Stand 2.C11, IBC 2019, RAI, Amsterdam: Hitomi Broadcast, manufacturer of MatchBox, the industry’s leading audio video alignment toolbox, will launch ‘MatchBox Glass’, a new and free iOS App for near instant lip-sync alignment of mics and cameras at IBC this year.
Hitomi Broadcast Director Russell Johnson said, “Synchronisation is often one of the last items on a field production checklist and can happen right up to going live or on-air. Often, it can be discovered too late that there are sync issues, which can be costly and, at the very least, embarrassing to resolve at the last second.
“MatchBox Glass enables quick and reliable camera line-up into truck, remote production facility or in newsgathering applications. By simply holding up an iPhone or iPad, running the Glass App in shot, allows our analyser to instantly verify camera and mic timing alignment. Glass reduces a time consuming and error prone process to a matter of seconds.”
MatchBox is already used by broadcasters worldwide to ensure the timing of live sports, news and events, but until now has not been able to measure the paths through cameras and mics themselves. By putting a perfectly timed source in view, the analyser can measure exactly what delays have occurred to the pictures and sound. Not only that, you can point two cameras at the same iPhone and measure the latency difference between them. This is especially useful where significant delays through wireless links are involved. MatchBox Glass offers greater convenience and flexibility by being a free, downloadable App for anyone using an iOS-based device. Smarter and more accurate than a clapper board and removing the subjective nature of a tap test.
The additional option for its companion MatchBox Analyser is also being introduced at IBC. The MatchBox Analyser tool is typically situated in a master control room, studio or OB vehicle. It looks and listens for the specific Hitomi video and audio signatures produced by the hardware MatchBox Generator or MatchBox Glass App. The measurement performed by the analyser is very fast - just a few seconds - and highly effective, vastly speeding up the process and ultimately helping to eliminate the headaches and frustrations of last-minute lip-sync issues.
Johnson added, “We made the MatchBox Glass free because we didn’t want to penalise independent operators who can benefit from its accuracy and power. There is a licence requirement, but it’s paid for at the receiving end by those who want to acquire the synced content.”
Also being highlighted at IBC in addition to its multiple sync and analysis capabilities, MatchBox is also a 4K test pattern generator, which is critical for many contemporary broadcast operations. Hitomi’s extensive experience and knowledge of swiftly establishing and accurately timing a reliable link to base, for all resolutions and delivery platforms, is evident throughout the design of all Hitomi products which are uniquely engineered to make the synchronisation and alignment process as quick and painless as possible.
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About Hitomi
Hitomi is a professional television broadcast equipment manufacturer located in the UK. Its flagship product 'MatchBox' solves lip-sync, coherence, line identification, and audio level monitoring problems. Hitomi's engineering team has many decades of experience in professional broadcast manufacture, developing world-leading products to exacting standards. For more information, visit www.hitomi-broadcast.tv
Company Contact:
Anna Cox
enquiries@hitomi-broadcast.tv
+44 (0)1753 208803
Media Contact:
Jennie Marwick-Evans
Manor Marketing
jennie@manormarketing.tv
+44 (0) 7748 636171
