KitPlus | Articles

PHABRIX storming ahead at NAB with eye and jitter

It is not often that a product is released that encapsulates so distinctly the essence of British ingenuity but the new SxE hand held test and measurement instrument with eye and jitter functionality from PHABRIX may just have set itself in that mould. Having successfully launched the PHABRIX SxA, a three in one portable testing device at IBC2008,...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 June 2009

Ask the Expert with Broadcast Service Centre

Ask the Expert with Broadcast Service Centre’s Dave LlewellynThis month we visited independent service company, Broadcast Service Centre Ltd (BSC), specialising in providing top quality technical support for a wide range of equipment within the Broadcast and Pro video industry. Dave Llewellyn has worked as a broadcast engineer for BSC (Broadcast Se...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

From little acorns....

So what do we do? We have done little for television – our market place is much more modest. Parafotos has its origins in the early sixties when I started filming free fall parachuting– having to cope with a Bolex H16 strapped to the side of my helmet during the opening of the parachute was an interesting experience which no doubt accounted for an...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

Edirol R-09HR records Obama inauguration

When sound recordist Alan O’Duffy was contracted to travel to the USA to record interviews and atmospheres for a “feature documentary” about Barack Obama becoming the 44th President of the USA, one of the first pieces of kit he packed was Edirol’s R-09HR digital recorder. Irish film company, Alpha Films, wanted Alan to record on location first in N...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

EPIC HD Upgrade

EPIC-TV came into being in late 2006, after Norfolk County Council acquired the ITV Anglia Regional news and Network production studios at Magdalen Street Norwich. Since then it’s been re-developed as one of the technically most advanced production facilities in Europe, with three broadcast studies, two of the HD, one of them Virtual, linked direct...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

Eye to Eye. Whats new in test and measurement 2009

The transition from analogue to digital programme production, storage and delivery lulled some innocent folk into anticipating a world without need for test equipment. If required at all, so the thinking went, all signal analysis would be performed in software. Maybe someday. For now, the T&M sector remains alive and well. The following summary out...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 May 2009

A brief history of Cooke, the UK pioneer of motion pictur...

UK manufacturing has been dwindling for years now to the frustration of many with cheaper solutions in the Far East enabling more competitive products and so on. For this reason it was so refreshing to met with the owner of Cooke Optics, Les Zellan, and take a tour of a real factory, making real products from raw material to end products – the Cook...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

Eye to Eye Video acquisition and production

BVE2009 in London, February 17-19 offers UK-based programme-makers a useful opportunity to try out the latest video acquisition and production equipment ahead of NABshow2009 and its loud after-echo, IBC. The following outlines some of the new front-end kit likely to be on display at Earls Court. Cameras and camcordersARRI will be exhibiting its D-2...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

Red One Hit or Myth

So – after having arrived a year ago to these shores the Red is starting to settle into everyday living here in the UK. Possibly being American and designed by an iconic trendy sunglasses designer, we shouldn’t be surprised by its many foibles. The Red started life in the UK as whispered conversations about a piece of equipment being developed that...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

The SxS vs MxT Debate

We are all probably already tired of hearing the phrase ‘cutting costs’ but the reality is that ways have to be continuously found to reduce our production costs in order to stay competitive. The question is – are some savings a false economy or are they really worth it?We have been hiring out Sony’s XDCAM EX cameras for over a year and they are no...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

HD Camera Measurements Getting the most out of your camer...

Recap Part 1:In part 1 of this knowledge series we discussed the requirements for making correct white shading measurements in terms of the equipment used. Part 2 now will focus on performing the actual measurements and making sure that we achieve optimum linearity and dynamic range. White shading measurementPower up the camera, waveform monitor an...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 April 2009

HD Camera Measurements and getting the most out of your c...

IntroductionImage quality all starts with the correct alignment of the camera which is used to capture the scene either on location or in the studio. The conversion of light into electrical signals involves many processes which can affect the quality of the image. Understanding these various adjustments that are necessary, using a suitable camera c...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

HD camera market

With the low cost HD market taking an ever firmer grip on the industry, we asked for Hireacamera Managing Director Guy Thatcher’s opinion on the changes taking place. So is anyone still hiring DV/DVCAM equipment anymore?Certainly in the area we specialise in, since the arrival of the Sony HVR-Z1E nearly four years ago, we have slowly watched the ma...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

Mixing with the wildlife on Big Cat Live

A crew of 73 travelled out from the UK for 6 days of BBC’s ‘Big Cat Live’ programmes from Kenya early in October. Most of us were flown in on single engine cessnas which took us from Nairobi across the great Rift valley & down towards Tanzania. From the moment we touched down on the rough dirt & asphalt landing strip in the middle of the Masai Mara...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009

Mobile communications Eye to Eye

Point to point communication via satellite is one of the most useful tools available to television and radio reporters in a world of fast news distribution. This short summary looks first at some of the newest SNG link kit and then at broadcast-related telecoms. Advent Communications has introduced an enhanced version of its 1.5m and 1.8m NewSwift...

Submitted by Dennis Lennie

Published 01 March 2009