In Broadcast - April 2016 - 56


56

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 6 - Issue 4 | April 2016

InStudio

Playout Heads Towards The Cloud
in a box and broadcasters discovered
that, while it may be useful for
implementing straightforward, simple
channels, once they required anything
different for more complex channels
then the USP was immediately lost.
Following a wave of adoption at
different times in different markets,
and with software-only possibilities on
the horizon, Channel in a Box is looking
distinctly less attractive."
Gilbert maintains that the next
step in the future of playout is
a pure software and virtualized
implementation of the various
components, and for each of
those components from different
manufacturers to work seamlessly
together.
That however is a trick that is
becoming increasingly classified as
non-trivial, even given such initiatives
as his company's own Pixel Power
Inside initiative, as Gilbert explains.
"The challenge here is that
integration of different manufacturer's
software only, virtualized solutions
is potentially more difficult than it
was in the days of traditional SDI and
straightforward control systems,"

he says. "A pure software workflow
has more elements to iron out and
there are more standards to comply
with which make this more difficult.
That's why we're working with several
industry partners to ensure integration
of automation, playout and graphics
solutions within other manufacturer's
equipment in order to give broadcast
customers that best of breed choice
they strongly desire."
The temptation is to write off
hardware all together.
"Cloud TV services that provide
scalable
and
forward
focused
solutions will ultimately render
CIAB solutions redundant," says
Steve Smith, Cloud CTO at Imagine
Communications. "The frontiers of the
playout realm are mostly operational

"Cloud TV services...
will ultimately render
CIAB solutions
redundant"
Steve Smith
Imagine Communications

considerations. There is a tendency
in the TV/Broadcast industry to apply
tomorrow's technology to yesterday's
business problems in the hope of
gaining efficiencies. This current
transition is not about reducing costs
- doing the same for less money.
It's about doing more and delivering
new and compelling services to stay
relevant and grow audience value."

sing the best available remote
phosphor
technology
and
combining it with a unique optical
approach gives a punchy, full spectrum
LED Luminaire with excellent CRI and
TLCI in 3200K and 5600K variants.
The colour temperature can be
easily changed by swapping the snap
in phosphor panels. Dimming options
include Local Control only and DMX,

LED Redhead is
proving popular

which also offers a manual fader and
channel display. Highlight LED can be
supplied with either manual or pole
operated yokes.
A wide selection of accessories are
available for the Highlight LED range
and include honeycombs, intensifiers,
diffusers, and a unique cyclorama
hood with asymmetrical optics that
can light a 6m high green screen
evenly from the top only.
Cooling is entirely passive, so
the lights are completely
silent with no moving
parts. Reliability is
exceptionally high and
all models carry a five year
warranty
including
output
level and colour quality. Use
of modular design techniques
across the range means that
users with large numbers of
lights can support all models
with only two spare modules,

everyone immediately, the short to
mid-term can more appropriately be
characterised by the word 'hybrid',
especially when you consider the
infrastructure challenges that remain
to be solved in the developing
world. But there is a drive towards
virtualisation across IT in general that
will sweep up much of broadcast, and
much of playout, with it.

"

Future Playout
...Playout will
At NAB, Imagine will be showcasing
the latest version of its channel
become more like
playout solution Versio, a technology
a light switch
that enables broadcasters to fully
virtualize their playout operations,
Jan Weigner, Cinegy
including master control, and news
of whose deployment by Disney/ABC
"In simplistic terms, playout will
Television Group last year showed
become more like a light switch," says
which way the wind was blowing.
Cinegy's Weigner. "You turn it on when
At the time it announced the deal
you have something you want people
with an entertainingly hyperbolic
to see. You turn it off when you don't.
press release that started "Dylan goes
The only difference is that even the
electric. Warhol goes pop. Disney/
light switch is virtual."
ABC goes Cloud." It may
have genuinely had a
point there though: there
is a lot of Cloud on that
wind. It won't be for SAM's ICE epitomised the CIAB approach - everything in 2RU

"

Photon Beard Launch
Highlight LED
U

cont'd...

which can be replaced in
the field if needed.
The Highlight LED
range was conceived
to allow studios to bring
genuine power saving
advantages of LED into the
lighting rig without having
to compromise on light
quality, or having to re-invent the
approach. By directing more of the
light to where you need it, very much
like a fluorescent fixture, it retains
the softness while also maximising

Platinum Blonde gets a
1200W HMI lamp

efficiency,' Simon Larn, Technical
Director for Photon Beard Ltd
Also being shown at NAB
will be the LED Redhead which
was launched last year and is
proving very popular with ENG
crews and freelance lighting
gaffers.
It's sister product, the
Platinum Blonde takes another
well-known and trusted work
horse into the 21st Century with
the addition of a 1200W HMI
lamp to give a super bright,
punchy output which can safely
Highlight LED debuts at NAB
be run on a domestic supply.
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://youtu.be/-2EbYCONM0A http://www.photonbeard.com/led-lighting.html http://www.photonbeard.com/led-lighting.html http://www.photonbeard.com/led-lighting.html
Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of In Broadcast - April 2016
