Cameras and Their Viewfinders June 4^th 2018 - 01:00 PM

The camera viewfinder is an essential tool to compose a shot and, in many cases, to focus. Early film cameras used a separate viewfinder, but the invention of the reflex mirror shutter by ARRI in 1937 allowed the operator a parallax-free view through the taking lens. Television cameras developed along a…

The Era Of The Virtual Microphone May 31^st 2018 - 09:00 AM

Since the beginning of pro audio, connoisseurs of classic microphones have invested in rare, aging instruments that are said to bring a certain magical quality to the sound. Since many of these vintage mics are quite old, they incur an increasingly high level of costly maintenance. Most of the rest…

Can Artificial Intelligence Create Low-Light Images Without Noise? May 23^rd 2018 - 10:00 AM

Noise is found in all imaging systems, but it becomes particularly challenging in low light. High ISO can be used to increase brightness, but it also amplifies noise. Post-processing can be applied, but it does not resolve the low signal-to-noise ratio due to low photon counts. Is artificial intelligence the…

Build A Single Master Workflow For Cost-Effective Live HDR Production May 10^th 2018 - 09:00 AM

Despite all the fuss about 4K UHD television, producers of live sports and entertainment productions in the U.S. are finding that a 1080p at 59.94 fps HD signal delivered with high dynamic range (HDR) is more pleasing to the consumer’s eye. When compared to a 4K SDR picture, HD H…

Can Automated Production Replace the Sports Camera? April 6^th 2018 - 08:00 AM

Automated sports production could be the next big thing in sports broadcasting. Combined with OTT distribution, it could open the flood gates for around 200 million sporting events that are not broadcasted due to limited resources. To hit mainstream adoption, automated production technology needs to meet the quality thresholds spectators expect.

The Status Of UHD April 2^nd 2018 - 12:05 PM

UHD rollout has been average rather than stellar to date. Matthew Goldman, Senior Vice President, Technology, Media Solutions, Ericsson provides an insightful explanation about why this might be and what issues might tip the scale.

Monitoring Audio for On-Location Video March 22^nd 2018 - 01:00 PM

Today, as video crews get smaller and are often only one-person, audio inevitably suffers. Many times no one even monitors sound on a location shoot. For proof of this, watch any local newscast and listen to the sound. Of course, bad sound is usually preventable if the videographer takes minimum…

8-bit Downstream Artifacts and What Shooters Can Do About Them March 19^th 2018 - 11:00 AM

I will say it again and again until someone actually listens. This business of capturing high-quality video for broadcast should not be about capturing ever-higher resolution images. At NAB 2018, many of us will be looking at the latest and greatest 8K cameras, which almost assuredly will become (next year maybe?)…

How to Be Effective as a One-Man Band March 15^th 2018 - 01:50 PM

For years, I have written about the problems associated with trying to be a one-man band television reporter. Now, shooting alone has become the reality for many journalists. How does one balance so many disciplines at once and still do a good job? Here are our thoughts.

Why the Noise on Microphone Preamplifiers? March 15^th 2018 - 10:00 AM

When you turn up the gain on virtually any microphone preamplifier, it sounds noisy. Why is this? Before you blame the amplifier, let’s look more closely at this common phenomenon.