Latest articles by JOHN LUFF
Modern routing systems
From traditional broadcast facilities and production operations to IPTV headends and network operations centers, the level of technical complexity and
MPEG splicing
Often, articles like this start by heralding new eras of technology in which paradigms shift and deliver a sea of change destined to alter the workflow
Asset management
Bankers understand asset management. They have a legal and fiduciary duty to protect assets and be able to tell you at any moment just where they are
TRANSITIONING FACILITIES IN THE DTV AGE
As we approach the end of analog broadcasting, a scant 22 months away, it is useful to look at what it takes to build a workflow and facility that seamlessly
The tipping point
This year, TV recording technology may finally reach its tipping point. Ever since the first computer-based video servers were introduced at NAB in 1994,
Graphics and FX
Recently, I had a conversation with a friend about computer graphics and animation. Both of us are techies, so of course the discussion gravitated to
Modern automation
There are many reasons why a station should install automation. The most obvious is the apparent cost savings in labor. The math is simple. Theoretically,
Racks and accessories
It would be easy to assume that the least important technology in a broadcast facility is the piece that only serves to keep equipment from falling to
Wire in broadcast
Wire is one thing every media facility has, and it usually has several different kinds. Fifty years ago, RG59 coax was all a broadcaster needed. Monochrome
New storage options
Eons ago, when cameras had scanning electron beams and electronic recording of sound was in its infancy, television was essentially a live medium. The
Technology Seminar - Routing systems
Notable advances shown at NAB were plentiful. Utah Scientific introduced the UTAH-400/XL series, which includes a massive 1056 1056 matrix in a single
Metadata
Many years ago, SMPTE and EBU joined forces to work on harmonizing content-related issues associated with interchanging digital bit streams. Though the
Production switchers
It is interesting to note that video switchers are not sold as digital switchers anymore. Today, it's assumed that all switchers are digital, but of course
Camera support
Today, modern technology and thoughtful engineering have considerably advanced camera support.
Production switchers
Today’s complex switchers have the functionality of entire control rooms.
Newsroom editing
In the context of a magazine focused on technology, it is important to remember that the purpose of editing is to order images and sound in a way that
Still stores and CGs
Many of the features of still stores and moving clip players have migrated into CGs in the last decade, essentially blurring the line between the two.
Quality-control monitors
We sometimes forget that the television medium is inherently analog. That is true for both picture and sound. Broadcasters are deeply caught up in the
Remote monitoring
Over the last two decades, the importance of remote monitoring has grown considerably.
Routers
At NAB, routing switched to a new track in more ways than one. Many companies introduced new products, some of which are quite intriguing. Mixed environments
HD for news
Many people in the broadcast industry speculated that HD news wouldn't be successful. Pundits predicted that HD might reach the news studio, but bandwidth
Intercom systems
There are three types of communication that can convey complex information: written, visual (i.e. video) and spoken. In complex tasks, such as managing
