator-IPTV Encoders,
HDTV display control systems,
and fully controllable ATSC/NTSC/
QAM tuners.

http://www.linkedin.com/pub/dir/?first=Phillip&last=Izzard&search=Go https://twitter.com/inbroadcast http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpzEatLsHdE&feature=youtube_gdata_player https://www.facebook.com/InBroadcast http://itunes.apple.com/gb/app/inbroadcast/id468652679?mt=8 https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.branded.inbroadcast&feature=search_result#?t=W251bGwsMSwyLDEsImNvbS5icmFuZGVkLmluYnJvYWRjYXN0Il0. http://WWW.INBROADCAST.COM http://www.alphagrip.co.uk/#/scarab/4574592153 http://www.alphagrip.co.uk/#/rig-kits/4583930457 http://contemporaryresearch.com/products/product_files/downloads/QMOD-SDI2_DS.pdf http://contemporaryresearch.com/products/product_files/downloads/QMOD-SDI2_DS.pdf

In Broadcast - May 2014

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