Success Aplenty For BroadcastAsia 2015

Returning to the Marina Bay Sands, Singapore, from 2 – 5 June, BroadcastAsia 2015 opened its doors to more than 600 exhibitors from 46 countries, where cutting-edge technologies and the latest trends were discussed for the audio, film and television industries.

Clear-Com presented the FreeSpeak II 1.9GHz roaming wireless solution. Supporting up to five separate channels per wireless beltpack, it provides more expansive roaming coverage using multiple antennas. When combined with the Eclipse-HX Digital Matrix Frame, the system connects to over 16 partylines and the flexibility to seamlessly cover difficult buildings and remote zones.

The company also demonstrated its LQ Series, which can be used for intercom conversation, networked music performances and for audio signals that need to be transported between different facilities. The LQ throw-down devices enable connections of 2-wire partyline with call signalling and 4-wire audio over LAN, WAN or Internet IP infrastructures. The LQ Series has a 2-wire (LQ-2W2) or 4-wire (LQ-4W2) option.

DK-Technologies expanded its DKT7 Series with the DKT7 Waveform Monitor. The unit is based on an existing motherboard and incorporates 'sleeping' features that were built into the system during the initial design stage. Called the DKT7++, the new motherboard utilises an ultrafast memory chip for video processing and storage. The waveform software can be added to a DKT7++ Motherboard for a charge, but is included in the model DKT7 WFM.
The input/output interfaces are similar to the DKT7, including a 720p HDMI output with up to 8 embedded audio channels. A 5.1 downmix and a headphone output with volume control are provided for audio monitoring. 
It operates in all audio modes available in the previous DKT7 software packages including, multichannel metering, and multiset of loudness metering and signal test generator. The unit switches seamlessly between three operational modes; DKT7 audio only mode (Starfish, Automation, MultiLoudness), Combined Waveform and Audio mode, and Waveform only mode.

Panasonic announced seven new business technology products and solutions for the Asia Pacific markets. These include the Toughpad FX-X1, a fully-rugged 5-inch tablet; the new AG-DVX200, the world's first 4K integrated zoom lens camcorder, and the world's lightest 4K+ 3-Chip DLPTM Laser Projector alongside the latest in mobile surveillance technology, blu-ray data storage, and professional broadcast video equipment.

RTW unveiled firmware version 3.5 for its TM3 TouchMonitor series. The software update enables RTW fully-licensed TM3 series and Smart Series products to experience the company's latest loudness solutions, including the expanded feature set and display of the Loudness Chart instrument. The Loudness Chart instrument is used to display the progress of a measurement (TP, M, S, or I value over time) as a line or colored area under the curve on a coordinate system with selectable time range, while the tolerance range can be displayed as a corridor. A dynamic line will show the position of the Relative Gate in relation to the "I" value and an additional bar graph for the display of the current "I" loudness value can be selected. Corresponding software bundles can also be installed.

Looking at the BroadcastAsia Conference, the theme for 2015 was 'Delivering Experiential Content Anywhere' and addressed topics such as the future of OTT and its impact on traditional broadcasting; immersive TV and encoding technologies; and the road to IP, to name but a few.

Over-The-Top (OTT) content has grown significantly in recent times and has been labelled a "game changer" for the TV industry. Service providers are now starting to take advantage of the potential the market has (the global video-on-demand market is expected to be worth US$45.3bn by 2018) by offering a range of video entertainment content to consumers – and at an affordable cost. This, is where HOOQ comes in. HOOQ is Asia's first premium video-on-demand service and was launched in the Philippines earlier this year, but had just entered the Thailand market around the time of BroadcastAsia. The joint venture between SingTel, Sony Pictures Television and Warner Bros. Entertainment allows customers to avail of unlimited online streaming access to more than 10,000 movies and television programs, via multiple devices such as PCs, smartphones and tablets.

The company's CEO, Peter Bithos, spoke at BroadcastAsia 2015 and shared an insight into the changing industry and the future of broadcasting.

"HOOQ's raison d'etre is to change the way people across Asia view entertainment," he explained. "We are focused on enhancing consumers' digital lives as their partner for in-home and on-the-go entertainment. Consumers are our start and end point. By placing them at the heart of everything we do, we are able to innovate around their needs, their environments and their lifestyles."

The task isn't an easy one, however. In Asia, digital piracy is a challenge to the OTT setup, with consumers opting to download and stream content without charge, rather than pay for video services. Infrastructure development is another factor. For example, broadband speeds in the Philippines is currently less than half the global average. HOOQ is working within these limits to deliver quality content to consumers anytime, anywhere.

Dr Richard Chernock, CSO of Triveni Digital, also appeared at the show to present on 'ATSC 3.0: Powering Next-Generation Broadcasting'. The discussion examined the current development timeline of the news standard, while highlighting various capabilities and benefits offered to broadcasters. It also addressed major improvements in video encoding efficiency; increased configurability, scalability, and interoperability; as well as the possibility to deliver 4K broadcasts to mobile devices. As chairman of ATSC TG3, Chernock has been vital in the development of ATSC 3.0, ensuring flexibility, interoperability and adaptability are the keystones of the new DTV broadcast system. He is also chairman of the adhoc group specifying the inner architecture of the system, including the basic mechanisms for delivery and synchronisation.

Additional highlights of this year's show can be found on the BroadcastAsia 2015 website.

Image: Richard Chernock, CSO, Trieveni Digital

This article is also available to raed at BFV online.

(JP)