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Friday, April 18, 2008

Solder City

One of our contract engineers was in my office neatening-up my computer cables when he sees the headline: "Iraqi Troops Quit Sadr City Fight". He says:

"I always think about electronics when I hear about Solder City. Isn't that in the Silicon Valley?"

See, that's what I miss about television engineering...

Posted by Techmanager at 8:13 PM
Categories: TV Engineering

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Something to Read While Waiting for That NAB Flight

(OK, this was funnier two weeks ago... )

From: aedigitaltv@mac.com
Reply-to: FinalCutPro-L@yahoogroups.com
To: FinalCutPro-L@yahoogroups.com
Sent: 4/1/2008 8:12:22 A.M. Central Standard Time
Subj: [FCP-L] changes for NAB

From UPI/Reuters

LAS VEGAS, NV USA April 1, 2008

<snip>

For the 2008 convention, NAB is expected to unveil two new proposals of transmission standards for continental US television: ANALTAL, and DIGALOG. Combining innovative features of wideband analog signals withthe lossless potential of digital schemes, these new standards will be incompatible with existing viewing technology but ready to usher in a new decade of progress, particularly with respect to monitoring, in 2010. ANALTAL presents the SDI signal in biological, rectal-linear/biologarithmic space, while DIGALOG displays will make use of highly viewer-specific iterative-mechano-precise responses, based on feedback, as provided by probes. Universal, Sony, Thomson/Grass Valley, and Microsoft have endorsed DIGALOG, while Disney Studios and Time/Warner have formed a consortium backing ANALTAL. Microsoft has adapted DIGALOG in a proprietary manner, thus possibly forming a third option for 2010. "These new standards have everything we need to face a content-oriented future, and will prove a boon to manufacturers and vendors alike, when the technology is ready," stated NAB Director Phyllis Diller. "The market will decide, and we're confident the more powerful consortium will be the best."

<snip>

Andy Edwards

Posted by Techmanager at 1:26 PM
Categories: TV Engineering

The End of Network News ?

What kind of blogger would I be if I didn't have a couppla links to the downfall of Rome, uh network newsgathering. Yes, years ago there was all kinds of talk about ABC & CBS merging their newsgathering operations with CNN. It appears what's old is new again:

http://www.buzzmachine.com/2008/04/08/cbs-is-leaving-the-news-business/

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvnewser/cbs/cbs_cnn_in_talksagain_81839.asp

Posted by Techmanager at 1:02 PM
Edited on: Sunday, April 13, 2008 1:05 PM
Categories: State of the News

Not Heading for NAB...

It's my own fault, I guess. I made a decision to move from engineering to production management. Now a victim of corporate belt tightening, I know that if I want to go to NAB in the future - it will be on my own dime & on my own time.

So I'll be sitting here in New York reading everyone else's NAB blog. Check back daily for links to the most interesting items for my fellow news junkies.

Here's one for starters:
http://blog.digitalcontentproducer.com/nab/

Tuesday, April 08, 2008

Arabic Proverb

“He that knows not, and knows not that he knows not is a fool. Shun him

He that knows not, and knows that he knows not is a pupil. Teach him.

He that knows, and knows not that he knows is asleep. Wake him.

He that knows, and knows that he knows is a teacher. Follow him."

(Arabic proverb)

Thanks to Andy Mees (on the StudioDaily Blog)

Posted by Techmanager at 9:44 PM
Categories: TV Engineering

Saturday, April 05, 2008

MPEG Suspected In Lip Sync Errors

Deborah D. McAdams writes in in the March issue of Television Broadcast:

"Lip sync is notoriously bad in digital broadcast television, making a lot of content resemble the original English-dubbed Godzilla films...."

Interesting is the information appearing in the print but not the on-line version of the article: "...Others [individuals knowledgeable about the issue] point out that splitting audio and video from the get-go...was a bad idea in the first place."

No, really? Embed that audio ! That's my motto. I've seen too many 'engineers' running around like chickens without a head (sorry, poor choice of imagery) because they were sending analog audio through the plant with their HD-SDI video and wondering why it was out of sync.


Posted by Techmanager at 11:23 AM
Categories: TV Engineering

But That Would Take An Engineer...

Sorry for giving away the punchline at the begining of the story, but you have to read the Editorial in the March 2008 edition of Broadcast Engineering®. Makes me shudder at the thought of people with IT backgrounds and no TV production experience running TV engineering departments.

 

Posted by Techmanager at 11:21 AM
Categories: TV Engineering