SVG College Sports Summit: Technology Showcase Preview, Part 1

At SVG’s College Sports Summit, more than 25 sponsoring companies will be on hand to showcase their latest technologies geared toward the college-sports market. Be sure to stop by on May 29 and 30 at the Hyatt Hotel in Atlanta.

Ross Video
Ross Video will showcase its top-selling sports-solution bundle, which comprises the Carbonite production switcher and XPression real-time motion graphics tied together with a next-generation touchscreen user interface called ViewControl. The company will be demonstrating the new workflows that have allowed several universities to monetize their tier-three television rights with sports networks.

XPression’s ability to manage an unlimited number of media layers on a single output, paired with the Carbonite switcher’s ability to frame-accurately switch graphics on XPression via RossTalk Protocol, allows users to produce A-game–quality shows with a single channel of graphics and one switcher keyer. This eliminates the longstanding tradition in sports production of using two channels of CG, a dedicated score-bug engine, and keyable effects server channels. The system also interfaces with Daktronics, OES, and White Way scoreboards, as well as with almost all major stats systems, StatsCrew among them.

Besides providing cost savings, the solution improves quality while simplifying operations. The exclusive workflow changes the cost-to-quality ratio of live sports production.

The technology is currently being rolled out to universities, production-truck operators, and packagers that have contracts to produce games for sports networks.

Early adopters include University of North Carolina, Clemson University, Florida State University, Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, University of Mississippi, North Carolina State University, Lipscomb University, and USC Upstate. Mobile operators MCP and ScherShot have adopted the technology for their vehicles. Mobile flight packs are available to purchase from mobile studios, and flight-pack rentals are available from LMG and HB Communications.

Adtec Digital
Adtec Digital will showcase the new EN-30 two-channel multi-codec HD and SD contribution and distribution encoder, which supports ATSC, DVB, ISDB-T and ISDB-Tb via ASI, IP, or QAM platforms.

The EN-30 offers Adtec’s broadcast-quality compression, advanced feature set, service performance, and reliability in a new dense two-channel platform targeting high-value applications. Features and specifications of the lightweight, 1RU, and nearly silent encoder include redundant AC power supplies, enhanced control and monitoring via front panel, a browser, and SNMP; video support includes SD, 2DHD AVC, and MPEG-2 encoding. The EN-30 boasts eight channels of phase-aligned audio per video service, robust VBI support, reliability, and ease of use economically. In addition to encoding phase-aligned MPEG-1 audio, the EN-30 adds support for Dolby Digital Plus, ACC-LC, and HE-AAC (v1 and v2) mixed-mode audio encoding in stereo (2.0) and multichannel surround (5.1) modes.

Over the top (OTT) video delivery is a growing segment. The EN-30 enables direct stream delivery to a CDN via RTMP.

The EN-30 encodes and concurrently transports services via ASI, IP, and DVBS/S2. The DVBS/S2 modulator is available in IF or L-band with modulation modes ranging from QPSK up to 32APSK 5% rolloff based on software licenses.

AJA Video Systems
Showcasing many of its recently announced and, most important, available products from last month’s NAB Show, AJA invites attendees to experience the new Ki Pro Quad and what it offers on the acquisition front.

Ki Pro Quad 4K/Quad HD/2K/HD-SDI file-based recorder and player enables workflows combining the efficiencies of ready-to-edit Apple ProRes files and the flexibility of Canon RAW data pass-through over Thunderbolt in a compact, solid-state recording, monitoring, and playback package.

Other new products of interest to the college sports community include the ROI (region of interest) miniconverter, which can scale computer content from HDMI or DVI to SDI for smooth integration into the video path, and the Ki Pro Rack, which offers in a 1RU form factor both Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD capture and playback for production and post workflows.

FS2 dual-channel frame synchronizer is available with the package, and signals can be routed through compact KUMO routers.

Beyond these initiatives, AJA will discuss its partnerships with Adobe, Avid, Quantel, and more and what they mean for workflow.

EVS
EVS will feature its XT3 production server and XS server for studio applications, along with its IPDirector suite of video-production–management applications. It will also demonstrate the recently launched LSM Connect, a tablet-based app that is a companion to the MulticamLSM controller and makes it quicker and easier to index, browse, and select clips and manage playlists. EVS will also show examples of C-Cast second-screen apps, which enable broadcasters and rightsholders to turn unused content, such as camera angles and highlights, into premium content for second-screen devices.

Primestream
Primestream will give attendees an in-depth look at the new FORK 4.0 suite of crossplatform media-asset–management and production-automation software, used by leading broadcasters, postproduction, and new-media facilities around the world.

Besides craft-editor integrations with Avid Media Composer, Adobe Premiere Pro, and Apple Final Cut Pro,  FORK 4.0 offers three new modules. Logger 1.0 module enables metadata-tagging workflows for live sports broadcasting, player scouting, and video coaching — all on a single unified platform for ingesting, managing, and distributing content. Xchange Suite 2.0 gives broadcasters instant access to content on their FORK production servers from any HTML5-supported Web browser or Apple iPad device, allowing users to browse, edit metadata, and create annotations and subclips on content from anywhere. Dig-IT 1.0 enables IT administrators to manage any kind of broadcast-related IT activity, such as server applications; quickly identify performance bottlenecks; recover from and prevent system failures; and reduce downtime and operational costs. Primestream solutions empower media companies to implement automated workflows that free humans to do what they do best: create.

TVU Networks
TVU Networks provides portable IP-based solutions designed to deliver live video from practically any location to a broadcast facility or direct to Web. Already in use by a number of colleges and universities across the U.S., the TVUPack family of cellular uplink solutions provides a lightweight, mobile, and untethered broadcast and live-streaming solution capable of covering a wide variety of events.

TVUPack, the original one-button–operation cellular-uplink backpack, is simple to use and provides broadcasters with low-latency, HD-quality signal, enabling them to deliver live video at any time and from any location. TVUPack solutions have been used to deliver professional-quality live HD video from important sports events around the world, including the World Cup, the London Olympics, NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament, and Super Bowl.

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