Echolab switches off
Echolab, the Billerica, MA-based provider of video production switchers and other related live production devices, has lost its funding and has ceased doing business as of this week. Jim Summerville, the company’s chairman and main benefactor, has decided to stop funding the organization, which had been losing money for the past few years, and closed the company doors.
Customers, stockholders and the general industry were informed by current President Nigel Sprattling in an e-mail, which stated that a liquidation company would be trying to sell the company’s assets, product IP and inventory in order to pay creditors over the next few weeks.
Sprattling and the entire staff of about 23 employees are now looking for new jobs.
“Hopefully they will be successful in their efforts,” he said in an interview, adding that, ironically, the company had been experiencing some growth in the past year. “The IP is certainly worth something, but only to someone who would truly understand it. There are thousands of man hours in the product designs.”
At NAB 2010 in April, Echolab announced an agreement that allowed Harris to market and distribute Echolab’s product line, including the new Atem compact HD switcher. However, the move would have cost a substantial amount of money to fund the transaction from Echolab to Harris, and Summerville, who had negotiated the Harris agreement, apparently wasn’t willing to continue pouring his own money in.
In an e-mail written a day after he himself was informed of the news, Sprattling said, “I am truly sorry that this action leaves many unemployed, suppliers with unpaid bills and customers with unsupported products. The recent introduction of an expanded Atem switcher family looked set to take us into growth and profit as the market reception was excellent, and our sales funnel had grown by $2 million as a result. We had been sustaining a run rate of about $5 million, and the addition of Atem was set to double that.”
In referring to the new Atem switcher, introduced in 2009 and the culmination of one of the final R&D projects within the company, Sprattling said, “I truly believe that our small team had created the very best of breed in small- and medium-sized production switchers and at a price point that provided exceptional value and margin; facing the loss of these efforts is difficult for everyone involved,” the e-mail continued.
When asked whether existing Echolab switcher customers will be supported going forward, Sprattling said, “Unfortunately, there’s no one left to support them.”
By Michael Grotticelli
National Geographic ‘Explorer’ Weathers Emmy-Winning Shoot with Petrol
Wildlife cinematographer Bob Poole was able to get close to gorillas in their native environment for the National Geographic Explorer episode “Gorilla Murders” using Petrol‘s rain covers to protect his camera and lenses.
 |
The stunning footage helped catch the eye of the Emmy judges, resulting in four News & Documentary Emmy Award nominations for “Gorilla Murders.” Nominations were in the categories of Outstanding Investigative Journalism—Long Form, Best Documentary, Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Cinematography, and Outstanding Individual Achievement in a Craft: Editing. The show received an award for Outstanding Investigative Journalism—Long Form at the News & Documentary Emmy Award ceremony on Sept. 21.
While principal shooter Erin Harvey concentrated on the events surrounding the execution-style murder of six mountain gorillas in Virunga National Park, Poole shot extreme details of the gorillas (eyes, fingers, etc.) so that the editors could cut back and forth between the story of corruption and greed and the gorillas.
“Rain was a big issue,” Poole explains. “But I never worried about my trusty Sony HDW-F900 camera or Fujinon 16.5x25mm lens and image stabilizer. I simply put them under my favorite piece of gear, a Petrol rain cover.
“Petrol has saved me so many times,” he explains. “Since I discovered their products, I don’t put my camera in a case. I put it on a saddlebag and cover it with a rain cover. The camera always stays clean and running, even during the continuous rain that I had to contend with while I got in close to show the gorillas and how they really are so much like us.”
Red Sox Find Solid Utility Player in 360 Systems Video Server
At Boston’s Fenway Park, commitment to excellence runs deep – from the Red Sox lineup sheet to the ballpark’s video display board and monitors.
Like a solid utility player, 360 Systems’ 3-channel MAXX video server covers a number of bases for the team, delivering dependable behind-the-scenes performance to support the experience fans clamor for. Channel 1 feeds the in-house cable channel, Sox on Six, which serves up programs like “The Red Sox Report” and “Red Sox Stories” to video monitors throughout the stadium. A second channel provides a backup “in-game” feed to the main video display board, running staff-created music videos. When rain delays the game, material stored on the server keeps the crowd entertained with “evergreen” features on famous players and team history. And the remaining channel is used to ingest new material.
“Our 360 Systems server runs 24/7 and has proven highly reliable,” says Chief Engineer Eric Hancock. “We can roll out a playlist, edit it, and change the file order simply and conveniently. 360 Systems’ Image Server is one of the few devices that I can just set and forget”.
Staff members use the Image Server’s built-in editing features to trim the heads and tails of programs. Eight edit bays and editors work on Final Cut Pro® and transfer files over a gigabit Ethernet network that feeds a Ross router and an Echolab switcher. A Blonder Tongue modulator interfaces to the cable system.
Hancock says plans are in the works for a transition to HD to satisfy the demand for higher image quality. Details and budget are still being worked out.
Eric Hancock is in his fourth season with the Red Sox and his career as a video engineer spans 22 years, 16 of which were spent with the Armed Forces Radio and TV Services.
360 Systems products will be exhibited at IBC 2009 in Hall 10 stand A38.
360 Systems MAXX-HD Servers The MAXX family of HD and SD video servers continues 360 Systems’ tradition of designing with advanced technology for enhanced performance, exceptional features, and improved prices.
LEIGHTRONIX Enhances PEGvault-SD Digital Video Encoder
LEIGHTRONIX announces the first major update to the recently released PEGvault-SD™. The digital video encoder now offers advanced media file transfer features, network optimization, and storage drive integrity checking.
Automatic Transfer to Multiple Destinations
The PEGvault-SD will now transfer newly recorded media files to multiple server destinations. Compatible
destinations consist of the NEXUS®/UltraNEXUS™ video servers, third party servers with FTP capabilities,
PEG Central™ and Worshipnet.TV™ Web media hosting and streaming video-on-demand service, and the
LEIGHTRONIX LGX-SVOD intranet streaming video-on-demand server.
Transfer Holdoff Schedule
A new Transfer Holdoff feature gives users the option to allow or restrict automatic media file transfers to destination
servers on an hourly basis. The transfer holdoff feature is especially useful for preventing PEGvault-
SD file transfers during the highest levels of network traffic, resulting in faster transfer rates and reduced
network congestion.
Delayed Broadcast
The new pre-send and auto-play features allow programs remotely recorded with a PEGvault-SD to be automatically
sent and displayed at a NEXUS or UltraNEXUS site within minutes after recording starts. After the
NEXUS or UltraNEXUS begins to receive a pre-sent file, the PEGvault-SD auto-play setting triggers playback
of the file as quickly as two minutes after the transfer begins to up to one hour later. This simultaneous
record/read/transfer of digital media files as they are created in real time is enabled by the PEGvault-SD’s
advanced file system. The pre-send and auto-play features provide a convenient delayed broadcasting solution
for locations where traditional video or cable transmission of a live signal is not available.
One-Click Drive Checking Feature
The “Disk Diagnostics” Web feature makes it easy to diagnose and prevent errors on the PEGvault-SD’s internal
hard drive. With one mouse click, the disk diagnostics utility will attempt to correct any current or potential
problems and generate a log file detailing the status of the PEGvault-SD’s internal drive.
About the PEGvault-SD
The PEGvault-SD is a specialized digital video/audio encoder that offers remote-controlled, push button
operation and automatic transfers of recorded media files to a user-selected broadcast video server or Web
media hosting destination. Economical and powerful, the PEGvault-SD is the ideal media encoder for quickly
producing top-quality digital media files. The PEGvault-SD is quickly configured for push button recording
through its included Web interface and features simplified RECORD-STOP operation via the supplied wireless
remote control. The hardware-based, integrated video/audio encoder produces broadcast quality digital
media files for use in a wide range of broadcast and cable applications. For those seeking a Web presence,
the PEGvault-SD can be easily set up to produce media files optimized for streaming video-on-demand applications.
About LEIGHTRONIX, INC.
With over 25 years experience in specialty video equipment design and manufacturing, LEIGHTRONIX is
recognized as an industry leader with expertise in digital video, television automation, streaming video-ondemand,
and remote equipment control. A model of stability and longevity in the quickly evolving professional
video market, LEIGHTRONIX continues to set standards in product value and versatility and exceed
customer expectations in both product performance and support. Exceptional product reliability, a standard
5 year warranty, and cost-free technical support have made LEIGHTRONIX one of the most trusted names in
the industry. For more information, please visit www.leightronix.com.
Navy Football and Lacrosse Teams adopt Panasonic AG-HPX500 P2 for coaching analysis, game exchange
The Navy Midshipmen football and men’s lacrosse teams, representing the United States Naval Academy (Annapolis, MD) in NCAA Division I college competition, have purchased six Panasonic AG-HPX500 P2 HD camcorders equipped with BTLH80WU 7.9″ color viewfinders/production monitors for coaching analysis.
Football dates from 1879 at the Naval Academy, the undergraduate college that educates and commissions officers of the United States Navy and Marine Corps. The annual Army–Navy Game represents one of the most traditional and enduring rivalries in college football, and is televised every year by CBS. Navy men’s lacrosse, a dominant team throughout the 20th-century and beyond, has competed since 2004 as a member of the NCAA’s Patriot League, and the Midshipmen have won the League tournament five times in the past six years.
Both sports use the HPX500s with DVSport GameDay editing and data analysis software package, and exchange game videos with competitors over the internet using the DragonFly STORM video exchange system.
According to John McGuire, Director of Video Operations for the Naval Academy, the football team’s Betacam SP cameras were aging out and he was interested in P2 based on the excellent word of mouth he was hearing from opponents such as Duke University and the University of Virginia. The six camcorder/DVSport package is shared with men’s lacrosse, with four HPX500s assigned to football and two to lacrosse (lacrosse had previously shot with Canon XL1s).
Both McGuire and colleague Mark Goers, the Director of Lacrosse Operations, praise the Panasonic P2 camcorders for their ease of workflow, quick footage ingest into the school’s intranet system, solid-state reliability and all-weather performance. The camcorders have been used extensively throughout the lacrosse championship season, spring football and, currently, football practice.
During practice, McGuire explained that the team uses two adjacent fields. Two HPX500s on lifts are assigned to defense, with both cameras in the end zone, one shooting wide angle, the second a tighter angle. On offense, two HPX500s, one on a lift, one shoulder-mounted, shoot from the sideline. McGuire records to P2 cards, and during game play, an assistant will start to break down the video (offense, defense, kicks) immediately after the first quarter.
“Now with P2, we can mark single plays automatically as we shoot, versus marking ins and outs in post,” McGuire said. “During training camp, what that translates to is finishing up at 7 p.m. versus 9:30 p.m. The speed of production is terrific.”
McGuire said that practices and games are put on a main server in the football building (a system lacrosse shares). There are 30 coaching stations for football and nine for lacrosse. During the course of seasons, DVDs can be printed out for players to watch in their dorms or for coaches’ off-site use. For football game exchanges, the offensive, defensive and kicking games are copied to an external drive and traded over the internet using the STORM system.
“We’re seeing all kinds of benefits with the speed of the P2 system,” he added. “When we were on the road during the spring season, we were able to break down the game in a laptop from the P2 cards, copy the footage onto a removable hard drive, and the coaches were able to watch the game on the airplane.”
Goers made the switch out from XL1s to HPX500s during season play last spring. “We went from a prosumer model to a high-end professional camcorder from one game to the next,” he said. “Our reaction was, ‘Holy cow!’ It was a quantum change: the image quality of the HPX500 is head and shoulders above, especially in terms of color saturation and depth. And the P2 camcorders integrate completely with DVSport.”
Goers and his assistant shoot with the two HPX500s handheld from the lacrosse sidelines. Differing from football, Goers records directly to a hard drive, with P2 recordings used as back-up. (He will sometimes also make a third recording directly from the camcorder’s RCA jack to a DVD player.) An assistant takes the feed as it’s being recorded and breaks it down live. When a game is over, Goers is able to hand over DVDs to the five lacrosse coaches.
“We played in some pretty awful weather earlier this year,” Goers said. “The Canons would freeze up, which just doesn’t happen with the HPX500s. We also had day, night and twilight games, playing in all lighting conditions. We had one 5 p.m. game against Georgetown where we switched the filters three times, and it all looked seamless.”
“Football is obviously another all-weather sport, and we played in some driving rainstorms last spring,” McGuire said. “We just put rain covers on the HPX500s, and could switch out the P2 cards under the cover. Games and practices are nonstop, and there’s no time to be popping a tape in and out in the middle of a storm.”
For more information about athletics at the United States Naval Academy, visit www.usna.edu/athletics.
About the HPX500
The AG-HPX500 teams the full production-quality of 2/3” 3-CCDs, DVCPRO HD, 4:2:2 sampling and independent frame encoding with the versatility of interchangeable lenses and the creativity of variable frame rates. Offering the highly popular features of the incredibly successful AG-HVX200 P2 HD hand-held camcorder but with many new enhancements, the 8.2-pound HPX500 features progressive 2/3” 3-CCDs that provide a larger light receiving area resulting in increased resolution and sensitivity, superb low-light performance and wide dynamic range. The HPX500 records in 32 high definition and standard definition formats, including 1080i and 720p in production-proven, 100 Mbps DVCPRO HD. The HPX500 records on removable P2 solid-state memory cards in 1080/60i, 50i, 30p, 25p and 24p; in 720/60p, 50p, 30p, 25p, and 24p; and in DVCPRO50, DVCPRO and DV. For more information on the HPX500, visit www.panasonic.com/P2HD.
About Panasonic Broadcast
Panasonic Broadcast & Television Systems Co. is a leading supplier of broadcast and professional video products and systems. Panasonic Broadcast is a Unit of Panasonic Corporation of North America. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC) and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations. For more information on Panasonic Broadcast products, visit www.panasonic.com/broadcast.
Sony’s XDCAM HD422 Products for Shooting, Editing and Archiving
Sony power tools for shooting, editing and archiving.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
|
This is a commercial e-mail from Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Professional Group (a division of Sony Electronics Inc.) promoting products, offers and services that may be of interest to you. If you would prefer not to receive further e-mail communications from Sony Electronics’ Broadcast and Professional Group, please click here. Sony Electronics Broadcast and Professional Group © 2009 Sony Electronics Inc. All rights reserved. |
Vaddio Broadens HD PTZ Solutions with Canon BU-Series Cameras
Vaddio, the leading manufacturer and OEM distributor of specialty PTZ cameras and high-end camera control systems, expanded its partnership with Canon this week by adding the Canon BU-45H and BU-50H to its product line of HD PTZ cameras.
“With our continued expansion into the broadcast market, adding Canon’s BU-series PTZ cameras to our line was a natural fit,” stated Rob Sheeley, president of Vaddio. “The BU-45H and BU-50H are easily integrated with our ProductionVIEW HD-SDI switcher and Precision Camera Controller. Over the coming months, we anticipate designing even more peripherals for the BU-series cameras.”
Vaddio’s ProductionVIEW HD-SDI camera console offers HD-SDI and SD-SDI video switching, video mixing and automated control functionality. Due to increased demand of Serial Digital Interface (SDI), Vaddio created this multi-camera control system with an integrated 6 x 2 HD/SD-SDI seamless video switcher. The system is designed to connect easily via a single coax cable for video. ProductionVIEW HD-SDI includes the 3 Gigahertz HD-SDI standard (SMPTE 424M) for 1080p video, as well as SMPTE 292M (HD-SDI at 720p or 1080i) and SMPTE 259M (SD-SD).
The Canon BU-45H weatherproof Robotic PTZ 16:9 camera features three 1/3-inch (1.67 million-pixel) CCD sensors and a 20x optical zoom lens that incorporates built in Image Stabilizer technology and optional Auto Focus operation. It also comes with 2 built-in ND filters that are remotely controllable. Outputs include HD-SDI or SD-SDI with embedded audio (using a third-party microphone) and standard-definition composite NTSC. The BU-45H can output HD-SDI and composite video simultaneously for high-definition recording and standard-definition monitoring at the same time. This is an ideal HD solution for versatile indoor/outdoor applications such as traffic and weather monitoring, large event broadcasts, tourism promotions and more.
The Canon BU-50H indoor PTZ camera incorporates the same three 1/3-inch (1.67 million-pixel) CCD sensors, a 20x optical zoom lens (with advanced Auto Focus function and Canon’s Image Stabilizer technology). Outputs include uncompressed HD-SDI or SD-SDI and standard-definition (SD) composite video. The HD-SDI can be used for HD recording and the composite output will support simultaneous SD monitoring. The BU-50H is capable of extremely smooth 300 degrees of panning and 80 degrees of tilt. Because of the extremely quiet P/T mechanisms, the BU-50H is well suited for very quiet environments such as conference facilities, lecture halls or houses of worship.
“We are delighted to work with Vaddio for our Robotic pan/tilt/zoom HD Camera Systems and supply the complete solutions that diverse end-user applications expect,” commented Alan Lewis, Marketing Manager, Broadcast and Communications division, Canon U.S.A.
For more information on any of our products or news releases please email Kelly Perkins or call (800) 572.2011.
About Vaddio:
Vaddio is the leading manufacturer and OEM distributor of specialty PTZ cameras and high-end camera control systems used in the broadcasting, audio/visual and videoconferencing industry. Headquartered in Minneapolis, MN, Vaddio also has operations throughout the Americas, as well as sales and support partners throughout the world.
About Canon:
Canon U.S.A., Inc., is a leading provider of consumer, business-to-business, and industrial digital imaging solutions. Its parent company, Canon Inc. (NYSE:CAJ), a top patent holder of technology, ranked third overall in the U.S. in 2008, with global revenues of US $45 billion, is listed as number seven in the computer industry on Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2008 list, and is on the 2008 BusinessWeek list of “Top 100 Brands.” At Canon, we care because caring is essential to living together in harmony. Founded upon a corporate philosophy of Kyosei – - “all people, regardless of race, religion or culture, harmoniously living and working together into the future” – - Canon U.S.A. supports a number of social, youth, educational and other programs, including environmental and recycling initiatives. Additional information about these programs can be found at www.usa.canon.com/kyosei. To keep apprised of the latest news from Ca non U.S.A., sign up for the Company’s RSS news feed by visiting www.usa.canon.com/RSS. All referenced product names, and other marks, are trademarks of their respective owners.
General Cable Acquires Gepco International
HIGHLAND HEIGHTS, KENTUCKY, August 3, 2009 – General Cable Corporation (NYSE: BGC), one of the most geographically diversified industrial companies, reported today that it has acquired Gepco International, Inc. and Isotec, Inc. (combined “Gepco”). Gepco, a manufacturer and provider of high-end cabling solutions for the professional broadcast and entertainment markets, reported 2008 revenues of approximately $46 million.
The Gepco Brand of high-end broadcast cable products is one of the most well-known and respected brands in the professional broadcast industry with an outstanding reputation for unsurpassed quality and performance. Gepco cabling solutions are a critical component to the professional broadcast industry’s continuing innovation in broadcast technologies such as the next generation super or ultra-high definition video.
“With the acquisition of Gepco International and Isotec’s specialty electronic cable business, General Cable expects to significantly expand its share of this important U.S. market as well as leverage General Cable’s global sales infrastructure with this technically superior brand of multimedia cables in markets all over the world. We expect the market for these products to grow at roughly two times GDP in the U.S. and somewhat higher internationally due to ongoing global analog-to-digital conversions,” said Jay Lahman, Vice President and General Manager, Carol, Gepco, and Isotec Brand products.
Greg Lampert, Executive Vice President, President and CEO of General Cable North America said, “I am pleased that Gary Geppert, the Company’s founder and a recognized innovator in the industry, has agreed to stay with the Company. He has built Gepco into a technology leader in the professional broadcast industry, nearly doubling revenues of broadcast products over the last five years, and will continue to lead our efforts to develop new and innovative products.”
Gepco offers a complete line of professional broadcast, entertainment and audio/visual cable; cable assemblies in both standard and custom configurations; interconnect and cable-related accessories; and a full line of optical fiber solutions. For more information about these and other General Cable and Gepco Brand products, please contact your local sales representative or visit our website at www.generalcable.com or www.gepco.com.
General Cable (NYSE:BGC), a Fortune 500 Company, is a global leader in the development, design, manufacture, marketing and distribution of copper, aluminum and fiber optic wire and cable products for the energy, industrial, and communications markets.
Certain statements in this press release, including without limitation, statements regarding future financial results and performance, plans and objectives, capital expenditures and the Company’s or management’s beliefs, expectations or opinions, are forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ materially from those statements as a result of factors, risks and uncertainties over which the Company has no control. Such factors, risks, and uncertainties are more fully discussed in the Company’s Report on Form 10-K/A filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on May 8, 2009, as well as periodic reports filed with the Commission.
