This year’s Broadcast Video Expo – set for February 14-16 at London’s Earls Court -- is shaping up to be bigger than ever, with the stand space sold up 15 percent on last year. The show has also doubled the number of pre-registered international visitors it attracts.
“BVE is all about enabling visitors from all over the world to learn about the latest trends, technologies and opportunities, and to network with other broadcast professionals,” says event director Charlotte Wheeler.
Left: Vinten Radamec’s new FHR-35 will make its UK debut at BVE; Right: For the first time in the UK, Pixel Power is exhibiting its ChannelMaster integrated playout technology.
The EMAP-owned event boasts a beefed-up seminar programme and a host of new exhibitors including Nikon, Wohler and OASYS, to name a few. According to OASYS chief executive Mark Errington, the show provides an opportunity to meet key UK resellers, distributors and systems integrators, as well as broadcasters “in one place and on home turf.” He adds, “The UK is a key strategic market and we will use BVE to build new relationships and reconnect with existing contacts and clients.”
Another of OASYS’s aims is to help people make sense of the “sometimes confusing” automated playout sector by demonstrating what is achievable with automated playout products, Errington says. “We'll be showing demonstrations of the wide variety of ways in which to set up solutions for different channel requirements, including live events, advertising insertion, single and multiple channels and redundancy management; whether building an entire workflow, expanding or adding to an existing system," he explains
The big exhibitors are promising a range of innovations at BVE 2012. Sony has selected BVE as the venue for the first UK public showing of its F65 4K digital cinematography camera. The camera, which begins shipping to the UK next month, has already received significant interest from the industry with substantial pre- orders placed from dealers and hire companies since its launch last year.
Left: Axon will use BVE for demos of its monitoring and control software, modular interfaces and its compliance recording system; Right: BVE will see the first local showing of JVC’s brand new 4K camcorder, the GY-HMQ10.
“One of the key forces driving the industry this year will be 4K technology, with products such as Sony’s groundbreaking F65 motion picture camera proving to be a catalyst in the market,” predicts Dave Cheesman, sales manager, with Sony Professional. “At BVE, Sony will show how customers are using 4K to excite viewers by enabling them to experience the highest quality images possible, just as the director intended,” he adds.
An exciting development from JVC is the “world’s first handheld 4K camcorder” - the GY-HMQ10 - which is expected to ship this March. Announced last month at CES, the camera captures, records and plays video images at four times the resolution of high definition television, delivering real-time 3840x2160 footage at 24p and 50p. On display for the first time in the UK at BVE 2012, the camera uses MPEG-4 technology and a variable bit rate H.264 codec operating at up to 144 Mbps.
The GY-HMQ10 records up to two hours of 4K video to economical SDHC or SDXC memory cards. But the best thing about this camera for many delegates will be the price – a snip at £5090.
BVE North: Mixed Reactions In November, 2011, BVE launched a two-day regional offshoot event called ‘BVE North’ in Manchester. The inaugural show took part at the Manchester Central Exhibition centre on the Salford Quays – also home to Media City – which houses several BBC departments as well as dozens of hire and production companies. According to the show’s event director Charlotte Wheeler, the event attracted 2,400 visitors and over 90 exhibitors.
Nevion co-exhibited at the show with its new dealer, Canford. “For a first show I thought it was quite good and worthwhile,” says Vince Crook, Nevion’s head of UK sales. “We probably wouldn’t exhibit there by ourselves as it’s only a few months before BVE in London, and I’m not convinced that those who attend BVE North wouldn’t attend the London event. But we’d certainly consider exhibiting again in conjunction with a partner.”
With a new facility in Salford Quays as well as a realization of “the growing importance of the broadcast industry outside London”, it made sense for Argosy to exhibit at BVE North, says Argosy Sales Director Chris Smeeton. “It was a very successful show for Argosy,” he notes. “BVE North enabled us not only to meet with our existing customers from all over the UK but to develop new contacts and business opportunities with those delegates who had not previously attended the London show.”
Others in the industry said that they found BVE North useful for networking. “I met with a lot of manufacturers/resellers,” says Phabrix Sales Manager Rob Arnold. “I had an insightful and positive visit.” “We’re witnessing the birth of what is destined to become a broad market for full 4K end-to-end production,” says JVC product manager Gustav Emrich. “The GY-HMQ10 is a breakthrough product that opens up 4K imaging to users who previously wouldn't have considered it.”
Regular exhibitors out in force include Argosy, which will be showcasing the company’s most recent range of infrastructure products and the latest in fibre management solutions. “Historically BVE has been one of the main exhibitions in our annual events calendar,” says Argosy sales director Chris Smeeton. “The success of the two BVE shows last year in London and Manchester served only to further reinforce our commitment to these UK shows.”Visitors to the Argosy stand will see a full range of HD infrastructure products including, a collection of video, audio and power cables, connectors, rack systems as well as an array of video accessories.
BVE regular Nevion will use the show to unveil its new VideoIPath solution for IP and optical networks. The provider of managed video services will demonstrate its integrated hardware and software platform for delivering managed video services in any network infrastructure. This includes delivery over an IP-based media network of a telecommunications service provider or a broadcaster’s fully redundant optical network.
“Professional video transport is changing dramatically and creating a completely new approach to video networking,” says Nick Pywell, Nevion’s managing director of UK operations. “With the introduction of our VideoIPath managed video services platform, and the other solutions we’ll be highlighting, we can provide efficient and cost-effective solutions for broadcasters to meet these changes.”
Finally, smaller companies displaying interesting solutions at the show include Marquis Broadcast, a specialist in content workflows and media integration software. It will demonstrate ‘Project Parking’, its new Avid archiving and restoring solution at BVE 2012. This will be the first time that Project Parking has been shown in the UK.
For more information about BVE 2012, go to www.bvexpo.co.uk.
BVE has been increasing in stature over the last few years, and more than a few UK or global product debuts will happen this week:
END-TO-END GRAPHICS
BlueNet leverages Chyron’s suite of graphics tools for ordering and graphics asset management, collaborative graphics creation, and real-time playout. It is integrated with Axis World Graphics, Chyron’s cloud-based services offering, and helps ensure very fast news and sports workflows. Order management tools allow producer-driven content to move smoothly into a rundown, and management tools and accessible templates enable instant and efficient collaboration in preparing graphics. www.chyron.com
SMALLER SOLA
Litepanels‘ new Sola 4 features a 10 cm. Fresnel lens and is based on the same technology as the Sola 6, but in a smaller, lighter form factor. It provides the controllability, light-shaping and single shadow properties inherent in a Fresnel light, focusing from 70 to 10 degrees. Sola 4 requires just 30W of power, yet provides the luminance output of a 250W conventional tungsten or 150W HMI Fresnel. Another highlight will be the camera-mounted Croma, which features variable colour temperature output from daylight (5600°K) to tungsten (3200°K). Croma is ideal for run-and-gun news shooters, event videographers or still photographers who move rapidly from one light environment to the next without time to change lighting equipment. It can also be used on any set or location where effective fill is needed. www.litepanels.com
FLEXIBLE PORT FIBRE & COAX ROUTER
Snell's Vega is a new routing platform that allows users to configure any signal port independently for fibre and/or coax, easing a mixed connectivity environment. Its design also enables any port to be configured as either an input or output, providing a flexible asymmetric routing solution within a space-saving 2RU 96-port router. Vega uses proprietary algorithms to monitor every sub-assembly continuously and offers a full range of options for maximum redundancy: dual crosspoints, dual controllers, dual power supplies, and dual fans. www.snellgroup.com
QUAD SPLIT VIDEO MONITOR
The new RMQ-230 quad split video monitor from Wohler allows users to watch video and monitoring data in up to four display windows on a single 23-inch 1920x1080 LED backlight screen. RMQ-230 series monitors accept 3G/HD/SD-SDI, analogue composite, and HDMI inputs in varying configurations tailored for different monitoring applications. In addition to allowing broadcasters to mix and match video input formats on a single screen, RMQ-230 monitors can display waveform and vectorscope while also providing audio de-embedding, audio metering of up to eight channels, UMD, timecode, and various markers. Broadcasters also can configure the system as a single full screen or with one large and three smaller windows, the latter being ideal for simultaneous PC workstation screen and audio/video confidence monitoring usage. www.wohler.com
3D CAMCORDER
The Z10000 from Panasonic records professional-quality 2D and 3D images and with 3D macro shooting close-ups to 45cm. Its twin F1.5 lenses and dual array of 3MOS sensors deliver quality images even in low light. www.panasonic.co.uk
DUAL THUNDERBOLT I/O; SD/HD/3G CONVERSION
AJA Video System’s new Io XT Thunderbolt-enabled professional video I/O device features dual Thunderbolt ports and connects to a Thunderbolt-enabled Apple computer with one cable. The second port allows users to daisy-chain Io XT to other Thunderbolt peripherals including high bandwidth storage and hi-res displays through a single interface. Also on display will be AJA’s UDC, a broadcast quality up/down/cross-conversion mini-converter which can convert between SD, HD and 3G video formats. I/Os include SD/HD, 3G SDI input and output, HDMI output and two-channel RCA style audio output. The UDC also supports eight-channel embedded audio. www.aja.com
10–BIT HYPERDECK; THUNDERBOLT CAPTURE
Blackmagic Design has launched its latest HyperDeck Shuttle Solid State Disk recorder. HyperDeck Shuttle 2 replaces the existing model and adds broadcast quality 10-bit recording and playback to the Avid DNxHD format for the same price of about US$345. It records the highest quality uncompressed or compressed video formats onto common low cost SSDs in a small form factor and using battery power. For direct camera mounting, a HyperDeck Shuttle Mounting Plate can be added to provide multiple pre drilled mounting holes. Also new is Intensity Shuttle, a new video capture and playback solution that uses Intel’s Thunderbolt technology. Intensity Shuttle makes the highest quality 10-bit SD and HD video affordable for about US$239. www.blackmagic-design.com
STABILITY; DSLRs
Polecam has launched a specially-designed wire strut system to give added flexibility to the full Polecam 8-metre rig in extreme weather conditions and for fast-moving action shots. Polecam will also be showcasing its Starter Pack system aimed at DSLR users. www.polecam.com
3D COLOUR CORRECTION
Eyeheight has announced a multi-rate stereoscopic 3D colour corrector that allows both channels of a stereoscopic 3D pair to be corrected under common single control. www.eyeheight.com
