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THE JOURNAL OF DIGITAL TEL

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Eggineering

54 Big -screen values come to the smallscreenBy John LuffBroadcasters are finding that the very nature of HD produc-tion requires a change in technique.

58 RF systemsBy Walter MamakA guide to antenna installation and optimizing RF systems -careful planning from the beginning is key.

BEYOND THEHEADLINES

Download

14 Change is inevitable

FCC Update

22 FCC to sanction DTV delinquents

Business Models

24 Digital program insertion

DIGITAL HANDBOOKTransition to Digital

28 The color bars puzzle

Computers and Networks

34 Media asset management

Production Clips

40 Digital audio workstations

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Edit rial

Opportunitymissed

've recently been called by several non -broadcastpublications regarding the 700 MHz auction.Most simply wanted to know what my readers

thought about the delay and why broadcasters haven'tbeen more willing to move out of the spectrum.

After giving more thought to the issue, it seemed timefor me to remind my general manager readers of theiropportunity missed.

It seems to me that broadcasters are running a greatrisk by not implementing digital, giving up this spec-trum and getting on with DTV services - now! Ourindustry is missing a great opportunity.

Today, I read that cable systems are forcing custom-ers to "buy up" to a digital tier if they want to retaintheir premium services. With most cable systems, youcan get HBO, Showtime, Cinemax and other premiumservices the old-fashioned, RF, analog way. You don'thave to have a fancy dancy digital STB and anotherdamned remote just to watch a movie channel.

But no. Cable has found another way to squeeze $10 amonth from viewers by moving all those premiumchannels to a digital tier. While an industry spokesmandaims they are not charging more for the movie chan-nels, viewers will still have to rent a digital set -top box ifthey want to continue to get those premium services.

For that, they get nothing extra except an STB and an-other remote control to confuse their life.

While viewers may complain, they'll have little choicebut to pay more or lose the service. If they've becomeaddicted to those premium services, they'll simply haveto pony up another $120 a year just to get the samething they now enjoy.

It's no secret that there are increasingly vocal objec-tions to the rising costs of cable service. In fact, Senatedemo -republican John McCain has threatened hear-ings on the matter. It's against this backdrop thatbroadcast has a unique opportunity to challenge cable.

To seize the initiative, broadcast station managersmust first admit that digital is the way of the future.You're either in or out, and the price to stay is invest-ment in your plant. If you, station manager/owner,aren't willing to invest in the future of your businessby purchasing the needed technology, then please im-mediately sell your station to someone who will.There are millions of viewers who don't want cableand will be loyal if you'll only deliver a high qualityservice to them.

The majority of viewers are not going to be buy-ing new $3000 HDTV sets anytime soon, no matterwhat CEA says. That means the DTV transitioncould drag out for the next 15 years until old TVsets get replaced. We need a quicker solution. Thisrequires broadcasters to act now and build new pro-gram streams.

If you're not a GM, then tape this editorial to theiroffice door and run. Let me take the blame for tellingthem to get off their financial backside and either buyin or get out of broadcasting. I for one am fed up withtheir whining and moaning as they drive their BMWor Lexus to the bank with the latest deposits. Thesefolks need to either get on with the DTV transition orget out of the business. Their duplicity is grating onmy nerves.

editorial director

Send comments to: direct: editor©rimethabisiness.com web site: www.broodcastengtheermg.com


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question, "Name the early TBCs fromRCA and Ampex, define the acronymand tell the key difference between thetwo;' resulted in some great answers.

Exacting and correct answers were re-ceived from David Fibush, Don Eclds,Jim Borgioli, John Turner and TimStoffel. Shown below are answers fromTurner and Stoffel. For you newbies outthere, this represents real history!

and TBC

Editor's note: This question generated anumber of excellent responses. Shownbelow are two of the most complete an-swers to the question.

From John Turner:First of all, you cannot equate AMTEC

and CAVEC to each other as they per-form very different signal corrections.

AMTEC:This is an electronically variable delay

line based on varicap diodes inventedby Charles Colson of WBBM-TV andoriginally called Co1TEC. When Ampexhired Colson away from WBBM, thename was changed to the "Ampex TimeElement Compensator", i.e., AMTEC.When used with the Ampex"Intersync"servo, the machine would output FCCstable monochrome video.

The RCA equivalent to AMTEC wascalled MATC for "Monochrome Auto-matic Timing Corrector," which workedwith the RCA "Pixlock" servo.

For color stability, the manufactur-ers used COLORTEC and CATC cir-cuitry, respectively.

CAVEC:

This was a module (at least pre TR-600) that performed two very differentfunctions. The acronym stands for"Chroma Amplitude and Velocity ErrorCorrector" The Ampex equivalent to theRCA "CA " was the "AutoChroma"circuitry. This portion of the CAVECacted to equalize on a line -by-line basisthe amplitude variations of chroma us-ing the fixed amplitude of demod burstas a reference. The correction was ap-plied to the demod and had nothing todo with the downstream TBC systems.

The RCA "_VEC" section is analo-gous to the Ampex"Velcomp" accessory.Both of these devices measured theburst phase at the beginning and endof a single line. This data was used tocreate a line time linear ramp error sig-nal, which was added back in to the TBCerror signal to reduce the appearance ofcolor hues that shift horizontally acrossa picture. This correction was neededdue to the "step" nature of the MATC/CATC/AMTEC/COLORTEC error sig-nal derivation.

Just my two cents.JOHN TURNER

PROUD OWNER OF CAMDEN AND

REDWOOD CITY BIG IRON

From Tim Stoffel:AMTEC-AMPEX Ampex Time Ele-

ment CompensatorCAVEC-RCA Chroma Amplitude

and Velocity Error CorrectorThe timing corrector used in earlier

quad VTRs consisted of three blocks..These timing correctors used electroni-cally variable delay lines to effect theircorrection. The first of these three was a

coarse timing error corrector. This cor-rector would eliminate all but say, 30nanoseconds, of timing jitter. (The inputjitter had to be low to begin with. This iswhy video heads had air bearings and thefemale guide position was servo'ed.) Thiswas good enough for black and white.

The Ampex device for this was theAMTEC (invented by Charlie Coleman,who lives out here somewhere in thedeserts of Nevada), and the RCA devicewas the ATC (Automatic Timing Correc-tor). (RCA loved acronyms! A good fu-ture question would be to define some ofthem, like BALPS, BALLS and PLACH.)The second of the three correction

steps was a fine corrector. This correc-tor worked to get the residual jitter downto a point where color was possible. Itused a shorter but faster variable delayline. The Ampex device for this was theCOLORTEC. The RCA device was theCATC.

The third stage of timing correction,which was optional, removed residualerrors caused by changes in video headvelocity as the head scanned througheach band of the picture. These errorswere of a nature that required an ana-log memory circuit to keep track of theerror from beginning to end of a videoline, as well as the average error for eachline in a band, for each of the four heads.These devices, which were bleeding -

edge technology for their time, were ge-nerically referred to as velocity compen-sators. Their error correction signal wassummed into the CATC orCOLORTEC's error signal. The RCAvelocity compensator was called theCAVEC, and the Ampex velocity com-pensator was simply called an "Auto-matic Velocity Compensator."

So, the answer to your third questionmight be: The AMTEC was a first stageor monochrome timing corrector, andthe CAVEC was a velocity compensator.

BTW, great issue of the magazine!TIM STOFFEL, KNPB-TV

RENO, NV


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Changeis inevitableBY CRAIG BIRKMAIER

any TiVo subscriberswere disappointedwhen recent attempts

to watch World Cup soccer matcheswere tarnished when their digitalvideo recorders (DVRs) didn't storethe programming.

Is this yet another setback for digitaltechnology, or a reflection of the real-ity that change is inevitable in the realworld of television operations?

The problem was caused by a sched-uling change that was not reflected inthe guide used with the TiVo DVR ser-vice. The World Cup soccer matcheswere originally scheduled to be aired onESPN2; however, at the last minute theywere moved to ESPN.TiVo relies on tele-vision networks to frequently updatetheir schedules so changes can be re-flected in the guide. But the guide in-formation is only updated when a TiVobox dials into a server to download guideinformation - typically no more oftenthan once each day.

Centralcasting and multi-channel broadcasting

While broadcasters deal with changeon a daily, sometimes minute -by -minute basis, one could argue that themedium has been highly resistant to

changes in the underlying businessmodel, not to mention the technologyfor delivering television programmingto viewers. A black -and -white televisionbuilt in 1950 can still receive NTSC VHFbroadcasts today. Somehow, broadcast-ing has endured, even as the world oftelevision has seen radical changes inrecent decades. Cable, the VCR, DBS,DVD and the Internet have expandedthe options for distribution of televisioncontent. And the tools for creating video -programming have been democratizedwith the availability of inexpensive

among consumers.Now it looks like we may need to add

two more buzz words to the list of prom-ising technologies that have been placedon hold: centralcasting and multichan-nel broadcasting. Once again, a majorfactor is the inevitability of change.

The technologies for centralcastingand multichannel broadcasting are wellevolved. Many systems have been de-ployed successfully, although in somecases the promised benefits of reducedoperational costs have been elusive. Ayear ago centralcasting was a hot topic

Broadcasting has endured, even as the world oftelevision has seen radical changes.

digital camcorders and computer -basedvideo production systems.

With the transition to DTV broadcast-ing, it was assumed that there would beprofound changes to the business modelfor television broadcasting, such as ashift to high definition or multiple chan-nels of standard -definition television,interactive television services (ITV), databroadcasting, or perhaps even reliablemobile reception. But none of thesepotential changes have generated newrevenue for broadcasters or enthusiasm

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of discussion at the broadcast networksand larger station groups. A year laterit has been placed on the shelf along-side other promising technologies thatwill impact broadcast operations...someday.

In almost every major city in theUnited States, cable systems operate so-phisticated multichannel systems thatinsert commercials into an average of25 cable networks - unattended. PBS ismoving forward with multichannelDTV at both the network and local af-filiate level, based on a business modelwith limited insertion of "commercials"and promos, and the ability to checker-board programs in multiple time slots.

The current volatility of the evolvingbusiness model for local commercialbroadcasting may be the most impor-tant factor in the shelving of emergingtechnologies, along with the significantinvestments required to begin operationof mandated DTV channels. Concernsabout network/affiliate relations, pend-ing changes to FCC -imposed ownershiplimits, and the shift of advertising to al-ternative media including cable and the


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Florical's ShareCasting is used to originate threechannels from the NBC hub in Los Angeles. Photocourtesy Florical Systems.

Internet, are all contributing to the cur-rent reluctance to embrace change.

Consolidation can take many forms.If network ownership caps are raisedor eliminated, it is expected that thebroadcast networks will go on a buy-ing binge and move to a regional

centralcasting model.NBC has already takenthe first step with re-gional centralcasting fa-cilities in New York, LosAngeles and Miami. Therelaxation of duopolyrules, along with localmanagement agree-ments and other cre-ative partnerships be-tween stations, has ledto the development oflocal multichannel op-erations in both the ana-log and digital domain.

The potential for cross -

ownership of newspapers and TV sta-tions in a single market portends yet an-other opportunity for shared operationsin local markets, feeding print, TV andthe Internet. On June 17 the FCC an-nounced that it will combine sixseparate reviews of six separate rules

governing media company ownershipinto one. FCC Media Bureau Chief Ken-neth Ferree said he expects the new rulesto be adopted by the FCC next spring.This schedule could delay completionof one rule now being reviewed sepa-rately: a ban on ownership of a newspa-per and television station in the samemarket, as sought by the Tribune.

Meanwhile, broadcasters are explor-ing the potential of multichannelbroadcasting via their new DTV fa-cilities. The variations include anHDTV program with an SDTV si-mulcast, HDTV with multiple SDTVprograms (networks), and multipleSDTV networks.

The first and last mileAdding to the uncertainty about pend-

ing changes to the broadcast businessmodel and ownership consolidation isuncertainty about the cost of thebackhaul connections that enable the

Sales of integrated DTV setsare up 1455% over last year.

How long can you afford to keep

your audience waiting?

Of the 1,600 television stations in America, 430have converted to digital. And of the eight or socompanies that provided these conversions, theworld's most prominent station owners-leaderslike Clear Channel Broadcast-relied time and timeagain on DTV ClearChoice from MCSi. Given thisfact, we're thankful to be North America's largestanalog -to -digital provider. With three years, sixmonths and 1,170 stations to go, we better be.

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16 broadcastengineering.com

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shift to centralcasting. On the heels ofthe dotcom meltdown, we are now wit-nessing an equally astonishing melt-down of telecommunications compa-nies that invested heavily in wide areafiber optic networks in anticipation ofexponential growth in demand forbroadband network services. Long -haulnetworking capacity is abundant; largebandwidth users such as broadcastersimplementing centralcasting solutionscan negotiate highly favorable rates.

But the cost of the local first milebandwidth from a centralcasting fa-cility to the wide area service providerand the last mile links to each stationbeing fed often are higher than thecost to move bits across the country.In many cases current total costs forbackhaul are higher than the costs forpersonnel at each local facility.

Given the current marketplace reali-ties, broadcast station groups are look-ing at other ways to reduce operational

costs through the application of tech-nologies used for centralcasting,sharecasting, station automation andmultichannel systems. By retaining lo-cal control over on -air operations, it isstill possible to realize some operationalsavings across a station group.

John Luff, senior vice president ofbusiness development for AZCAR, alarge systems integration company,prefers the term "centralized opera-tions" to centralcasting. At NAB,AZCAR was promoting distributedbroadcasting solutions that centralizecontrol functions such as traffic andpromotions while distributing criticalelements of the on -air operations in-frastructure to each station. Luff sug-gests that television broadcasters havebeen reluctant to implement central-ized operations because of a prevail-ing attitude that "you can't run a tele-vision station from a remote location:'

One example of how distributed

broadcasting techniques can be em-ployed is through the use of lower costIP networking solutions, which can beused to move content between the serv-ers in multiple stations.

Another example relates to for-ward -and -store programming. Astation group may run the same syn-dicated programming on multiplestations. Typically, a human opera-tor must review the feeds stored onthe satellite ingest system to get theprogram timings, which are thenprovided to the traffic departmentand on -air operations. With central-ized traffic this task can be doneonce in a central location, with thepertinent information forwarded toeach station from the centralizedtraffic department. BE

Craig Birkmaier is a technology consultantat Pcube Labs, and hosts and moderatesthe OpenDTV Forum.

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FCC to sanctionDTV delinquentsBY HARRY C. MARTIN

The FCC has initiated arulemaking proceeding toexamine what measures it

should take regarding television broad-casters who fail to meet their DTV con-struction deadlines. All commercial tele-vision stations were required to con-struct their digital facilities by May 1,2002, but two-thirds have not yet doneso. Instead, they opted to file for six-month waivers of the deadline.

Tentative proposals outline an increas-ingly severe level of sanctions every sixmonths a licensee fails to construct, be-ginning with admonishment, followedby issuance of notices of apparent liabil-ity for forfeiture, and culminating inrescission of the licensee's DTV autho-rization. The Commission directed thestaff to apply appropriate sanctions ona case -by -case basis during the pendencyof the rulemaking.

The Commission also clarified that its"minimum -facilities" Special Tempo-rary Authorization ("STA") policy re-garding licensees who construct lessthan their authorized facilities will notbe available to network -affiliated, top -

30 television market licensees. In No-vember 2001, the Commission permit-ted television licensees subject to theMay 1, 2002 (commercial), or May 1,2003 (noncommercial), construction

No biennial ownership reports aredue this year.Renewal applications will be due forall stations in Washington D.C.,Maryland, Virginia and West Virginiaon June 1, 2003. For stations in theselocations, pre -filing public noticeswill have to be broadcast beginningMarch 1, 2003. This will begin thenext renewal cycle, which willextend through 2006.

deadlines to build minimal initial facili-ties to satisfy their DTV build -out obli-gations. Licensees thus operating pur-suant to a "minimum -facilities" STA bytheir respective deadlines (either May 1,2002, or May 1, 2003) would be consid-ered in compliance with their construc-tion deadlines, and their outstandingconstruction permits will be automati-cally extended until such time as theCommission determines otherwise. The

to proceed with the lower 700 MHz auc-tion, but postpone the upper 700 pro-ceeding, was a compromise.

There is pending before the Senate abill which, like the House version alreadypassed, would delay both auctions in-definitely. That bill ran into troublewhen Senator Stevens of Alaska filed acounterbill requiring the FCC to holdboth auctions in June. Stevens' princi-pal interest is in deployment of lower

Facing substantial pressure from Congress, the FCC

delayed once again the auction of the upper 100MHz hand (channels 60-69).

Commission held that it will continueto review extension requests from net-work -affiliated, top -30 market stationson a case -by -case basis.

Channels 60-69 auctiondelayed again

Facing substantial pressure from Con-gress, the FCC delayed once again theauction of the upper 700 MHz band(channels 60-69), this time until Jan. 14,2003. At the same time, the Commis-sion decided to go forward on the auc-tion of the lower 700 MHz band (chan-nels 52-59) on June 19.

The Commission's action was the re-sult of weeks of lobbying on Capitol Hilland at the FCC. Even the Bush admin-istration weighed in, stating that an auc-tion delay would be best for the Trea-sury since the parties who will be bid-ding, because of uncertainty as to whenbroadcasters will vacate channels 60-69,would not be willing to pay very muchfor this large block of spectrum. Thecellular industry advocated delay on thebasis of the current glut of spectrum onthe market. The Commission's decision

700 MHz frequencies in Alaska, and thatauction will proceed on schedule.

New wrinkle in ownershiprule enforcement

In the process of granting authoriza-tion for Viacom to purchase a secondtelevision station in the Los Angelesmarket, the FCC gave Viacom sixmonths to come into compliance withthe radio -television cross -ownershiprule by selling one of seven radio sta-tions it currently owns in the market.

This is the first time the FCC has giventhe purchaser of a single broadcast sta-tion a time period to come into compli-ance with a multiple ownership rule.The FCC emphasized that the only rea-son it was granting a divestiture periodwas that the size and diversity of the LosAngeles media market made it a uniquecircumstance that is unlikely to bepresent in other media markets. BE

Harry C. Martin is an attorney with Fletcher,Heald & Hildreth PLC, Arlington, VA.

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Digitalprogram insertionBY WAYNE SHELDRICK

s the transition from ana-log to digital broadcast -

g continues, more andmore traditional applications must beconverted to take advantage of the newdigital medium. One of these applica-tions is the insertion of local advertis-ing content into the program service atcable headends -a multibillion dollarrevenue generator for cable operators.

Digital program insertion (DPI) ca-pability offers a much higher degreeof security, increased regional controlof program insertion and enhancedmanagement of other crucial digitalserver -based applications. A digitalprogram/commercial insertion systemis shown in Figure 1.

The traditional analog method sendscue tones along with the video that trig-ger a tape machine to start or stop play-ing an advertisement. A simple videoswitch is triggered to perform a transi-tion between the two sources. Theheadend is permitted to insert its ownadvertising at times made available bythe program provider, commonlyknown as "local avails." This procedureis by nature slow, insecure and offerslittle localized control.

In digital operations, programmers

and cable operators must be able tohandle this process digitally, or risk los-ing huge amounts of potential ad rev-enue. Digital offers several advantagesand provides an opportunity to expandthe functionality of the cueing mecha-nism. Today's digital technology pro-vides a method for inserting any pro-gram content into an existing servicein real-time.

Programmers and cable operators aremoving quickly to take advantage ofthis new technology. The Lifetime

Advantages of digitalDPI has the ability to eliminate many

of the shortcomings of analog. But, forDPI to be effective, the splice pointswhere ads are inserted must be iden-tifiable. A switching system can thenbe used to control the airing of con-tent from servers and other sources.

An SCTE ad hoc committee developeda standard, SCTE35 2001 (DVS 253), todefine the trigger to signal the local videoserver to play an ad, as well as SCTE302001 (DVS 380), standardizing the

Broadcasters introducing advanced services such

as VOD will reap the benefits of the superiorswitching and control ability of DPI systems.

Movie Network is currently conduct-ing DPI trials across the United Statesto verify operation of systems by vari-ous server/splicer vendors. The DPItechnology is installed as an overlay tothe existing cue -tone system, which al-lows the use of both analog and digitalad insertion during the transition pe-riod. In addition to compressing the sig-nals, the encoder injects DPI signalingbased on cue trigger inputs.

Uplink

VideoVideo, audiosources

Automationsystem

Downlink

Transmissionmedia

Contact closures

1111Encoders

System controller

Mu Video, audio tones

Video server

Bit splicer To headend

Figure 1. In the DPI system shown above, local advertising is encoded andsent to the local headend, which uses a bit splicer to insert the advertisement atthe desired point in the network's programming.

application programming interface(API) between servers and splicers.Typically these devices will be suppliedby different companies, so a standardmethod of communication is required.

The API is based on an EthernetTCP/IP connection, and allows for thesetup and teardown of network con-nections. Each connection controlsone insertion channel from a server,so there may be multiple connectionsopen at any one time. The protocol isalso expandable, so that one or moresplicers could have connections to oneor more servers simultaneously.The protocol is primarily designed

for use with a splice info message,but it could also be used for localcontrol of a server, for example, inVOD applications.

While the primary goal was to allowthe local insertion of ad content at a cableheadend, the SCTE group also workedto remove restrictions that would keepthe standard from being used for anyprogramming and within any MPEG-compliant system, such as DVB or ATSC.


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A critical component of successful pro-gram insertion is accurate splice timing.Various methods can be used to signal asplice point in an arbitrary video stream,and to signal a video server to start play-ing content to replace the network feed.This splice insert command refer-

ences timing information found in thevideo stream. However, even a digitalvideo file server requires some time inadvance of a splice point to cue upframes of video. Therefore, a splice in-sert command is sent at least once andat least four seconds before a splicepoint. The same splice insert commandmay be sent multiple times to guaran-tee successful reception.

DPI offers the ability to schedule adinsertions far in advance and ensuresthat the ads are placed in the correct or-der, at the proper times. These enhance-ments are made possible through theSplice Information section. This area iscomposed of a start command, a stop

command and a cancel command.Both the start and stop commands

can be signaled to activate immedi-ately upon reception, or to activate atsome time in the future. A cancel com-mand always occurs immediately, andterminates the current insert or anycued splice point. The stop commandis optional, since the ad will end whenthe end of the stored content is reached.

This implementation provides twokey features that are unavailable withanalog cue tones: scheduling of availswell into the future, and the establish-ment of different groups of splice in-sert commands for the same avail pe-riod. This is more effective than send-ing multiple cue -tone sequences at thesame time, as is done in analog. Be-cause these commands are sent in ad-vance and transmitted faster than ana-log tones, the accuracy of the splicepoints is retained.

The other information related to the

splice includes the unique programID, the total number of avail periodsand the specific avail period this eventis referencing. This data provides bet-ter control over scheduling and allowsthe DPI system to automatically re-cover from missed events. For secu-rity, the splice information sectionsupports a simple fixed -key encryp-tion mechanism.

Thanks to improved technology andindustry standards, digital program in-sertion offers tremendous revenue po-tential for cable operators, with greatercapability for targeted advertising andfaster, more efficient, secure ad inser-tion. As operators roll out additionaladvanced services such as VOD, theywill reap even more benefits from thesuperior switching and control abilityof DPI systems. DE

Wayne Sheidrick is principal engineer forScientific-Atlanta.

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The colorbars puzzleBY MICHAEL ROBIN

Color bars signals are widelyused and often misinter-preted. Their primary func-

tion is not, as is often supposed, the test-ing of transmission channels, but ratherthe precise alignment and checking ofcolor encoding and decoding equip-ment. With PAL and NTSC, they can beused as means to verify that a circuit isnot suffering from excessive defects inperformance. Typical uses are in cam-era encoders, analog VTR output sig-nal adjustments of gain, setup, satura-tion and hue, as well as studio colormonitors and home receiver color ren-dition. They cannot replace standardperformance measurements.

A number of different color bars sig-nals exist. Many of them are applica-tion -specific - that is, they reflect theoperational requirements of the spe-cific organization, like color bars op-timized for use with amplitude modu-lated transmitters. They all share acommon general form.

The color bars signal produces a se-quence of vertical bars displayed on the

FRAME RAB

television screen showing saturated pri-maries and their complements as wellas black and white. In the case of a sig-nal that uses the full frame, the activeline is generally divided in eight equalparts. The first is occupied by a lumi-nance reference bar - that is, a whitebar of a standard amplitude. The last isa black bar, which is black level only. Inbetween, there are six bars represent-ing the three primary colors and theircomplements. They are, in order, Yel-low, Cyan, Green, Magenta, Red andBlue. The standard order of presen-tation has been chosen to give a de-scending order sequence of luminancevalues. The first row in Figure 1 showsthe screen display of this signal.

Color bar nomenclatureA color bar generator has three out-

puts corresponding to the primaryGreen, Blue and Red gamma -correctedcolor signals (E'G, E'B, E'R) as describedin the SMPTE 253M Standard and il-lustrated in the second, third andfourth rows of Figure 1. These signals

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6- Screen display

100 100 100 100

ER

0 0 0 0

100 100 100 100

Primary

0 0 0Ee signals

100 100 100 100

ER00 00

100 " 7059

4130 EyLuminance signal

L89

59I I

30I 0 EB-E,

-30 Color-59

70-8959

- differencesignals

110

ER -En

-11

705

Figure 1. The top part of this figureshows the 100/0/100/0 color -bar sig-nal as it would appear on a videoscreen.The remaining six rows showthis signal as it would appear on anoscilloscope, with amplitudes mea-suring in percentages of 700 mV.

consist of a sequence of flat -top pulses.They are time -coincident, of equal am-plitude and equal bandwidth. By a suit-able overlap of the pulses in certain por-tions of the raster and nonoverlap inothers, the three saturated primary col-ors, as well as the three saturatedcomplementary colors, are produced.

These signals may be used in theiroriginal form (component analogGBR signals), matrixed into E'y, E'B-E'y and E'R-E'y (scaled or non -scaled),or encoded into an analog (PAL,NTSC or SECAM) or digital (compo-nent or composite) signal.


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Transition to Di' m 11111M111114911111.-! 1 " I

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Color bars signals are identified withfour numbers, representing percent-ages of the maximum value of 700 mV(100 percent), with an obliquestroke between them as follows: The first number describes the primarycolor signal level during the transmis-sion of the white bar -that is, the maxi-mum value of E'G, E'B, and E'R. The second number describes the pri-mary color signal level during the trans-mission of the black bar - that is, theminimum value of E'G, E'R, and ER. Thethird number describes the pri-mary color signal level during the trans-mission of the colored bars - that is,the maximum value of Fo E'B and E'R. The fourth number describes theminimum level of the primary colorsignals during the transmission of thecolored bars - that is, the minimumvalue of E.G, E'B and FR.

In Figure 1, the maximum ampli-tudes are 100 percent (700 mV), andthe minimum amplitudes are 0 percent(0 mV). The green channel signal usu-ally has a negative -going sync pulse ofan amplitude of 300 mV. As generated,these signals have no setup. This type ofcolorbarsignaliscalled 100/0/100/0. For cer-tain applications, it may be convenientto reduce the amplitudes of the signalsto 75 percent of their maximum value.This type of signal would be identifiedas 75/0/75/0. In certain cases, the whitebar is maintained at 100 percent, andthe colored bars are reduced to 75 per-cent. This type of color bar is called 100/0/75/0. It is sometimes erroneously re-

ferred to as 75 percent color bars.

Matrixed color bars signalsG,B,R component color bars have rela-

tively limited practical uses. They aremainly used to verify and adjust the gainof component analog G,B,R distributionsystems and serve as a signal source formatrixed and encoded color bars signals.The matrixed color bars signal is de-rived from component E'G, E'R sig-nals by a specific process. It consistsof matrixing the three componentanalog signals into a new set of compo-nent signals: a wideband luminance sig-nal with or without setup (E'y) and two

lar and have equal positive and negativeexcursions. The sixth and seventh rowsof Figure 1 show the graphic represen-tation of the two color -difference signals.

Their amplitudes are expressed in per-centages of the full amplitude primarysignals (700 mV). These signal ampli-tudes are reduced by scaling factorsto meet specific signal amplituderange requirements. When the allowedamplitude range of these signals is700 mV (±350 mV), as specified in theEBU N10 Standard and the ITU-R BT601 recommendation, the color -differ-ence signals are given by the followingexpressions:

The primary function of color bars is not the testing of

transmission channels, but rather the precise alignment

k...___and checking of encoding and decoding equipment

narrow -band color -difference signals(FR- E'y and E'R- E'y).

For standard definition video, theE'y signal is given by the followingexpression:

E'y = 0.587 E'G + 0.114 E'R-F 0.299 E'R

The fifth row of Figure 1 shows theformation of the 100/0/100/0 E'y sig-nal from the primary E'G, E'B, E'R sig-nals. The amplitudes of the eight stepsare expressed in percentages of the full -amplitude signal (700 mV).

The color -difference signals are bipo-

Fa, = 0.564 (FR - E'y), also knownas PB in North America

= 0.713 (E'R - E',), also knownas PR in North America

Different and incompatible scalingfactors are used by North Americanversions of the Betacam and MIIcomponent analog videotape record-ing formats. The dominant Europeanversions of these formats use theEBU N10 scaling factors.

The color -difference signals can bedisplayed on a regular component

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1

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Figure 2. A vector representationof the color -difference componentsof a matrixed 100/0/100/0 color -barsignal.

waveform monitor, ei-ther sequentially orindividually, to allowfor the measurementsof such parameters assignal amplitude andrelative time delaywith reference to theluminance compo-nent. In addition, avector display, similarto the NTSC vectordisplay, may be ob-tained by feeding thePB signal to the hori-zontal input and thePR signal to the verti-cal input of an oscil-loscope as shown inFigure 2 on page 21.

Specialized component analogvectorscopes with electronically gener-ated reference graticules are availablefrom several manufacturers. Note the

absence of the burst in the display.Digital and contemporary studio

analog video equipment can handle100 percent color bars withoutdifficulty.

Next month, this color bars seriesconcludes with a look at encoded colorbars signals.

Michael Robin, former engineer with theCanadian Broadcasting Corp's engineeringheadquarters, is an independent broadcastconsultant located in Montreal, Canada. Heis co-author of Digital Television Fundamen-tals, published by McGraw-Hill.


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Media assetmanagementBY BRAD GILMER

edia asset manage-ment (MAM) sys-tems rapidly sift

through vast collections of materialto locate the material the user re-quests. MAM systems are particularlyuseful in video applications where itmay be difficult or impossible to siftthrough thousands of hours of ma-terial manually.

Search -and -retrieve technology hasbeen economically applied to text formany years. But, until relatively re-cently, it hasn't been practical to applythis technology to video. There werethree main reasons for this. First, in thepast, it was not economically feasibleto store large amounts of video in a"computer -friendly" form. However,with the falling price of storage and theincreasing processing power of com-puters, this problem has largely goneaway. Second, while it was relatively easyto develop retrieval technologies fortext systems, developing technologythat aids in retrieving images is anothermatter. But, over the last five years, dra-matic improvements have been madein the automatic indexing, catalogingand retrieval of video. Finally, cost has

limited basis, learning for themselveswhere the benefit of these systems lies.

Entering informationIngest is the process of taking material

in whatever form and loading it into thesystem. The ingest process may involveplaying back videotapes, transferringfiles from one server to another, or play-ing back audio DATs or CDs. During theingest process, basic slate or "clapper-board" metadata are also entered. Thisinformation consists of items such astitle, length, ID number and source.

Persons present MINIMENITranscript

Subtitles

Copyright

Scene description

Timeline

Video

During the annotation process,people make notes about what is hap-pening while watching the scene ontheir computer or a separate monitor.MAM applications typically includeVTR -like control of the playback, sothat the person annotating the scenecan pause playback while makingnotes. To some extent, annotation canbe performed automatically. Somevendors have developed technologythat harvests information from closedcaptions, subtitles and on -screen text.While speech -to -text technology has

Dramatic improvements have been made inthe automatic indexing, cataloging and

retrieval of video.

Some of this information must bemanually entered, some of it may comefrom other systems, and in the near fu-ture, some of it will come from themetadata contained in the file itselfthrough something like the AdvancedAuthoring Format (AAF) or MaterialExchange Format (MXF).

Some MAM users employ an optionaltriage step to filter

11111111111111111111

Figure 1. This diagram illustrates the stratified -docu-mentation technique that can be used in the catalog-ing process.

been a significant barrier to the adop-tion of these technologies for video.While cost continues to be a factor,smaller and less costly systems are be-ginning to appear on the market. Thisallows users to implement MAM on a

out unwanted ma-terial before it goesfurther into theMAM system. Tri-age may also beused to identifymaterial thatshould receive ex-pedited handling.One of the power-

ful benefits of MAM is that it can makeone clip available to many users at thesame time. If a user knows that a par-ticular clip will be heavily used, it mightbe a good idea to fast -track that contentthrough the rest of the process.

struggled, recent breakthroughs mightmake it possible to annotate scenes us-ing words spoken either by the anno-tator or directly from the dialog.Automatic indexing works by de-

tecting naturally occurring changesin video content, such as fades toblack and large changes in scenecontent from one frame to the next.Such changes usually indicate theend of one scene and the beginningof another. Computers automaticallyindex ingested scenes using ad-vanced technologies such as cut de-tection, scene -change detection andeven image recognition. And, as re-search moves forward at a fast pace,driven to some extent by the eventsof Sept. 11, we can expect to benefitfrom these new advances.

Cataloging is the process of organiz-ing information about a scene so that itcan be retrieved later. A cataloger orga-nizes information into subject areas andmay store it in a standard data model.Standardized vocabularies and limited


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thesauri are used to aid in retrieval. Whyis a standardized vocabulary important?Well, let's say you wanted to locate im-ages containing the basketball playerShaquille O'Neal from a MAM systemused to catalog images from live sport-ing events. Let's also assume that it wasan early system that did not have a stan-dardized vocabulary. If you typed in

"Shaquille," you might get 20 hits (im-ages that the system thought you wouldlike). If you then typed in "Shak," youmight get another 10. Entering "Shack"might yield two more. The author re-cently suffered this very experience. Itillustrates that, if a piece of video is en-tered without accurate metadata, thevideo is lost. Actually, it is worse than

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Automatic cut detection and scene-change detection in asset manage-ment systems like blue order's me-dia archive 2.8 is used to produce a"light -table" view, summarizing anentire movie at a glance. Users canquickly navigate through the contentto find the desired scene.

lost - because you are paying to storesomething you will never be able to find.

During the cataloging process, differ-ent techniques can be used. Stratifieddocumentation is one technique usedby some vendors to make metadatamore accessible. In this process, tem-poral stratification makes use oftimelines to point to a piece of the au-dio or video object. Descriptions canbe linked to this piece by storing themtogether with the time code informa-tion. The media object itself may bestored in a completely different loca-tion. This allows describing the objectin several layers. As Figure 1 shows,metadata about a videotaped meetinginvolving the persons present, subtitles,copyright and scene description can bedescribed in distinct layers, while eachlayer may employ a completely differ-ent timeline. Considering the numberof new automatic indexing tools evolv-ing that can generate much of this in-formation automatically from the me-dia object, this can be especially useful.During retrieval, combinations of thesestrata may be referenced to identify ex-actly the media segments you are in-terested in. The same approach appliesfor spatial stratification, virtually break-ing an image into pieces and describ-ing them individually without reallytouching the image.

Storage is not a separate step in theMAM process. Material is stored in the


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system as soon as it begins the ingestprocess, and metadata is added as it isentered, all in real time. As soon as theinformation is entered, it is available toother clients in the system.

Information retrievalAll the piocesses discussed thus far in-

volve putting information into the

producer views the movie in its en-tirety, making notes of scenes he or shethinks will be appropriate for thepromo. Using a retrieval system, he orshe looks at various scenes that weredetected using cut -detection technol-ogy. He or she quickly identifies theright scene, and then calls up a low -resolution copy of the video on a desk -

If a piece of video is entered without accuratemetadata, you are paying to store something you

will never he able to find.

MAM system. The processes discussedbelow involve taking information outof the system.

Using a retrieval client, users querythe system to locate material. For ex-ample, a user may search for specifictext or images using different still -im-age views that were created using cut -

functions available in retrieval clientsvary widely from manufacturer tomanufacturer.

How might a user use a retrieval cli-ent? Consider the following example.A producer is asked to make a 30 -sec-ond promotional piece for a moviethat will air next Saturday night. The

top editor. The system allows him orher to go directly to the part of themovie identified in the still -imageview and begin preparing a rough -cutedit. This rough -cut system producesan EDL that can then be used to expe-dite the online editing process.

Once the user identifies the material

Some MAM systems allow users tooutput it in the resolution that is ap-propriate for their use - for example,a high -resolution copy, a browse copyor still images.

Some MAM systems can deliver im-ages directly to the user in an e -com-merce or Web -based model. These

solutions may include billing andrights -management options.

All MAM solutions also include main-tenance and user access functionality.

There are two important things to rec-ognize about MAM systems. The first isthat in some vendor implementations,some processes can occur in parallel. Fora breaking news story, once the ingestprocess begins, operators begin index-ing and annotating the material. At thesame time, automatic annotation pro-cesses can begin populating the MAMsystem with information. Finally, editorscan begin rough -cut editing material be-fore recording at the ingest station hasended. The second important thing torecognize is that many MAM systemsuse inter -process communications. Thismeans that when an ingest client com-pletes an entry for a particular piece ofmedia, those entries are immediatelyavailable to other clients on the sys-tem - without waiting for any filesto close and without having to restart

oE

Brad Gilmer is president of Gilmer &Associates, executive director of the AAFAssociation, and executive director of theVideo Services Forum.


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Digital audioworkstationsBYYASMIN HASHMI

Despite the recent demiseof a number of long-standing digital audio

workstation (DAW) manufacturers,there are still plenty of products to suitvirtually every budget and application.The DAW Buyers Guide atDAWguide.com lists more than 120 dif-ferent manufacturers offering over 270current products including cards, soft-ware, turnkey systems, rackmountmultitracks, stand-alone desktop unitsand portable recorders. More than athird of these products are aimed at thepost -production market for TV/videoand, of these, more than 75 percent arepriced at less than $10,000.

Developments in DAWsEven before the dotcom crash, the

DAW market was experiencing ashakeout. For instance, a pioneer, Digi-tal Audio Research (DAR), no longeroffers the SoundStation STORM prod-uct range, though it is still actively mar-keting other systems, including its fourstereo output Trigger system and itsOMR8 24-bit/96 kHz eight -track diskrecorder/editor. iZTechnologybroke its ties withOtari and is mar-keting the RA-DAR system di-rectly. Fairlightacquired the in-tellectual prop-erty of DSP Me-dia and launchedthe new DREAMseries of digital recording, editing andmixing products.

Sonic Solutions recently announcedthe formation of Sonic Studio, LLC, anew company that aims to acceleratedevelopment of the SonicStudio HDline. Merging Technologies will rescue

Many new products in the digitalaudio industry, like HHB'sPORTADRIVE, are aimed at por-table tapeless recording. Photocourtesy HHB.

the WaveFrame FrameWorks ownersby means of a software upgrade to thePyramix.

Apart from DAW market newcomerApogee with its NativeTools Studio Edi-tion, which combines Apogee convert-ers with Steinberg Nuendo software,many of the new products available areaimed at portable tapeless recording.

mat editing.As well as offering a Dolby Digital en-

coder plug-in for Nuendo, Steinberg hasannounced an alternative that automati-cally encodes to DTS (Digital TheaterSystems) surround format and allowsDTS audio to be saved in WAV formatfor direct burning of a 5.1 mix to CD.

The latest release of SADiE Disk Edi-

The existence of more than a handful of DAWs

over $30,000 shows that demand for the high -end

has by no means vanished.

These include the new Mayah Flashmanhandheld recorder and the HHBPORTADRIVE compact location re-corder for TV and film sound record-ists. In addition, TASCAM has launchedthe Pocketstudio 5, and Digidesign hasdeveloped the Mbox portable microproject/home studio, which consists ofPro Tools 5.2 LE software and a smalltwo -channel USB audio peripheral.

Among the new offerings from well -established manufacturers are

significant enhancementsthat are designed notonly to appeal to newcustomers, but tohelp keep existing in-stalled bases up-to-date. AMS Neve, forexample, has an-nounced severalplug-in partnershipssuch as theServerSound that in -

sound effects libraryand search engine into AMS Neve'sStarNet environment. In addition,AudioFile SC now supports a multi-track trim feature for editing surroundstems in response to the increasing de-mand for tools to simplify surround for-

tegrates mSoft's

tor software for the SADiE 24.96,ARTEMiS and RADiA systems includesnew display features such as individualvertical zoom settings for EDL streams,large or small PQ and video stream set-tings, and enhanced waveform viewing.

New developments for the MergingTechnologies Pyramix aimed prima-rily at audio post -production applica-tions include the ability to synchro-nize and control third -party applica-tions running on the same PC, overnetworks and to external time code -

based machines using TCP/IP, RS -232or RS -422.

For those interested in Windows -

based software -only packages for PCs,new features included with theSyntrillium Cool Edit Pro 2.0 includereal-time effects and track -based EQ,MIDI and video playback support, sixnew DSP effects, loop -based musiccomposition, and a compressed loopfile format. Version 2.0 of the CakewalkSONAR offers unlimited digital audioand MIDI tracks, a centralized inter-face design, advanced audio loopingand editing tools, DXi software synthe-sizer plug -ins, and extensive audioloops and SoundFont libraries.


What Could Possibly Go WrongWith Your Digital Conversion?

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When you convert to digital, it means new equipment, new technology, and new requirements.The last thing you want to worry about is whether your cable car do the job. That's where wecome in. Whether your system is 27oMbs, 54oMbs, or full -throttle HDTV, Belden has the precisionaudio and video cable products you need...and the high performance data cables to put everythingtogether. After all, when downtime means dead air, you can't affo-d to choose less than the best.

From major broadcast installations to cable television networks to the most prestigious sports,entertainment, and news venues in the world, Belden is the choice for dependable audio, video,and data cable solutions. To find out more about how we can help you, contact Beldenat 1-800-BELDEN-4 and ask for the Digital Studio Guide, or visit Ls at www.belden.com.

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Accessing more tracksAround half of all DAWs on the mar-

ket now support 32 playback tracks, andalmost a quarter support more than 96.Many are also offering the ability to ac-cess these tracks through more than justa limited number of I/Os. CreamWare,for example, is offering the Luna II Ex-treme I/O recording package bundle

that offers 36 I/Os, of which 18 analogI/Os can operate simultaneously at24bit/96 kHz. The new Digidesign ProToolsIHD is available in three expand-able core configurations ranging from32 I/O channels and 96 simultaneousaudio tracks, to 96 I/O channels and 128simultaneous audio tracks.

A growing number of manufacturers

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are also focusing on using multichan-nel I/O for digitizing and archivinganalog recordings. Cube-Tec, for ex-ample, has introduced a new Tape -24module for its QUADRIGA automatedaudio archival system that supports 24-

track audio capturing of analog sessiontapes. The TransferStation hardwareand software option for the EuphonixR-1 multitrack recorder translates R -Iformatted files to the industry -standardAES3 I file format while retaining alledits, crossfades and time -stamped in-formation. It aims to offer enhancedcompatibility with current and futureDAWs, and is now also bundled with

AMS Neve's AudioFile SC now offerssupport for a multitrack trim feature forediting surround stems, to meet de-mand for tools to simplify surround for-mat editing.

the Steinberg Nuendo software, Version1.6 of which includes support for theAES3I interchange standard.

On the moveWhile AES3 I promises true inter-

change between different systems viamore than just sneakernet, manufac-turers have also been looking at al-ternatives for long-distance collabo-ration. Digidesign and Rocket Net-work have announced theDigiDelivery service for sending ProTools sessions and other data viaemail, while SADiE and Rocket Net-work intend to launch a RocketPowerapplication for interchanging SADiEdata with other RocketPower-com-patible products. BE

Yasmin Hashmi is a partner at SYPHA andeditor ofThe DAW Buyers Guide.


Introduciu theSynergy 100Digital ProductionSwitcher

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dual -stationmaster control center_

Digital System Technology(DST) recently integrated anew master control into one

Cox Broadcasting -owned station toform a dual -station master controlcenter. KICU-TV, an independent sta-tion previously operating in its ownSan Jose, CA, facility, was relocated tothe KTVU-TV facility in Oakland, CA.As of Jan. 1, 2002, the two stations nowoperate under one roof on a 24 -hourdual -station operation schedule.

The driving force behind the movewas to maximize efficiency in localoperations for Cox Broadcasting. Fol-lowing the acquisition of KICU, it wasdetermined that its cost of operationsin San Jose no longer justified its ex-istence as a stand-alone station. Withall of its commercials loaded onto aserver, most of its programming didnot require much attention. Loadingtapes for programming was the bruntof its operation, and these tasks couldbe easily performed through a dual-

station master control. RelocatingKICU's operations to the KTVU facil-ity has resulted in considerable savingsin labor costs.

Integrating master control for bothstations creates two additional benefits.One, the facility is designed so that oneperson can control operations of bothstations most of the time. KTVU andKICU can be easily split into two op-erations during peak hours, when op-erators are required for both stations.

Ken Manley, director of engineering atKTVU, contacted DST in September

2001 to discuss initial plans of mergingthe stations and possibly including sev-eral more in the future. This requirementinvolved making room for multiple pro-gram streams out of the master controlroom to accommodate multicasting andcentralcasting scenarios.

DST began the project in October2001, with a Dec. 31, 2001, target datefor completion. Due to the timeline,on -site preparations were handled byKTVU. The station team determinedwhere the expanded master controlcenter would be located and moved anedit suite to make room. The two par-ties considered a number of layout op-tions before coming to a final decision.

DST selected and specified the

design is more cost efficient: Fourswitchers would be required for full re-dundancy in separate facilities. Sinceboth stations now share the samebackup switcher, the cost of backupequipment is cut in half.

The switcher system features mini -

control panels installed along a second-ary "live event" operational console.The main control area, located at asupervisor console in the back of theroom, features a full-size control panel.This workstation allows one person tomonitor and control both stations dur-ing less active time periods. The sta-tions are equipped with Louth automa-tion, the capacity of which was nearlydoubled with the addition of KICU. In

Relocating KICU's operations to the KTVU facility

has resulted in considerable savings

in labor costs.

equipment in a joint effort withKTVU. The result was an equip-ment package that meets the needsof the expanded facility and func-tions well with existing equipment.

Master control centerThree Grass Valley M2100 switchers

serve as the heart of the dual mastercontrol center. The facility was designedas an N+1, which Translates to the num-ber of stations within the facility plusone backup for full redundancy. This

the event of an automation equipmentfailure, the operation can be run incomplete manual mode. The switchingsystem enables the control of any of thethree switching frames via any one ofthe three control panels, allowing anyswitcher to be assigned where the op-erator wishes (see Figure 1).

When an operator elects to use adifferent switcher, the automation listremains intact. KTVU developed aunique approach where all sources areavailable to each of the three switchers.


The main control area of the new dualmaster control center at KTVU/KICU isa "supervisor console" located in tieback of the room.The Sony HDTV moii-tor wall features Evertz custom quadsplits for 960i signals. A full-size GrassValley M2100 control panel allows oneperson to monitor and control both sta-tions during less active time periods.Photo courtesy DST.

BY DWIGHT CRUMB

Once operations switch to the backup,primary sources are immediatelyavailable and only a simple re-routeof the secondary signals is required.The system controls each switcher inthe same way, eliminating the need forextensive reprogramming of the au-tomation system.

For further backup of on -air opera-tions, a Leitch 16x16 switcher is situ-ated at the point of final output. Thesignals generated from the M2100s arefed via the Leitch switcher into the cn-air paths. Four different versions ofeach program stream were designed sothe stations can feed the most suitableversion of their programs to six satel-lite and cable companies, as well as totheir NTSC and DTV transmitters.

A Leitch Panel Mapper system displayssources and destinations in a matrix. Inaddition, in the unlikely event that allthree M2100s fail simultaneously,sources can be routed directly to theLeitch switcher and put on the air foruninterrupted programming.

Monitor wallThe monitor layout of the master

control center is the visual cornerstoneof the room. The stations use high -quality, 1080i HDTV -ready consumertelevisions for the monitor wall andfeed them with Evertz Quattro units togenerate native high -definition quadsplit displays. A total of 12, 32 -inch flatmonitors were installed, giving themonitor wall the look of a flat wall ofglass. This layout provides the master

control with a futuristic look, especiallyin comparison to the rows of equip-ment racks that traditionally encasemonitors in master control rooms.

However, this unique setup provedto be challenging. The monitors,though advertised as 1080i, appear tobe 960i models (480p doubled). Thismeans that when a true 1080i signal isfed into the monitor, it is displayed inthe 960i format, cutting off the top andbottom 60 lines of the image. In theend, 12 percent of the image is lost.

When this issue was discovered, themonitors' top and bottom blanking wereadjusted to minimize the problem.

The Quattro system was initially de-signed to take in four SDI signals withembedded audio and provide one1080i output. However, as the moni-tors seemed to be 960i, the system didnot function properly. To solve thisproblem, Evertz wrote custom. 96,0isoftware for the monitors.

The software is a vital aspect of themaster control center. It takes in theSDI signal and provides quad spits inhigh resolution, with audio levelingand error checking. It also monitors

numerous automated source param-eters, which will alert the operator of aparticilar problem in any signal path.With a normal quad split device, the dis-plays are one quarter of their normalresolution. However, because the moni-tors am! the software produce high reso-lution, the quad splits retain their origi-nal standard resolution on the monitors.In addition, the inputs of the quad splitgenerators are 601 formatted and thenconverted into 960i for the monitors.

Tape floorOutside of master control, there were

also changes in both the tape floor is-land and the "cold room." The tapefloor was one of the biggest challenges,as integration work was taking place inthe middle of the day. Operators werepreparing broadcast materials whileDST was building the appropriate me-dia ingest stations. Four ingest stationsconsisting of Digital Beta machines,analog Beta machines, one -inch ma-chines and terminals for the serverswere installed in the existing space.

The cold room houses the supportterminal gear and electronics for the

JULY 2002 broadcastengineering.com 45

entire facility. KTVU al-ready had a lot of Miranda

gear, and they elected to staywithin that product line when pur-

chasing terminal gear.All of the electronics for the M2100

frames, or "brains" of the switchers, alsolive in this room. The equipment is setup in three racks: System A (KTVU),System B (backup) and System C(KICU). All equipment in racks A andC is assigned to its specific station, andeverything housed in the middle rackis used by the two other systems. Themain digital SD and HD router is anexisting ADC/Nvision system that wasexpanded to 64x48.

Another challenge was that satellitesources are evolving from analog todigital transmission. Sixteen analogsatellite feeds are taken in, along withseven digital sources. To convert all 16to digital and embed audio would beexpensive, so DST employed a 16x8

16x16Switcher

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Figure 1. Operators at any of the control panels can control any of the M2100switchers. The signals generated are fed via a Leitch 16x16 switcher into theon -air paths. All frame outputs are available for each final output path.

analog pre -router feeding into eightLeitch DPS-475 frame synchronizers.Any eight analog feeds can be broughtinto the plant via the frame synchro-nizers. The DPS-475s handle audio

embedding and provide an upgradepath for digital. As the satellite feedsbecome digital SDI signals, the framesynchronizers can be switched over totheir digital inputs. All the while, the

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installed on Mt. Sutroand John Hancockbuilding.

Since our inception, Dielectric has been at the forefront of technological developmentsin the broadcast industry. We have continually focussed on the ever-changing needs ofour clients with countless innovations in antenna, transmission line and RF systemengineering and design.

Today, we are involved in all aspects of DTV implementation ncluding:

working with the broadcaster and their consultant on FCC filing data,

designing, engineering, manufacturing and installing the full communications systems

offering complete installation of antenna,tower, transmission line, and RF systempackages

B121)40C4Sr NI:WS

I

Rigging of anearly Dielectric

antenna in York,PA in 1947.

Charles"Doc"Brown (3rdfrom left)workingwith fellowengineers.

1986 Acquired RCA'sTV Antenna operations

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Louth automation system controlswhich of the 16 satellites are fed intothe frame synchronizers, the mastercontrol switchers and the main ADC/Nvision router.

There is also a newly installed analog12x1 switcher and Videotek VTM-200at the supervisor's console. In additionto performing high -definition moni-toring throughout master control, op-erators have a means to monitor theNTSC signals being sent to the analogtransmitters and cable companies.

The timeline of the project was a chal-lenge for the stations as well as DST.Decisions were made mainly on -site,and there was little time to step backand look things over. This was truly ateam effort between DST and KTVU,and a successful one at that. BE

Dwight Crumb is vice president ofengineering for Digital System Technology.

Design teamDST:

Lan Merrill, lead project managerDwig -it Crumb, design engineerGarrick Huey, regional sa esmanagerBill Hudson, project manager:lead nstallerSimon Shepherd, project mar -agerAnstallerAndre Dappas, CAD engineerJane- Crumb, project manager/CAD engineerDonna Gramlich, director ofpurchasingKTVL:Ken Manley, director of erigir eer-ing

Jim Wagner, technical servicessupe -visorKen Dixon, Dan Calaway andGeorge Craig, senior engineers

Ed Cc sci, director of technicaloperations

EquipmentlistGrass Valley Group M2100 switchersLeitch RCP -16x16 routing systemLeitch 16x8VA2 ingest routerLeitch Panel Mapper systemLeitch DPS-475 frame synchronizersEvert?. 7700PS quad split and signalmonroringEvert? 8085 CC translatorVidectek VTM-200RDL audio level controlsWohler MC satellite metersGenelec 1029 APM and 1030 APMspeakersMiranda Symphonie-PS redundartpower supplyBittree patch cords

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KWCH-TV Wichita, Kansas

Company Name:KWCH-TV

Headquarters:Wichita, Kansas

Number of Stations:KBSD-TV, Dodge CityKBSH-TV, Hays

KBSI, GoodlandLocal Cable Channel

Critical Needs:Multi -channel operationCentralCasting configurationTotal automationFlexibility of control tosupport live broadcasts

Don Vest, Chief Engineer

Five years ago, Don Vest, Chief Engineer at

KWCH-TV in Wichita, Kansas knew facility

improvements had to be made. The station

needed a flexible automation solution that

combined the power of disk -based media stor-

age systems with the reliability of tape -based

technologies. As a result, the station chose

Odetics Broadcast to help transform its broad-

cast operations from its single channel, mostly

manual master control to a fully modernized,

multi -channel automated broadcast facility.

"We chose Odetics because they demonstrated

a better understanding of how a television sta-

tion is programmed and operates," says Vest.

With Odetics' AIRO- Automation System,

KWCH has been able to extend its capabilities

from controlling one station to three others in

the Western Kansas area.

Since 1996, KWCH has taken advantage of the

scalability and adaptability offered by the AIRO

system to meet the station's increasing channel

requirements without adding complexity or

additional staff. The latest upgrade included

integrating the addition of a new AIRO system

with their existing AIRO system. "Odetics deliv-

ered the capability to merge the media data-

base in the two systems so it would operate as

one - this has made a big difference in our

capabilities," adds Vest. "This gave us an

eleven channel system - eight channels in the

new system using MPEG-2, and three channels

in the previous system using JPEG."

With AIRO, KWCH is also able to control

four stations from one central location and

with one operator, all running a different

playlist. "This has had a great impact on

decreasing the switching errors and improving

the technical quality of the commercial spots.

Thanks to AIRO, discrepancies reported by the

Western Kansas stations have decreased from

two pages a day to maybe a single entry"

explains Vest.

The AIRO system also gives Vest the flexibility

he likes. "We can break away from the com-

bined control, bring in extra operators and run

each individual station as a standalone, or even

combinations of stand-alone and combined

control. And we can do all this while at the

same time running a totally separate channel

on cable that is virtually unattended."

Where is Vest looking now? "Expansion, expan-

sion expansion. I'm ready to work with Odetics

to continue to expand the AIRO to program our

DTV channel."

Odetic_

11

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Now lesslessis more popularBY DON MARKLEY

Asno real surprise to any-one who has not beensleep for the past five

years, broadcasters have been havingtrouble meeting the FCC deadlines forDTV operation. For reasons widely re-ported in the press, the Commission haspermitted many stations to start opera-tion with facilities significantly less thanthose in their allocation - either with anappropriate construction permit or, inmany cases, under the terms of a specialtemporary authorization (STA) - whilework continues to construct higherpower facilities.

Stations are experiencing significantdifficulties in financing their DTV op-

ties built. In many cases, this still involvesobtaining the necessary zoning for newor modified towers and antennas. As hasbeen discussed earlier in these pages,communities are becoming more sen-sitive regarding any new construction.Increased protests by environmentalistsand concerns about such problems asbird kills are making zoning problems

1 A =

Demand for HD deConsumers are cost-conscious

0

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12

60%

50%

40%

30%

20%

10%

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$2000

SOURCE: CEA

11%

$1500

17%

Price

seemingly insurmountable.The temporary use of reduced power

has been granted to many stationsupon proper application to the Com-mission with suitable reasons for theneed for such operation. Technically,the biggest requirement is showing thatthe temporary facility will provide ad-equate service to the city of license.

the reduced facilities. However, that willnot continue indefinitely.

The reduced facilities permit the sta-tion to get on the air less expensively andwith equipment that is easier to install.First, the transmitter is typically one boxcontaining essentially everythingneeded at the transmitter site. As oneexample, Harris introduced their

Stations are experiencing significant difficulties infinancing their DTV operations and/or getting the

new facilities built

Usually, that requires a simple show-ing that can be prepared by the station'sconsulting engineer. The signalstrength is not simply that for noise -limited service, but has been establishedby the Commission to ensure that theurban areas are properly served. Theservice area for the station, as estab-lished by their allocations, will continueto be protected from interference tem-porarily while the station operates with

$1000

30%

$500

www.cea.org

Ranger series of UHF transmitters withDTV power output of 460 W or 900 W.While the output power is lower, the fea-tures are essentially the same as on theirlarger kin. For example, the new, smallerunits use the same exciter as the largertransmitters. They also have completecircuitry for automatic correction of dis-tortions including the mask filter. Themask filter is built in, which makes thewhole installation simple. For remotemonitoring, they have the same systemof software as in the large transmitters.Finally, these systems can be integratedinto a larger solid-state transmitter whenhigher power operation is desired.Another example would be the

DTValue system from Axcera. That sys-tem incorporates a Dolby 5.1 encoder,an SDTV encoder and a complete moni-toring package into one cabinet alongwith all amplifiers and the mask filter.That system is available from 50 W to500 W. Again, it can be expanded byadding cabinets up to 5 kW.

Those two systems are included hereas examples of what is available at thelower power levels. Similar systems areavailable from other manufacturers atcompetitive prices. Solid-state UHFtransmitters are becoming popular for


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DTV use since the required power out-put is so much lower than for most ofthe NTSC operations. Of course, solid-

4 state transmitters have been the system

CC du jour for VHF operations for sometime and continue their popularity intothe DTV operations.

Low power isn't the only new area intransmitters. More features and greaterease of operation are becoming the rule.

c Again as an example, Axcera now in -

dudes a time delay reflectometer featurein their DT2B-based exciter system. Thatfeature is part of their DTVision signalanalysis system. The reflected signals are

W processed in the modulator, and a graphO showing the location of the reflection

source is displayed on the front panelwithout other external equipment.While not expected to be a rigoroustransmission line and antenna evalua-tion system, it certainly adds to the in-

>. formation furnished to the operatorabove having only a return power meter.

2

I -

For ease of operation, Harris has in-troduced a new exciter. The Apex is thelatest in their series of exciters and isfor any VHF or UHF channel. It is fullyfrequency agile without any channelsetup. The most unique feature is that

good with minimal downtime. In thelarger markets where zero downtime isnecessary, a completely redundantbackup system is a reasonable solutionto the problem, permitting 24 -hour op-eration while allowing maintenance to

It would appear that simplicity and reliability havebecome the two most important characteristics of

today's run of transmitters.

it has no user adjustments at all. Every-thing is software controlled, and thesoftware is field upgradeable to com-ply with any necessary changes in theATSC standards. Think of it - no useradjustments in a digital television ex-citer with full digital processing andcorrective circuitry. We have come along way from the time it took a tech-nician a couple of hours to get the col-ors matched in a camera with lots of

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controls. In a com-pletely solid-statetransmitter sys-tem, maintenancehas come down todusting, changingthe filters and oc-casionally sacrific-ing a small animalor two.

With regard tohigher power,which is stillaround, the tet-rodes still arepopular in the me-dium powerranges - although alot of stations aregoing to a singleIOT transmitter.While one may betempted to cringe abit at having onlyone high power de-vice upon whichthe whole stationdepends, their reli-ability has provento be extremely

be done in a non -panic mode.The diacrode is still available and has

found renewed popularity for mediumpower. In the air-cooled version, thisdevice has been popular for 5 kW DTVand 10 kW analog transmitters.

Finally, for high-powered UHF trans-mitters, multiple IOTs still seem to bethe preferred solution. Those devicescontinue to be upgraded and improvedboth in their linearity and dependabil-ity. They have become to UHF what tri-odes used to be to the AM industry. Thatis, simple and economical for reliableoperation. It would appear that simplic-ity and reliability have become the twomost important characteristics of today'srun of transmitters. This maybe becausethe technical staffs of broadcast stationshave become smaller. Less time is avail-able for work on the transmitter plantand, sadly, fewer people are around withthe technical expertise to work ontoday's sophisticated equipment.

Today's technician must have far moretraining than in the days of simplevacuum tube transmitters. The systemssimply are far too sophisticated to beworked on by marginally trained per-sonnel. Troubleshooting a system withmultiple microprocessors isn't quite thesame as watching for a color change in amercury vapor rectifier. The older read-ers should explain that one to theyounger staff members, who will haveno idea what it means.

BE

Don Markley is president of D.L. Markleyand Associates, Peoria, IL.

SE NDSend questions and comments to:

[email protected]


Powerprinted

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screed valuescome to the small screenBY JOHN LUFF

HD broadcasts over DTVchannels hold the prom-ise of delivering vastly im-

proved pictures and sound, along withdata that can augment the linear video

medium in an age of hypermedia.Ernie Kovacs once said, "Television is

often called a medium because it's sorarely well done Perhaps HDTV pro-gramming will change this cynical view.

Perhaps the creative community's vi-sion combined with the sensitive ap-plication of technology can yield inno-vation and high -quality programming.

This article discusses some of the


The HDNet network broadcasts allof its content 16 hours a day,seven days a week in the 1080ihigh -definition format. Shownhere is the interior of one ofHDNet's remote trucks in actionat the Olympics in Salt Lake City.Photo courtesy HDNet.

issues involved in bringing big -screenvalues to the small screen. It begins withthe politics and technology of HDTVcontent delivery, and then focuses onHDTV production, including the

processes necessary to develop, acquire,edit and distribute HDTV content.

Powell's planOn April 4 of this year, FCC Chair-

man Michael Powell outlined a planto speed the DTV transition. Amongother things, the plan seeks to advancetwo key goals: (1) increasing the levelof compelling digital content availableto consumers; and (2) providing cablesubscribers access to that content overtheir cable systems. He proposed vol-untary action to produce and delivercontent that only DTV can provide.

His chief proposal rails for ABC, CBS,

FOX and NBC, along with HBO andShow -time, to provide high -definitionor other value-added DTV program-ming during at least 50 percent of theirprime -time schedule, beginning withthe 2002-03 season. Value-added DTVprogramming could be high -defini-tion, innovative multicasting or inter-active - as long as it gives consumerssomething significantly different thanwhat they currently receive in analogbroadcasts. This would require some-thing more than a single stream of stan-dard -definition digital programming.

Cable, DBS, equipment manufactur-ers and broadcast licensees each re-ceived their own admonishment fromChairman Powell to hold up otherparts of the consumer -delivery chain.It is important to note that much ofthe prime -time schedule of the fourbroadcast networks is already availablein HD, in some cases already exceed-ing the requested voluntary action. Byallowing broadcasters to provide con-tent that is "significantly different" aspart of his plan, Powell tacitly admit-ted that broadcasters have significantreservations about HDTV production.The production community and theconsumer electronics industry are notready to deliver on the full promise ofinteractivity and other enhancementsDTV can provide. What is left inPowell's list is multicasting and HDTV.

But, if the production side of the in-dustry is to increase HDTV content,it will have to gear up significantly.Four years ago, only a small number

of facilities were capable of HDTV pro-duction. Since then, the number ofcommercial mobile -production unitswidely available for HDTV productionshas grown. And other facilities havejoined them, many in advance of sig-nificant consumer demand and at con-siderable cost and risk

Production technologyOver the last live years, the technol-

ogy for HDTV production has im-proved and its cost has plummeted.Whole camcorders are now available forless than the cost of a single lens a fewyears ago. Cameras no longer need tobe tethered to large VTRs that requiresignificant power and space. Indeed, forlittle more than the cost of a high -end525 EFP camera of only a few years ago,it is now possible to have an HDTVcamcorder with equivalent features andreasonable dower consumption.Hitachi, Ikegami, JVC, Panasonic andSony, among others, have developed arange of camera products that offer fea-tures that, in some cases, were not prac-tically available to the production com-munity in 525 and 625 products. Thesensitivity of HDTV cameras rivals thatof their standard -definition counter-parts. Colorimetry has been improved,especially in low -light areas of scenes.And some cameras can now mimic theability of film cameras to "overcrank"and "undercrank" These improvementsin camera technology and productioneffects will materially affect the transi-tion from film acquisition to video ac-quisition, at least for television release.

This year saw a commercially success-ful use of HD cameras for producing amajor motion picture. Also, Lucas Film,Sony and Panavision have pioneeredsignificant developments that produc-tion professionals will need to produceHD releases in the future. Clearly muchof that development work was directedat the unique needs of release to the-atres, but much is directly applicable totelevision as well. Chief among the de-velopments is the use of 1080p24 ac-quisition. Using a 24p high -resolutionmaster will allow conversion essentiallyto any release format - in much the


Nonlinear HD editing systems suchas this Discreet inferno HDcompositing bay provide "no -ex-cuses" sophistication. Photo cour-tesy Hollywood Digital.

same way that the film community isaccustomed to working.

At the same time, recording technol-ogy has also improved. HD recorders ofa decade ago cost hundreds of thousandsof dollars. They used open -reel tape thatcost over $1000 per hour and did notlast as long as tape used for conventional525 production. Today, Panasonic andSony offer cassette -based HD recorderswith performance that was unavailablea few years ago. Both lightly compressedand moderately compressed HD imagescan be captured and used for post -pro-duction applications.

Terminal equipment that providesvirtually all of the capabilities that stan-dard -definition systems commonly useis available from many manufacturers.

Converters between analog and digitalformats (all HDTV systems use SMPTE292M for interconnection at 1.485 Gbitsls), frame syncs, DAs, audio embeddingand dis-embedding, and optical links areall readily available from manufacturerssuch as Evertz, Miranda, Leitch,Thomson, Sony, Snell & Wilcox, AJAVideo, Cobalt Digital, ADC/Nvision andothers. Where once the range of prod-ucts was limited, it is now quite broadand supported in standard interfacesfrom a number of manufacturers.

Production and routing switchershave also progressed significantly. Thefirst HDTV production switchers wereextremely expensive. Newer models arestill more expensive than their standard-

definition counterparts, but they havecome down quite a bit in price. Gener-ally, they support the range of normalproduction effects in HDTV productsto about the same level as they do for

which facilitates multiformat facilitieswith few penalties.

In short, broadcasters wishing to rampup HDTV production face few hurdlesto prevent them from using techniquesthat replicate those used for standard-

definition episodic and live program-ming. The complications come fromnew techniques stemming from the verynature of HDTV vision and sound.

The nature of the beastHDTV is all about three things: wider

screens, higher spatial and temporalresolution, and improved digital (andsurround sound) audio. Each carrieswith it additional knowledge that theproduction professional must be awareof when preparing to acquire and editin HDTV. Higher resolution puts a bur-den on the director of photography toeffectively deal with the higher modu-lation -transfer performance of modern

In his plan, Powell has tacitly admitted thatbroadcasters have significant reservations about

HDTV production.

standard definition. The state of the artfor routing switchers is much the same,with newer models erasing much of theprice penalty associated with widebandproducts. Many are well integrated intothe product lines to which they belong,

High-speed photography (Ex 40p < 1.67 x slow>)

Low -speed photography (Ex 15p < 0.63 x speed>)1/15 s

Camera

Valid frame flag

0 0 0 0 2 2 2

1/60 s

Figure 1. Some new HD cameras and camcorders can "overcrank" the framerate for slow-motion effects and "undercrank" it for high-speed effects.This diagram shows examples of overcranking and undercranking for a 24pHD format. Image courtesy Panasonic.

HDTV images. Cameramen familiarwith shooting at a given depth of focusin standard definition will find thatHDTV cameras are sharper and may re-quire rethinking production techniques(lighting, camera angle and/or distancefrom the scene) to achieve the desiredresults. The same is true when compar-ing 8mm film production to 16mm,35mm and 70mm media. HDTV cam-eras seem to be more critical on focus.They certainly show the effects of poorfocus more quickly. Sports camera op-erators, for instance, find that they needto practice more care in following fo-cus as the primary object in a scenemoves within the frame.

HDTV offers a choice of temporalresolution between interlace and pro-gressive formats, and several choices ofspatial resolution. The most popularproduction formats are 720x1280(60p)and 1080x1920(30i, 24p). The major-ity of production is done in 1080i30,with a growing amount done in


1080p24. More than one major dis-tributor has standardized on 720p60for production and distribution, de-spite being limited to a smaller circleof manufacturers that fully support therequired production equipment.

But 720p hardware capable of vari-able frame rate (1 to 60 fps) is avail-able, and is particularly attractive forcertain types of productions. Manufac-turers have used a clever technique toachieve this without changing the re-cording medium in ways that wouldmake it incompatible. The camera cap-tures the specified number of framesper second, but the recorder continuesto record 60 fps, repeating frames asrequired to "pad" or fill the sequence.The frames needed for post productionare "flagged" and processed during postproduction (see Figure 1).

Of particular concern for HDTV pro-duction is the wider aspect ratio. A pro-duction that must release in 4:3 (1.33:1)and in 16:9 (1.77:1) has to be shot with-out compromising production apertureand scene composition. Images acquiredin 1.77:1 HDTV can be downsampled to525 -line 1.33:1 while maintaining highquality. However, framing will dearly suf-

fer some compromises (see Figure 2). Thedifficulty is serious, but since productionsare now routinely released on standard -definition networks in the letterbox for-mat, the issue is one that consumers willlikely understand better than they once

of creativity. For instance, a lower -thirdname super on a sports broadcast mighthave a left -justified name on a 1.77:1screen, but would be badly cropped ona 1.33:1. One solution is to insert differ-ent graphics in each broadcast, whichmight be done in a system in which onecontrol panel switches ashow with two video pro-cessing frames (and differ-ent graphics generators).But this is quite an expen-sive approach and mayonly be applicable underunusual circumstances andwhere budgets permit.

Effectively shooting forHDTV's high resolutionand wide aspect ratio alsorequires different framing.In the first Monday NightFootball broadcast thatwas done simultaneouslyin HDTV and standard definition, thedirector shot the program differentlyfor the higher resolution and framingof HDTV. At half time, the ceremonyhonoring John Elway was shot quitetight (and appropriately) in the 525broadcast, but much wider in theHDTV program. Both showed theemotion and detail in Elway's face. Eachwas appropriate to the content and au-dience. Neither would have been rightif it had been up- or downconverted tothe reciprocal medium.

If the production side of the industry is toincrease HD content, it will have to gear

up significantly.did. In Europe, a common compromiseis to shoot in 14:9 (1.55:1), which occu-pies more of the screen when shown ona 1.33:1 display.

At the time of production, aspect -ra-tio concerns may have a larger effect onlive -entertainment programming andsports, which typically have a large num-ber of graphic elements. Tastefully de-signing graphic treatment so that sucha production is not cropped on a 4:3 set,while showing the full intended con-tent on a 1.77:1 set, may require a lot

Audio requirementsFortunately for our industry, high -qual-

ity audio has always been possible dur-ing production. But the state of the arthas limited our ability to distribute thatquality all the way to the home. DTV al-lows us to carry the (apparent) quality ofthe production environment to the home-apparent only because it is compressedsignificantly. But, nonetheless, DTV is ofmuch higher quality than broadcast me-dia has been able to do by other means.

Surround sound is nothing new in

our industry. However, most surroundsound has been four -channel sur-round, and DTV allows (but does notrequire) 5.1 channel surround sound.The channel assignments for Dolby5.1 (AC -3 coding) are left, right, cen-ter, left surround, right surround and

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low -frequency effects (LFE, which isthe ".1" channel). But, not all produc-tions lend themselves to 5.1 sound. Forinstance, a newscast would derive littleadditional production value from sur-round sound, but a football broadcastcan be enhanced quite a bit if the crowdaudio is placed in the proper spatial re-lationship in the sound field. Theviewer should hear the calls of the quar-terback coming from the field, while thecrowd sound seems to come fromaround the listener, and perhaps be-hind as well. Putting the crowd soundequally in all locations will not enhancethe sense of realism that surroundsound can project. So, just as a programneeds to have a person making visualdesign decisions (graphics, staging,etc.), a program with surround soundalso needs to have someone design theaural portion of the production.

Bringing big -screen values to thesmall screen involves adjusting tounique demands in the course of ac-quiring, editing and delivering HDcontent. BE

John Luff is senior vice president ofbusiness development at AZCAR. To reachhim visit www.azcar.com.


If you've recently upgraded yourstation's equipment, you'll needto optimize your RF system before

the station goes on the air. Of course,system performance has many facets.This article focuses on the physical lay-out of a typical passive RF system andthe technical concerns of optimizingVSWR performance.

Having a detailed plan right from thestart will move your system perfor-mance testing quickly and keep costsdown. But even the best system opti-mization procedure will not compen-sate for non -optimized components,poor system design or faulty installa-tion processes. Always insist on trained,knowledgeable engineering techniciansto optimize and monitor installation ofall components. Keep in mind thatthese services are available to broadcast-ers without in-house expertise.

A few words of caution: It is essentialto coordinate the activities of stationengineering and management, equip-ment suppliers, consulting engineers,tower vendor, installation crew, and thesystem optimization service, to makesure that everyone is on board.

The upgraded facilityThe facility discussed here is a

high -power facility typical for a U.S.

broadcaster, upgrading either withinNTSC analog or to DTV, and provid-ing coverage on a UHF channel.

A high -power broadcast facility re-quires an effective radiated power(ERP) of 1500 kW to cover the mar-ket. The transmitter in the upgradediscussed here has a total power out-put (TPO) of 60 kW. This facility alsohas special radiation -pattern require-ments. Therefore, it will require ahigh -power, top -mounted, 25 -gaindirectional antenna with a 6 -1/8 -inch,75 f rigid transmission line.

The new antenna system will beadded to an existing tower alreadyloaded with broadcast, cellular andmicrowave equipment.

Antenna and transmissionline

After selecting the antenna, you mustconsider the physical details of theentire passive RF system and its instal-lation at the site. The ultimate perfor-mance of the system depends onproper planning in this initial phase.

There are several factors that deter-mine the position of the antenna onthe tower, including availability ofspace, antenna pattern and gain, thedesired signal coverage, and wind andweight load. The other equipment on

BY WALTER MAMAK

the tower may also affect the placementof the antenna and transmission line.

The proper mechanical and structuralinterface between the antenna and towervaries, of course, with the characteris-tics of the selected antenna and the ex-isting tower. Generally, this interfaceentails fastening the antenna to the towerstructure, providing adequate space forthe antenna input and transmission lineconnections, routing the transmissionline to the antenna, and positioning theantenna to attain the desired coverage.These procedures require detailed infor-mation about the antenna and the tower.Information on structural loads andmounting interface details for the an-tenna are available from the manufac-turer. But, for an existing facility, the onlyway to be sure that the tower informa-tion is correct is to inspect the site andobtain a structural analysis, which youshould do before designing the system.

Next is antenna orientation, which in-volves determining the azimuth positionof the antenna, tower and tower mount-ing bolts for a top -mount antenna.

Other steps in the installation of atop -mount antenna include confirma-tion that the transmission line will becorrectly routed to the antenna.

In the case of a side -mount antenna,perform a "scattering analysis" (see

.110110' 58 broacicastengineering.co JULY 2002

Three histalleraviantenna on an exitest' Andrew.

side -mount,, wer, c icedwer holdi existing antennas. Phit cour-

1,41/tiO,

Figure 1) to obtain the best RF signalcoverage. Antenna manufacturerstypically have developed proprietarysoftware for this purpose. But, to cb-tain accurate results, this software re-quires accurate, detailed informationon the tower's physical details. Makesure the antenna is correctly located tominimize pattern degradation by thesurrounding tower structure, transmis-sion lines and other tower appurte-nances. Side -mount antennas can beleg -mounted or face -mounted. Thisselection is based on the required azi-muth pointing direction, the avail-able space on the tower to clear otherobstructions, and the structural re-quirements of the tower.

Broadcasters should also ensure towerbracing and/or other tower appurte-nances do not obstruct the correct rout-ing and support of the transmissionline for weight, ice and wind load.

Transmission lineconsiderations

When choosing transmission line, youmust balance cost of the line with themechanical, structural, thermal andpractical considerations of routing theline from the transmitter to and throughthe tower and to the antenna input.

A detailed plan for the transmission

line system includes the followingitems: a complete bill of material; de-sign drawings, with all componentspositioned in the system; a plan forrouting the transmission line from thegas barrie: in the equipment buildingthrough the ice bridge and up thetower to the antenna -input flange; thelocation of the flange, hangers andguides; and, finally, a plan for install-ing the line on the station's tower.

:most basic level, there are trade-offs:1. Physical size and RF system loss vs.

-nwer structural loading2. Ease of installation vs. optimization

Of power output and attenuation3. Structural support type and loca-

-ion vs. flexibility for thermal expan-zion/contraction

4. Mechanical routing simplicity vs.:eduction of system components

5. Location of structural supportscoorchnated to the existing tower'sstructural steel

6. Strategic location of fine matchersections (tuners) to optimize systemperformance

System testing and VSWRoptimization

Once you've selected all the major com-ponents for the tower, you must be surethat they are up to the task of integratinginto a top -performing, long -serving sys-tem. After all, tower installation is alength}, labor-intensive, costly process.

When the antenna is delivered to thesite, as_< the following questions: Wereall components delivered in goodworking order? Have the RF tunerslocated throughout the system beenoptimized? Were the electrical andmechanical ground checks of the an-tenna performed? An engineering tech -

Having a detailed plan right from the start will

move your system performance testing

quickly and keep costs down.

For the application discussed here, asingle -channel, rigid transmission linewas chosen. Other choices are avail-able, including broadband rigid line,circular or rectangular waveguide, orflexible coaxial cable. The choice de-pends on the parameters of a particu-lar installation, such as the need forbroadband service, power -handlingcapacity, tolerable level of line attenu-ation, tower wind -load limitations,structural -mounting details and over-all cost effectiveness.

Optimizing the aforementioned param-eters is no trivial undertaking. Even at the

nician should supervise unloading ofthe antenna and perform detailed vi-sual, pressurization and VSWR sweeptests to assure that it is in factory -qual-ity condition.

After the transmission line system iscompletely installed, best current prac-tice requires system sweep and optimi-zation services.

To obtain the best results, inspectthe transmission system after instal-lation to ensure structural and me-chanical integrity prior to the finalsystem sweep. Inspections should bedone from the input flange of the


Figure 1. A typical plot produced byscattering analysis.

transmission line system to the topof the tower. Follow-up inspectionsshould be conducted at least once peryear - more frequently in a high -humidity or corrosive environment,or in high -wind areas.

The following steps detail the inspectionpoints for all transmission line systems:

1. Check the complete transmissionline system for compliance to designdrawings.

2. Verify that the line is plumb to 1/8inch per 100 feet.

3. Check for damaged hangers andground straps.

a. Verify free movement of springhangers and transmission line.

b. Verify proper extension ofspring hangers.4. Check all mounting hardware for

compliance to torque requirements.5. Check field -cut sections for proper fit

by looking for binding or stress betweenadjacent sections of transmission line.

6. Check for proper clearances be-tween transmission line sections andthe tower's structural steel or other ob-structions that may damage the trans-mission line under extreme conditionsof thermal expansion/contraction.

7. Verify proper seating of fine -

matcher hardware.8. Verify pressure integrity of the sys-

tem by performing a timed pressur-ization drop test.

If you chose a waveguide for your in-stallation, follow these additional in-spection points:

1. Check constant -force springs forproper extension and tightness ofhardware.

2. Inspect the bearing flange; verifybolt torque.

3. Verify that one vertical hanger isInstalled for every two sections ofwaveguide above the specified level inthe manual.4. Verify that the guideline pins are

aligned in the same plane.Note: To avoid additional personnel

costs, you should pressurize the sys-tems and hold pressure for at least 24hours before beginning the systemsweep optimization services.

After visually and mechanically veri-fying the transmission line installation,perform RF sweep measurements andrecord VSWR according to themanufacturer's procedure. Several inde-pendent -contractor engineering ser-vices offer system optimization. Addi-tionally, you can hire site technical advi-sory service field engineers with expe-rience in new equipment installationsto manage the installation process.

Typically, RF sweep measurement isan interactive process to optimize thesystem's return -loss performance. Usea network analyzer to determine thecharacteristics of the transmission lineand adjust the system's fine matchersto achieve optimum performance. Thisis accomplished by attaching transi-tions (adapters) to the transmissionline near the gas barrier. This adapteris tuned to better than -50 dB (returnloss). Initial data is then taken in boththe frequency domain (return -losssweeps) and the time domain (time-

domain reflectometry - TDR).By using modern TDR techniques

over broad bandwidths, you can iden-tify the most severe mismatches becausethe tuning process is usually initiated atthese points with the fine matchers de-signed into the system layout.

Broad -bandwidth, high -resolutionTDR measurements check for anoma-lies in the installation such as pinchedgaskets, split bullets, loose hardwareand elbow complexes that exhibit highVSWR. You might have to replacecomponents or correct faulty instal-lation procedures before finalizingsystem sweep measurements.

Proceeding in this manner, optimizeeach of the fine -matcher locations toyield the best system VSWR. When

complete, re -inspect the system forpressure integrity. Usually, you canexpect long transmission line systemsto maintain a 0.5 psi pressure dropover a 24 -hour period.The consultant or service provider

will perform an array of measurements,which can include the following:

1. VSWR and return -loss plots witheach 6, 25 and 100 MHz span.

2. TDR (VSWR) format with each 6,25 and 100 MHz span.

Final thoughtsA truly optimized system includes

good planning, a detailed design,high -quality products, certified instal-lation crews, and qualified system op-timization services. Pre-test inspec-

At this Mt. Wilson, CA, site, the cen-ter tower has a side -mount antennawith a rectangular waveguide trans-mission line. Because of the com-plexity and routing of the line, spe-cial attention had to be paid to theoptimization process. Photo cour-tesy Andrew.

tions are essential. Skimping here mayresult in costly on -site expenses forcrews and RF technicians, and ulti-mately have a negative impact on sta-tion performance. BE

Walter Mamak, PE, is product engineeringmanager forAndrew, broadcast productsdivision.

60 broadcastengineering.co JULY 2002

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TektronixMPEG test systemsBY TOM TUCKER

he worldwide transition todigital broadcasting is truly

to a massive undertaking. Af-1- ter spending months designing a new

installation, the engineer is faced withall the problems implementation can

CI bring, since the whole process ofO translating a complex system architec-IX ture into a working physical reality can

be fraught with hidden danger. Anengineer may have intermittent signalfailure due to a bad connector, or com-plete signal failure due to an incor-rectly configured multiplexer, or anynumber of other typical installationproblems. The only real solution tothis conundrum lies in the ability toidentify problems generated duringthe installation process, so the system

2

TheTektronix AD920 MPEG handheldtester provides support for the twomain interfaces found in digitalbroadcast installations worldwide:ASI and SMPTE 310M.

will continue working into the future.

MPEG testersTektronix currently offers three test

tools to assist in successfully and effi-ciently installing and maintaining com-pressed digital video installations. TheTektronix AD920 MPEG handheldtester, AD954 MPEG portable analyzer,and MTX100 MPEG recorder andplayer help engineers rapidly deploy

new equipment - even entire installa-tions - effectively, on time and on bud-get. They are tools for installation en-gineers, as well as anyone else taskedwith maintaining or implementing anMPEG-2 infrastructure.

The Tektronix AD920 has been de-signed to provide support for the two

structured. Conditional tests, such assync byte error and continuity counterror, are either true or false, dependingupon whether or not they comply withthe TR101290 guidelines. The tester alsoallows the operator to set user-

configurable alarms, allowing him or herto continue working on other tasks while

The only real solution to solving implementationproblems lies in the ability to identify the problems

generated during the installation process.

main interfaces found in digitalbroadcast installations worldwide: ASIand SMPTE 310M. Both use BNCconnections and run at 270 Mbits/s(ASI) and 19.34 Mbits/s (SMPTE310M). The output signal level is800mVp-p±10% (into 75 I) in bothcases due to the active loop -through.

The MPEG-2 test device addressesMPEG-2-based systems including DVBand ATSC. It has been designed specifi-cally for confidence -testing applications.For instance, it addresses tests designedto ensure that an MPEG-2 transportstream can be decoded. This means test-ing against the DVB-defined "TRIO]290" first priority test conditions (exclud-

ing PID error). It will also enable testingof the physical layer signal.

All of the measurements are displayedon a single graphical display. Clock rate,signal level, transport rate and data rateare displayed as moving bars with anaccurate numerical measurement along-side them. This gives instant visual iden-tification of the amount of data carriedby the transport stream against the over-all bit rate. This helps determine if atransport stream is carrying only stuff-ing data rather than valid video, audioor data - even if it seems to be correctly

still being alerted to ongoing intermit-tent problems.

A key distinguishing feature is thesystem's portability. Battery -powered,it weighs less than 1 kg. Its handheldshape lends itself to crawling aroundthe back of racks, and checking cablesin the floor, walls and ceiling. It alsoprovides stream ID functionality, en-abling isolation of a given feed from abank of cables awaiting connection.

Complex analysisFor more complex analysis, Tektronix

offers the AD954 MPEG portable ana-lyzer, which provides a more detailedbreakdown of the MPEG-2 transportstream. In addition to providing all ofthe conditional functions of the AD920,this tool also includes stream structureanalysis, private data monitoring, andTR101 290 stream analysis for priority1, 2 and 3, as well as other conform-ance measurements.

It can be hooked up to a laptop forfield work, allowing the engineer toanalyze a stream in real time to TR101290 priority 1, and to interrogate astream offline to priority levels 1, 2 and3. The user can also trigger the unit tocapture errors, including a pre -trigger


buffer if required, or sample streamsfor further testing offline or at a laterdate. Additionally, the system allowsthe user to analyze system information(SI) and program -specific informa-tion (PSI) tables on the laptop display.

When used in real-time test scenarios,the analyzer will maintain a log of TR101

290 priority 1 and SI scripting errors asthey occur, detailing time and date forlater comparison, or store as a record forongoing system maintenance.

The tester is suitable for connectionto ASI, SMPTE 310M and DVB SPI.It does not require connection to alaptop when left to capture a transportstream error, which is helpful in solv-ing intermittent problems.

Another necessary ingredient for in-stalling video networks is a reliable sig-nal source. The MTX100 recorder andplayer allows the user to play, record andstress a design to ensure that even un-der the harshest operating conditions,no fault will occur. It is light, compactand portable. It offers users many inter-face options, including ASI, DHEI andDVB Parallel. It will play out at data rates

up to 200 Mbits/s while offering seam-less looping and PCR jitter insertion totest stability. Another key feature is itstransport stream structure view, whichallows rapid identification of the over-all stream structure even before playout.

The rollout of digital video serviceshas created a rapidly growing need foreasy -to -use installation and mainte-nance measurement tools designedspecifically for digital video applica-tions. Whether an engineer needs ago/no-go solution or needs to providea full analysis and characterization ofa system's entire health, a test and mea-surement system from Tektronix canfulfill this need. BE

Tom Tucker is a marketing manager for theAmericas for Tektronix.



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Lobo & Associatesshoot Saudi Arabiawith PanasonicBY MAL WOLFE

Lobo & Associates, a Santa Bar-bara, CA -based producer oflarge -format films, television

productions and high -end corporatefilms, has just finished shooting a cor-porate high -definition video project forSaudi Aramco. Forging of an Industry:The Future of a Nation (working title)will provide corporate image exposurefor Saudi Aramco's Natural Gas Opera-tions division. It is intended to show theSaudi public how the new gas era willaffect everyday lives in Saudi Arabia.

The company has commissionedtwo versions of the video. A one -hourtelevision version will be aired in theGulf countries, and a half-hour ver-sion will be on permanent exhibition

Before shooting any tape, Lobo &As-sociates undertook detailed pre -pro-duction planning for the project. Thepre -production phase included closecommunication with Saudi Aramco toensure the production plan would berepresentative of their vision for the

the cameras moving at all times throughthe use of dollies, jib arms and rails. Wealso had a grip truck specially outfittedfor the same purpose. Overall, the qual-ity of the video shot is comparable tolarge -format film work, but film stockand processing costs were eliminated

The taping took place in extremely variedMI6 environments with a large array of equipmentproject. This phase also included ob-taining all necessary government per-mits, hiring a local support staff, andarranging air travel and support ve-hicles within Saudi Arabia.

Aside from the logistics of organizingthe actual shooting,

Mike Braniger, Lobo & Associates' director of photogra-phy, uses Panasonic's AJ-HDC20A to shoot scenes for ahigh -definition video project for Saudi Aramco.The cam-eras were used in a variety of locations, from studios todeserts like the Rub' al -Khali (shown above).

at the Saudi Aramco Museum, Houseof Discovery, in Dhahran. Forging ofan Industry replaces a vintage 16mmfilm narrated by Orson Welles thathad been used by the museum fornearly three decades and had becomeoutdated.

scouting was a criti-cal part of the pre-production phase.The scouting trip en-tailed a one -monthtrip in September2001 to visit all pos-sible shooting loca-tions. The crew thenreturned to SantaBarbara to preparethemselves for thegrueling productionphase in January.

The productionteam utilizedPanasonic's AJ-HDC20A DVCPROHD 2/3 -inch 2.2 mil-

lion pixel FIT 3-CCD camcorder withFujinon's HA 1 Ox5 BERM andHA15x8BERM HD ENG high -defini-tion lenses. Lobo & Associates chose toemploy the same shooting techniquesfor this project as they would for alarge -format film, including keeping

through the use of digital.The taping took place in extremely var-

ied environments with a large array ofequipment. Film locations ranged fromremote desert or mountains to studiosto interiors of Saudi homes. The crewshot tape in the desert at daytime tem-peratures of 115°F to 120°F and night-time temperatures sometimes droppingbelow freezing.

We took two AJ-HDC20As on theshoot, one for primary shooting andone for time-lapse sequences andbackup. Neither camera malfunc-tioned, despite the rigors of travel andhostile environments, and constantloading and unloading.

The production schedule was strenu-ous and exacting. The crew members,however, overcame all challenges,brought home excellent footage for theproject and were enriched by their ex-periences in Saudi Arabia. BE

Mal Wolfe is a producer/director for Lobo& Associates.



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MPEG testingand monitoringBY JOHN LUFF

few years ago, I did a se-ries of seminars with

*chel Proulx, director ofproduct development for Miranda Tech-nologies, on two topics: SDI systems and"Quantum Video 101 for Analog Engi-neers." The goal was to help engineers and

production professionals understand andfeel comfortable with video they couldno longer "see?' We saw lots of blank stares

and a fair number of nods of compre-hension, and we heard a few cogent ques-tions. One of the questions we heard inmore than one city was how to "do video"without scopes. That was a difficult ques-tion then; today the tools of the technicaltrade have begun to catch up markedly.

Not long ago, the only MPEG testingand monitoring equipment clearly wasnot ready for operational environments,and it sometimes cost more than theencoder it was monitoring. Today,the tools have become much moreapproachable, more affordable andconsiderably more intuitive. Of course,

we also are more comfortable with videothat can be seen only after it is reas-sembled to simulate the original signal.

For the purposes of this article, Iwant to define "testing" as verifyingcompliance, validity and compatibil-ity. Similarly, "monitoring" might be

MPEG is entirely about reproducinga level of quality that will show the per-ception of the original reality that isdefined as acceptable by most viewersfor the intended use.Monitoring in the context of this ar-

ticle then is about establishing that

Without the right tools, it is difficult to know justhow good your MPEG bit stream might be,

redefined as verifying acceptability,suitability and quality.

Decoding MPEGMPEG typically uses an interconnect,

which is usually DVB ASI. ASI is 270Mbits of data, coded NRZ as opposedto NRZI in SMPTE 259M, and contain-ing any number of services multiplexedtogether. Unlike analog or digital video,looking at the carrier cannot tell youanything about .the content. SMPTE259M at least can be quickly decoded

to show the sync informa-tion. It is not much morecomplex to turn the videoitself from what appears tobe random bits into theoriginal picture.MPEG reception re-

quires several steps to betaken. Sync must be iden-tified, program tables

Achieving the right MPEG-2 quality and bit rateis more important than ever due to the increas-ing use of DVD, streaming video and multichan-nel digital transmissions. Shown here is Snell &Wilcox's Mosalina, which provides MPEG-2 us-ers with a means of assessing picture compres-sion quality.

must be decoded, and el-ementary streams mustbe extracted. Only thencan the proper bits be di-rected to a decoder to re-construct the original sig-nal, or at least a represen-tation of the original sig-nal, for MPEG is notabout reproducing realityas closely as possible.

qualitative assessment of the content.It is done by testing a range of mate-rial that has been encoded, decodedand displayed before an audience ina formalized testing regime. (CCIRREC BT -500 defines the method ofconsistently performing this testing.)The key is to find an electronic mea-sure of quality that can be correlatedto real -world viewers under thesecontrolled conditions.

Monitoring modesSeveral manufacturers have devel-

oped the technology required to dothis in two modes. One uses a set ofstandardized sequences, runs themthrough the encoder and then looksat the results after decoding in aclosed -loop system. This technologyproduces good correlations to thereal world, but of course it cannotbe used on live material for whichno difference signal can be com-puted using the closed -loop system.This approach is quite good at test-ing in the manufacturing environ-ment and establishing global param-eters for an MPEG system (bit rate,GOP, coding standards). You mightliken this type of equipment to au-tomated measurement equipment inthe analog world, which either re-quires full -screen test patterns or the


presence of an inserted test signal inthe vertical interval.

The other approach looks for the sig-nature of compression artifacts in anopen -loop system. In this method, theexpert viewers are shown a wide rangeof material and judge the presence ofvarious coding "errors." The correlationof necessity is not as strong, but if thesamples are statistically large enoughand the range of content tested is var-ied enough, it is easy to see that the cor-relation can be statistically valid, evenif the accuracy on an individual sceneis not as good. This approach is moreapplicable to online testing in a pro-gram environment and will establishwhen something is stressing the systemin unexpected ways, or perhaps the fail-ure of a part of the system. In this ease,the analogous test instrument would bea waveform monitor that you can useto interpret the quality of a signal if youunderstand signals in general and howto interpret the display.

Both of these approaches requiredconsiderable research and testing to es-tablish the validity of the technology.Under certain circumstances, each canbe an extremely valuable tool in sub-jective measurement of quality. Eachhas its strong points, and the reader isadvised to contact the manufacturersfor in-depth reviews of their productsand the methods of use they recom-mend. This tests the content, but it doesnot say anything about its adherenceto uniform standards needed for suc-cessful interface and communicationbetween equipment.

TestingThe other half of the equation, test-

ing as defined above, is more about en-suring that the bit stream is compliantwith the specifications for the physicallayer (bit rate, levels, jitter, rise times),as well as the compliance with require-ments for the syntax of MPEG. MPEGis a decoder -centric specification. Bitstreams can be produced by any meansas long as they can be decoded by acompliant decoder. The encoder mustfollow all the rules for assembling theMPEG syntax. It must use all the

management tools correctly, insertingvalid data in all the tables, and prop-erly referencing all of the elementarystreams. Time stamps must be valid,and the use of the compression algo-rithms must match those specified forthe profile and level in use.

For instance, MP@ML is permitted tovary up to 15 Mbits/s. A stream identi-fied as MP@ML, but using 4:2:2 codingat 30 Mbits, would break syntax rulesand be labeled as not compliant, eventhough many decoders might be able toproduce a perfectly acceptable picture.

MPEG testing can be done withoutreference to the content of the picture.It suffices to decode the syntax andcompare it to the standards, and dis-play the content in ways that users caninterpret. Often alarms are set that willnotify the user when particularly im-portant parameters are not withinthose expected.

Only a few years ago, a number ofmanufacturers were building largerand much more expensive MPEG test-ing hardware. Today one can buy, fora couple of thousand dollars, a systemthat can be controlled completely over

an IP link. One overseas manufacturerbrought his system to my office in theform of only an Internet address fordemo. I connected to a box on theother side of the world, and we workedthrough their offerings in some detailwithout ever leaving my desk. Othermanufacturers have concentrated oncomprehensive hardware solutionswith integral displays. Exploring therange of offerings is not easy though,as they now number in the dozens.

At the end of the day, you shouldconsider having both testing andmonitoring capability if you useMPEG professionally. Without all theright tools, it is difficult indeed toknow just how good, and valid, yourMPEG bit stream might be. BE

John Luff is senior vice president ofbusiness development for AZCAR. To reachhim, visit www.azcar corn.


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RATE COMPRESSORScientific-Atlanta Transis: stand-alone device enablesreductions in the bit rate of programs received in theheadend; operators can squeeze more revenue -generat-ing services into one multiplexed transport stream;optimizes bandwidth usage; can handle a flexible numberof channels; can limit the rates of individual programsindependently; works with existing MPEG- or DVB-compliant remultiplexers and transport streams.

710-236-5000; www.scientificatlanta.com

ANIMATION, MODELING ANDRENDERING SOLUTIONDiscreet 3ds max 5: offers users control over thecreation, animation and management of characters;

includes new floatinglicensing options, Spline IKDope Sheet Editor and a newcharacter -based animationmanagement system;features radiosity, ToonShading, Area Light Shadows

and method for simulating high -resolution scenes onlow -resolution geometry.

800-869-3504; www.discreetcom

DIGITAL SWITCHERSony DFS-700: can be incorporated into the productionswitcher for digital effects; capable of delivering 3-D, pageturns and effects in an instant; includes standard witheight inputs - four SDI and four analog component;features option for true 3-D mapped effects and an optionfor second channel of digital effects; has more than 700preset effects.

800 -686 -SONY; www.sony.com/professional

CAMERAPanasonic AJ-SDC915: high -sensitivity 2/3 -inch520,000 -pixel IT 3-CCD camcorder; switchable between16:9 wide-screen or 4:3 aspect ratios; four -position ND/CC optical filter wheel allows on -location adjustment tothe ambient light source; includes a programmablethree -position gain switch to select from 12 settings.

800-528-8601; www.panasonic.com/broadcast

TRANSMITTERAi Quantum: 10T -equipped

transmitter incorporates Rohde &Schwarz technology; features aremote parameter monitoring andcontrol system;single-cabinet

version available for power levels up to 30 kW; purchasedby Nexstar Broadcasting Group to replace or upgradetransmitters in group stations.

888-881-4441; www.acrodyne.com

PRODUCTION SWITCHERPinnacle Systems PDS 6000: includes six internal full -

function 3-D DVEs, 15 video or key inputs standard,expandable to 36; has 13 internal four -page framestoresfor 56 frames of online storage; features YUV colorcorrection, lower power consumption and an indepen-dent proc amp control for every input.

650-526-1600; www.pinnaclesys.com

DESKTOP VIDEO SYSTEMLeitch BrowseCutter: supports a large number of usersworking simultaneously on shared content; enables cutsediting of audio and video at desktops across user's VRnetwork; features instant preview of rough cuts, frame -

accurate editing and audio -follow -video cutting with twoaudio tracks; can browse the station's entire online videolibrary; can export edit decisions list (EDL) directly toNEWSFIash editing system.

800-387-0233; www.leitch.com

GRAPHICS INSERTION SYSTEMAR -Vision AR -CAST: provides real-time, digitalof computer -generated virtual images forsports and other broadcast applications;allows users to graphically represent gamefollow-up information such as team logos andscores, 2-D and 3-D special effects, andanimation; offers automatic tracking andimage processing with sub -pixel accuracy.

+82 42 471 1202; www.ar-vision.com

insertion

TV AUTOMATION SYSTEMEtere Automation: software automates recording,compiling and publishing schedules, and archiving; playlistcan be modified from a remote location;upgraded fault tolerance available in fourversions - clone, backup, backup one to many,or distributed architecture.

978-891-4240; www.etere.com


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www.broadcastengineering.comJULY 2002 broadcastengineering.com 75

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COLONIE RADIO ELECTRONICSJoseph L. Yankovich

1012 A Kings Rd. Schenectady, NY 12304Phone: (518) 346-4361 (24hrs.)

Fax: 518-346-9737

JOHN H. BATTISON P.E.CONSULTING BROADCAST ENGINEER,FCC APPLICATIONS AM, FM, TV, LPTV

Antenna Design, Proofs, Fieldwork2684 State Route 60 RD *1

Loudonville, OH 44842419-994-3849 FAX 419-994-5419

D.L. MARKLEY& Associates, Inc.

CONSULTING ENGINEERS2104 West Moss Ave.Peoria, Illinois 61604

Phone (309) 673-7511 FAX (309) 673-8128www.dlmarkley.com

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Rack Screws - Standard phillips trusshead screws, hex and round head thumbscrews and unique "quick mount" rackequipment fasteners. All are heat treatedand black oxide coated. Wholesaleprices. Same day shipping. Order onlineor call (800) 475-7711. Rack Release Sys-tems - www.rackrelease.com

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SOUND ISOLATION ENCLOSURESE-MAIL: whisperelcs.com

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CLASSIFIED ADVERTISING ONLINE

Contact: Jennifer ShaferClassified Ad Sales913-967-1732 or [email protected]

A PRIMEDIA Publication

BmadcastEngineenng

Editorial Director. Brad Dick [email protected]

International Editor. Jerry Walker, jwalkergprimediabusiness.com

Technical Editor. Donald Keller, dkellerOprimediabusinesscom

Sr. Assoc. Editor. Susan Anderson, sandersongprimediabusiness.can

Assoc. Editor. Laura Collins, lacollinsgprimediabusiness.com

Asst Editor Chevonn Payton, [email protected]

Asst Editor. Elizabeth Wakeman, [email protected]

Senior Art Director Michael J. Knust mthustOprimediabusinesscorn

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Technical Consultants: Computers & Networking - Brad Gilmer

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Transmission Facilities - Donald L Markley

New Technology -John Luff

New Media-Craig Birrnnaier

International Technology - Yasmin Hashmi and Stella Plumbridge

VP: Peter May, [email protected]

Publisher. Drnis Triola, dtriola@prirnediabusiness corn

Marketing Dir,: Christina Heil, cheilmorimediabusiness.com

VP, Production: Thomas Fogarty, tfogartyAprimediabusiness.com

VP, MkgrComm.: Karen Garrison, kgamson@primediabusinesszorn

Ad Prod.Coord.: Natasha Franz, nfrangprimediabusinesscom

Sr .Dir. of Production: Curt Pales, ccordes@primediabusinesscom

Classified Ad Coord.: Mary Mitchell, [email protected]

VP, Audience Dev.: Christine Oldenbrook, coldenbrook@primediabusinesstorn

Audience Marketing Dir.: Sheri Crank, sgronhOprimediabusinesscan

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Primedia Inc.

Chairman & CEO: Tom Rogers, trogersgprimedia.com

Vice Chairman & General Counsel: Beverly Chell, bchelligraimedia.com

President Charles McCurdy cmccurdygprimedia tan

MEMBER ORGANIZATIONS

46) 1E8Sustaining Members of:

Society of Broadcast Engineers

Society of Motion Picture and TV Engineers

Member, American Business Media; Member, BPA International

BROADCAST ENGINEERING - WORLD EDMON, ISSN 0007.1994, is

published monthly (except semi-monthly in May and Decernbeff by PRIMEDIA

Business Magazines & Media Inc., 9800 Metcalf Ave., Overland Park, KS 66212

primediabusiness.coml. Current and back issues and additional resources, includ-

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Copyright 21:102, PRIMEDIA Business Magazines & Media Inc. All rights reserved.


www.broadcastengineering.com

ClassifiedsServices

ROHDE & SCHWARZService & calibration of broadcast test& measurement equipment, analog &digital. For information call our tollfree number:1-877-438-2880

ClassifiedsUsedEquipment

www.AudioVideoSearch.BizProfessional Broadcast Equipment

World Wide Equipment Rental & SalesLowest Prices World Wide

vas1234@netze ro. net 818-953-8539Sony JVC Panasonic

ClassifiedsBusiness

WantedBUSINESS WANTEDPrivate investor seeking to purchasebroadcast manufacturing firms, distribu-torships, divisions or product lines fromestablished companies. No dealerships,please. Contact mark@ towerpowercomor fax to 845-246-0165.

Adding a touchof color to your

classified adwill make itstand out!

Call Jennifer at (800) 896-9939for more information.

Cine-Alta Sony HD On -Line Suite ...Sony BVE-91D0 Editing Control UnitBVE-9100,BKE-9011,BKE-9014,BKE-9410,BZE-9604,B7E-9611,BZE-9102,BZE-9124.System Board for 24Ps/f, CPD-M151.

Sony HDS-7100 High Definition DigitalVideo Switcher and HD Digital Multi -Effects.HDS-7100,HKDS-7695a,FIZS-7060,BKDS-2010,BKDM-3010,HKDS-7051,HKDS-7061,HKDS-7031HKDS-7071,CPD-M151.

Sony High Definition Routing SystemHDS-X3600,HKDS-X3010,HKDS-X3014.HKDS-X3064, BKS-R3209.

Sony HD Digital Video Interface UnitPFV-HD3DO,HKPF-1125x4,HKPF-525,HKPF-103M,HKPF-102,PFV-L10,BKPF-L703x4,BKPF-L704.

Sony DMX-E 3000 Digital Audio MixerCMX-E3000, DMBX-3000.

Accom WSD/HD, HD & SDI DDR, 4x120gig Medea.

Videotek HD Waveform VectorscopeVTM-400HD, RCU 400 HD, VTM Opt.6, CPD-M151.

Engineering plans by Sony.

For more details and prices, contact : Stephane Gravel,Multivet Media. (514) 524-1664, sgravel©multivet.com.

Help Wanted

Explore Our World!We are continuing to grow and we are looking tor ener3etic self -motivated individuals whowant to join our team. If you are interested in working for a highly recognized network inbeautiful sunny South Florida, this could be your opportunity. Discovery Channel Miami,in partnership with Randstod North America, has the Wowing position available in ourEngineering department:

Systems EngineerWe are currently seeking self -motivated team players with a minimum 5 years' systemsexperience, including significant experience in a digital environment. This position requireshands-on equipment maintenance and support of all broadcast television equipment,including: Master Control, Non-Lnear, Graphics and Post -Production suites, as well as coreequipment. You will be required 'o diagnose to the component level and must possessthorough knowledge of test signals and equipment. SBE certification and CAD experienceare preferred. Experience with the following equpment s also preferred: Phillips Saturn andVenus, HP Media Stream, Louth Automation, Sory Digibetas, Switchers and DVE, AccomEditors, AVID Medio Composer and AVID DS. A degree in electronics or equivalent workand/or military experience is required. Excellent communications skills, both written andverbal, are imperative. Workweek is based upon a four -day week with 10 -hour days. This isa 24/7 facility; therefore, weekend and/or shift work may be required. Please note, thisis not on IT/ISS position.

DID oueruDISCOVERYCOMMUNICATIONSINCORPORATED

Please send your resume to: Randstod HumanResources/Discovery Channel, ATTN: Bobby Owens,6505 Blue Lagoon Drive, Miami, FL 33126; FAX: 1786)273-4883; email: [email protected]

Discovery Communications, Inc. is proud to be anequal opportunity employer.

Why not run yourbusiness card here?Only $172 per insertion.Frequency discounts available.

Call 800-896-9939

BroadcastEngineeringJennifer Shafer1-800-896-9939

Classified Advertising Manager

BROADCASTENGINEERING.COM


MI I WantedAudio Facility TechnicianTelevision, Radio and Film ProductionReporting to the Director of Broadcast Technology, the Audio Facility Technician will install, performpreventative maintenance and repair audio and related equipment in WERS, WECB, VMA Audio andVMA Video, Film Transfer, Film and Video Mix to Pixs. New Media, Equipment Distribution Center,Broadcast Journalism,- locations throughout the campus. In addition, manage part-time student staff,interface with faculty instructors and students, and assist with purchase supplies and equipment. Specificduties will include: I) Periodic and preventative maintenance on all studio equipment both analog anddigital; 2) Construction and modification of studios including wiring and documentation; 3) Manufactureof custom cable and wire -harnesses; 4) Maintain campus wide audio inventory; 5) Maintain DigitalAudio Delivery System (Dadpro 32 Enco); 6) Maintain Pro Tools Systems; 7) Manage student engineers;8) Work with outside service vendors; 9) Assist with budget planning; 10) Assist with systemadministration of network computer systems (Mac, PC and Novell); II) Provide on -call back-up forWERS; and 12) Perform additional assignments as needed.

Bachelor's Degree in Electrical Engineering and/or related Audio Production field with experience inElectronic Systems Engineering preferred. Four or more years of experience in technical audio repair andmaintenance within a broadcast or recording facility and proven ability to troubleshoot and repair audio andrelated systems. Experience with Apple and IBM computer systems, LAN and WAN networks, nonlinearediting systems and audio streaming for the web. Experience with Pro Tools and other nonlinear editingsystems preferred.

Please send cover letter and resume to: Emerson College, Office of Human Resources/AffirmativeAction, 120 Boylston Street, Boston, MA 02116; E-mail: employment @emerson.edu. Emerson Collegeis an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer, focused on workforce diversity.

r1M EMERSON COLLEGE'NIPIe BRINGING INNOVATION TO COMMUNICATION AND THE ARTS

WWW.EMERSON.EDU

LIN-TV ENGINEERING MEMORANDUMKNIN-TV has an immediate opening forthe position of Chief Engineer. This per-son must have a solid RF backgroundwith VHF transmitters (Larcan NTSC andDTV) tube and solid state, studio facili-ties including video servers and associ-ated master control systems. Also, aknowledge of computer systems isneeded, as is TCP/IP networking knowl-edge, and associated telecommunica-tions systems, including telephone sys-tems. This individual will report to theGeneral Manager and be responsible foroperational and capital planning, andon -air crew supervision. The successfulcandidate will be required to carry apager and/or cellular telephone. Thesetting is Boise, Idaho, very scenic, withmoderate temperatures. Please mail re-sumes with cover letter to General Man-ager, KNIN-TV 816 W Bannock #402,Boise, ID 83702. Fax to: (208) 472-4660or e-mail to: [email protected] EOE

NUCOMM, INC.: Rapidly expandingmanufacturing company currentlyhas sales positions open for bothInternational and Domestic sales to sellto the Microwave Broadcast systemsmarket including STL, ENG systems.Must have 5 years plus related experi-ence. Please mail or fax resume att:Elizabeth Payne at Nucomm, Inc. 101Bilby Road, Hackettstown, NJ 07840.FAX: 908-813-0399

SEARCH & PLACEMENTENGINEERING/TECHNICALGENERAL MANAGEMENT

Professional - ConfidentialServing All USA States IIEVIEmployer Paid FeesOver 20 Years Experience

KeystoneAmericaDime Bank , 49 S. Main St., Pittston, PA 18640 USA

Phone (570) 655-7143 Fax (570) [email protected]

website: KeystoneAmerica.comWe respond to all

Employee & Employer InquiriesALAN CORNISH / MARK KELLY

MAINTENANCE ENGINEER- Immediateopening for a Maintenance engineerat KOAT-TV. Duties include installation,operation, repair and preventativemaintenance of all broadcast relatedelectronic equipment. Candidate musthave beta -cam and studio equipmentexperience. Broadcast Engineering ex-perience required. Resume along witha cover letter stating where you foundout about this job to: Fred Bragg, ChiefEngineer, KOAT-TV, 3801 Carlisle BlvdNE, Albuquerque, NM 87107 - KOAT-TV,A Division of Hearst -Argyle Television, ISAN EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER

Broadcast EngineeringJennifer Shafer1-800-896-9939

Classified Advertising Manager

NEWS 24 HOUSTON Time Warner Cableand Belo's newest 24 -hour news channelhas an opening for an IT Manager to en-sure all hardware, software, network da-tabase and automation systems are func-tioning optimally, maintained and se-cured for 24/7 operation. Must be profi-cient in Windows 2000 Professional, Ad-vanced Server and NT operating sys-tems, Active Directory Architecture,Cisco Switches, Firewalls and VPN con-nectivity, SQL server/database integra-tion, IP Addressing and Video Servers.College degree a minimum of 3 years of"hands-on" IT experience. MCSE Pre-ferred. P.O. Box 41440, Houston, TX77241 or [email protected], EqualOpportunity Employer

NEWS 24 HOUSTON Time Warner Cableand Belo's newest 24 -hour news channelhas an opening for a Studio MaintenanceEngineer to maintain studio and build-ing systems for a next generation 24 -hournews station. Should have maintenanceexperience with DTV and NTSC signals,system integration and signal process-ing, routing switchers, ENG and EFP cam-eras, VTRs and video server technolo-gies, satellite and ENG systems and befamiliar with computers and IT. Associ-ates degree and 3 years television main-tenance experience required. P.O. Box41440, Houston, TX 77241 [email protected] Equal Opportu-nity Employer

Advertising rates in BroadcastEngineering are $15200 per columninch, per insertion, with frequencydiscounts available. There is a oneinch minimum.

Ads may also be purchased By -The -Word for $2.35 per word, perinsertion. Initials and abbreviationscount as full words. Minimumcharge is $500° per insertion. Fre-quency discounts and reader ser-vice numbers not available for by -the -word classified space.

To reserve your classified adspace, call Jennifer Shafer at

1-800-896-9939or 913-967-1732

Fax: 913-967-1735e-mail:

jshafer@ primed iabusi ness.com


Ad Ind x Broadcast Engineering is not responsiblefor errors in the Advertisers Index. al ffic

Page Advertiser Web siteHotline Address

US/CANADAWEST

AJA Video 32 530-274-2048 aja.com Chuck Bolkcom(775) 852-1 290; Fax: (775) 85 2-1 291

Axcera 27 724-873-8100 axcera.com [email protected]

Belden 41 800-belden4 beldon.com Rick Ayer

Calrec Audio Ltd. 89 +441422842159 calrec.comCanon USA (949) 366-9089, Fax: (949) [email protected].

Clear -Corn Intercom Sys. 61 510-496-6666 c lea rcom.comEAST

Dielectric 46-47 800 -866 -dielectric dielectric.com Josh Gordon

Dolby Labs Inc. 13 415-558-0200 dolby.com(718) 802-0488; Fax: (718) [email protected]

Encoda Systems 30 encodasystems.com EAST/MIDWESTEvertz Microsystems 75 905-335-3700 evertz.com Joanne Melton

(2 1 2) 46 2-3 344; Fax: (2 1 2) 2 06-361 8Grass Valley/Thomson 4-5 grassvalley.com/ad [email protected]

Harris Corp./Broadcast Div. 3 800-4HARRIS harris.com

Henry Engineering 75 626-355-3656 henryeng.com INTERNATIONALHorita 74 949-489-0240 horita.co EUROIPEInscriber 35 800-363-3400 inscriber.com Richard Woolley

+44-1295-278-407JK Audio 74 800-552-8346 jkaudio.com Fax: +44-1295-278-408

[email protected] Flo Inc. 26 816-767-6528

Leitch BC,29 800-231-9673 leitch.comEUROPETony Chapman

Maxell Corp. of America 9 800-533-2836 maxellpromedia.com +44-1 635-5 78-874Fax: +44-1635-5 78-8 74

MCSI 16 800-554-5440 mcsinet.com [email protected]

Modulation Science 33 732-302-3090 modsci.com ISRAELMultiMedia 77 514-524-1664

Asa TalbarTalbar Media

Odetics Broadcast 48-49 +972-3-5629565; Fax: [email protected]

Orban/CRL 63

Panasonic Broadcast & Digital 7 800-528-8601 panasonic.com/broadcastJAPANMediaHouse Inc

PatchAmp 52 201-457-1504 patchamp.corn +81-3 3222-7811; Fax: +81-3 [email protected]

PESA Switching 11 631-845-5020 pesa.com

Pioneer New Media Tech 31 800-527-3766 pioneerelectronics.com

Primedia Business New Media 53,65 212-204-2622 rshoreprimediabusinessCLASSIFIED ADVERTISINGOVERLAND PARK, KS

Production Hub 63 877-629-4122 productionhub.com Jennifer Shafer(80 0) 8 9 6-9 939; (913) 967-1 732

Quintech Electronics 42 800-839-3658 qecinc.com Fax: (913) 9 6 7-1 735

Rohde & Schwarz 17 410-910-7800 rohde-schwarz.com REPRINTSRoss Video 43,75 613-652-4886 rossvideo.com Wright's Reprints

(877)652-5295;Salzbrenner-Stagetec Media 36 818-368-5153 [email protected] International inquiries, (218) 419-5725

SeaChange 115 978-897-0100 seachangeinternational.com

Solid State Logic 51 +441865842300 solid-state-logic.comCustomer Service:913-967-1707 or 800-441-0294

Studio Exchange 73 818-840-1351

Tektronix 21,BRC 800-426-2200 tektronix.com/videodesign BROADCAST ENGINEERING (ISSN 0007-19941 is

Telecast Fiber Systems Inc. 18 508-754-4858 telecast -f iber.com published monthly and mailed free to qualified per-sons by Pnmedia Business, 9800 Metcalf, Overland

Telex 23 800-392-3497 telex.com Park, KS 66212-2216. Periodicals postage paid at

VideoFrame 74 530-477-2000 videoframesystems.cornShawnee Mission, KS, and additional mailing offices.Canada Post International Publications Mail (Canadian

VideoTek, Inc. IBC,37 800-800-5719 videotek.comDistribution) Sales Agreement No. 0956295. POST-MASTER: Send address changes to Broadcast Engineer-

Wheatstone Corporation IFC 252-638-7000 wheatstone.com ing, P.O. Bus 12902, Overland Park, KS 66282-2902.CORRESPCNDENCE: Editorial and Advertising: 9800

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360 Systems 39 818-991-0360 360systems.com341-1300: Edit. fax: 913-967-1905. Advert. fax:

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rights reserved.


E I M 1111111111,411111111111111!!t!IIIIMil1 IIIIIIIIIIIIIIM91111111.1

Frompornography to hypocrisyBY PAUL MCGOLDRICK

1111

here are many things thatparents are fearful aboutwhen it comes to their

children. The worst is when you fearfor them physically - in road traf-fic accidents or criminal activity likekidnapping. But how would you feelif you went downstairs one morn-ing and found the kids were watch-ing not their usual TV fodder ofBlue's Clues or Sesame Street, but in-stead were engrossed in an "adult"television show. What happened toyour carefully selected program-ming for their on -screen menu, orthe V -chip's programming?

Can't happen, I can hear you say.Well, if the people behind some lessthan tasteful channels catch on to whatcan be done with the TiVo machinethat is sitting in your media/TV room,you might have this or a similar sce-nario happen. That little snippet ofinformation came to the surface in theUK. Some bright spark in the BBCdecided that a new situation comedycalled Dossa and Joe simply wasn't get-ting the viewers that such a fine showdeserved. (Adults have described theshow as totally foul-mouthed garbage;given European standards of propri-ety, that means it must be really bad.)

Mr./Ms. Bright Spark must havetalked about his/her problem with anengineer who understood what couldbe done about that little audienceproblem. The show was transmittedone evening after 9 p.m. (the "water-shed hour" after which all children aresupposed to be in bed), but the nextmorning the owners of TiVo record-ers found that the BBC had changedtheir priority settings, and the ma-chine had recorded the show. Morethan 50,000 households were involved,and well over a thousand complaintswere voiced in a TiVo Web forum.

TiVo has been billed as theconsumer's friend, the machine thatallows you to watch what you want,when you want and how you want. Ihave been generally much in favor ofthe technology (and its well -deservedEmmy) and the machine's features.But if the commercial TV industry,that has loudly and legally complainedabout the machine's ability to skipadvertising, generally becomes awareof this little quirk that is available to

softening in radio; therefore, there mustbe sufficient competition. Diversity,local news and the like are not consid-ered in its equation because, of course,basically the only NAB members left inradio are the consolidators themselves.The NAB told the FCC that it shoulddo what Congress ordered it to do, andthat was to take a fresh look at owner-ship rules every two years to determinewhether they are needed at all.

But in TV the NAB is still in favor of

Tell the public what they want to watch why,that's even better than hypnotism!

them, then TiVo will be their "friend"too, in a big way. Imagine: Tell thepublic what they want to watch -why, that's even better than hypno-tism! Obviously there need to be soft-ware changes made to the existinggeneration of machines to prevent thisremote control but, until then, ifyou're not set to record a program youwant, yank the telephone cord con-nected to the machine, or Big Brothermay have some surprises for you.

Hypocrisy in the NABIf you see some hypocrisy in the

BBC's actions, then you will find oodlesin the fact that the NAB has come outsquarely in favor of consolidation in theradio industry. In answer to an FCCreview of ownership, the NAB has saidthat the FCC has no authority totighten radio ownership rules, but evenif it did have such authority it shoulddo nothing. Why? Because the NABcontends there is no proof that con-solidation has reduced competition.Their apparent definition of competi-tion is really interesting - the lobbyingbody sees that advertising rates are

antiquated ownership rules, and thenetworks have variously pounded theorganization for that viewpoint. Whydo you think the NAB is not in favorof consolidation in TV? Is it becausethe local stations are seeing a real soft-ening in advertising rates, so compe-tition must be really healthy? Thatsoftening is certainly happening, butit's the market, not terrestrial compe-tition. No, the NAB is against consoli-dation in TV because at the momentits membership is the small guys.There's nothing wrong with that -that's what lobbyists do. But the hy-pocrisy between the two different facesof the broadcasting industry - usingdifferent definitions, as appropriate -is difficult to accept with a straightface. Really difficult.

If I had TiVO maybe they wouldbe able to download an explanationfor me. BE

Paul McGoldrick is an industry consultantbased on the West Coast.


[email protected]


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