Every year the National Association of Broadcasters gather everyone together under one collective banner to show of their wares and hype the latest and greatest technological advancements that broadcast has to offer
This year as with others, Tony has made the trek to Las Vegas to glimpse where the future and technology collide.
There is so much to see and do at NAB that it always good to have the inside word on what you should be looking at and what you shouldn't waste your time on.
So here are Tony's highlights from NAB 2009.
The new Ki Pro from AJA promises to be a game changer for all Final Cut Pro users who want a simple solution for acquisition.
here is what AJA are saying
The AJA Ki Pro is a tape less video recording device that records high-quality Apple ProRes 422 QuickTime files onto computer-friendly media. Because it features SD/HD-SDI, HDMI, and analog inputs, you can interface with virtually any type of camera you might own or rent. Enjoy monitoring flexibility through Ki Pro's numerous simultaneous outputs, connecting to both professional and consumer monitors.
Ki Pro is portable and rugged; designed for real production environments. With the optional exo-skeleton it can sit below your camera-out of the way of your battery adapters, wireless mics and other accessories. Integration with your other production gear is seamless.
Ki Pro is intuitive to operate. Alongside the camera, the familiar VTR-like buttons provide immediate controls for basic operation. From a distance, use a web browser via ethernet or WiFi to control operations from a laptop or iPhone.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
AJA also announce the new Io express
The IO Express is a portable Audio and Video Input/Output device for File based workflows.
Here is what AJA are saying
Io Express is an ideal Mac or PC interface for video professionals looking for an inexpensive monitoring and mastering solution when working with Apple ProRes 422 and Apple ProRes 422 (HQ), XDCAM HD, DVCPRO HD and more. Io Express bridges the computer and video worlds, providing professional I/O options to laptops such as the Apple MacBook Pro, and optionally to desktops such as the Mac Pro or HP workstations.
“So many of our customers are adopting file-based workflows and the Io Express is perfect for monitoring and mastering in those environments,” said Nick Rashby, President, AJA Video. “The Io Express provides lots of connectivity options in a very well designed product that’s extremely portable and flexible.”
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
AJA also announced several other new products and updates that included Two new Mini Coverters, updated Io HD and new KONA LHi capture and playback card.
Telestream also hard some updates and recent product announcements worth mentioning
Wirecast - is a great product that lets you broadcast live events from anywhere in the world. Here is how Telestream descibe it.
Plug-in your camera. Prepare your shots. Broadcast live.
Wirecast is a live production tool that allows everyone to easily broadcast live events and create professional webcasts from any location – all you need is a computer and an internet connection. With the intuitive and fully integrated streaming capabilities, Wirecast makes it easy for anyone to share live experiences and build a global community. Wirecast lets you stream multiple live cameras while dynamically mixing in other media such as movies, images, sounds, etc. Features including Chroma Key (blue/green screen), transitions and built-in titles allow you to create beautiful, professional broadcast productions for live or on-demand distribution on the web.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
Episode - has been updated and now includes watch folders which is a great boon for for large facilities needing to automate their encoding workflow.
Episode highlights include
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
ScreenFlow - is quickly becoming the premier screen capture software for the Mac.
Here is what Telestream say,
Record. Edit. Share.
Capture the contents of your entire desktop at the same time as your video camera, microphone and computer's audio. Sophisticated editing tools allow you to create incredible screencasts in no time. The finished result is a QuickTime movie, ready for publishing to your website or blog.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
Videocue - is a very nifty application that lets you write and record your speeches of you reading your words aloud, add movies, images and titles and then easily publish your finished presentation to websites or weblogs.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
Pipeline - is Telestreams brilliant network based video capture hardware.
Pipeline comes in three flavours, Pipeline HD Dual, offering 2 channels encoding, Pipeline quad, offering 4 channels of encoding and Pipeline that offers 1 channel.
Here is what Telestream say,
Pipeline is an industry-first network-based video capture and playout device for moving SD & HD SDI video and audio in and out of file-based workflows. Encode to multiple SD & HD formats in a single box: DNxHD, DVCPRO HD, ProRes SQ, DV IMX & MPEG 2.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
Sonnet Qio - is an eSATA controller / all-in-one card reader that will hopefully ship some time next month.
The Qio comes equipped with E4P SATA host controller and has four eSATA ports. Sonnet’s Qio supports two P2, SxS, and CompactFlash cards as well as SD, xD and other memory cards with includes adapter.
The Qio will be shipped with two interfaces, either a Sonnet Express Bus Extender PCIe card for desktop users or a Sonnet Bus Extender ExpressCard/34 for notebook users. It’s SxS slots double as ExpressCard/34 slots and the P2 slots are compatible with CardBus cards.
ShotPut Pro - is a truly exciting product for anyone shooting P2, AVCHD, SxS, RED ONE, and more.
Use ShotPut Pro to off load all your digital file based formats to ensure everything is copied and backed up correctly.
Features include
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
ProxyMill - for Macintosh is an automated video compression application that creates low resolution, preview quality QuickTime movies directly from digital HD media including P2, XDCam, AVCHD, and RED.
Features include
and much more.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
Many of our clients have purchased the Quantum A series tape archiving appliance, a network based tape drive. The Cashe-A units take these systems to the next level, with fast reliable LTO4 tape drives, and much improved interfaces and features.
Prime-Cache LTO-4A 800 GB Data Tape Deck - This new unit is a network connected archiving unit tat everyone on your network can use. It will take your files and put them onto a LTO-4 tape, while keeping a local catalogue of all your tapes you can search through without the tape in the unit.
This new version is much more sophisticated than the old Quantum A-series drives, and includes a full Linux Operating system, Hard disk, Share points for Mac and Windows and Linux, and a much better Java Script interface in the Web Browser.
Contact us for more details
Click here to read more.
BlackMagic had a large presence at NAB, with it's video cards showcased on several vendors boots as part of other solutions. In addition to their already strong line of products that introduced yet more...
Media Express - Free software upgrade in June. This new software will replace the Deck Control software on the Mac that ships with the cards. (Currently available in Windows). This allows batch capture of DPX, AVI and QuickTime files with frame accurate deck control.
Mini Converter - Optical Fibre SDI extender - This new unit will extend 3 Gig HD SDI over single mode fibre for very long distance cable runs. The Dual unit (SDI In and OUT) will sell for $495 USD.
Optical Fibre Decklink Card - A New Decklink SDI card with Single Mode Optioal In and Out was released. This is perfect when working with the Optical SDI extender mini converter.
HD Link Optical Fibre - This new HD Link Pro unit also now features Optical Fibre input. The HD Link offers a SDI to DVI Converter, with 6 audio outputs. (Supports Dual link DVI and 2K resolution - so you can view 2K files in real-time on a 30 " LCD monitor, with customised 3D LUT's.
Enterprise Videohub - This new 144 x 288 3 Gb/Sec SDI router with 9 pin switching is perfect for larger installations.
Studio Videohub - This new 16 port remote router is perfect for smaller installations, allowing you to route SDI and machine control throughout your facility, and remotely manage the routing from every computer in the building.
Videohub 4.0 Software - New powerful videohub software with a great new look, with icon views, and is perfect for use with touch screens.
DVI Extenders over 3 Gb/s SDI - Extend a DVI monitor with SDI cable (with the HD Link at the other end). This little extender is great if you want to route your monitors using the Videohub.
Ultrascope - A New low cost SD / HD scope is available soon. This is a software based scope that runs on a low cost Windows PC and includes a PCI express HD SDI card and software. It includes waveform, vector, audio levels, and other scopes with high accuracy.
Audio Mini Converters - Audio imbeder and de-imbeder for AES/EBU audio to / from SDI video
New Open Gear converters - The full range of mini converters are now available in the Open Gear Rack format.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
MxR Express Card Reader - This is a SxS memory card alternative that uses low cost SD memory cards. Now you can use lower cost memory cards in your Sony XDCAM camera (Suitable for the EX1 and EX3 cameras). These cards come with a 16 MB card, and are fast enough for 1920 x 1080 35 mb/sec data rate.
Compact VTR and Server Controllers
We now have available these single or dual machine remote jog and shuttle controllers to remotely control a tape transport. These are perfect for controlling out Virtual Tape units (using Gallery Virtual VTR and a basic FCP edit suite or server based system)
Automatic Duck offers a range of Import and export options for Final Cut Pro and other editing systems. The most common products we sell are
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more
Small Tree has a range of fast 10 Gig Ethernet Cards for Macs. With these cards we are able to offer fast network based work-flows for editing and post production.
Share your fast storage through a server to multiple workstations or other servers, without the need for a Fibre channel SAN system.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more
Mac Caption - is software that runs on Mac for creating Closed captioning and Subtitle preparation and encodes the captions for integration into video streams with Final Cut Pro.
With Mac Caption you can create your captions, export a small video file for import into a Final Cut Pro project, and output a program with imbedded Closed Captions in the video onto tape. In conjunction with a Matrox MXO unit, you can even output HD content with closed captions.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
We have been selling the range of Primera CD and DVD duplicators for some time now. New models include BluRay duplicators.
Primera duplicators are either host connected (Mac or Windows) or stand alone, and offer multiple burners, robotic automation and high quality printing.
Bravo SE - Compact all in one automated disk production device for the desktop. Burns upto 20 disks per job, and includes full colour printing.
Bravo II - Automatic robotic based duplication with full colour 4800 dpi printing with upto 50 disks per job with a single drive.
Bravo Pro - Automatically burns and prints upto 100 disks at a time with a dual burner configuration.
PTProtect - Many of our clients have wanted protected DVD's that guard against Ripping and unauthorised duplication. PTProtect can offer this solution, allows burning of DVD's that cannot be ripped.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
We have been selling Softron products for some time now, and have found them easy to use and reliable.
On The Air Video - is a playlist based video output software that uses one or more Blackmagic cards. Features include: looping, schedule, SD / HD, and can overlay logos and bugs in real-time.
Movie Recorder - is capture software perfect for scheduled captures or when working with a real-time production workflow. Movie Recorder allows real-time capture and edit of the same file, with QuickTime reference movie capture. (You can capture a file on your Mac using your Blackmagic card and start editing in Final Cut Pro while it is still capturing) This is also great for SAN and server based workflows, with multiple injest and edit systems. Great for real-time capture of iso's. (The software allow for the capture of more than one stream of video per workstation / server as it can use two or three blackmagic cards at the same time.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
Adrienne is a small electronics company based in Las Vagas, that makes some small esoteric products for broadcast.
AEC-uBOX-2 - This is a simple LTC to 9 pin time code converter box, perfect for integrating time of day time-code into your captures. We sell these units to clients that capture iso's onto Blackmagic cards using Movie Recorder, Pipline capture devises or Virtual VTR.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
icorp sells many Quantum solutions, including Tape drives, tape libraries, and the StorNext FX SAN client for Xsan. Quantum StorNext was the technology Apple purchased and turned into Xsan, and is fully compatible.
Stornext FX - this is a Xsan client for Windows and Linux systems, that enable these systems to be connected to an Apple Xsan system.
StorNext Storage manager Upgrade for Xsan - This is a tiered storage system integrated into the Xsan system, allowing use of better value lower speed disks and tape libraries to extend the storage capacity of an Xsan volume. Storage manager works in the background and will automatically move files off your expensive high speed storage, to lower cost "near line" storage or onto tape. It also integrates with a world class back-up and archiving system.
Storage Manager is fully integrated into the Xsan environment, with automatic functions. The interface is the Xsan File system. If a file has been on your storage and not used, the system will automatically copy it off onto lower speed storage, or archive it to tape. The files never leaves the Xsan volume, and is available to the user when ever needed. If you need to play out an archived file, you simply open the folder, that will make the system automatically copy the files from the tape back to your "on-line" storage.
If you are interested in a Xsan system with fully integrated archiving and back-up, or want to upgrade an existing Xsan system, contact us.
Atto Technology make the high quality SCSI and Fibre Channel HBA's we have been using in our solutions for some time. They have a larger product range with many other quality products, but one that have taken our interest is the FastStream product.
FastStream - FastStream is a RAID powerful controller perfectly suited to a SAN environment. It connects to up to 128 drives connected through SAS expander technology, and has 4 Fibre Channel connections. This is perfect for a low cost 4 seat SAN system, as the fast storage is connected to all 4 ports the same. Storage is connected with low cost JBOD enclosures directly to the unit, with 2 x 12 Gbit Mini SAS connections. FastStream is available in 4 Gb and 8 Gb Fibre configurations.
FastStream is a perfect companion to our Xsan and Tiger MetaSAN product range, and has been tested with both SAN systems and works perfectly.
Contact us for more details.
Click here to read more.
Last year Matrox started shipping the MXO1 Video I/O device. This has been recieved well, with several icorp customers very happy with their new systems. This year at NAB Matrox introduced several new products that fit perfectly into our video range.
Of great interest was the new Compress HD product, that received a standing ovation at it's launch.
MX02 / MXO2 Rack - The Original MXO2 device, offers Video input and output to your Mac in HD or SD with both Analogue or Digital I/O. This low cost device works at uncompressed qualities and connects to the host Mac through PCI express bus. As it only uses one lane of PCI express, it works with the Mac Book Pro laptop units, and support uncompressed capture and output, compressed capture and output, and real-time audio and video monitoring. (This is also available in a rack mount unit) (rrp is $ 2625.00 inc GST)
Click here for the MXO2 Data sheet
Click here fo the MXO2 Rack Data sheet
New MXO2 mini - This is a cut down version of the same device with analogue and HDMI input and output only. This is perfectly suited to a playback workflow for laptop and desktop systems. (rrp is $ 799.00 inc GST or $ 1499.00 with MAX H264 encoding)
Click here for the MXO2 Mini Data sheet.
Compress HD - This is a professional accelerator card for H264 encoding on the Mac. Using new "MAX" technology, it makes your H264 encodes faster that real-time. It support all standard data rates from iPod video to BluRay, and can be integrated into Apples Compressor. This is a low cost PCIe card for Mac Pro, and can be integrated into the MXO2 and MXO2 mini units. (rrp TBA)
Click here for the Matrox CompressHD Data sheet.
Red introduced the Red Rocket technology, a hardware accelerator card that offers real-time R3D Decode, Debayer and playback of high quality 4K footage. This product will accelerate FCP, Premiere, After Effects, RED Alert!, REDCINE, REDruches or any application using the new REDCODE SDK. This is a PCI-Express card that has output interfaces that include Quad-DVI and Quad-HD-SDI. It will work with Mac, Windows and Linux operating systems. It is expected to ship for under $5K US.