TV Technology - January 7, 2009 - (Page 42)

BUYERS GUIDE USER REPORT Harris Nexio AMP Smooths HD Path at NET by David B. Stewart Chief Engineer, Network Operations Nebraska Educational Telecommunications LINCOLN, NEB. provide programming nationwide to PBS member stations. AUGUMENTING EARLIER SERVERS N ebraska Educational Telecommunications (NET) operates a statewide terrestrial and satellite television and radio broadcast network. NET delivers off-air DTV programming via nine ATSC transmitter sites and provides programming directly to cable operators via satellite. Our DTV signal contains one highdefinition and two standard-definition signals on a full-time basis. We also serve as a PBS regional uplink and It was my responsibility to choose a server system that would take NET through the SD/HD transition as seamlessly as possible. We have been successfully using Harris (previously Leitch) VR440 SD servers and decided to augment these with the new Harris Nexio AMP HD/SD advanced media platform. The first Nexio AMP that we purchased featured integrated storage and we used it primarily for HD. The backward compatibility of the new server with previous generations of Harris servers made its integration easy. We simply connected the ins and outs into our router and the GPI playlist triggers into our machine control system and it was ready to go. Because Nexio AMP can operate in an SD/HD environment, we were able to maintain SD and HD content on a single server. This cemented our decision to add several more Nexio AMP servers as part of a new play-out SAN that could augment our SD servers and DVD-based archiving system. Initially, we used the FTP server application included with Nexio AMP for transferring media in its native format. This worked fine, but was a manual process. We wanted an automated workflow, so we added Harris ADC automation to the mix, utilizing the David B. Stewart USER REPORT AerialExposures.com Adds P2 by Arnie Itzkowitz Principal AerialExposures.com LINDEN, N.J. s a specialist in aerial videography and owner of New Jerseybased AerialExposures.com, I recently paired my tape-based Panasonic AJ-HDX900 multiformat DVCPRO HD camcorder with the solid-state AG-HPG10 P2 Gear portable recorder to shoot footage for such clients as NBC Local Media, Cunard Lines, Novartis, and the Discovery and Travel Channels. We’re based at three New Jersey airports and have aircraft that are specially equipped with multiple camera ports for aerial video and still photography. For aerial work, I use a low-cost, gyrostabilized helicopter/aircraft camera platform and the HDX900 camera which records on tape. Initially, I had little interest in tapeless production; my main concern was shooting in high definition. A the P2 Gear offers on-the-spot playback and viewing of P2 content in multiple formats. It allows me to view and manage my recorded files in a single, small portable unit. It also serves as a backup recorder. The best part is that I can take advantage of the benefits of solid-state recording while shooting with my tape-based HDX900 camera. Arnie Itzkowitz WON OVER BY P2 However, because aerial video is an area where you need a rock-solid “safety” copy and no do-overs, I began to have concerns about dropouts and the absolute integrity of tape as a master and backup format. Panasonic suggested P2 Gear as a tapeless complement to the HDX900, and I quickly became a P2 enthusiast. With its 3.5-inch 4:3 LCD monitor, The first shoot where I teamed the HDX900 and P2 Gear was in covering an aerobatic demonstration featuring Britain’s Royal Air Force Red Arrows. We recorded on DVCPRO HD tape and 32 GB P2 cards. I also took along Western Digital 160 GB Passport drives. The P2 Gear can host the USB drive, so when we landed I could copy the P2 footage onto an $80 drive and present it to my client, who in turn handed it over to the news media for immediate publicity coverage. The P2 recorder outputs a playback signal for monitoring, so we’ve integrated Panasonic’s BT-LH900A 8.4-inch HD production monitor into our inflight production package. I can sit with my client and have random access to the footage I’ve shot moments before. On the ground, the P2 Gear can be connected to my PC to transfer unedited P2 content to an external Blu-ray burner for archiving, which I consider more reliable than tape. I also use P2 Gear for data transfers into my NLE system. Not only is the P2 footage already digitized, I can also import and edit natively in Avid Media Composer Version 3.0. Depending upon the assignment, I shoot 1080i, 720p or 576i (PAL). Beyond this flexibility, I can utilize P2 Gear’s HD-SDI out to crossconvert or downconvert to SD. Since I own an AJ-HD1400 DVCPRO HD tapebased deck, I can also output from the P2 Gear via HD-SDI direct to the deck, press record and make a tape. Now tape is no longer my primary recording medium and it gives me a comfortable feeling not to be dependent upon it. I can record either on DVCPRO HD tape or P2—and that convenience is courtesy of P2 Gear. Arnie Itzkowitz, a veteran in video and still photography, is the owner of AerialExposures.com, which specializes in aerial videography. He may be contacted at Arnie Itzkowitz at arnieitz@optonline.net. For additional information, contact Panasonic Broadcast at 800-528-8601 or visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast. ADC Global Media Transfer option. ADC provides an additional bridge between our existing platform and the new servers. RS-422 and Ethernet connectivity allow the ADC system to access both databases and move files accordingly. We can use either an ADC transmission list or a Nexio playlist for play-out to air. This give us great flexibility and provides a backup for both networks. Nexio AMP also allows us to use native files from the older VR440 system without any conversion or reingest. Another great feature is its ability to set aspect ratio on a clip-byclip basis for HD content—no matter which server channel is being used, the clip maintains the proper setting. EASY TRANSITION Integrating the Nexio AMP servers and ADC automation has saved us time and money. We didn’t have to acquire and integrate a completely new system and the learning curve was almost nonexistent. Once the system went online, our operators were ingesting, prepping and playing out material the same day. The Nexio AMP servers were integral in helping us to not only upgrade to HD, but also to utilize our existing SD assets without going through a convoluted conversion and re-ingest process. We’re looking forward to taking advantage of all that the new servers offer, including AFD support, which we’re preparing for in the near future. Our strategy to upgrade our facility with Nexio AMP has turned out to be the best decision we could have made. David Stewart is chief engineer, network operations, for NET in Lincoln, Neb. He may be contacted at dstewart @NETNebraska.org. For additional information, contact Harris Broadcast at 800-231-9673 or visit www.broadcast.harris.com. 42 January 7, 2009 • TV Technology • www.tvtechnology.com http://www.AerialExposures.com http://www.AerialExposures.com http://www.AerialExposures.com http://www.AerialExposures.com http://www.panasonic.com/broadcast http://www.broadcast.harris.com http://www.tvtechnology.com

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TV Technology - January 7, 2009 NFL Enters a New Dimension Mobile DTV Looms Large in 2009 Contents A ‘Flexible Framework’ Doing More With Less ‘X’tra-Streamlined Finish Line in Sight for BAS Transition Ahead of the Relocation Curve DTV Transition Survival Guide ENG and the Lines of Communication DTV Transition Survival Guide Who Do We Really Work For? Obama to Expand Internet Access The Wizard Takes a Holiday The Solid-State Disk Revival To Light the Ear... or Not Hulu Gets It Right—the First Time User Reports—Video Servers & Recording/Controllers Reference Guide Product Showcase Classifieds Marketplace TV Tech Business

TV Technology - January 7, 2009

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