KitPlus | Articles

When the going gets tough

by Will Strauss Issue 88 - April 2014 When working in the field, the kit we use has to withstand a fair old battering. And Im not just talking about the cameras, viewfinders and those expensive lenses. While glass still needs protecting, these days so does your laptop, your storage, your memory cards: the lot. They all need bags, cases and toughene...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 May 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

Cutting the cord

by Will Strauss Issue 87 - March 2014 Wireless cameras are not new. In fact, they date back to the 1970s. But its only been in the last ten years that this technology has really blossomed, with engineers working out how to adapt the digital terrestrial transmission technology so that it can be used efficiently for programme-making. From that tippin...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 April 2014

OTT: Back to basics

by Lorna GarrettIssue 84 - December 2013 Going over the top opens up boundless opportunities. Just make sure you work with someone who can help you over the potential pitfalls. Not that long ago, if asked to envisage a family watching television, you probably would have pictured Mum and Dad seated on the sofa, while a couple of children lay sprawle...

Submitted by Lorna Garrett

Published 01 January 2014

Driving customer loyalty with OTT

by Jakub KabourekIssue 84 - December 2013 The multi-screen revolution is being driven by the consumer and is developing quickly. It offers huge potential and a bright future for operators adopting OTT across multiple devices. By delivering quality television services operators are expanding their market potential and thereby significantly increasin...

Submitted by Jakub Kabourek

Published 01 January 2014

Leaping over the top

by Bob LambIssue 84 - December 2013 Around the world, consumers are becoming addicted to viewing over-the-top (OTT) video on the device or screen of their choice, anywhere and at any time. For broadcasters, content owners, and service providers, the ability to deliver broadcast-quality media over the open Internet presents a tremendous opportunity...

Submitted by Bob Lamb

Published 01 January 2014

QOS - Its time to take a more objective approach

by Simen FrostadIssue 83 - November 2013 Any business that fails to satisfy its customers is almost certain to fail if theres significant competition to it. Digital media businesses are very definitely competing in a market where the customer can switch quickly if not satisfied, so its vital for providers to know when their customers are getting a...

Submitted by Simen Frostad

Published 01 December 2013

Feeding a world hungry for instant news and entertainment

by Lorna GarrettIssue 81 - September 2013 It might sound cliche, but it is definitely true: the news never sleeps. With a third of the year still left, 2013 has already seen a host of events that have captured the worlds attention. From the anticipation of a royal baby to the devastation of hurricanes, tornados and bombings, from encounters on the...

Submitted by Lorna Garrett

Published 01 October 2013

Managing workflow for VOD and catch-up service on iPhones...

by Scott FavelleIssue 81 - September 2013 Pilat Medias IBMS: OnDemand serves as Foxtel Go backend management system, managing scheduling, rights, metadata, and workflow for VOD and catch-up service on iPhones and iPads As one of Australias most progressive and dynamic media companies, Foxtel offers an outstanding entertainment experience every day...

Submitted by Scott Favelle

Published 01 October 2013

Powering a richer media experience on set-top boxes

by Achim BosseIssue 80 - August 2013 Todays television viewers are increasingly using the Internet to download, share, and consume media on a variety of devices. Traditionally, DTV and IPTV service providers have relied on DVB MPEG-based technologies to deliver linear television services and IP technologies like multicasting or RTSP for VOD. Howeve...

Submitted by Achim Bosse

Published 01 September 2013

Do you have the computing horsepower you need? XMac Mini...

by Greg LaPorteIssue 80 - August 2013 In high-pressure audio/video production environments, adequate computing horsepower is critical for handling the volume of tracks and channels to be recorded, played back, mixed, edited and streamed. The Apple® Mac Pro® offers great performance and extensibility but its heavy, bulky tower configuration doesnt l...

Submitted by Greg Laporte

Published 01 September 2013

Addressing challenges in multiformat signal management an...

by Brian PeterssonIssue 79 - July 2013 One of the many demands broadcasters face today is establishing effective multiformat signal management and confidence monitoring, which have become critically required capabilities, and there are several reasons behind this. The first is the broadcast industrys progressive evolution slow at first, but acceler...

Submitted by Brian Petersson

Published 01 August 2013

Cloud STB with Bob Pank

It’s like trying to get to Heathrow in time for your flight. Many of us have to go there by road and the journey will involve travelling on the UK’s busiest motorways. Even outside rush hour the journey may be quick, or not so quick or a real nightmare. This is a bit like live streaming video on the Internet. Yes, we’ve probably all used at least o...

Submitted by Bob Pank#

Published 01 July 2013

Making the second screen work

With little fuss, a major revolution has transformed the way that many – almost certainly the majority – consumers watch television. They now watch with a smartphone or a tablet in their hands. This is a genuine demand: consumers love the second screen. The key is for broadcasters to embrace it as an opportunity, and to ensure that, wherever possib...

Submitted by Mark Christie

Published 01 July 2013

PAGlink reviewed

Up until recently I always thought that a battery was, well just a battery. After all it’s just a load of cells strung together and put in some kind of case right? Well apparently not, it seems that there is a bit more to it than that, and the folks at PAG were keen to prove this by providing me with a set of their PL96e V-Mount Batteries to test....

Submitted by Jon Pratchett

Published 01 July 2013