NAB: Hot Topics

HD everything, tapeless workflows, Blu-ray vs. HD DVD distribution,
bigger and badder SANs – where will it all lead us? To NAB 2006 in
Vegas, of course. HD-related products will be in more booths than ever
at NAB this year. Now that HD is really here, with available products
at affordable prices, the bigger shift to a complete HD workflow is,
for many, finally possible. And the tools that help you get there are
some of the best you can invest in right now. But HD is just one of the
many hot topics that our editors and contributing experts see in your
future. From the extinction of CRTs to the emergence of the video iPod,
changing workflows and distribution methods could either beef up your
bottom line or reinvent your entire business plan- and do both, if
you’re strategic about who you talk to and what you buy (or simply
preview) at the show.

Our contributors and editors know exactly where they’ll head first when
they arrive at NAB. The highlight of the show for many of them is being
able to spend time with product managers and the products themselves.
(If you’re going to the show, see our booth finder for key companies
mentioned in this article, page 68). Some gear won’t be quite ready for
the masses, but that won’t stop a few manufacturers from bringing
less-than-perfect demo versions to the show. If you think you’re
looking at a beta, chances are you probably are; ask plenty of
questions about release dates, unresolved bugs and undemonstrated
claims before you place an order. And if you’re ready to buy a product
on sale at the show, make sure you ask how it works with legacy
formats. After all, who has the budget to upgrade everything at once?

You can also head directly to studiodaily.com
and keyword search through pre-show releases, reviews and articles for
updated information. Once NAB begins on April 24, we’ll be posting
breaking news stories and video interviews from the show
floor.

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The "doughnut effect" on the market will be the overriding trend at NAB.

Products will be introduced for very high-end applications or for the
under $10,000 market. But there will be no middle, despite the attempts
of some manufacturers to revive it. SD product development is clearly
dead. To gain attention, every product will add an H or an HD, blurring
the meaning of high-definition to the point of uselessness. The buzz
will be about a 4K camera prototype from a new company. However,
solutions to manage, move and archive 2K data in production and post
will dominate the show floor.

– Robert M. Goodman, Producer/Author
Goodman’s Guide (www.goodmansguide.com)

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I expect to see more PCIe-based computer systems as well as PCIe video
and audio boards. Maybe we’ll even see an Intel Mac Tower with PCIe.

In terms of post, I’m looking for more products, from stand-alones to
plug-ins, that increase compatibility throughout post of new formats
including XDCAM, XDCAM HD and P2. Also, CRT monitors are disappearing.
I’m interested in taking a serious look at all of the various
approaches to LCD-based monitoring. Affordable multi-format scopes
would be nice, too.

On the audio side, I expect more software-based DAWs, software
enhancements for audio post and robust audio interfaces that run on
FireWire 800.

– David Leathers, Contributing Editor, Studio/monthly
Filmmaker/Musician, Eye Square Productions, Culver City, CA

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Despite advances in HDV production and HDTV distribution, I think the
major buzz at this year’s show will be about mobile video. Currently
all the networks, media conglomerates, distributors and even small
companies (such as the one run by yours truly) want to figure out how
to cash in on the Next Big (Little) Thing. Look for new compression
algorithms and encoding tools to help you repurpose your current SD
productions.

For those who are drowning in media, new hardware automation should be
on display, which should help convert media libraries with hundreds of
SD clips into one of the many mobile video formats.

– Erik Holsinger, Contributing Editor, Studio/monthly
President/Executive Producer, Media Alchemy, Seattle, WA

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We began the shift to HD production in 2005 when we purchased an Adobe
Premiere Pro system with Blackmagic Designs hardware. This system
allows us to post HDV footage and true 1920 x 1080i and 720p footage
acquired on Sony F900 and Panasonic VariCam cameras. It’s important to
us to own all of our equipment including our lighting package,
generator, field audio equipment, and especially our camera. The less
equipment we have to rent, the higher our profit margin. As the VariCam

and F900 are budget breakers for a smaller facility, we decided to go
the HDV route. Within the last few months we acquired the Sony HVR-ZIU
camera, equipped it with Chrosziel matte box and follow focus, 16 x 9
wide-angle lens, Anton Bauer battery system and an Ewa-Marine
underwater housing. Many of these products I was able to try out at NAB
2005. And our conversations with product reps were also beneficial. The
HDV footage we acquire integrates nicely in our SD projects. This
HDV/HD setup allows us to offer our clients HD production at very
competitive rates. This year, I need to see what’s available in the way
of HD distribution, i.e. HD DVD, Blu-ray and hard-disk
recorder/players. We can sell our clients on HD production more easily
if we can show them cost-effective ways to display their new HD video.-
DJ Johnson

One of our clients is an architect who creates video installations for
museums. His clientele seem to be very interested in high-definition
production. One of our assignments, just prior to NAB, required us to
videotape trout underwater for a national fish hatchery. We used our
Z1U and Ewa-Marine underwater housing. What we learned from the vendors
at NAB 2005 accelerated our studio’s move into HD. We can’t wait to see
what we’ll learn about HD this year.- Hal S. Pope

– Hal S. Pope, DJ Johnson
Partners, Pope Johnson Video Productions, Columbus, GA

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For large facilities feeding multiple channels, or production companies
working with multiple clients simultaneously, media servers will get
larger and a lot more sophisticated at this year’s NAB convention. Yet
these centralized storage-area network (SAN) systems operate with less
complexity and fewer hardware components than traditional servers.

Borrowing heavily from the IT database world, Avid Technology and SGI
will be but a few companies to show versions of a large (connectivity
for up to 100 dual-stream [at 50 Mbps] clients working in real-time)
shared-storage system that offers unlimited access to media (bandwidth)
due to an ability to automatically spread media files across a series
of disc drives. They also feature "self-healing" drive blades that
communicate with one another to adapt instantly and redistribute data
in the event of a drive failure. Avid’s Unity ISIS media network offers
it, as does SGI’s InfiniteStorage Shared Filesystem CXFS.

– Michael Grotticelli, Contributing Editor, Studio/monthly, Editor, HD|Studio

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I think that HD issues will still be very much at the forefront of NAB
this year, specifically, the introduction of more viable HDV and DVCPRO
camcorders using cards instead of tapes as a means of storing footage
and HD DVD players/recorders.

As more and more companies have had to make the transition to HD,
they’ve had to change a lot of equipment to accommodate all that extra
bandwidth required. I’m particularly interested in what types of
high-speed video storage arrays for transferring this data will make
their debut at the show. Also, I’ve heard a rumor that Apple will be
announcing a 2K version of Final Cut Pro; that would be something I’d
be very interested in.

– Damijan Saccio, Principal/Co-Founder
UVPHACTORY (UVPH), New York, NY

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There are so many things to see at NAB if you’re a techno-geek like me.
I like to try and utilize the latest technology in my work, which I
feel incredibly lucky to be doing. The things I’m most excited to see
and/or learn more about include new cameras, grading systems, lighting
and portable data storage.

Is the ARRI D-20 digital camera finally ready to be released to the
public? It’s been two years since it was first introduced at NAB and I
feel this is the most "user friendly" design.

I will definitely be investigating new developments in portable data
storage such as the Venom "Data.Mag." Also, the Kodak Look Management
and Speed Grade systems should be refined and simpler to use this year.

Last year, there were new ideas in lighting: LED panels and an
interesting product using electro luminescent panels (ELP). I’d like to
see how those technologies have evolved.
And of course, I want to get my hands on a Panasonic HVX200, which was
only a production model at last year’s show. Incredible HDV format with
solid-state memory cards and variable frame rates. Very trick!

– Dana Christiaansen, Director/DP
Plum Productions, Santa Monica, CA

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At Fischer Edit we have the big three that we give a good deal of our
attention to every year at NAB. The company formerly known as Discreet,
now Autodesk, is a must see for us, particularly the great Users Group,
which we attend to find out about new developments in the software
offerings and usually get invitations to top-secret special
demonstrations in a "Whisper Suite" at the show. The Avid and Apple
wars are always interesting and their proximity on the showroom floor
makes for convenience and, let’s face it, for some great entertainment!
We’re still well steeped in Avid’s camp, but continue to watch the
evolution of Apple products very closely.

– Tony Fischer, Owner/Executive Producer
Fischer Edit & Modern Music and Sound
Minneapolis, MN

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NAB isn’t just about products. It’s also about trends that simmer below
the surface. Expect a lot of talk this year about how broadcasters and
video producers can charge for their content online. Reacting to the
success of iTunes’ video downloads, they’ll be searching for ways to
profit from this unexpected development. Look for new companies to pop
up at the show promising to facilitate the process. Also look for
established companies to jockey for leadership as they use NAB to test
the waters and form strategic alliances. The initial steps may be
clumsy as the industry struggles to develop practical models for
pricing and content delivery.

– David English, Contributing Editor, Studio/monthly

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IPTV, mobile TV and podcasting are definitely all areas we need to keep
our collective eyes on. At last year’s NAB, IPTV made an appearance
during the NAB 2005 All Industry Opening Ceremony keynote by Ivan
Seidenberg, CEO and president of Verizon Communications. As Jim Feeley
reported in his June 2005 column, Siedenberg announced Verizon’s $73
billion investment on landline and wireless networks expansion. But
this "content anywhere, anytime" business plan is forging ahead, with
more and more companies jumping on board. It was late last year that
Thomson announced its acquisition of Thales Broadcast & Multimedia
business unit, which provides platforms for IPTV services, VOD and
mobile TV. Earlier this year, Thomson’s Grass Valley business announced
new features to its SmartVision IPTV solution that’s currently being
employed overseas.

The NAB organization itself recognizes this growing market and has
expanded its conference portion by adding sessions on IPTV and Mobile
TV, a two-day podcasting summit and a brand new, next-generation
showcase focusing on content delivery to IPTV, Mobile TV, VOD and
Interactive TV with companies such as Nokia, Qualcomm, Cisco and
Verizon participating.

– Linda Romanello
Managing Editor, Studio/monthly

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For months now on tech message boards, the buzz has been growing to
nearly a fever pitch over the new camera being produced by the somewhat
mysterious company RED, the brainchild of Oakley Sunglasses’ owner Jim
Jannard.

Specs released so far boast a true 35 mm size image sensor of 4520 x
2520 pixels, 4k/2540p/1080p/720p/480p, variable frame rates from
1-60fps, ability to output 4:4:4 through dual fiber channel outputs,
4:2:2 out the HD-SDI output and recording options of the RED Flash
system, external hard drives, Blu-ray or tape.

And what is causing just as much anticipation as these specs are the
rumors of the price. While no definitive price has been set Jim Jannard
has claimed that this will "radically change the price/performance
ration of video cameras."

While there will not be a shipping model at NAB, there will be a demo
model and the rumors are that the RED camera will be available in the
fall.

– Matt Armstrong, Senior Editor, Studio/monthly
Web Editor, Studiodaily.com

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Well, I’ve seen the future, and it is post. For the past several years
everybody’s been worried about the death of the 30-second television
commercial. This could mean the death of a lot of the big old editing
houses and perhaps a shakeup among the younger folks, but ultimately
the future is post city: more and more digital graphics, and more and
more distribution mediums. For example, I just got a request to put a
PriceWaterhouseCoopers campaign out on iPod video! The post houses (or
more likely independent editors) who prove to be most flexible in
embracing the new technologies and developing their workflows to
accommodate more versions (because demographically targeted commercial
distribution is just around the corner), more output mediums, (Web,
cell-phone, iPod, VOD), and more genres (long-forms for Web, lo-fi
aesthetics for phones, etc.) are going to have a lot of well-paying
work coming their way.

But beyond new distribution mediums, this may be the year at NAB that
we see Apple’s Final Cut Pro seriously begin to dent the stranglehold
that Avid has had on the marketplace for the past decade. It’s my
opinion that facilities are going to turn to FCP because it’s way less
expensive, it’s way more available to the younger editors, and most
importantly, it embraces an ideal that’s at the crest of this new wave
of media and that’s a sort of integrated, independent, DIY attitude
that allows me, the editor, to edit the story, create my own graphics,
burn my own Webcasts, DVDs, output to broadcast-quality tape, make an
iPod video, whatever. And interestingly enough, when Final Cut breaks
through, I think that might open the door for Adobe, whose products are
the defacto standards for editing still graphics (Photoshop) and
low-budget motion graphics (After Effects) and who may just get a
toehold thanks to its focus on a tightly integrated workflow between
all of the products in the chain. I’m going to take a close look at the
Adobe booth and the Apple booth, and I’ll be looking for the smaller
companies who are building on these platforms the way so many
Digidesign partners built around ProTools. The challenge for Avid in
attracting customers like me is that while the company was busy
clinging to its grip on the high end, these desktop-based video
companies were developing their products to meet the workflow needs of
the future. Avid needs to continue to push higher-end features down
into its laptop and desktop software. It all happens on the desktop,
and in a laptop, which means that suddenly my overhead is cut down by
80 percent and I can do more versions, and more types of media, better
than before. Even though there’s less money per project, I get to keep
more of the money, and it’s all blue skies. Well, except for that huge
shadow cast by the enormous glut of mediocre-media-cacophony that we’ll
all be buried under from now on. Still, the gems will be out there.
They’ll fly under the radar and pop up on your phone or your iPod or
perhaps, and hopefully, on a big screen near you.

– Steve Hamilton
Editor/Sound Designer
Mad Mad Judy, New York, NY

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The new breed of lower cost HD camcorders make direct-to-edit recording
a no-brainer. Canon’s addition of an HD-SDI connector in the XL H1, for
example, means you can record 10-bit uncompressed HD directly to an
HDCAM or DVCPRO HD deck, or into an NLE like a Final Cut Pro/AJA Kona 2
system or Adobe Premiere Pro/AJA Xena HS system. That’s going to be a
huge workflow bonus for a lot of people.

Canon’s Console software (an extra $600) will also let you control the
camera remotely from a PC laptop or desktop and give you, among other
things, built-in hard disk recording. (There’s a good chance there will
be a Mac version of Console announced at NAB, too).

Prices of Panasonic’s P2 cards for the HVX200 are coming down steadily
as well, but hard-disk options are also popping up. Expect to see more
third parties offering hard-disk recording devices for these cameras.
Focus Enhancements, for example, is expected to come to the show with
shipping versions of the newly designed FireStore FS100, which supports
the HVX200, and the FireStore DR-HD100, which supports the JVC
GY-HD100U. Focus is well known for its direct-to-edit hard disks for
the XL2, so it’s likely you’ll also soon hear about a new FireStore for
the XL H1. Other choices include Shining Technology’s CitiDISK HDV,
Serious Magic’s DV Rack and HDV plug-in and the Wafian HR-1, which
records up to 9 hours of 10-bit 1080 p24 footage direct to disk using
CineForm’s Prospect HD codec.

Even in mid-range cameras like the Sony XDCAM HD and Grass Valley
Infinity, the direct-to-edit options are affordable and have a nice,
easy learning curve. Now’s the time to finally break the (tape) habit!

– Beth Marchant
Editor-in-Chief, Studio/monthly