KitPlus | Articles

Sorry for any disruption caused: Netflix strikes again

by Peter Savage Issue 107 - November 2015 Netflix helped to change the TV landscape with its OTT subscription video-on-demand (SVOD) service and its Originals. Could it be about to change things again by making programmes in-house? It might seem obvious to say it but what we used to call television is currently changing at great speed: and its all...

Submitted by John Smith

Published 01 December 2015

Why you might regret automating QC workflows

by Bruce Devlin Issue 107 - November 2015 In todays electronic media environment, broadcasters and content owners live and die according to the quality and versatility of their media assets. Not only do consumers expect the best quality viewing experience, but they also expect that viewing experience to be possible on the widest range of devices, a...

Submitted by Bruce Devlin

Published 01 December 2015

Monitoring Q & A

Issue 107 - November 2015 What elements of modern console technology has made a large impact on your craft?Rob Wolifson: Historically, shows were set up differently, you had more time to prepare. For example, if a show was on at noon in one studio, the breakfast show would be done in a different studio, so transitioning from one show to the next wa...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 December 2015

TVFutures: Student pitch

by Emma Cox Issue 106 - October 2015 Student Pitch - Our second article pitch comes from Emma Cox, third year student studying BSc Television and Broadcasting at the University of Portsmouth. Personally I think this months KitPlus theme of acquisition is a tricky one for students to write about, but Emmas approach displayed real insight, and it als...

Submitted by Emma Cox

Published 01 November 2015

Circles of Confusion

by Graham Reed Issue 106 - October 2015 We seemed to have gone from SD to HD to UHD in a very short time but has lens technology kept up?Most camera manufactures now produce 4K cameras but they often look very similar to HD cameras, are they just the same with a 4k chip and also have they added 4k lens? They publish very little information about th...

Submitted by graham reed

Published 01 November 2015

A brief history of time

by Dick Hobbs Issue 106 - October 2015 And another IBC is written into the annals of history. Another week in Amsterdam, sharing knowledge and experience. Say what you like about IBC: it is a great chance to meet, talk and learn. Now at IBC I actually perform a number of tasks behind the scenes which keep me largely occupied and out of trouble. And...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 November 2015

Hold up the weather

by Dick Hobbs Issue 105 - September 2015 Its no go my honey love, its no go my poppet. Work your hands from day to day, the winds will blow the profit. The glass is falling hour by hour, the glass will fall for ever,But if you break the bloody glass, you wont hold up the weather. It is not often I inflict poetry upon you, so why have I turned to Lo...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 October 2015

Three days to launch a TV station

by Neil Hutchins Issue 104 - August 2015 We go on-air in less than 100 hours is an alarming statement when the studio and control room in question contain no technical equipment whatsoever. But this was the situation that we faced upon arrival at the new Local TV channel in Manchester for the first time as we began to unload the van late on a Thurs...

Submitted by Neil Hutchins#

Published 01 September 2015

The production desk finally gets innovative

by Kieron Seth Issue 104 - August 2015 The video switcher (aka vision mixer) is at the heart of all live television, all AV and many a live webcast. But despite its core role, its remained essentially the same concept for decades, consisting of a digital video effects processing unit, matrix switcher and control panel. Fundamentally this hardware-b...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 September 2015

Picking the right prompter

by Jon Hilton Issue 104 - August 2015 There is so much choice available today for prompting devices. From phones and tablets to full Broadcast Studios systems and with non-word prompting techniques like Interrotrons becoming popular choosing the best prompting system for your productions needs some serious consideration. 1. The Talent comes first...

Submitted by Jon Hilton#

Published 01 September 2015

Chasing ratings

by Dick Hobbs Issue 104 - August 2015 As everyone is no doubt aware, the BBCs core structures are being investigated at the moment as part of the renewal of its charter. The political bodies set up to do this are made up largely of anti-BBC people, so we are in for interesting times. I have a view on the BBC and its funding, and maybe one day in on...

Submitted by Dick Hobbs.

Published 01 September 2015

Cue Dick Barton Music

by Charlie Watts Issue 103 - July 2015 RUN VT: This time last year the University of Portsmouth course team and students of BSc Television and Broadcasting were recovering from a mammoth charity fundraising 24 hour broadcast. In hindsight this event helped to convey what the course was capable of, and it created an unforgettable milestone moment. I...

Submitted by Charlie Watts

Published 01 August 2015

SDV - Shaping the Next Generation of Linear TV Service Of...

by Lionel Bringuier Issue 103 - July 2015 Software-defined video (SDV) solutions are shaping the next generation of linear TV service offerings for both content distributors and content programmers. Live-to-VOD services such as catch-up TV, start-over TV, nPVR and delay TV offer new ways to enrich live TV experiences and package live content alongs...

Submitted by Lionel Bringuier

Published 01 August 2015

Keep memories safe at RWF

by Martin Bennet Issue 103 - July 2015 RWF World founders Gwynne Roberts and Sadie Wykeham have embarked on a 30-plus year mission with a single purpose: to tell the world about human rights violations through the eyes of its survivors. Through the course of their journey, these truth-seekers have informed the world of late 20th-century injustices...

Submitted by Martin Bennett

Published 01 August 2015

#TVFUTURES

by Callum O\'LearyIssue 102 - June 2015I made it! So here we are, the last feature to write for Kit Plus and the end of my time as a BSc (Hons) Television and Broadcasting student at the University of Portsmouth. I remember my first year at the University fondly. Lecturers and students told me that it would fly by and however cliched it sounds...it...

Submitted by Callum O Leary

Published 01 July 2015