2021: Remote Tech Challenge Met December 31^st 2021 - 09:00 AM

If 2020 was considered a disruptive one for the television production community, 2021 was a year where trial and error and the lessons learned became real-world REMI deployments to keep live sports and entertainment content on the air. Production studios too learned to adapt with fewer crew allowed inside and social distancing…

Microphones: Part 9 - The Science Of Stereo Capture & Reproduction December 21^st 2021 - 09:00 AM

Here we look at the science of using a matched pair of microphones positioned as a coincident pair to capture stereo sound images.

HDR: Part 42 - Creative Technology - Surviving Evolution December 20^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

2021 saw the end of a British lighting institution with the demise of Photon Beard. The company has existed since the founding of R. R. Beard Limited, founded in 1882 by a man who reveled in the fantastic name of Robert Royou Beard.

Live OB TV: It’s A Magic Show - Part 2 December 13^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

Planning for any kind of live TV broadcasting starts with a ‘what-if?’ list. What if the power source fails? What if a key production person gets sick or hurt? What if broadband internet access becomes unstable? What are the chances for each ‘what-if?’ and what back-up alternatives fit the budget? The…

HDR: Part 41 - Creative Technology - LED Tech Update December 10^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

A technology might seem to be near maturity when design approaches that were once theoretical, and impractical to build, become easier to make and start to hit the market. LED lighting isn’t necessarily easy to build in 2021, which is why it’s still not as affordable as we’d…

HDR: Part 40 - DOPs : Make Your Viewers Suffer December 8^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

In some ways, the best DOP and a sadist have a lot in common: We strive to make our viewers suffer and the curious thing is, our audiences love us the more for it. Of course, DOPs, like most civilized people, wouldn’t think to wrench the fingernails from our v…

Live OB TV: It’s A Magic Show - Part 1 December 6^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

Most live remote outside broadcasts are thoroughly planned by producers and directors who are often too busy to consider potential equipment problems. Technology is an engineering responsibility. Engineers must be ready for any circumstances that threaten to take the show off-script or off-air, from dead wireless mic batteries to unexpected…

Microphones: Part 8 - Audio Vectorscopes December 3^rd 2021 - 09:00 AM

The audio vectorscope is an excellent tool for assuring quality in stereo sound production, because it makes the virtual sound image visible in the same way that a television vectorscope allows the color signals to be seen.

Timing: Part 9 - Time Base Correction December 1^st 2021 - 09:00 AM

Time base correction is an enabling technology that crops up everywhere; not just in broadcasting.

Apple’s Next Generation Processor Is All About Power… Consumption November 29^th 2021 - 09:00 AM

The last twenty years has seen a lot of film and TV hardware turn into software that runs on workstations and servers. With Apple’s move away from Intel, though, and several other recent attempts to popularize alternative designs, anyone looking at new equipment finds a field in flux.