KitPlus | Articles

Vision for the future of TV

Issue 92 - August 2014During the Commonwealth Games BBC Research and Development took the opportunity to unveil a range of new trials and public demonstrations as part of its Games showcase. These experiments brought together a wide range of industry partners and are helping to shape BBC R&D’s vision for the future of TV, and included a number of b...

Submitted by KitPlus

Published 01 September 2014

Making 4K mainstream in 2014

by Austin Freshwater Issue 89 - May 2014 4K was one of the hot topics at this years CES. Higher resolutions may be showing more promise as the industry moves on from the latest iteration of 3D, which proved expensive to produce and poorly received by many viewers. However, as we move further into 2014, we continue to see some reticence within the i...

Submitted by Austin Freshwater

Published 01 June 2014

Ask the experts: Life behind the rate card

by Mike Ransome Issue 88 - April 2014 From time to time, most people in broadcast and production need to rent in some equipment. It might be to extend capabilities an extra camera channel, for example or it might be to bring in something you do not normally use, like an EVS server, for instance. Now picking a dry hire company sounds awfully simple....

Submitted by Mike Ransome

Published 01 May 2014

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

The Next Generation of Image Aqisition for Live Broadcast

by Klaus Weber Issue 86 - February 2014 Today, there are many discussions focused on next generation broadcast formats. This is mainly driven by the fact that the consumer industry has already launched 4K (UHD) TV sets. Beside the question is the market ready to accept a new broadcast format? One question still remains: what is the best solution fo...

Submitted by Klaus Weber

Published 01 March 2014

Location: Seychelles with the Canon C300PL

by Kieron Seth Issue 86 - February 2014 The idea that the Seychelles are all about palm-lined beaches underplays the scale and diversity of this geologically rich group of islands. Unlike many other tropical paradise destinations, a beautiful seascape is only part of the picture for this gem of the Indian Ocean. From the 900 metre peak of Morne Sey...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 March 2014

Will Strauss looks at 6 reasons why 4k is so special

by Will Strauss Issue 86 - February 2014 4k (or UHD) is everywhere. Whether you want it or not, it is (slowly) permeating the living room - in the form of TV sets - and gradually becoming more commonplace on location and in the studio. Someday soon it will be broadcast in the UK too. As Bob Pank points out on page 56 there are a number of reasons f...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 March 2014

Review: DaVinci Resolve 10

by Toby Tomkins Issue 85 - January 2014 Colour grading for me is about the final sculpting of the image, in terms of colour, tone, texture and composition. My goal as a colourist is to push the colour, tone and texture to reflect the desired emotion and story of the image. I choose DaVinci Resolve to be my metaphorical chisel because it has a tools...

Submitted by Toby Tomkins

Published 01 February 2014

Supporting the transition to 4K

by David AckroydIssue 84 - December 2013 Plasma, LCD and LED screen technologies brought broadcasters HD audiences that justified their investment in HDTV. Recent computer monitors, tablets, mobile phones, digital cinema and 3D have driven an explosion in viewing formats. Together they have created an appetite for continued change and development i...

Submitted by David Ackroyd

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

The UKs PTZ explosion

by Kieron SethIssue 83 - November 2013 The advent of broadcast quality, remotely controlled PTZ cameras has had an enormous impact on television production in the UK. Not only can cameras now be discreetly placed in virtually any location but they can also be operated a very small team of technicians. This combination of creative freedom and the si...

Submitted by Kieron Seth#

Published 01 December 2013

Ask the experts with Shotoku

by James EddershawIssue 82 - October 2013 Shotoku has been around for quite some time, but for those who may not be familiar, can you explain who you are and what you do?Shotoku Broadcast Systems is an international leader in the manufacture and marketing of a full range of camera support products including manual and robotic pedestals as well as v...

Submitted by James Eddershaw

Published 01 November 2013

Bob Pank looks at shooting 4K TV

by Bob PankIssue 82 - October 2013 Not unexpectedly IBC was full of buzz and products for 4K the new image format for television. This is generally taken to be a 2x2 version of HDTVs 1920 x 1080, i.e. defining a 3840 x 2160 pixel picture. But there is nothing new about big pictures like this. Back in late 2004 a draft of the Digital Cinema Initiati...

Submitted by Bob Pank#

Published 01 November 2013

Will Strauss rounds up IBC 2013

by Will StraussIssue 82 - October 2013 Dear Reader. I have a confession. I did not visit every single one of the many hundreds of stands at IBC this year. In fact, I didnt even visit all 11 halls within the RAI. And I didnt talk to all 52,974 attendees. I was there. I have the stroopwafels to prove it. Its just that IBC is a massive show. And I am...

Submitted by Will Strauss#

Published 01 November 2013

Polecam delivers 500th rig

by Mel NoonanIssue 81 - September 2013 We in the UK should be rightly proud of Polecam and what it has achieved, with news that the 500th rig has been delivered. Extreme sports cameraman Steffan Hewitt designed the lightweight jib for his own use, as a tool to get the shots he wanted. He kept refining it as he used it. Others saw it and wanted it....

Submitted by Mel Noonan

Published 01 October 2013