Archive for June 11th, 2012

Las Vegas – June 11, 2012 – Audio specialist Sennheiser [InfoComm 2012 booth C9736] introduces its new Tourguide 1039 system for guided tour, interpreting and assistive listening applications. Users of this new professional receiver will benefit from reliable RF wireless transmission, easy operation and exceptional audio quality.

Reliable transmission
“Today, professional users are faced with expanding content demands in an increasingly crowded wireless environment. To meet this challenge, Tourguide 1039 offers the widest tuning bandwidth on the market,” explained Vanessa Jensen, Senior Product Specialist for Integrated Systems at Sennheiser’s U.S. headquarters. “Tourguide 1039 offers up to 75 MHz of tunable frequencies, allowing users to transmit as many as 32 channels of simultaneous content, all with exceptional audio quality.” The Tourguide EK 1039 portable receiver utilizes Adaptive Diversity to enhance reception reliability.

High audio quality
An excellent audio frequency response of a full 25–15,000 Hz gives the receiver a very natural, high-quality sound reproduction. “Assistive listening installations in theaters or music venues will benefit from this excellent audio quality,” Jensen added.

Simple operation
Time is always an invaluable resource, especially when preparing an event or a guided tour. To streamline setup, the EK 1039 is fitted with a Copy function. Once one receiver has been programmed, its settings can easily be transmitted via infrared to the other receivers. To allow for easy recognition and assignment to the listeners, the channels of the Tourguide EK 1039 receiver can be given a name, for example, “French” or “Spanish.” This channel name is part of the data that can be copied from receiver to receiver.

To fully utilize the EK 1039’s wide switching bandwidth, transmitters from the 2000 series are the ideal complement. Transmitters from the evolution wireless G3 series are also compatible (reducing the effective switching bandwidth to 42 MHz). The EK1039 ships with the BA 2015 rechargeable battery back, but can also be powered by standard AA batteries. Thanks to a standard 3.5mm headphone jack, the EK 1039 can be used with a wide range headphones or earphones. The receiver can also be combined with Sennheiser’s induction accessories for the hearing impaired.

Complete solutions for museums, companies, theme parks and tradeshows
Tourguide 1039 joins Sennheiser’s guidePORT and Tourguide 2020-D systems, which offer customized solutions for guided tour applications. guidePORT can lead users through museums or exhibits on its own; identifiers or induction loops automatically trigger audio information that corresponds to the physical exhibit or video. The user can also access data via the keypad by entering the number of the appropriate station on the tour. Tourguide 2020-D digital audio system can be used as a tourguide or translation system for conferences or as an assistive hearing device in theaters or other facilities. Six to eight channels can be used simultaneously. The full package includes a case for charging and transporting all components.

Santa Monica, CA, June 11, 2012 – As a music scoring mixer, recordist and producer since the early 1980s, Alan Meyerson has been well-placed to observe the transition from analog to digital audio production and post-production in the motion picture industry. With the proliferation of digital audio equipment in the studio over the years, Meyerson has turned to Antelope Audio to maintain sample-accurate synchronization among all devices, most recently installing an Isochrone Trinity universal high-definition master clock.

Meyerson has been clocking with one model of Antelope Audio device or another since the company was first established, back in 2005, he says. “I’m very familiar with what clocking does to the audio; that was one of the reasons I switched to Antelope initially. In the system I had, as soon as I put the original Antelope in, it made a tremendous difference. The imaging became much more solid. It was an instantaneous improvement.”

Meyerson, who is based at renowned film and video game score composer Hans Zimmer’s Remote Control Productions studio complex in Santa Monica, CA, has more than 100 film score mixing credits to his name, including the Pirates of the Caribbean and Transformers trilogies and the highly anticipated The Dark Knight Rises, which opens this summer. “Hans has two mix rooms and I have one mix room,” says Meyerson, who regularly works with Zimmer, as well as with the independent composers Steve Jablonsky and Henry Jackman.

With the busy summer season coming up fast, Meyerson’s work schedule is currently pretty busy. “Right now I’m working on G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and I just finished Battleship, so I’ve been in action mode. In between the two I squeezed in Oliver Stone’s new movie, Savages,” he reports.

In his mix room at Remote Control, Meyerson’s core system comprises four digital audio components: “I have two Pro Tools rigs, a Cubase rig and a Euphonix System 5 console.” But a recent change in his workflow dictated the need for an upgrade to the Trinity master clock. “I reached the point where I needed to run multiple sample rates,” he explains.

“I decided to take my orchestral recordings up to 96 kHz,” Meyerson elaborates. “My synth masters from the composers I work with arrive with me at 44.1. When I deliver my stems for the dub I have to deliver at 48k. So I’m running three sample rates at the same time, pretty much all the time. The System 5 makes it easier, but I didn’t have a master clock that was handling it. Trinity was able to do that for me very effectively, so I switched.”

The effect that accurate, stable clocking has on a digital audio system can be difficult to grasp without experiencing it first-hand. But Meyerson, an Antelope Audio user for many years, can certainly vouch for just how critical a good master clock can be in any digital audio setup: “When people ask me about converters and sample rates and all that stuff, I tell them, honestly, the thing that I find that makes the biggest difference is the clocking. I can run at 44.1 with a basic converter and if I have everything clocked absolutely perfectly it’s going to sound better than a poorly clocked 96k super-high-end, super-expensive converter. And I’ve proven that time and time again.”

About Antelope Audio
Antelope Audio is the brainchild of Igor Levin who has more than 20-years’ experience and a number of innovations in digital audio and synchronization technology. The company is widely acknowledged as the leading manufacturer of audio master clocks. In 2009 Antelope Audio launched its product line of high-resolution USB D/A converters, being among the pioneers designing a 384 kHz DAC. Antelope’s DACs employ their renowned 64-bit clocking and jitter management technologies and custom-designed circuits, achieving unprecedented precision and sound clarity.

Director-cinematographer Wally Pfister, ASC, BSC will headline the annual Kodak Focus program at this year’s Los Angeles Film Festival. The intimate conversation will spotlight Pfister’s artistic and technical accomplishments by screening scenes from three of his films – Insomnia, Laurel Canyon and Inception. Kodak Focus takes place on June 23 at 1 p.m. at the Regal Cinemas at L.A. Live. The seminar is free with a festival ticket.

Pfister won an Oscar® for his cinematography on Inception, and is currently prepping for his feature film directorial debut. His work on the highly anticipated summer movie The Dark Knight Rises hits theaters in July. Pfister’s long-time collaborations with director Christopher Nolan has garnered him an additional three Oscar nominations for The Dark Knight, The Prestige and Batman Begins. His notable film credits also include Moneyball, The Italian Job and Memento, in addition to shooting and directing many prominent commercials.

“Wally Pfister’s stunning and innovative cinematography on so many iconic films thrills audiences and inspires filmmakers,” says Kodak’s Judy Doherty. “We are excited to have him share his inspirations and visionary approach to his work with LAFF filmmakers and cinephiles.”

Kodak will also sponsor LAFF’s Fast Track – an intensive film financing market that connects filmmakers seeking funding with financiers, production companies and other high-level industry professionals who can provide assistance. This highly selective program is open to established as well as up-and-coming filmmakers with exceptional projects still seeking funding. Previous Fast Track projects include Amreeka, Frozen River, Kabluey, Four Sheets to the Wind, Ira and Abby and After Innocence. more

Los Angeles, CA, June 11, 2012 – Conceptual design studio Buster has produced the worldwide promotional trailer behind Ubisoft’s “Just Dance 4” videogame. The work involved both live action production and motion graphics. Brad Roth and Mark Feldstein, principals of Stun Creative, the parent company of Buster, made the announcement.

To view this work, please see:

http://busterdesign.tv/client/post/Ubisoft_JD4/052912/JD4%202.0%2052912_URL.mov

And Via Youtube:

The trailer announces the worldwide release of the 4th iteration of the best-selling video game franchise from Ubisoft. “Just Dance 3” was the #2 best-selling game worldwide in 2011.

The “Just Dance” franchise is the number one selling dance game brand – an interesting social phenomenon because the real action of this video game genre is inside the room among the dancers/players – as opposed to most video games, where the key action is on the screen. “Just Dance” is a social catalyst, and Ubisoft wanted to express how the newest version of the game truly creates the world’s best party.

Said Jonas Morganstein, Buster’s Chief Creative Officer, Buster Design, “To visualize how ‘Just Dance 4’ creates the world’s best party, our concept was to create one continuous party sequence – seamlessly taking us from location to location with everyone joining in on the fun. We even brought the avatar coaches out of the video game and into the real world—joining in as part of the continuous dance sequence. This trailer was a great showpiece for Buster’s new Creative Director, Joel Lava. He directed the live action, as well as overseeing the animation and compositing.”

Adds Kelly Piatanesi, “Just Dance 4” Associate Brand Manager, “’Just Dance 4’ is the catalyst for the ultimate party that everyone wants to be part of—with the hottest tracklist, new modes, and quirky, cool dances. The Buster team did an amazing job with the creation and execution of the ‘Just Dance 4’ announcement trailer, not only by maintaining the essence of the brand, but also by evolving it in a way that truly surprised and delighted our fans. We needed to make a big splash at this year’s E3 Conference, and Buster rose to the challenge, by delivering a buzz-worthy trailer that both stands out in an extremely competitive environment, and has gotten the media and consumers excited about the coming of this new game. Mission accomplished and well done!”

The “Good Feeling” (Flo Rida) track is one of the songs on the “Just Dance 4” playlist – the trailer features a cameo from Flo Rida (who currently holds the #1 pop song position with “Wild One.”) Rida rapped along live with the trailer at a live launch event at this year’s E3 Conference.

Additional cameo appearances within the “Just Dance 4” trailer include many
E-lebrities with multiple million followers on Youtube:

-Harley — From Epic Meal Time, who wields a gigantic sandwich
-D-trix – A Judge from “So You Think You Can Dance”
-Lindsey Stomp – The World’s only dancing violinist
-Shane Dawson – Pop culture comedian
-Cimorelli Sisters – Seven acapella sisters

The new “Just Dance 4” trailer is being released globally this week online (via multiple web distribution channels). Buster released translated versions for multiple regions to support the worldwide release – including the U.S., UK, France, Spain, Austraila, Germany, Italy, Netherlands and Russia.

ABOUT BUSTER:
Buster is a division of the LA-based advertising agency Stun Creative, helmed by principals Mark Feldstein and Brad Roth. Buster is a conceptual design studio, specializing in design and animation for the advertising and broadcast industries.
Led by Chief Creative Officer / Executive Producer Jonas Morganstein, Buster provides its clients with a one-stop solution, by developing and delivering dynamic ideas driven by innovative imagery that always tells a story. Buster specializes in design and animation for TV commercials, TV show opens, and network packages. For more info, please see www.busterdesign.tv.
ABOUT STUN CREATIVE:
Launched in 2000 by principals Mark Feldstein and Brad Roth, Stun Creative is an award winning, Los Angeles-based advertising agency and production company that specializes in writing, directing and producing spots for cable and broadcast television networks, studios, and consumer brands.
Stun’s entertainment and broadcast industry clients include NBC, CBS, TBS, TNT, FX, Bravo, ABC, E!, Discovery Channel, Warner Bros, and 20th Television. The agency’s corporate clientele include Virgin America, Dove and Monster.com, among others.
Stun Creative is located at 5757 Wilshire Blvd, Suite # 600, LA, CA, 90036. The phone is 323/460-4035 and the web is www.stuncreative.com

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1U Rack Enclosure for Mac(R) mini and Thunderbolt(TM) Expansion System for PCIe(R) Cards Includes Significant Enhancements

IRVINE, Calif. — June 7, 2012 — Sonnet today announced the shipment of its xMac(TM) mini Server, a combination PCI Express(R) (PCIe(R)) 2.0 expansion system and 1U rackmount enclosure for Mac(R) mini with Thunderbolt(TM) ports. This innovative Sonnet product recently received a Post Pick Award at the 2012 NAB Show, granted to select best-in-show offerings that are destined to have the greatest impact on post-production workflows. more

New Actus loudness monitoring solution, QualiTV, helps broadcasters comply with regulations; on display at Broadcast Asia 2012
 
Tel Aviv, Israel – June 11, 2012 – Actus Digital, a developer of web-based media monitoring, content repurposing and verification solutions for broadcasters, is showcasing new loudness monitoring technology at the Broadcast Asia 2012 exhibition, held in Singapore from June 19–22 (stand 4M2-01). Actus QualiTV is the only tool on the market today that brings broadcasters a complete picture of their transmission. “Growing numbers of consumers have voiced their concerns in the past few years about variations in loudness, resulting in national legislative activities that have begun to regulate broadcasters more closely,” comments Asaf Salant, Sales Manager, Actus Digital. “The ability to completely monitor Loudness Compliance is now fully integrated into Actus QualiTV. Broadcasters can avoid costly legislative penalties and better handle viewer complaints with this fully compliant feature.” QualiTV is a multi-layer solution that offers centralized broadcast performance operational information in real time.
 
The Actus QualiTV module lets operators maintain continuous measurements that, among other things, identifies program loudness and loudness range. Loudness measurements combined with robust logging allow users to quickly review the status and provide continuous, exportable measurements as proof of compliance and to defend against loudness complaints. The powerful combination of loudness measurement and logging easily demonstrates compliance with loudness standards.
 
Actus QualiTV Loudness Feature Highlights Include:
 
• Offers measurement to the ITU BS.1770-1 and BS.1770-2 standard
• Provides compliance with US CALM Act, ATSC A/85 Practice, EBU loudness monitoring
 
To meet these needs and more, Actus provides complete support of transport streams (ASI/IP/DVB) logging, including recording multiple audio tracks and multiple subtitles. This lets broadcasters seamlessly export and stream MPEG TS or low-resolution proxies with the relevant audio and/or subtitles.
 
• Record Transport Stream (TS), also saving the TS in its original format (“as-is”)
• Record multiple audio and multiple subtitles (DVB, Teletext, Imitext, etc.)
• Save the media in any bitrate required: from low quality up to full HD
 
For more information or to book a private product demonstration, please contact info@actusdigital.com.
 
About Actus Digital
 
Actus Digital, a subsidiary of Taya Media Group, Israel’s premier video media and visual communication content and technologies company, is a developer of web-based media monitoring, content repurposing and verification for broadcasters, cable and satellite providers, IPTV, media and monitoring agencies, governments and content producers. Leveraging emerging web technologies and IT standard hardware, Actus’ solutions are highly scalable systems ideal for cross-organizational content analysis and content repurposing. Actus’ next-generation solutions compliment any broadcast workflow, empowering operators with purpose-built tools for acquiring, viewing, analyzing and repurposing transmissions from channels around the world. Their impressive customer list includes global media conglomerates among the likes of AirTel, FOX, SKY and Zee Networks. For more information, please visit: http://www.actusdigital.com.
 
Press Contact:
Janice Dolan
Zazil Media Group
janice@zazilmediagroup.com
(cell) 617.817.6595
(fax) 617.812.7683
(Skype) janicedolan
www.zazilmediagroup.com
 
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SUNTEC, SINGAPORE, JUNE 11, 2012 – TSL Professional Products Ltd., a leading manufacturer of audio monitoring, tally and power management solutions for the international broadcast industry, will highlight its most recent products at BroadcastAsia2012 (Stand 4E2-01), including the PAM2 MK2, a brand-new multichannel audio monitoring platform, a new Virtual Panel for its TallyMan system and the Touchmix Pilot.

TSL has a longstanding relationship with the Asian broadcast market. Recently, CCTV, mainland China’s dominant state broadcaster, which operates a network of 22 channels servicing more than one billion viewers, has purchased eight of TSL’s new PAM2 MK2 units for installation at its London broadcast center for the summer games.

TSL’s PAM2 MK2 has new features to help aid broadcasters, such as CCTV adhering to the latest loudness regulations. Readings from the PAM2 MK2 can now be sent to a larger monitor via an SDI output for clearer and quicker monitoring. Users also have the option to save and recall settings to a USB via a port on the front panel. The PAM2 MK2 also features an Ethernet port, which offers network connectivity to Web browsers and system management software applications. The PAM2 MK2 will be one of the first audio monitoring solutions to feature Dolby’s CAT1100 module, which will enable the PAM2 MK2 to perform Dolby E decoding and external speaker monitoring, as well as Dolby Digital Plus with surround descriptive audio and stream mixing, which will evolve to 7.1 as broadcasters adopt the full cinematic experience.

The TallyMan VP (Virtual Panel) sits at the heart of any broadcast application, providing a seamless communication path between equipment at the user’s fingertips. Engineered with the needs of creative operators in mind, the TallyMan VP provides simplified control of multiple router I/Os.

With the TallyMan VP, there is no to need to install individual hardware panels each time a router is changed. It can also interface with any third-party router, vision mixer or multi-viewer. This provides “universal” control for operators who don’t need to be aware of source paths or any complicated working parts.

The new TallyMan VP is compatible with TSL’s TallyMan tally management system, the industry standard for major broadcast networks and all-sports channels. The new panel provides immediate benefits for existing TallyMan users and offers an intuitive centralized platform for broadcasters who are looking to simplify their broadcast-chain workflows.

Also at Broadcast Asia, TSL will demonstrate the new Touchmix Pilot Desktop Remote system, the next generation of its AVM-T-MIX (Touchmix) system. The Touchmix system consists of a desktop remote panel with a rack-mount host unit, and offers one-touch access to any analog or digital audio source material in mono, stereo or surround.

Designed with the latest touch screen technology, the intuitive user interface allows operators from any user-convenient location to tap the audio channel they wish to hear and mix together incoming analog or digital audio source material in mono, stereo or surround. The unit allows for adjustment of individual level and balance. Complex configuration snapshots can be loaded or saved using on-board memory locations or via the on-board USB port. The system can be set up effortlessly in a matter of minutes due to its straightforward configurability. The Touchmix, a system design inspired by input from the BBC, is unlike any other compact audio monitoring product.

About TSL Professional Products Ltd.
TSL Professional Products Ltd. designs, manufactures and markets a range of hardware and software solutions that serve to simplify operations within the television broadcast, cable, satellite, IPTV and IT industries. Specializing in audio monitoring, tally solutions and power management tools, TSL PPL products satisfy and exceed the commercial, technical and operational requirements that exist in IT-based and traditional workflows, helping its customers to lower costs, generate revenue and streamline operations. TSL PPL’s dedicated products team has many years of combined personal, hands-on experience, having worked for broadcasters, post-production facilities, information technology companies and outside broadcast operators worldwide. For more information, please visit www.tsl.co.uk.

HOLLYWOOD—Digital marketing specialist Turn will air its first-ever broadcast spot during the June 10th season finale of the AMC series Mad Men and the season finale of AMC’s The Pitch reality show. Conceived by San Francisco agency gyro and directed by Michael Lehmann of Dark Light Pictures, Hollywood, the ad is set in the offices of a Madison Avenue agency, circa 1962, where an impeccably groomed ad exec is about to begin a tryst with a shapely young woman from the secretarial pool. Then, another woman walks in. more

Huntsville, Alabama – PESA, a leading U.S.-based custom design and build manufacturing company for professional audio and video signal distribution, will introduce its C58 Digital Media System (C58-DMS), a comprehensive package for recording, playback, and distribution of critical live video and audio content, at InfoComm 2012 (Booth N1327), which runs June 13-15 in Las Vegas, Nev. Designed for court recording systems, medical forensic storage, video teleconferencing and training rooms, and security and surveillance facilities, the C58-DMS seamlessly combines up to eight channels of audio and five channels of video, regardless of format, and delivers synchronized live and on-demand playback.

“The C58-DMS represents a new class of hardware focused on the playback viewing experience for a variety of government, medical, security, and business applications,” said Howard Sutton, PESA executive chairman. “In the past, mixed format presentations required far more complex integration. You had multiple components from multiple vendors, latency and sync issues, and a lot of cabling. PESA’s new C58-DMS delivers rich media content to on-site and off-site viewers in a 1 RU package.”

With five independent video inputs and six outputs, the C58-DMS can simultaneously stream up to six video output streams over IP, including one for each individually selected source and a quad view composed of four selected sources. The system can capture H.264 IP camera streams, SDI video up to 720p/60 resolution, and NTSC analog video simultaneously, and it can synchronize discrete audio inputs to discrete video and IP video inputs. It also accepts up to eight discrete line level XLR audio inputs.

The compact C58-DMS digital media processing system seamlessly combines live footage with video playback and/or computer-based content such as PowerPoint slides. When it captures and streams multiple HD sources simultaneously, the streams remain associated and synchronized during the particular event. Intuitive computer software makes it easy to setup multi-channel sessions, initiate simultaneous streaming and recording, and automatically make content available for on-demand viewing.

When deployed with media capture and management software from VIQ Solutions, the C58-DMS provides an end-to-end audio and video content management and distribution solution between local and remote sites using common IP transports over LAN or WAN networks. PESA offers a customizable C58/VIQ multi-tiered workflow built around the PESA Encompass Workstation, which captures digital audio, video, and case information from multiple locations and automatically stores it in a central repository. The sync process is fully automated and secure, so complete recordings are always accessible to authorized users from anywhere on the network.

About PESA

As a leading provider of audio/video connectivity, PESA offers a wide selection of routing switchers, matrix switchers, extenders, converters, media extenders, and signal processing gear to support government, military, industrial, commercial, broadcast and mobile truck applications. PESA offers one of the widest ranges of AV products – from large scale fiber optic routing to single-point CAT-5 DVI extenders – each with the integrity and innovative high performance technology expected from PESA. Our products are available around the world from a leading team of channel partners offering local support and installation; and all of our products are supported by 24/7 technical support. To learn more about our technologies and services visit www.pesa.com. PESA is located in Huntsville, Alabama with regional offices throughout the United States.

All products mentioned herein are trademarked property of their respective owners.

Press Contact

Mark J. Pescatore

Pipeline Communications

561-531-3106

mark@pipecomm.com

Company Contact

Dan Holland
VP, Product Marketing
256-726-9200
dholland@pesa.com

Montreal, Canada, June 11, 2012 — Matrox Graphics Inc. today announced the availability of Matrox Epica TC20+ and TC48 low-profile multi-display graphics cards for enhanced functionality and workspace in cloud computing environments. Working in conjunction with the Wyse Technology Z90DE7 high-performance thin client, the Epica TC20+ dual-monitor and Epica TC48 quad-monitor cards enable up to six displays from a single system, when combined with Z90DE7’s two native graphics outputs. The additional monitor space allows for easier on-screen access to one or more single or multi-monitor published desktops or applications in such demanding virtual desktop environments as the financial and government sectors as well as process control.

Availability
The Matrox Epica TC20+ and Matrox Epica TC48 graphics cards are available immediately, as is the Wyse Z90DE7 thin client. For more information, please visit http://www.matrox.com/graphics/epica/wyse or contact Matrox Graphics.