KitPlus | Articles

Software defined workflows

by Steve Reynolds Issue 91 - July 2014 The rising popularity of over-the-top video offerings and TV Everywhere services continues to transform the media and entertainment business. Whether through pure-play OTT services from dedicated providers, catch-up TV offerings from broadcasters or authenticated TV Everywhere services from pay-TV operators, t...

Submitted by Steve Reynolds

Published 01 August 2014

Getting more from your MAM

by Colin Blake Issue 91 - July 2014 The value of a media asset management (MAM) system cannot be understated. The MAM system serves as the window into your archive, and a properly implemented MAM system can mean the difference between finding and repurposing assets or letting them sit idle and unmonetized. There are several choices for MAMs availab...

Submitted by Colin Blake

Published 01 August 2014

Proprietary vs. off the shelf hardware for OTT video deli...

by Nivedita Nouval Issue 90 - June 2014 What are the main equipment at stake in an OTT video delivery system?An OTT video delivery system consists of an array of video servers that are able to store and stream content according to different formats defined by standards (e.g., HLS, HSS, HDS, and MPEG-DASH). Traditionally, there is an origin server,...

Submitted by Nivedita Nouval

Published 01 July 2014

Powerful New Levels of Discovery

by Drew Lanham Issue 90 - June 2014 For media creators, owners, and distributors, the amount of digital media in their libraries never stops growing as they continue to add new content every day. Those who dont organize and manage their data well are not getting the maximum value out of their archive. Thats why they need easy, accurate, and cost-ef...

Submitted by Drew Lanham

Published 01 July 2014

Giving Content Distributors an Edge in Quality and Compli...

by Adam Schadle Issue 90 - June 2014 Todays media and entertainment ecosystem relies on interconnections between content originators, who produce programming and deliver it over broadcast networks (including terrestrial, satellite, cable, and IPTV), and secondary content distributors who take that programming and deliver it to the end viewer. Incre...

Submitted by Adam Schadle

Published 01 July 2014

Ask the experts: the future for media archives

by Stefano Cavaglieri Issue 89 - May 2014 Semantic linking is a term coined by Tim Berners-Lee and used to describe a framework of syntax that allows computers to understand complex statements of the kind humans are able to deal with easily. If all the information online were to be accessible through semantic linking, computers would be able to mak...

Submitted by Stefano Cavaglieri#

Published 01 June 2014

Does lack of training produce inaudible sound

by John Barlow Issue 89 - May 2014 Jamaica Inn just happens to be the latest example of a mainstream TV drama production being broadcast with inaudible dialogue. The reasons vary from production to production but the end result is always an enormous waste of both acting and technical talent along with immense swathes of production budgets. Was it a...

Submitted by John Barlow

Published 01 June 2014

Where no satellite truck has gone before

by Bogdan Frusina Issue 87 - March 2014 For several weeks last year, the world was focused on Rome. Broadcasters from around the world converged on the city to cover the events surrounding the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI and the selection of his successor. Existing cellular towers were overwhelmed with traffic on the key celebration days, when...

Submitted by Bogdan Frusina

Published 01 April 2014

Automation...

by Robert Lisman Issue 87 - March 2014 What is broadcast automation and why is it important to me?Broadcasters and media operations face the complex task of managing all kinds of hardware and software, such as switchers, video servers, graphics systems, routers, newsroom systems, craft editors (NLEs), VTRs, tape formats and file codecs. Broadcast a...

Submitted by Robert Lisman

Published 01 April 2014

Ask the experts: What is MAM?

by Rino Petricola Issue 85 - January 2014 Media asset management: what exactly is it?While the precise definition varies from person to person, a common description tends to emerge. Media asset management (MAM) is a solution that allows media content including audio, video, and graphics to be ingested, annotated, cataloged, managed, protected, sear...

Submitted by Rino Petricola

Published 01 February 2014

Archive eXchange format (AXF) explained

by S Merrill Weiss Issue 85 - January 2014 The proprietary nature of archive storage long has made it challenging for content producers and owners to exchange archive files and media between systems. Thus, when faced with the need either to migrate archives to new generations of storage technology or to consolidate archives, media companies have be...

Submitted by S. Merrill Weiss

Published 01 February 2014

Moving into the IP based 4K UDTV camp

by Chuck MeyerIssue 84 - December 2013 There appear to be two parallel trains of inertia currently taking place in broadcast, one of course being the onset of 4K UDTV, the other being the transition to an IP-based content transport infrastructure. For many, the rapid changes and associated question are daunting, even for experienced professionals....

Submitted by Chuck Meyer

Published 01 January 2014

Broadcasting from the icy tundra

by BJ KirschhofferIssue 84 - December 2013 Polar Bears International (PBI) is a non-profit organization dedicated to polar bear conservation and educating people about the effects of climate change on the arctic ecosystem. PBIs free educational broadcasts connect scientists in the field with students from all over the world who want to learn about...

Submitted by BJ Kirschhoffer

Published 01 January 2014

Addressing lingering loudnes challenges

by Andrew SachsIssue 83 - November 2013 Why and how has loudness become such prominent issue?The loudness of the television commercials aired between program segments has been the source of consumer complaints and subsequent regulatory action in countries around the world. These complaints stem from the networks and advertisers economic incentives...

Submitted by Andrew Sachs

Published 01 December 2013

The international worship market: shoot, compress and del...

by Kieron SethIssue 81 - September 2013 The worship TV market in the U.S. is big business, with an output that rivals many international broadcasters, both in terms of quantity, production values, audience size and commercial success. John Hagee Ministries leads a 17,000-strong congregation and broadcasts to the USA on 160 TV stations, 50 radio sta...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 October 2013