Stations may rent unit; goal is to make HDTV production more affordable.
by Ken Kerschbaumer
There's a new HD production truck on the road, and it's for rent. First stop was North Carolina for an HD production of a college basketball tournament. Next, it's off to Las Vegas for the Consumer Electronics Show, Jan. 5-9.
The mobile truck is a joint venture of WRAL Digital, DTV Resources and HD VISION and is part of an effort to make HDTV production more affordable for HDTV Consortium member stations. Stations may book the truck for five-day periods, with the standard NATPE/HDTV Consortium configuration price including the truck, five Sony cameras and three Sony HDCAM VTRs. (Additional equipment is priced separately.).
"We're relying on volume, and I anticipate keeping the truck very busy," says Randall Paris Dark, president of HD VISION. "We're doing this for the consortium and are trying to have cost-effective programming. It's not like we built it so we could make lots of money. We just want to pay the bills."
The truck's first event, the Food Lion MVP Classic basketball tournament in Charlotte, N.C., Dec. 3-5, was produced and broadcast by WRAL-TV, Harris and Raycom Sports. It was carried on 10 DTV stations across the country (including WETA-TV Washington, which became the first PBS station ever to broadcast a college basketball game).
At press time, the truck was under contract for four events, and another dozen are in negotiation. While in Vegas, the truck will be used for the production of a daily newscast in high-definition, to be broadcast throughout the convention floor.
"We'll be doing the wraparounds with portable Sony HD cameras, and we're also putting together a studio," Dark says. "The biggest limitation to HD that everyone has been pointing to is having no programming. Having another HD truck creating cost-effective programming will add to the overall mix."
Dark says the cost to rent the truck is slightly higher than that for a 601 digital truck. "It's a great learning tool. Stations can rent a truck that has a post room and get their feet wet without paying too much extra. It's a great way to get your hands wet without purchasing anything."
The truck features an array of HD equipment including four Sony HDC-700 studio cameras and four Sony HDC-750 portable cameras, each outfitted with Canon lenses. It also has four Sony HDW-500 HDCAM VTRs, and can be outfitted with two additional HDCAM units and four Panasonic HD-D5 VTRs, if desired.
The production switcher is a Snell & Wilcox HD1024 1-1/2 ME version, with integrated still store, two DVEs, three keyers, three chromakeyers, three expanded border generators, seven color correctors and four positionable frame buffers. On-board graphics are handled by a Collage Clarity-HD graphics system and a Sony BVE-9 100 linear editing system can be used to create packages using the VTRs and Tascam DA98 recorders.
Audio signals are handled in a pair of Mackie Digital 8-Bus mixers providing 48 analog inputs, 48 digital inputs, and digital, analog, and eight-channel surround outputs. There also is on-board Dolby encoding and decoding equipment for both AC-3 and Dolby E.
In-band data broadcasting offered
SkyStream and General Instrument Corp. are working together on an integrated data broadcasting solution for digital cable applications to broadband cable operators worldwide. The system is designed to allow cable operators to deliver a variety of high-speed data programming and content, including ATVEF (Advanced Television Enhancement Forum) compliant, HTML-based. television content; large data file downloads; and cacheable Internet content to General Instrument's DVi-5000+ (DVB) and DCT-5000+ (ATSC/OpenCable) advanced interactive digital consumer set-top terminals.
In-band data broadcasting also enables cable operators to reserve the DOCSIS spectrum for increasingly bandwidth-hungry, point-to-point Internet data transactions. SkyStream's media routers will be integrated with General Instrument's digital cable headend system.
from Broadcasting & Cable
Monday, December 20, 1999
Tuesday, September 28, 1999
Digital Post-Production
The Consumer Electronics Manufacturers Association (CEMA) hosted its fifth Digital Television (DTV) Summit in Los Angeles, CA. Randall Dark was one of the panelists of industry experts who provided insight on DTV's impact on the post-production process and studio.
Questions addressed during "Digital Post-Production - Gearing Up for a New Medium" included how will the transition to digital change post-production? What equipment is needed and how will it impact the studio? What benefits will be realized in the production process? And who is already doing it?
The panel was moderated by Bob Goldrich, of Shoot Magazine. Other panelists were Tim Carroll, Dolby; Peter Heady, Tape House; and Tom Beauchamp, WRAL.
Questions addressed during "Digital Post-Production - Gearing Up for a New Medium" included how will the transition to digital change post-production? What equipment is needed and how will it impact the studio? What benefits will be realized in the production process? And who is already doing it?
The panel was moderated by Bob Goldrich, of Shoot Magazine. Other panelists were Tim Carroll, Dolby; Peter Heady, Tape House; and Tom Beauchamp, WRAL.
Friday, September 17, 1999
The Future Is Bright.
Randall Paris Dark discovered HDTV in Canada when he was called in on a production for the historic Canadian HDTV production of Chasing Rainbows--a miniseries aired over the CBC in standard NTSC. Dark quickly moved to New York City to take a post with HDTV pioneer, David Niles. The urge to strike out on his own led him to Irving, Texas where his HDTV production company has been headquarterd since its founding in 1992.
The interview with Randall is timely with its upbeat message for the coming selling season and provides you with the over-all conditions of the industry from Randall's 13 year perspective.
HDTV News: Good Morning Randall, can you tell our audience what is happening first with HD Visions, and then the industry.
The number one thing that's got me very excited is that the manufacturers are now making the cost of the equipment affordable. Now with a deal that we struck with WRAL, and CBC, HD Vision can roll out an affordable multi-camera (production vehicle). So the old adage, "It's too expensive to be done in high definition" is going the way of the Dodo bird. I think that's one of the biggest issues.
Another is that the manufacturers are now in competition with each other. Sony no longer has a lock on DTV and HD gear. All the other manufacturers are now putting out product that makes an end-to-end solution. What I mean by end-to-end is not just in production, but from concept to display. For the first time the nay-sayers are running out of nays to say!
That is true across the board from inexpensive playback devices to consumer televisions. The glitches in first and second generation technology are refined out with those issues being put to bed.
I don't know if we'll get into the Sinclair issue in this discussion, and those concerns where it would be easy to spot holes in the technology, but the greatest minds on this planet have been spending many years working on refining a system that is now a viable system, and it is now starting to be implemented . So we are in exciting days now.
It would seem that the nay-sayers actually have chosen to nay-say on things by simply saying that HDTV is not really part of the mix; that terrestrial television in particular is not really fitted for HDTV.
People that own typewriters were never convinced that the computer would take away their business. As the typewriter became more obsolete, people focused on how to generate revenue using this new device. I think that you have to look at the different things that the digital world brings us. It brings many. One of them is datacasting. One of them is High Definition One of them will be interactive entertainment. One of them will be passive entertainment. How you're going to position what you think the outcome of this evolution is going to be depends on your personal strategy as a business, on your vision of the future, and where you position your company.
Color I look at the different groups and how they are lobbying their position. It makes sense to me, and I think a lot of different business models will make sense in the very near future. One of them being high-resolution digital wide-screen images, period.
HDTV News: A broadcasting business has a problem making one size fit all at this juncture. But that's what it has been doing for 50 years. How do you see it reconciling to the gradations of possibilities available in digital?
We have to look at the nature of television. Only until DTV did larger TV meant worse TV. People would see a beautiful 27 inch Sony XBR. The picture was spectacular. Let's say it cost $900. They went and looked a $2700 projection TV. Comparatively speaking the picture was horrendous. Now there is a certain amount in society who will want the bigger picture, even at the loss of picture quality. I found that to be a fascinating phenomenon. How many other products are out there where the more money you spend the worse it looks! Yet it was a fairly successful niche business.
I'm one of the lucky ones. For 13 years I've had the opportunity to give extensive quality High-definition demonstrations--not just flowers and fish, but showing sports to the sports fans and nature to nature lovers. The response has always been overwhelmingly positive. Yes, they will pay more for it. Yes, they want it. Cost issues basically are governed by two things. Number one, how important television is in their lives, and two is what their revenue stream is like.
You can find people where television plays a very important role in their lives, enjoy a large screen image, and can afford season tickets to sporting events. I think they will invest in this technology. And people that are baby-boomers at their peak earning periods--that don't want to put everything in stocks. They are going to embrace this technology.
The roll-out this fall is going to catch everyone off-guard. Why? Because the chicken and egg problem is no longer there. I think that what CBS is doing, and ABC and Direct TV are doing is going to cause the nay-sayers to say, "Well, the technology works; the images are spectacular; there's programming there".
Finally the consumer will be able to decide if they really want it. No more engineers, no more people that have a vested interest in the advent of High-definition or the demise of High-definition. All of a sudden they're out of that loop. It's going to have the consumer saying, "I want this!".
You're one of the most experienced DTV people on the planet. You've been at demonstrations where the consumer has seen well-produced, well-executed demonstrations. You know what the consumer has said. That's why I'm very excited. We're involved with a lot of roll outs with manufacturers and different retail stores. We know what the consumer is about to see, and it is breathtaking. It is spectacular.
HDTV News: We certainly have suggested in our publications that the roll-out had to be equal to the product, and certainly we were concerned in this last year that the roll-out was unequal to the product.
You and I have had the benefit of seeing a lot of this in ideal situations. We know that it is compelling. It is finally the time for the consumer to get that same opportunity.
HDTV News: If you were a broadcast owner today with a group of 8 or 10 or 12 stations in various markets how would you be configuring your business for prospererity and growth in the 21st century?
The number one thing you have to believe in your heart is that technology never stands still. We will always want to improve our lifestyle. With that a given, and historically it is, you have to accept what business you will be in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, and where your company must be 15 years from now.
I think anyone that invests in 480p or 480i must quickly upgrade. It's about eyeballs. It's market share If you've got a news program that's 480i or 480p going head-to-head with a 1080i or 720p program, you're going to see your market share erode. You have to believe that the future of technology is bigger, better, sharper, and brighter.
It's been like that for everything we've been involved in. Why would television, one of the most important aspects of our lives, be frozen in time? Obviously it's not.
I'm looking at two things. First, I have to buy equipment that is expensive; amortize it over a very short period of time...but I also create products that hopefully will stand the test of time. Will I create that in a 4 by 3 low-resolution? Absolutely not!
HDTV News: Could you say that the investment one makes in their news department doesn't necessarily need that legacy quality?
The immediacy is so compelling with HD. For the last five years the high-definition demonstrations have been sporting events, music concerts, and so on. That has been compelling, but...Imagine CBS sending HDTV camera crews to the recent earthquake. You were able to sit home and watch a live broadcast like you are actually there. How revitied you would be.
How emotionally impacting it would be.Supposing I just bought a high-definition TV. I turn to the news on CBS and they are covering the earthquake in high-definition. ABC, the news I normally watch, is in low-definition. Which channel do you think I'll watch?
No-brainers to me. It's obvious. We're all about competitiveness. Let's look at the local level. It's very important for the local TV stations to be the first to do stereo; the first to have a helicopter; the first, the first, the first. Or the second... Being number one is another feather in the cap of a local television station--to be the first DTV broadcaster; to do the first DTV football game...
Look at Seattle. Seattle is an incredible test bed right now. It has two TV stations broadcasting news. As soon as WFAA and Dallas start doing news, and there are X number of TVs that are receiving, two things are going to happen. One, in high-definition you are going to have everyone watching your station. But the other thing interesting is that even though I can't afford an HDTV WFAA will tell me they're doing it in high-def and low-def.
They are a cutting edge company, obviously. They are ahead of the learning curve. I should watch them because they're on top of it all. At certain levels that's a very important ploy in the news departments. Who is up to date? Who is on top of things?
If I owned a TV Station, trust me, I'd be coming on in high-definition as fast as possible. I'd let everyone know in the Low-Def world and the High Def world. Look how up-to-date we are! You're not left behind by watching my news program. I think that's worth it's weight in gold.
HDTV News: Is there any chance of being first, and then being broke as a result of it?
A year ago, I would have said absolutely! It's a very high risk. It's very expensive. But if you look at what has happened to the cost of high-definition, and the competition that is out there now... Prior to a year and a half ago it was basically Sony. That was it. When I bought an HDC 500 camera it's a half a million dollar gig. These camcorders are a little bit more than REC 601 prices; edit suites are springing up everywhere, and there just a little bit more than NTSC.
There is more bang for your dollar. You are looking at TV stations that are mid-market that are investing in this equipment.
The other thing that we all have to realize: When was the last time you heard of a TV station going bankrupt? When was the last time you heard that a TV station was sold for less than a half a billion dollars? Now, I have a couple of friends, as you do too, that own TV stations. We all know what they are worth. We all know what they have been turning over. I think a TV station going bankrupt because of the cost of the equipment is...remember the first million dollar baseball players? Excuse me! They now make six million dollars! Anyone go broke?
I think we have to be prudent in our business decisions. We have to wait for the time to be right. As a businessman right now, I've been able to stay in business when the equipment was expensive. It's easier for me with the equipment more affordable and there are more choices out there.
HDTV News: You're in the business of making pictures. Some of the people will say, "Well, you know, we can afford this all right, and we think we should pay for it, and we can pay for it by using ancillary data." Have you been in any discussions with people who have had serious concepts and thoughts about how that is going to occur, and whether that is a real choice to be made, or simply one that is unaffordable?
What people have expressed the biggest interest in, is pure High-definition. Everyone sees that as the home-run technology. There is going to be a convergence of technology, granted, but for the most part, people are looking at a passive experience in their home entertainment center.
HDTV News: Again there is a contingency being born out of the enthusiasm for the world-wide web that says, 'you know, we're not so sure that passive is the future.'
Yes, and I think that there is an element of society that can justify a very coherent and successful business plan where you are making the home display a very interactive environment. I don't dispute that. We work with Microsoft. I have a very good handle on what I think that sort of program is going to be like,, My company anticipates developing those sort of programs...however...there is a great segment of our society that spends a lot of time on the computer, a lot of time working at their desktops during a business day, and when they go home, the last thing on the planet they want to do is have even a passively interactive experience.
I think that television, the way it's structured right now, is about mass market appeal. That's what justifies being able to pay ER 13 million dollars to have high-end programming. I think that those sort of experiences are very passively done.
I'm a sports fanatic. I love sports. There is no way I am going to watch a super bowl with me wanting to pick the cameras. That's not the experience you want, because there is so much excitement in the game, and so much intrigue, you're not going to miss a play because you can't figure out if you want to look at the cheerleader or the guy running a touchdown.
Those tests were done in the late 70's, for goodness sake, and they failed miserably, because the people that thought up these programs were techno-geeks--not sports fans. There's an element of auxiliary data at your finger tips that's going to be very important. I think that on a high resolution screen, for me to have access to information about my favorite golfer, or my favorite baseball player, and get stats on command is a very important aspect of it, but it's what I call a very passive interactive part of the viewing experience...but it still requires a big screen, high resolution image to get the willing suspension of disbelief to kick in, or that feeling of "better than being there".
480p and 480i doesn't give you that. That's what we all strive for. If I can't be at the Super Bowl, my goodness, I want the next best thing. Period. What will I pay for that? How will I want to involve myself? Again, ABC, in their wisdom, is going to prove this point to the world, that if I can't be there in person, I want my HDTV, because that's the next best thing.
I think that if you look at it historically, it's true. I give you three choices right now. I'll let you go to the game for free, I'll let you watch TV for free, I'll let you listen to the radio for free. What's your number one choice? Obviously, I just gave you the order. Now I'm going to redo that. I'll let you go for free, I'll let you watch it in high-definition for free, I'll let you watch in low-definition for free, and radio. What's your first, second, third choices?
These are no-brainers. These are givens. If anyone disputes that they obviously don't understand the sports fan. Period.
from HDTV Magazine
The interview with Randall is timely with its upbeat message for the coming selling season and provides you with the over-all conditions of the industry from Randall's 13 year perspective.
HDTV News: Good Morning Randall, can you tell our audience what is happening first with HD Visions, and then the industry.
The number one thing that's got me very excited is that the manufacturers are now making the cost of the equipment affordable. Now with a deal that we struck with WRAL, and CBC, HD Vision can roll out an affordable multi-camera (production vehicle). So the old adage, "It's too expensive to be done in high definition" is going the way of the Dodo bird. I think that's one of the biggest issues.
Another is that the manufacturers are now in competition with each other. Sony no longer has a lock on DTV and HD gear. All the other manufacturers are now putting out product that makes an end-to-end solution. What I mean by end-to-end is not just in production, but from concept to display. For the first time the nay-sayers are running out of nays to say!
That is true across the board from inexpensive playback devices to consumer televisions. The glitches in first and second generation technology are refined out with those issues being put to bed.
I don't know if we'll get into the Sinclair issue in this discussion, and those concerns where it would be easy to spot holes in the technology, but the greatest minds on this planet have been spending many years working on refining a system that is now a viable system, and it is now starting to be implemented . So we are in exciting days now.
It would seem that the nay-sayers actually have chosen to nay-say on things by simply saying that HDTV is not really part of the mix; that terrestrial television in particular is not really fitted for HDTV.
People that own typewriters were never convinced that the computer would take away their business. As the typewriter became more obsolete, people focused on how to generate revenue using this new device. I think that you have to look at the different things that the digital world brings us. It brings many. One of them is datacasting. One of them is High Definition One of them will be interactive entertainment. One of them will be passive entertainment. How you're going to position what you think the outcome of this evolution is going to be depends on your personal strategy as a business, on your vision of the future, and where you position your company.
Color I look at the different groups and how they are lobbying their position. It makes sense to me, and I think a lot of different business models will make sense in the very near future. One of them being high-resolution digital wide-screen images, period.
HDTV News: A broadcasting business has a problem making one size fit all at this juncture. But that's what it has been doing for 50 years. How do you see it reconciling to the gradations of possibilities available in digital?
We have to look at the nature of television. Only until DTV did larger TV meant worse TV. People would see a beautiful 27 inch Sony XBR. The picture was spectacular. Let's say it cost $900. They went and looked a $2700 projection TV. Comparatively speaking the picture was horrendous. Now there is a certain amount in society who will want the bigger picture, even at the loss of picture quality. I found that to be a fascinating phenomenon. How many other products are out there where the more money you spend the worse it looks! Yet it was a fairly successful niche business.
I'm one of the lucky ones. For 13 years I've had the opportunity to give extensive quality High-definition demonstrations--not just flowers and fish, but showing sports to the sports fans and nature to nature lovers. The response has always been overwhelmingly positive. Yes, they will pay more for it. Yes, they want it. Cost issues basically are governed by two things. Number one, how important television is in their lives, and two is what their revenue stream is like.
You can find people where television plays a very important role in their lives, enjoy a large screen image, and can afford season tickets to sporting events. I think they will invest in this technology. And people that are baby-boomers at their peak earning periods--that don't want to put everything in stocks. They are going to embrace this technology.
The roll-out this fall is going to catch everyone off-guard. Why? Because the chicken and egg problem is no longer there. I think that what CBS is doing, and ABC and Direct TV are doing is going to cause the nay-sayers to say, "Well, the technology works; the images are spectacular; there's programming there".
Finally the consumer will be able to decide if they really want it. No more engineers, no more people that have a vested interest in the advent of High-definition or the demise of High-definition. All of a sudden they're out of that loop. It's going to have the consumer saying, "I want this!".
You're one of the most experienced DTV people on the planet. You've been at demonstrations where the consumer has seen well-produced, well-executed demonstrations. You know what the consumer has said. That's why I'm very excited. We're involved with a lot of roll outs with manufacturers and different retail stores. We know what the consumer is about to see, and it is breathtaking. It is spectacular.
HDTV News: We certainly have suggested in our publications that the roll-out had to be equal to the product, and certainly we were concerned in this last year that the roll-out was unequal to the product.
You and I have had the benefit of seeing a lot of this in ideal situations. We know that it is compelling. It is finally the time for the consumer to get that same opportunity.
HDTV News: If you were a broadcast owner today with a group of 8 or 10 or 12 stations in various markets how would you be configuring your business for prospererity and growth in the 21st century?
The number one thing you have to believe in your heart is that technology never stands still. We will always want to improve our lifestyle. With that a given, and historically it is, you have to accept what business you will be in 5 years, 10 years, 15 years, and where your company must be 15 years from now.
I think anyone that invests in 480p or 480i must quickly upgrade. It's about eyeballs. It's market share If you've got a news program that's 480i or 480p going head-to-head with a 1080i or 720p program, you're going to see your market share erode. You have to believe that the future of technology is bigger, better, sharper, and brighter.
It's been like that for everything we've been involved in. Why would television, one of the most important aspects of our lives, be frozen in time? Obviously it's not.
I'm looking at two things. First, I have to buy equipment that is expensive; amortize it over a very short period of time...but I also create products that hopefully will stand the test of time. Will I create that in a 4 by 3 low-resolution? Absolutely not!
HDTV News: Could you say that the investment one makes in their news department doesn't necessarily need that legacy quality?
The immediacy is so compelling with HD. For the last five years the high-definition demonstrations have been sporting events, music concerts, and so on. That has been compelling, but...Imagine CBS sending HDTV camera crews to the recent earthquake. You were able to sit home and watch a live broadcast like you are actually there. How revitied you would be.
How emotionally impacting it would be.Supposing I just bought a high-definition TV. I turn to the news on CBS and they are covering the earthquake in high-definition. ABC, the news I normally watch, is in low-definition. Which channel do you think I'll watch?
No-brainers to me. It's obvious. We're all about competitiveness. Let's look at the local level. It's very important for the local TV stations to be the first to do stereo; the first to have a helicopter; the first, the first, the first. Or the second... Being number one is another feather in the cap of a local television station--to be the first DTV broadcaster; to do the first DTV football game...
Look at Seattle. Seattle is an incredible test bed right now. It has two TV stations broadcasting news. As soon as WFAA and Dallas start doing news, and there are X number of TVs that are receiving, two things are going to happen. One, in high-definition you are going to have everyone watching your station. But the other thing interesting is that even though I can't afford an HDTV WFAA will tell me they're doing it in high-def and low-def.
They are a cutting edge company, obviously. They are ahead of the learning curve. I should watch them because they're on top of it all. At certain levels that's a very important ploy in the news departments. Who is up to date? Who is on top of things?
If I owned a TV Station, trust me, I'd be coming on in high-definition as fast as possible. I'd let everyone know in the Low-Def world and the High Def world. Look how up-to-date we are! You're not left behind by watching my news program. I think that's worth it's weight in gold.
HDTV News: Is there any chance of being first, and then being broke as a result of it?
A year ago, I would have said absolutely! It's a very high risk. It's very expensive. But if you look at what has happened to the cost of high-definition, and the competition that is out there now... Prior to a year and a half ago it was basically Sony. That was it. When I bought an HDC 500 camera it's a half a million dollar gig. These camcorders are a little bit more than REC 601 prices; edit suites are springing up everywhere, and there just a little bit more than NTSC.
There is more bang for your dollar. You are looking at TV stations that are mid-market that are investing in this equipment.
The other thing that we all have to realize: When was the last time you heard of a TV station going bankrupt? When was the last time you heard that a TV station was sold for less than a half a billion dollars? Now, I have a couple of friends, as you do too, that own TV stations. We all know what they are worth. We all know what they have been turning over. I think a TV station going bankrupt because of the cost of the equipment is...remember the first million dollar baseball players? Excuse me! They now make six million dollars! Anyone go broke?
I think we have to be prudent in our business decisions. We have to wait for the time to be right. As a businessman right now, I've been able to stay in business when the equipment was expensive. It's easier for me with the equipment more affordable and there are more choices out there.
HDTV News: You're in the business of making pictures. Some of the people will say, "Well, you know, we can afford this all right, and we think we should pay for it, and we can pay for it by using ancillary data." Have you been in any discussions with people who have had serious concepts and thoughts about how that is going to occur, and whether that is a real choice to be made, or simply one that is unaffordable?
What people have expressed the biggest interest in, is pure High-definition. Everyone sees that as the home-run technology. There is going to be a convergence of technology, granted, but for the most part, people are looking at a passive experience in their home entertainment center.
HDTV News: Again there is a contingency being born out of the enthusiasm for the world-wide web that says, 'you know, we're not so sure that passive is the future.'
Yes, and I think that there is an element of society that can justify a very coherent and successful business plan where you are making the home display a very interactive environment. I don't dispute that. We work with Microsoft. I have a very good handle on what I think that sort of program is going to be like,, My company anticipates developing those sort of programs...however...there is a great segment of our society that spends a lot of time on the computer, a lot of time working at their desktops during a business day, and when they go home, the last thing on the planet they want to do is have even a passively interactive experience.
I think that television, the way it's structured right now, is about mass market appeal. That's what justifies being able to pay ER 13 million dollars to have high-end programming. I think that those sort of experiences are very passively done.
I'm a sports fanatic. I love sports. There is no way I am going to watch a super bowl with me wanting to pick the cameras. That's not the experience you want, because there is so much excitement in the game, and so much intrigue, you're not going to miss a play because you can't figure out if you want to look at the cheerleader or the guy running a touchdown.
Those tests were done in the late 70's, for goodness sake, and they failed miserably, because the people that thought up these programs were techno-geeks--not sports fans. There's an element of auxiliary data at your finger tips that's going to be very important. I think that on a high resolution screen, for me to have access to information about my favorite golfer, or my favorite baseball player, and get stats on command is a very important aspect of it, but it's what I call a very passive interactive part of the viewing experience...but it still requires a big screen, high resolution image to get the willing suspension of disbelief to kick in, or that feeling of "better than being there".
480p and 480i doesn't give you that. That's what we all strive for. If I can't be at the Super Bowl, my goodness, I want the next best thing. Period. What will I pay for that? How will I want to involve myself? Again, ABC, in their wisdom, is going to prove this point to the world, that if I can't be there in person, I want my HDTV, because that's the next best thing.
I think that if you look at it historically, it's true. I give you three choices right now. I'll let you go to the game for free, I'll let you watch TV for free, I'll let you listen to the radio for free. What's your number one choice? Obviously, I just gave you the order. Now I'm going to redo that. I'll let you go for free, I'll let you watch it in high-definition for free, I'll let you watch in low-definition for free, and radio. What's your first, second, third choices?
These are no-brainers. These are givens. If anyone disputes that they obviously don't understand the sports fan. Period.
from HDTV Magazine
Sunday, April 25, 1999
HDTV: Who needs the FCC?
While the country waits for a new broadcasting standard, producers of nonbroadcast video are putting HDTV technology to use.
By Susan Maier
In September 1992, NBC's WRC-TV in Washington, D.C., transmitted the one-hour news program News 4 at 5 simultaneously in high-definition television and NTSC, becoming the first television station in the country to send HDTV signals over the airwaves. "With advanced digital high-definition television," said Allan Horlick, WRC-TV's general manager, "viewers will experience unmatched picture quality and superior sound resolution."
At the time, enthusiasm for HDTV was running high worldwide. Europe and Japan had introduced limited satellite transmission of high-definition signals; in the United States, HDTV was making well-publicized appearances at trade shows, and headlines were touting it as the "TV of tomorrow." Prodded by industry, the Federal Communications Commission had set up a high-powered cross-industry panel, the Advisory Committee on Advanced Television Service (ACATS), to evaluate proposed HDTV transmission systems and recommend one as the next American broadcasting standard. By the turn of the century, analysts predicted, HDTV would have replaced NTSC in production studios, television stations, cable companies and homes throughout the United States, generating tens of thousands of new jobs and tens of billions of dollars in equipment sales and other revenue.
"If I were to rate interest in HDTV on a scale of one to 10, I'd say that the peak was in 1989, when it hit a seven or eight," says Gordon Bricker, a former executive with RCA who has studied and consulted on HDTV. " By the early 1990s, it had fallen to a two or three. Now it's not much more than a one." Enthusiasm has declined in large part, observers say, because of the uncertainty and confusion that have surrounded the development of the standard. When ACATS submitted its recommendation to the FCC in November 1995, three years after the expected delivery date, it endorsed a system that has been dubbed ATV (for advanced television), in which HDTV's role is at best unclear.
But does the future of American high-definition production depend entirely on what the FCC decides to do? Many in the industry don't think so. In fact, a small community of producers has been producing high-definition video, which has gained toeholds in a number of market niches. "There are all sorts of business opportunities for HD," says Randall Dark, founder of HD Vision, a high-definition production company in Irving, Texas. "The industry is not going to live or die by the FCC decision. Unfortunately, the people who may suffer are consumers, who may end up with 500 low-resolution channels."
THE STANDARD
If the FCC approves the ACATS recommendation, as it is expected to do within six months, U.S. terrestrial broadcasting will begin a transition from the analog NTSC system that has been in place for almost 50 years to a digital system in which broadcasters will be able to transmit not only HDTV but also multiple channels of standard-definition television (SDTV) and a range of data services. "Digitizing of the signal and signal compression have been substantially advanced in the past two or three years in the process of the world's trying to get HDTV," says Bricker. "In the meantime, the emphasis has shifted from HDTV to a digital format that does lots of things that people hadn't planned on. . . . Not all broadcasters are interested in HDTV. But they'd like to put four signals into the same channel space that they're now using for one channel."
After the FCC approves the proposal, Bricker says, it will have to go through a process of reallocating channel space-a reconsideration of which frequencies will go to which cities and regions. The FCC's plan until recently was to give the broadcasters the channel space they will need to broadcast HDTV and NTSC signals simultaneously during a transition period. Some years later-at one time, people were saying as soon as seven years later-the station would have to give up its old analog frequency, Bricker says. "But people realized that the U.S. probably is not going to convert to HDTV in seven years. Now about 15 years is being proposed. And Senator Bob Dole and others have gotten on the bandwagon of saying that the government should auction off all of these channels. Broadcasters aren't prepared to pay for their frequencies; they've never had to do that."
So it has become a waiting game, says Laurence Thorpe, vice president of acquisition and storage systems at Sony, the company that invented high-definition television. "There's a hiatus in the industry as everyone waits to see how the issue will unfold." HDTV can be transmitted by cable and satellite broadcasters without going through the FCC, he notes, but "will they use the format? Everyone's waiting to see who will go first.
"If the big broadcasters choose to transmit SDTV or data services rather than HDTV in their new digital frequencies, the reasoning goes, the chance for a mass market for HDTV hardware and software will be lost. With little or no programming on the air, consumers will have no reason to buy high-definition receivers. With no receivers in consumers' homes, producers will have no reason to create new programming. And without these markets, the makers of HD equipment will not be able to reach the economies of scale they need to lower prices to more affordable levels. In this scenario, HDTV will either fade away entirely or become a novelty for electronics enthusiasts and a few rich corporations.
In the words of Dale Cripps, publisher of the on-line newsletter HDTV Today and a longtime advocate of the medium, "If the politicians don't finally act like a good gateway instead of a cement wall, HDTV probably won't happen on any major scale in the U.S. On an industrial scale, however, it's already happening."
THE PRODUCERS
Despite the lack of a broadcasting standard, high-definition video has made advances in a number of areas. Hospitals and medical schools are taping surgical procedures in high definition for training and education applications. A number of corporations are using HD to create more visually exciting public presentations for use in trade-show booths, at stockholders' meetings and elsewhere. And a large number of companies are exploring entertainment businesses that can be built on the high-quality images that HD delivers. "NTSC video is the newsprint comparison to the slick, glossy magazine," says Cripps. "HDTV is slick. If I were a corporate executive today, I'd never consider putting my best foot forward on anything but HDTV."
Many types of productions are now being done in high definition, says Randall Dark of HD Vision. "We've produced and directed a motion ride for an HD theater, documentaries for NHK [a Japanese broadcaster], music programs for PBS, product launches for Chrysler and Buick. We've taped major sports events, such as the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star game; the play Victor, Victoria on Broadway; and President Clinton's speech in San Francisco for the United Nations' 50th anniversary, which was down-converted live for world broadcast. The new Denver airport has an HD theater that is playing two pieces commissioned by [the cable company] TCI that HD Vision directed and produced. . . . We've even worked on HD productions of operations for doctors. In fact, we just finished post on a brain-tumor operation."
Three facilities in the United States are currently producing high-definition programming on a full-time basis: Rebo Studio and Captain New York/Magic Window Group, both in New York City, and HD Vision. Barry Rebo, founder of Rebo Studio, and David Niles, founder of Captain New York, have each been doing video production for broadcast and nonbroadcast applications for more than 20 years and HD production since the early 1980s, when Sony brought the first HDTV equipment to this country. "I got into HD because I fell in love with the picture quality," Rebo says. "I bought the first system that was available."
Dark's company is a more recent entry into the field. "I started HD Vision three years ago, though I started working in HD about nine years ago," he says. "I was involved in a project called Chasing Rainbows, a 14-hour miniseries shot in Canada." He then worked for a company that produced HD programs before deciding to set up his own shop. "I went out and paid cash for my equipment so I could open a company and move it in any direction the technology went," he says. "We've gone from two cameras and five decks to 13 cameras, 15 decks, two mobile-production trucks, analog and digital post-production, graphics and an HD stock-footage library."
A number of independent video producers have started working in high definition over the past few years, many of them in the corporate-communications area. "There was a point when the corporate-communications work was a significant part of our business plan," says Rebo, "but that fell off in the early 1990s because the production equipment was so heavy and expensive that people didn't want to take it out. When the equipment became lighter and less expensive, it could be taken out to the factories and so forth, and people started using it." Fred Margulies, an independent producer and director in New York City, agrees that lower prices and less bulky equipment have made all the difference. "For the past 20 years, I've been in corporate video," he says. "Most of my work has been in traditional linear videotape for corporate clients. . . . Now, my business is about 60 percent traditional video and 40 percent HD."
The turning point for independent producers came last year, when JVC released its $65,000 KH-100U high-definition video camera and $9,000 W-VHS recording and playback deck. "The KH-100U is . . . exactly the same as a Betacam in terms of weight and the lenses you put on it," says Margulies, who demonstrated the product for JVC at NAB '95. "And it has a self-contained CPU. Prior to that, [field-production] HD cameras needed a separate control unit, which was about the size and weight of a telephone booth. The recorder you needed was another phone booth. The combined cost for field production was about $7,000 a day. Now you can get the price down to as low as $1,500 a day for the equipment package. "
The JVC deck plays back VHS and S-VHS videotape in addition to the W-VHS cassettes. "The format was developed initially for the Japanese market," says Dave Walton, communications marketing manager of JVC Professional Products. "It was JVC's desire to sell it to specialized markets in the U.S. in order to generate revenue, but also to build the market and create interest in HDTV.
"It's hard to get people to look at standards that are different from the ones they're used to," Walton says. "People pay more attention to the almighty dollar than to the almighty picture. But I think times are changing. We'll see a lot more users for HD in the near future. . . . For now, HD is being used in event theaters, corporate presentations with large-screen projection and so on."
Price and equipment size are not the only factors that have held back HD production, says David Niles. "Misinformation about what HDTV is and what it does" is also to blame. Corey Carbonara, director of the New Video Technologies Project at Baylor University in Waco, Texas, has defined true HDTV as having five times the visual detail, 10 times the color information and more than twice the horizontal and vertical resolution of NTSC television. Moreover, the picture is substantially brighter, the aspect ratio is more than a third larger and the sound quality is equivalent to that of compact discs.
"We realized early that HD is not really television," Niles says. "That's like comparing a big stereo system to a telephone. We can certainly make TV with HDTV, but when it's not converted back to television, HDTV has an emotional impact that no other medium has."
Randall Dark agrees. "Video, film and HD are good for different things," he says. "Film is poetic. It doesn't give you the sense of being there. HD puts you right there. It's a whole different venue."
THE CLIENTS
For corporate clients who "want to knock the socks off the viewer, nothing beats HD," says Margulies. "For clients who want to show the cutting edge of technology, nothing beats HD. Now, compared with a year ago, it is within the budget range of most corporate clients to produce high-quality HD programs." Much of the interest in HD in the United States these days comes from telecommunications companies that "want to do something high-tech," Barry Rebo says, and from the makers of high-end consumer products. "It's the Audis and BMWs in the lead in using HD," he says, "not the Hyundais."
Dark says that "viewer impact" is the biggest difference he sees between standard television and HDTV. "It's watching people's visual response to this technology. People ooh and aah. . . They get visibly excited when HD is done right. If you have a 28-inch HD monitor and a 28-inch NTSC monitor, they'll look alike from a distance. The only way to see film, HD and NTSC is in their element. When I do a demo on my 16-foot screen, people are amazed."
Producing in high definition is not so different from producing in NTSC, Margulies says, but to shoot, edit and post it properly, you do have to understand viewers' reactions. The detail is so rich and the picture so realistic that viewers' responses are much more immediate than they are to film or video. "You might make three fast cuts in a scene in video," says Margulies, "but you might have more impact staying on the shot in HD, because you can see more detail. You might not need the close-up in the cutaway. Take the example of videotaping a boxing match with NTSC and HD. The NTSC approach is to use four to five cameras with intercutting. With HD, one camera is all you'll need, because you can see more detail in the boxers' faces. The wide shot also gives you a better perspective on the scene. To conceive, shoot and edit projects in HD, you have to understand how to use it."
Despite the falling costs of producing HD and the emotional power of the medium, high-definition projects can be tough to sell to corporate clients. "When you're dealing with something that's different and more expensive, people are always looking for reasons to say no," says Margulies. "They have to be convinced that there's a payback for the extra dollars spent. Regular NTSC video is a no-brainer now. Everyone knows how it works, how much it will cost. HD is still new, so you have to have a trust relationship with the producer and the facility."
Just as important is convincing clients that if they're going to incur the higher cost of producing HD, they have to be prepared to pay the only slightly higher price of displaying it, Margulies says. "I've found that one of the most powerful uses of HD is in sales meetings," he says. "One component of that is the video roll-in-that is, the executives are on the stage, with a large screen behind them, and videos will be rolled in on cue. If they're in HD, they have so much more impact. In addition, sales meetings often use I-MAG [image magnification]-two or three cameras shoot the person at the podium, and the image is projected live on the screen. I-MAG in HD is incredible."
Most video projectors can project HD video; what's required is a technician who can choose the best projector for the application and set it up for the HD image. "When that doesn't happen," Margulies says, "all of the effort and money spent on producing the HD roll-ins will be wasted, because the image won't be shown at its full potential."
Delivering the product is still a sticky problem for everyone using HD. Wide-aspect HDTV display monitors are expensive, and will probably remain so until a broadcasting standard is approved. Video projectors and large screens are not appropriate for all locations-for point-of-sale displays and information kiosks, for example. For this reason, a lot of material shot in HD is being converted to other formats, including videotape, film and even QuickTime.
There are, of course, disadvantages to displaying converted HD footage on non-HDTV equipment: Some of the sharpest details and the wide aspect ratio of the original may be lost, for example. But there are also benefits, HD producers say. "When you transfer HD to video, it retains much of its richness," says Margulies. "The same applies to HD down-converted to NTSC. HD is as good as film in quality, but it's better because it's video, so you can immediately play it back."
Conversion also works the other way, Rebo says. "Not all elements of a corporate piece have to be in HD. We do up-conversion from NTSC videotape, and sometimes we shoot in Hi8 video or 8 mm film and transfer it to HD. So there is a role for archival material in HD productions. This is used in closed-circuit presentations for car companies-they have archives of commercials that they up-convert to HD and add HD footage of the new models."
THE FUTURE
The HD community in the United States is still small, and much of the work being done here is exported to the Europe and Japan. But, says Randall Dark, "I'm very excited about the growth of HD. In October 1995, we billed 16 different clients for HD projects; half of them were brand-new, and all but one were American."
Not everyone is as optimistic. "For the longest time we've been using 601 as the television-production standard, and the ability and quality of that signal is substantial," says John Pannaman, vice president of engineering at Quantel. "A huge amount of quality can be gained out of the current signal standard even as it exists today. To leapfrog that for a very expensive technology is something that people will really start to look at when they realize the cost of doing HDTV."
In the end, according to Michael R. Haley, a technical specialist at IBM, "the market will decide which types of information are the most economical [for the broadcasters] to transmit, and the ACATS system has the flexibility to permit that." In general, he agrees that HDTV won't take off until the big broadcasters embrace it. "There has to be content available before HDTV will see broad deployment in the U.S. I wouldn't necessarily expect it to be terrestrial rather than cable."
Haley and many others in video-related industries foresee HDTV arriving in the consumer market via specialty cable or satellite services, such as premium pay-per-view movie or sports channels. "We might even see HDTV used in a channel that pulls information off the Internet, which would require finer resolution to appreciate," Haley says.
Dale Cripps sees a similar scenario, in which HDTV will be pushed forward by two developments. "The Internet will open up to 45 megabytes; the cable companies will see to that," he says, "so we'll be able to receive full HDTV and capture to whatever your computer can do. And multimedia development will move up toward using HDTV in time. Multimedia is incredibly important to understanding the commerce of the future. Commerce is so internationalized that images and their presentation will become the international language. We're using all we need now at the VGA level, but if we're going to show images to larger bodies, we'll want HDTV's density."
Randall Dark says, "I got into high definition when I saw a monitor with HD on it and said, 'Hey, this is the future.' I love the technical stuff, and no matter what I say or the FCC says, it's evolution. We're going to have bigger, better pictures-whether it's called HDTV, ATV or something else."
Rebo's Field Guide
Plenty of books have been written in the past decade about the political, economic and technical aspects of high-definition television. Nothing, however, has been available for those interested in learning the techniques of producing in the medium.
Rebo Studio and Clay Gordon, a writer with 12 years of experience in the computer-graphics, interactive-media and video-production industries, intend to fill that gap with The Guide to HIgh Definition Video Production: Preparing for a Widescreen World. The book, written for the technical or the nontechnical reader, is available from Focal Press (800-366-2665.)
from HDTV Magazine
Tuesday, November 10, 1998
Production Boutiques Spring Up to Produce Programs for HDTV
Nov. 10--In Randall Paris Dark's vision of the future, high-definition television -- known as HDTV -- will be as common in American homes as compact discs, personal computers and VCRs.
Before that happens, however, broadcasters need to show people programs on new digital channels. They also need the costly, hard-to-find equipment and production assistance to create HDTV -- the super-clear, colorful and superior-sounding format that's expected to end the era of analog televisions much like black-and-white sets replaced color TVs in the 1960s and '70s.
The broadcasters' problem is the reason Dark's company, Las Colinas-based HD Vision, and a dozen or so HD production boutiques around the country are poised to ride the HDTV wave to what they hope will be a lucrative future. As early as 10 years ago, they saw the potential of HDTV, acquired the equipment and developed the technical expertise to be ready for the change.
"Anybody that has expertise in this business can hang out a shingle and make some money on it," said Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C. "That's a terrific business opportunity right now, I would think."
HD Vision produces programs specifically for HDTV, rents out the HD equipment and consults with the growing number of broadcasters that are adding digital channels.
"Creating original programming for broadcasters will be one of our biggest revenue streams," said Dark, HD Vision's president and chief executive.
Dark's library of HD films and shows, which he either produced, co-created or brokers, has grown to 25 titles, including sports, nature topics and concerts, since he began work in the HDTV realm over a decade ago.
Another Metroplex company that thinks big opportunities are brewing is Greene HD Productions, which is negotiating with 12 network affiliates to sell its new Birth of a Legend, a 12-minute HD program on the history of the Corvette.
"They called me," said Brian Greene, chief executive of Greene HD Productions. "It was unsolicited. I think that's evidence of the fact that people are hungry for true high-definition programming. That opens up really unique opportunities to provide broadcasters with the programming that they have to have at a reasonable cost." Greene declined to name the affiliates he is negotiating with.
Birth of a Legend will make its public debut Dec. 3 at Vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, where it will run through Dec. 6.
In conjunction with the Public Broadcasting Service, Greene and Dark co-produced Fiesta in the Sky, an HD documentary about a balloon festival in Albuquerque, N.M. It is scheduled to be shown nationally early next year, they said.
Greene, who has 11 years of production experience, founded the HD side of his business in 1995, after being sold on the quality and powerful potential of the new technology, he said.
He sells programs for $10,000 on up to $100,000, depending on how narrow or broad the broadcasting rights. Neither Dark nor Greene would disclose revenue figures, although both said their privately held companies are profitable.
WFAA/Channel 8, one of the stations using Dark as a consultant, bought the broadcast rights of HD Vision's Texas Wild, a documentary about Texas' wildlife regions that Greene co-produced, which it has been running on its new HD channel, WFAA-HD/Channel 9.
"He's introduced us to people that have given us music clips and sports clips," Dave Muscari, creative services director at WFAA, said of Dark. "It's a totally different business than we're used to, so it's difficult to find people.
"Fiscally, producing large productions to air to such a finite universe is not real practical," Muscari said. -- We don't have a live truck. We don't have a lot of field cameras available to shoot this stuff. Eventually we will. They've provided cameras and tapes and tape machines to us when we couldn't get it."
HD Vision also shot and broadcast the Texas Rangers home opener in the spring for KXAS/Channel 5.
HD Vision works not only with broadcasters but also with corporations and universities. Dark is filming an HD marketing piece for Baylor University. He also sees potential in commercials, product launches and corporate presentations.
More than 40 network affiliates across the country can broadcast in the new digital format, which is expected to replace the analog form by 2006.
But networks and affiliates are offering only a few hours per week of HD sports, movies and prime-time shows. Mostly, they are running their -upconverted" analog programs on digital channels, a strategy that critics say does not look as good as true HDTV and won't excite viewers.
Viewers are not exactly rushing out to buy first-generation HDTVs, whichaverage $7,500. Without viewers, broadcasters will have a hard time selling advertising on digital channels to support HD programs, industry experts say.
But local affiliates, cable stations, satellite and pay channels, and -maverick" broadcasters will buy HD programs now to offer viewers something different, said David Niles, founder of Colossalvision, a full-service HD production company in New York. The networks will follow suit, he said.
Niles compared the situation to the earlier transition from black-and-white to color television, which was kick-started by the popular western Bonanza.
"As Bonanza became popular all by itself, it sold TV sets," Niles said. "We are going to go out and search for that proverbial Bonanza and get to market. I think the home viewer will be there."
from Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)
Before that happens, however, broadcasters need to show people programs on new digital channels. They also need the costly, hard-to-find equipment and production assistance to create HDTV -- the super-clear, colorful and superior-sounding format that's expected to end the era of analog televisions much like black-and-white sets replaced color TVs in the 1960s and '70s.
The broadcasters' problem is the reason Dark's company, Las Colinas-based HD Vision, and a dozen or so HD production boutiques around the country are poised to ride the HDTV wave to what they hope will be a lucrative future. As early as 10 years ago, they saw the potential of HDTV, acquired the equipment and developed the technical expertise to be ready for the change.
"Anybody that has expertise in this business can hang out a shingle and make some money on it," said Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, D.C. "That's a terrific business opportunity right now, I would think."
HD Vision produces programs specifically for HDTV, rents out the HD equipment and consults with the growing number of broadcasters that are adding digital channels.
"Creating original programming for broadcasters will be one of our biggest revenue streams," said Dark, HD Vision's president and chief executive.
Dark's library of HD films and shows, which he either produced, co-created or brokers, has grown to 25 titles, including sports, nature topics and concerts, since he began work in the HDTV realm over a decade ago.
Another Metroplex company that thinks big opportunities are brewing is Greene HD Productions, which is negotiating with 12 network affiliates to sell its new Birth of a Legend, a 12-minute HD program on the history of the Corvette.
"They called me," said Brian Greene, chief executive of Greene HD Productions. "It was unsolicited. I think that's evidence of the fact that people are hungry for true high-definition programming. That opens up really unique opportunities to provide broadcasters with the programming that they have to have at a reasonable cost." Greene declined to name the affiliates he is negotiating with.
Birth of a Legend will make its public debut Dec. 3 at Vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, where it will run through Dec. 6.
In conjunction with the Public Broadcasting Service, Greene and Dark co-produced Fiesta in the Sky, an HD documentary about a balloon festival in Albuquerque, N.M. It is scheduled to be shown nationally early next year, they said.
Greene, who has 11 years of production experience, founded the HD side of his business in 1995, after being sold on the quality and powerful potential of the new technology, he said.
He sells programs for $10,000 on up to $100,000, depending on how narrow or broad the broadcasting rights. Neither Dark nor Greene would disclose revenue figures, although both said their privately held companies are profitable.
WFAA/Channel 8, one of the stations using Dark as a consultant, bought the broadcast rights of HD Vision's Texas Wild, a documentary about Texas' wildlife regions that Greene co-produced, which it has been running on its new HD channel, WFAA-HD/Channel 9.
"He's introduced us to people that have given us music clips and sports clips," Dave Muscari, creative services director at WFAA, said of Dark. "It's a totally different business than we're used to, so it's difficult to find people.
"Fiscally, producing large productions to air to such a finite universe is not real practical," Muscari said. -- We don't have a live truck. We don't have a lot of field cameras available to shoot this stuff. Eventually we will. They've provided cameras and tapes and tape machines to us when we couldn't get it."
HD Vision also shot and broadcast the Texas Rangers home opener in the spring for KXAS/Channel 5.
HD Vision works not only with broadcasters but also with corporations and universities. Dark is filming an HD marketing piece for Baylor University. He also sees potential in commercials, product launches and corporate presentations.
More than 40 network affiliates across the country can broadcast in the new digital format, which is expected to replace the analog form by 2006.
But networks and affiliates are offering only a few hours per week of HD sports, movies and prime-time shows. Mostly, they are running their -upconverted" analog programs on digital channels, a strategy that critics say does not look as good as true HDTV and won't excite viewers.
Viewers are not exactly rushing out to buy first-generation HDTVs, whichaverage $7,500. Without viewers, broadcasters will have a hard time selling advertising on digital channels to support HD programs, industry experts say.
But local affiliates, cable stations, satellite and pay channels, and -maverick" broadcasters will buy HD programs now to offer viewers something different, said David Niles, founder of Colossalvision, a full-service HD production company in New York. The networks will follow suit, he said.
Niles compared the situation to the earlier transition from black-and-white to color television, which was kick-started by the popular western Bonanza.
"As Bonanza became popular all by itself, it sold TV sets," Niles said. "We are going to go out and search for that proverbial Bonanza and get to market. I think the home viewer will be there."
from Fort Worth Star-Telegram (Knight Ridder/Tribune Business News)
Riding a TV Wave
by Andrew Backover
In Randall Paris Dark's vision of the future, high-definition television - known as HDTV - will be as common in American homes as compact discs, personal computers, and VCR's. Before that happens, however, broadcasters need to show people programs on new digital channels. They also need the costly, hard to find equipment and production assistance to create HDTV - the super clear, colorful, and superior sounding format that's expected to end the era of analog televisions much like black and white sets replaced color TV's in the 60's and 70's.
The broadcasters' problem is the reason Dark's company, Las Colinas based HD Vision and a dozen or so HD production companies around the country are poised to ride the HDTV wave to what they hope will be a lucrative future. As early as 10 years ago they saw the potential of HDTV, acquired the equipment and developed the technical expertise to be ready for the change.
"Anybody that has expertise in this business can hang out a shingle and make some money on it," said Dennis Wharton, spokesman for the NAB. "That's a terrific business opportunity right now, I would think."
HD Vision produces programs specifically for HDTV, rents out the HD equipment and consults with the growing number of broadcasters that are adding digital channels. "Creating original programming for broadcasters will be one of our biggest revenue streams," said Dark, HD Vision's CEO. Dark's library of HD films and shows, which he either produced, co-produced, or brokers, has grown to 25 titles, including sports, nature topics and concerts, since he began work in the HDTV realm over a decade ago.
Another metroplex company that thinks big opportunities are brewing is Greene HD Productions, which is negotiating with 12 network affiliates to sell its new "Birth of a Legend," a 12 minute HD program on the history of the Corvette.
"They called me," said Brian Greene, CEO of Greene HD Productions. "It was unsolicited. I think that's evidence of the fact that people are hungry for true high-definition programming. That opens up really unique opportunities to provide broadcasters with the programming that they have to have at a reasonable cost." "Birth of a Legend" will make its public debut Dec.3 at Vandergriff Chevrolet in Arlington, where it will run through Dec. 6.
In conjunction with PBS, Greene and Dark co-produced "Fiesta in the Sky," an HD documentary about a balloon festival in Albuquerque, N.M. It is scheduled to be shown nationally early next year, they said.
Greene, who has 11 years of production experience, founded the HD side of his business in 1995, after being sold on the quality and powerful potential of the new technology, he said. He sells programs for $10,000 on up to $100,000, depending on how narrow or broad the broadcasting rights. Neither Dark nor Greene would disclose revenue figures, although both said their privately held companies are profitable.
WFAA/Channel 8, one of the stations using Dark as a consultant, bought the broadcast rights of Greene HD's "Texas Wild," a documentary about Texas wildlife regions that Dark co-produced, which has been running on its new HD channel, WFAA-HD/Channel 9.
from Fort Worth Star-TelegramFriday, May 1, 1998
Countdown to November
Prepping for HD Marked by O&O: Optimism, Obstacles
by Ty Ford
by Ty Ford
Right now, HDTV is a spinning coin with both sides showing. The first side can be characterized by an observation made by Joe Flaherty, CBS senior VP for technology, at this year's CES show: "At the moment, there are more digital television stations on the air than there are receivers to receive them."
The second side, from Dallas-based HD Vision's Randall Dark, is that "high-resolution, wide-screen is the future of the industry, and the industry is eight months pregnant. We have made consumers aware that HDTV is coming, and they are anxiously expecting it. NTSC TV sales are already dropping as consumers wait for HDTVs."
Unbeknownst to the consumer, however, the remaining sticking points are making the marketplace a bit tense. According to Lynn Claudy, NAB senior VP, science and technology, the dust from 200 petitions filed against the new assignments and FCC/Congressional discussions about spectrum issues didn't settle until almost the end of February.
That delay, along with local zoning and tower problems, may keep some of the first 26 stations from making their November, 1998 air deadline. Claudy also says progress is being hampered by a scarcity of analog-to-digital encoders and competent tower crews to erect the new towers for the yet-to-be-ordered antennas.
LIN Television VP of engineering & operations Bob Ogren has been seeing both sides of the coin as well. On March 30, LIN's KXAS was scheduled to broadcast the opening game of the Texas Rangers baseball team, both in NTSC and HD. "The game will be produced in NTSC as usual by our own LIN Productions. The HD telecast will be a combined effort of LIN and HDVision. We're using six or seven of their Sony HD cameras. Chyrons can go wide to 16:9, but they don't have HD resolution yet. We'll have prerecorded roll-ins and commercials."
Ogren hopes KXAS won't have the problems competitor A.H. Belo Corp's WFAA, Channel 9, Dallas, had when they fired up their transmitters for the first time. Shortly after WFAA went on the air on channel nine, some of the 60 wireless heart monitors at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas stopped sending data to nurses' stations. WFAA shut down for a few days, allowing Baylor to find some solutions to the problem.
On the consumer side, Ogren's biggest problem is getting receivers set up for the audience to see the new broadcast. "We hope to have demos at first and third base entrances at the ball park.
The only catch is that the transmitter (a Comark Advantage 50KW transmitter with two 25KW RF amps) which was ordered last August and originally scheduled to ship by the end of 1997, was due to be on site by March 23.
Regardless of the tight schedule, Ogren seems unperturbed. "All the wiring and cooling is in. We're just waiting for the exciter and R. F. amplifiers. We've been getting ready for digital since 1994 with our Indianapolis station. We had owned a potential tower site for nearly 20 years, but found out it was in the middle of a small airport flight path, so we had to find a new piece of property. It took over a year to get the FAA approvals, and then it was only conditional for one year until it could be proven there was no RFI with ILS and VHF communications. We've also built towers in Portsmouth, New Haven, Austin, and Dallas."
Ogren has sympathy and a positive prediction for stations looking at tower construction. "Fortunately, we have the experience in getting towers built. It's difficult work; usually taking a year from drawing board to completion. Part of the problem is that there are only about a half dozen crews who will work on 1,000-foot and higher towers. I think some of the foremen of those crews will be forming their own companies, but the capital needed for the hardware is not trivial, and there are plenty of weather and zoning problems. Joe Flaherty from CBS said it's easier to get permission to build a jail than to build a tower. I have only built towers, but I tend to believe him. For KXAS, we built a new 1549 foot T-bar tower with channel 39 (analog) on one side and digital channels 41 and 40, stacked one on top of the other, on the other."
Like many broadcasters, LIN has been working with Comark to get the digital RF system online. KXAS will be broadcasting an 860KW directional signal using Dielectric TFU-30 antennas. Ogren says LIN hasn't purchased any HD production gear yet and has opted to lease the $450,000 Mitsubishi 1080I digital encoder from Comark instead of buying one.
He's also interested in a multicasting flexi-coder Harris and Lucent are working on with the assumption that it will handle all 18 DTV formats. "Our Sony BVP500 studio cameras are capable of 16:9 at standard definition. I would like to be in as much 16:9 as possible, in the field as well as in the studio. We have a contract with Panasonic for DVCPRO and hope they'll have 4:3 to 16:9 switchable by 1998. But until they do, we'll let the upconverters do the stretch from 4:3 to 16:9.
According to WETA senior VP of Operations Joe Widoff, WETA-HD has been on the air in the Washington D.C. market since April 1997. "We were authorized on July, 29 1996, but it took a while to get the Harris Sigma IOT 70KW transmitter. We expect to get more power from the FCC. We may have to add another cabinet or tube to get there. The antenna is a Dielectric, vertically polarized, directional, side mount at 416 HAAT (height above average terrain) on our own FM site in Arlington. The good news is we are able to put the DTV antenna on our own real estate. The bad news is the location is 8 km outside of the planning parameter used by the FCC in assigning the second DTV channel, so our NTSC and DTV transmitters are not co-located. If we decide to make it the permanent location of our DTV channel, we'll have to jump a few more hoops to make sure there are no unacceptable interference problems caused by this location. That means we can't fill out the five-question short form and expect a construction permit in five days."
Like KXAS, WETA hasn't bought any HD production gear yet. "We have produced four HD programs by contracting with Randall Dark's HDVision in Dallas. Our first, two years ago, was Impressionists on the Seine, a program showcasing a collection of impressionist paintings shown at a local museum."
Widoff continues: "We were going to do it in NTSC, but realized you could never see the quality, brush strokes, and color. We bit the bullet and shot it and got it underwritten by a local patron. It was a very successful program. We made $60,000 in pledges on a 26-minute show. Those who saw the program said that the broadcast was better than seeing it in person because of how close they let us get with the cameras."
Widoff, who looked for production gear at NAB, says, "Few places can post HD right now. We'll be looking to do our own HD production and making the service available to others." Of particular interest to Widoff are solutions for plant processing of the HD signal, where to store it, edit it, how to put local IDs in network programming and how to handle interstitial material.
Widoff's biggest hope is that HD receivers start showing up in stores and in public places as quickly as possible. "HD sells itself. You don't have to talk about it, you just have to show it. We've done a fair amount of getting that around for people to see. Right now we have an HD projection system and 34-inch direct view set. For stations in transition, he suggests shooting 16:9 Digital Betacam.
Randall Dark, President and CEO of HDVision in Dallas (www.hdvision.com) offers limited agreement. "Upconverted wide screen Digital Betacam is adequate for talking heads, but as soon as you compare a nature program in shot in HD to upconverted Digital Betacam, you'll go looking for HD again. I think Super 16 is great for some projects, certain documentaries, but with 35mm, 30 fps or HD you get a real sense of being there. Feature films shot at 24 fps, will still have some motion strobing, but when you look at at 35mm transferred to HD, it's spectacular.
Dark shot his first HD program eleven years ago. "It was a 14-part miniseries called Chasing Rainbows for CBC Canada. It was shot in 1125/60, 15 x 9 analog using a Sony HDC-100 tube camera and a HDD-100 VTR. We've been involved with hundreds of HD productions. We just bought three Sony HDW-700 HD camcorders. They record on HD cassettes. They will revolutionize documentary and ENG. At $120,000 with glass, they are affordable. I was the first in North America to order them from Sony a year ago at NAB."
Beyond the present hashing out of technical details, Dark is quick to point out the competitive aspects of HDTV. "The ad agency creative departments will slowly migrate to shooting in HD because their clients will understand that this 'new look' is compelling and enhances their product. Any products that require the reach out and touch type of marketing campaigns, i.e., food, soft drinks, cars, beer spots, will become early adopters of this medium. What better way to show how well a shampoo makes someone's hair shine, or how a mascara doesn't clump, or how shiny and slick a new sportscar looks?"
To that end, Dark sees ad agencies as having no option but to finish their spots in 35mm. "By November, thousands of HDTVs will have been sold and stations and advertisers will not want to upconvert ads from NTSC to HDTV because the image quality will be so poor. They will want to air them in 35mm transferred to HDTV. Also, once the advertisers actually see their spots aired in this new wonderful format, I truly believe they will insist upon airing certain types of ad campaigns in HDTV."
He expects the same forces that push the advertising market to move the stations and the viewers. "It's the Fear Factor: Station 'X' has been the market leader with the number one news program at 5:00 and 6:00 p.m., and they decide to wait before going HD. Now they hear station 'Y' advertising that they will be the first to broadcast in HDTV. Will station 'X' want to be second or third in the market place?" Dark says the pull on the consumer will be just like the switch from radio to TV and from black and white to color: Once the consumer sees HD, there will be no turning back.
Recently adding a third HD truck to his fleet and postproduction facility, he sees only more work in the future. "Our new truck (HDV-3) is a 35-foot Air-Ride trailer & Freightliner tractor with up to seven cameras and five VTRs. We're using the Sony HDFT-300/HDFR-300 Optical Fiber Transmission System for all runs from Sony HDC-500 CCD cameras to the Sony HDFT-2-ME Production Switcher w/DSK and five Sony HDD-1000, HDV-10 or Panasonic HD-D5, Uni-hi VTRs. We use a Probell HDTV RGB Routing Switcher, Drake Intercom /RTS, Chyron, Paint System/Stillstore and Sony HDN-2000 downconverter."
To the timid or nonbelievers, Dark offers, "Everything shot in HDTV can be downconverted to standard TV. HDTV is evergreen. What we record is digital. No matter what form video evolves into, what is recorded today in digital high-definition can be transferred to it. HD is not an 'if', it's a 'when.'"
from Digital Content Producer Magazine
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