In its premiere year at NAB 2005, the organization’s convention floor HDTV studio, master control and production facility, collectively called “NAB-HD,” scored some of the highest visitor awareness numbers ever surveyed for an NAB display. “It was a tremendous favorite based on both attendance and participation numbers,” says Chris Brown, NAB’s senior vice president of conventions and exhibitions. “Given this success, it is not surprisingly that the sophomore version of this HDTV facility—NAB-HD 2006—is going to be bigger and better than the first. This year you’ll find NAB-HD in the LVCC’s Central Hall.”
Considering that NAB-HD was built using corporately-donated equipment and volunteers last year with 52 companies helping out and that the station itself has to be installed, troubleshot and ready for air in just four days, “putting together this project is a major challenge,” says NAB-HD 2006 project director Nigel Spratling, who is also president of Mavens Television Industry Consultants (www.mavens.tv). “Doing so well last year has made it easier to attract industry support,” he adds, “but it’s still a major task getting all the donated equipment and personnel that we need to run the exhibit.”
Spratling’s not kidding: with an overall floor space of 5,000 sq. ft. to stock in the LVCC, he’s got his work cut out for him. Thankfully, the facility will be put together by SignaSys Inc. (www.signasys.com), a widely-respected systems integrator based in San Jose, CA. “It wasn’t difficult to find integrators who wanted to do NAB-HB 2006, but hard to find those who would make the time and could do it pro bono,” Spratling says. “SignaSys was able to do both.”
THE NITTY-GRITTY OF NAB-HD 2006
Of the total 5,000 sq. ft. set aside, 900 sq. ft. will be devoted to the NAB-HD theater, where delegates can watch the fruits of the station’s labors on some “really cool” projection TV screens. “Last year we had a 30-foot screen, and everyone said how cool it was,” Spratling says. “This year we hope to have an even bigger screen to give live presentations of our broadcasts under the best viewing conditions, to really show what HD should look like.”
Next to the theater will be a complete studio with lighting, a production control room, news and editing suites (working with material captured on the show floor by roving NAB-HD ENG crews), and a multi-channel master control system. “The studio will be equipped with three Ikegami HD full studio cameras, and a fourth jib-mounted HD camera to get cool shoots by providing backgrounds from the Central Hall of the Convention Center,” says Spratling. “We intend to produce a variety of shows in studio, such as news broadcasts, one-on-one interviews and roundtable discussions.”
NAB-HD’s production room will be equipped with a Snell & Wilcox Kahuna video switcher, capable of handling HD and SD program feeds. It will also integrate remote feeds from stand-up locations inside the LVCC, outside via a microwave link and from a helicopter overhead. “The helicopter will have a reporter onboard,” Spratling says. “His reports will be incorporated in a live news program to demonstrate that the problem of signal latency on a high bandwidth HD link has now been solved and at a quality level previously unseen. The helicopter will be equipped with an HD Wireless system feeding us beautiful pictures at over 40 Mbits.”
The editing rooms will be working with material captured on five JVC ProHD as well as Panasonic DVCPRO HD and Sony HDCAM camcorders for mixing into a news-style program. “We are also hoping to have an HD version of the Ikegami Editcam to work with,” says Spratling. All of the video will be edited on a combination of systems including Apple Final Cut Pro, Matrox Axio using Adobe Premiere Pro and a system from the Chinese newcomer Dayang. “I am planning to have multiple ENG crews out conducting interviews with exhibitors and guests as well as capturing news content from the technology pavilions and conferences.” Spratling says.
“This year our program content will be really topical and of interest to the majority of show goers.”
Once the programs are prepared, NAB-HD’s master control room will be responsible for getting the produced feeds onto the LVCC’s two cable channels, on a satellite uplink and distributed for transmission over an IPTV system. And that’s not all: the stations’ programming will be delivered to the South Hall for use in the Next Generation Content Delivery Showcase. Here it will be shown using the several new IP and mobile TV technologies. From here the content will be delivered to a variety of mobile devices as well as served for Internet viewing.
“By putting all these elements together in one space, NAB delegates will be able to see the entire end-to-end HD production process in action,” says Nigel Spratling. “It is the most effective way of explaining how a modern station can work, and proves that HD is not a cost-prohibitive, technically overwhelming transition to make.”
INDUSTRY ASSISTANCE
Clearly, something as ambitious as NAB-HD wouldn’t happen without the active support of the broadcast industry, which provides the equipment, software and personnel to keep NAB-HD on-air during the convention. “We can’t do it without them,” says Spratling. “Last year, 52 companies helped out. This year, with our expanded exhibition, we need even more!”
To date, Anton/Bauer, Sachtler, Christie Digital Systems, Fujinon, HD Wireless, Ikegami, JVC, Matrox, Miranda, Omneon and Snell & Wilcox are among those vendors who have pledged their support. So have Sundance Digital and Pixel Power.
“Sundance Digital will supply a powerful, multichannel Titan automation system to control the on-air transmission schedule, as well as manage the video server and peripheral devices in master control (switching, branding, etc.), says Steve Krant, Sundance Digital’s vice president of Sales & Marketing. During the show, “a Sundance Digital engineer will check out and commission the system during set-up, then train key operators in its use,” he adds. “Sundance support staff will also be available during the event to provide assistance as needed.”
For its part, “Pixel Power will be providing our new flagship HD/SD product, the Clarity 5000 GX Broadcast Graphics System,” says James Lien, Pixel Power’s U.S. sales manager. “Pixel Power will be providing a CG operator for the station to work in the control room during the productions. We will also be working with the NAB-HD station graphic design firm to make sure as much of the NAB-HD station material can be tested and loaded prior to NAB as possible. As the system is coming on-line in Las Vegas, we will have staff available to assist as necessary.”
Why are these companies spending a lot of money to provide equipment and expertise for NAB-HD 2006? “The HD station gives NAB attendees an opportunity to witness the latest broadcast technologies at work. It also serves as a hands-on experience for the next generation of television operators,” replies Krant. “We are pleased to share our solutions with current and future automation users and serve as an expert resource to those seeking information about advances in station automation technology.”
Speaking more candidly, Lien says the reason his company is helping NAD-HD 2006 is to “Increase Pixel Power brand awareness in the U.S. and put Pixel Power on the map for purchasers of HD character generator equipment.” Given the proven popularity of NAB-HD, he couldn’t have found a better place to do this.
Despite how difficult it was to get NAB-HD 2005 up and running “it was as much fun as having four root canals simultaneously,” says Spratling. The result was so successful that he had to do it again in 2006. “In fact, it’s so rewarding that I intend to keep producing the NAB-HD project until the NAB tells me to stop.”
James Careless covers the television industry. He can be reached at jamesc@tjtdesign.com.
