KitPlus | Articles

Back to the future

by Dick Hobbs Issue 103 - July 2015 I was recently talking to the estimable James Gilbert, who runs the equally estimable graphics and automation specialist Pixel Power. He said something that made me think. We were talking about scalability, and he said that it works in two directions. There is the sort of scalability that we all readily understan...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 August 2015

The importance of storage

by Larry Jordan Issue 102 - June 2015 "What\'s the best computer to edit video?\" It\'s a great question - it\'s just the wrong question. Yes, CPU speed is important and the Internet is buzzing with the latest specs on GPUs. But, today, virtually any currently shipping computer is more than adequate to edit video; even 4K. The critical component th...

Submitted by Larry Jordan#

Published 01 July 2015

Overcoming complexity in remote production leads to more...

by Henry Goodman Issue 101 - May 2015 Despite the instant accessibility of recorded media content, there are many events that are still best enjoyed as a live broadcast. At the same time, such broadcasts are becoming increasingly complex, and with increased complexity comes increased cost. It\'s a fact that limits the number of events broadcasters...

Submitted by Henry Goodman

Published 01 June 2015

Full reference testing helps ensure quality audio deliver...

by Adam Schadle Issue 101 - May 2015 With the ever-increasing amount and variety of programming, devices, screen sizes, quality levels, and delivery methods today, broadcasters and delivery networks must be able to measure the quality of audiovisual content - and their processes for delivering it - to ensure it will meet standards that satisfy audi...

Submitted by Adam Schadle

Published 01 June 2015

What a difference a decade makes

by Dick Hobbs Issue 100 - April 2015 If you have got to the back of this magazine, you cannot fail to have noticed that it is issue number 100. I asked Simon Tillyer and Matt Robbins, the dynamic duo behind the publication, how it all started. "The website was initially just a project,\" Simon said, "and when Matt arrived in the summer of 2005 we c...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 May 2015

Why video codecs matter

by Larry Jordan Issue 99 - March 2015 Video codecs confuse a lot of people. But understanding codecs is critical to just about every element of video production, editing and distribution. Codec is an acronym that stands for "COmpressor/DECompressor.\" It is easy to get intimidated by all the technical jargon surrounding codecs, but, at their core,...

Submitted by Larry Jordan#

Published 01 April 2015

Outside broadcast gets a breath of fresh air

Issue 99 - March 2015Capturing what\'s happening remote from the studio has moved beyond the broadcast truck parked street-side. Your audiences are hungry. While they have the ability to bring the world of news, entertainment, sports and information to their doorsteps - wherever that may be and on whatever device they choose - someone still needs t...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 April 2015

Loudness normalisation for podcast streaming

by Jon Schorah Issue 99 - March 2015 For media companies steeped in traditional workflows, the exploding demand for over-the-top (OTT) content on many different devices is offering up significant new opportunities as well as challenges. If content owners can re-purpose their assets effectively, they can reach existing and new audiences through chan...

Submitted by Jon Schorah

Published 01 April 2015

Sealife - Shooting 4k

by Kieron Seth Issue 98 - February 2015 Since the days of Jacques Cousteau and his Undersea World, marine habitats have fascinated television audiences. From 1972 to 1975 the French explorer and filmmaker brought his excitement and passion for sea life to our screens and have inspired documentary makers since. The films lay bare the lengths the cre...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 March 2015

Venice live productions tools go to the consumer

by Tim Felstead Issue 98 - February 2015 The objective of most studio production is to cost effectively create live or as live television to which audiences will be drawn. During the process of creation, recording into media servers can either be a separate process used only for immediate replay, or can be part of a media workflow serving multiple...

Submitted by Tim Felstead

Published 01 March 2015

Stability not short-term subscriptions

by Lewis Kirkaldie Issue 97 - January 2015 I\'ve been watching the prospect of subscription-based tools with interest. I talk to customers a lot, and they too are monitoring the situation. Some can see advantages; others are wary. I think it depends very much on what the tool is. Being able to switch a service on and off is attractive for some appl...

Submitted by Lewis Kirkaldie

Published 01 February 2015

Four must-haves for modern media workflows: Enhancing you...

by Laurent Fanichet Issue 97 - January 2015 It\'s always been about the struggle to manage lots of assets and adapt your MAM to suit in the world of digital media workflows. In the early years, enterprise storage infrastructure couldn\'t keep pace with the demands of SD, so the first non-linear editing systems were turnkey solutions with proprietar...

Submitted by Laurent Fanichet

Published 01 February 2015

High Resolution graphics for 4k and beyond

by Jesper Gawell Issue 96 - December 2014 It seems like 4K is everywhere these days - it\'s the dominant topic at broadcasting trade shows. Is there substance behind the hype? Will it transform television the way HD broadcasting did? Clearly, one of the "next big things\" in the media and entertainment world is higher resolutions and 4K delivery o...

Submitted by Jesper Gawell

Published 01 January 2015

4k Streaming: a Key OTT Differentiator

by Keith Wymbs Issue 96 - December 2014 OTT streaming providers are amongst the first to offer 4K UHD TV services. In fact, 4K UHD may be seen as a key differentiator for OTT services such as Netflix and M-GO as they compete with pay TV operators according to a recent report from ABI Research. Netflix has launched 4K video streaming of shows such a...

Submitted by Keith Wymbs

Published 01 January 2015

4k - The biggest New Years resolution

by John Ive Issue 96 - December 2014 Whether it is Ultra High Definition (UHD), 4K or 8K - the predictions surrounding when and if this higher resolution format will become a widespread reality are still rife in the broadcast and media industry. The consensus in the sector seems to be that we may be edging marginally closer. However, many of the ba...

Submitted by John Ive

Published 01 January 2015