KitPlus | Articles

Why test and measurement is for real life, not just for e...

by Will StraussIssue 79 - July 2013 Thanks to its long-standing association with virtually incomprehensible acronyms, dark machine rooms and (lets face it) engineers with unruly beards, the subject of Test and Measurement (T&M) always gets a bit of bum rap. Yet, for all the pre-conceptions, it is a hugely important part of the production and broadc...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 August 2013

Do you have firmware deficiency syndrome?

For 5 days in June 2013 we did a survey on Facebook and our own website and asked how often camera users had gone online to check for firmware updates…Checked online for a firmware upgrade….. …within last 30 days 18%…within last 90 days 9%…within last 12 months 3%…never checked online 70%We could have gone further to see which users used what camer...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 July 2013

Winner of the most viewed interview award

We're happy to announce the launch of the new JVC GY-HM70 shoulder mounted camcorder. This new model offers a professional appearance together with excellent image results in low-light situations, making it ideal for videographers working at weddings and other special events. Offering superior image stabilisation and loaded with new features for en...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 July 2013

The evolution of camera connectivity and the HPX600

Tape in, tape out. Cable in, video out. Card in, card out. Simpler times: productions orchestrated by an army of runners, tape op’s and engineers, with transmission to TV, ingest via a VTR and a room dedicated to storing media. Today’s production team has changed. It’s become a small elite squad, tasked with multi-channel playout, multi-resolution...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 July 2013

Product update with Swit - travel safe power solutions

Swit Electronics is a high-tech enterprise that manufacture power solutions and accessories for the professional broadcast and video industry. Products include batteries and chargers, on-camera lights, monitors and more. Swit design and manufacture their products to the smallest detail and therefore the end result is a high performing, high quality...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 July 2013

Sony NEX-EA50 reviewed

Once in a while you get the chance to review a camera that brings back memories of years gone by - Sony's NEX-EA50 camera is one of those cameras. Some may say I am stretching things a bit too far, but as I looked at it I felt at home with it because it reminded me of my old Sony VX9000E (also known as the DSR200). This was my first DV camera and a...

Submitted by Zulqar Cheema

Published 01 July 2013

Preparing for the future in television and film

“We prepare students for a career in television and film,” says Sean Thornton of Anglia Ruskin University. “As such, the technology we use has to be real-world and broadcast standard.”The Media Services team provides equipment to under- and post-graduate students and operates facilities that include TV and photographic studios, video editing rooms...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 July 2013

Mobile news gathering with Will Strauss

by Will StraussSo, here’s a scenario. You’re a TV news editor and a story breaks. Your reporter and cameraman (or reporter/cameraman) can get to the scene no bother. But all your satellite trucks are someplace else. What do you do? Umm…. Thanks to developments in transmission technology the ENG scenario described above is pretty much redundant thes...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 May 2013

Tv-bay questions with Richard Hooking

Richard Hookings Q&A for TV-BayDifferent Animals - The Polecam Full Rig owner opHow did you get in to the Broadcast business?When I was 12 I went to a Michael Faraday lecture; they were demonstrating the latest TV technology of the day– how they made Superman fly with green screen, how they did the weather - I got the bug, and from then on I wanted...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 April 2013

Life live beyond the Premier League

by Kieron SethIn Europe outside broadcast has traditionally been within the reach of a handful of deep-pocketed television companies. Across the Atlantic, small OB vans have been popular for years with niche, regional news crews beaming state pie eating competitions to eager viewers. With the advent of Local TV and low-cost fast turnaround producti...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 April 2013

Three legs good... better, best

by Kieron SethFluid SticksWhy do exhibitions and open days still exist in the social media mad world? Why do manufacturers and resellers maintain show rooms when information is immediately accessible online?Simple: no matter which ‘celebrity’ DOP endorses a particular product, there’s no way to log on to assess how any camera balances on the should...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 March 2013

Twas the issue before Christmas;

As it’s nearly Christmas, I figured, what better way to honor the end of anther year than to celebrate everything that has gone before? To do that, I’ve picked my favourite production technology innovations of 2012. But, as we’re fast approaching the festive season, I’ve compiled them in the form a Christmas shopping list. Yes, I know. It’s genius....

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 January 2013

Monitoring: Cutting the Wires

Teradek began the wireless monitoring revolution at last year's NAB show. Its Cube wireless encoders are no bigger than a pack of playing cards. They compress a camcorder's video feed into an H.264 signal for transmission to either a WiFi-enabled laptop, iPad or tablet or to a Cube decoder. Straight-away live, remote and affordable monitoring was b...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2012

Video Monitoring Essentials - By Den Lennie

As a DP the video monitor you work with is one of the most important tools on set. I began my career in 1994 shooting television news for Reuters on Betacam SP and it was very rare that I'd get to use a monitor on location. As my career evolved I started shooting more considered pieces and used Sony 9\" tube monitors all flight cased up. I shot the...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2012

IT Broadcasting

Magdoos Media is the archetypal early 21st century broadcaster. The company televises live events for such clients as Codemasters, ArabicGamers, 2K Games and Russell Investment, webstreaming and narrow-casting programmes on behalf of niche markets, from gaming conventions to corporate events. “Delivery channels vary from public access networks such...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2012