There are many, many choices of microphones available for video recording — from lavaliers to shotguns to on camera-mounted mics. How do you choose the right mic for the given situation? Here’s a guide.

Online streaming quality has improved greatly over the last decade through increases in bandwidth and better optimization around transmission and playback. But significant challenges remain, including latency, platform fragmentation and failure to rally round a single codec capable of delivering Ultra HD (UHD) content cost effectively over available bandwidth.

2016 was the year that virtual reality finally launched amid much fanfare but modest consumer uptake. But what about augmented reality/mixed reality? If 2016 opened the door for us to explore virtual worlds, then is 2017 the time that we step through the looking glass into augmented reality?

As the media industry struggles with ensuring security for its media systems, recall the Sony hack, it is worthwhile to examine how technology can both help and invade the privacy of both individuals and media companies. Just how vulnerable might you be?

As more copyright owners are using litigation to take on the might of the machine learning commercialization, what will be the future for ML?

Just like video equipment, test and measurement is evolving from hardware to software, with more and more intelligence incorporated into the product. The engineer sitting at a bench has been largely replaced with automated quality control (QC) to meet the needs and workload of multi-platform delivery. The engineer now performs more of an investigative and trouble-shooting role.

Test and measurement for broadcast equipment falls into two areas. One is for manufacturers, on the test-bench or in research and development. The other is for broadcast engineers, who are installing equipment, or for ongoing maintenance and system quality assurance. Although some of the needs may crossover, in general the requirements of the broadcaster are simpler than the R&D engineer.

Editors have used mezzanine codecs to save on storage and network requirements. The two favorite codecs have been Apple ProRes and Avid DNxHD and more recently DNxHR. The codecs are supported right back to the camera in many cases. However, since Apple have stopped supporting QuickTime for Windows the support for the export of ProRes files from applications running on Windows has been seriously curtailed. This leaves DNxHD/HR as the codecs of choice for any workflow that is using the Microsoft platform.

New research shows that viewers plan to cut or shave the cord for pay cable and satellite TV packages in 2017. New data shows that mobile is king for online viewing and that viewers are choosing OTT delivery for video.

According to a recent survey, when TV viewers were asked about watching a favorite TV show, more consumers than ever say they watch that show on line. Is the broadcast of original content a key factor in that development?

Boston first hosted Macworld in August of 1993 and it was there I bought a $2,500 Radius VideoVision I/O board that worked with Adobe Premiere v2.0. The year was a pivot point for the low-end NLE market as it transitioned from “barely workable” as I describe in this VideoVision review, to “quite practical.”