Broadcast VS. OTT Workflows at HPA

HPA this year truly presented us with five days of candid conversation with world-class thinkers. The conference brought content creators, production managers, Hollywood, OTT, and broadcast giants together in large “supersessions” where wide-ranging topics were discussed. Topics covered this year included everything from IP-based workflows to color-correction tips.  As a hardware engineering and manufacturing company, we were mostly interested in the panels that featured some of our largest clientele (Sinclair, Cox, NEP).  It was surprising to find minimal discussion of live production and broadcasting while seeing an immense focus on OTT.

One of the most enlightening presentations was a comparison of cable/OTT and broadcast workflows by Phil Squyres of Sony Pictures TV. After watching the presentation, it was easy to see the attractiveness of the cable/OTT world for content creators. Let’s take a look at the creative workflows in the world of broadcast and compare it to the cable/OTT world.

In the broadcast world, creators must learn to work with a fixed number of distributors like NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC, or CW.  In this framework strict content restrictions (FCC) and cancellation decisions are often made after only a few episodes. Therefore, talent and production face an unknown future.  Broadcast delivers HD video and surround sound while dealing with much tighter productions schedules.

The Comparison

When looking at the creation workflow of the cable/OTT world. There are hundreds of distribution channels including HBO, Netflix, FX, Discovery, and more with much fewer content restrictions. Most series are shorter (10-12 episodes) when compared to broadcast and cancellation decisions are made later in the process.  This creates substantially more security for the talent and creatives alike. Producing for cable/OTT opens the world of 4K, HDR, and Atmos audio. The “binge-watching” nature of OTT lends itself to more intricate storytelling and the time allowed to produce is typically 2-3 times longer than broadcast.

All this extra time to produce also comes with a downside. It has a major impact ranging from cost and time commitment to the storage of material.  According to Phil Squyers, creators will have to store over 120 terabytes of material for weeks or months. Additionally, the audiences are generally not as large because they fill specific niches.

Broadcasters have looked for ways to add OTT distribution as a potential revenue stream but struggle to see significant ROI. What became clear was the cable/OTT world is not something you can do on a part-time basis.  It’s a large financial and time commitment. To discuss this further and how it might apply to you with one of our professionals don’t hesitate to contact us online or by calling us at 801-575-8801.

Looking to Get the Job Done With Less Staff?

Utah Scientific loves visiting SMPTE’s annual conference because it brings a wide array of interested individuals to meet with. The SMPTE community is made up broadcast, production, post production, government and more.  It is such a diverse group of professions it is always guaranteed to keep us on our toes.  

This year our VP of Sales Troy Davis made it out to the show and covered popular topics of interest including SMPTE-2110, 2022 routing, control, and our monitoring systems.  Amongst all the interest we noticed  a lot of excitement this year at our booth for Emotion audio file software.

Audio File Software

Understandably, companies are working to reduce margins and get the job done with less staff. When making or distributing broadcast content there are several excellent tools to help get the video right or where it needs to be, but once the audio has been mixed and added to the media file, there isn’t much available to alter it. But this is where multiple versions are required to create all the required deliverables and the need to create the deliverables ends up increasing staff. Emotion audio file software reduces that need.

We think that with the large amount of content creation and more importantly content distribution in Los Angeles the emotion product makes lot of sense for individuals that visited our booth this year. It also makes a lot of sense to consider the hardware that Utah Scientific has available because our routing and distribution hardware is the only hardware industry wide backed by a no fluff 10-year warranty. Here at Utah Scientific we like to ensure that businesses can comfortably reduce margins through dependable solutions that simply don’t quit.

Flexible Distribution

Utah Scientific uses an innovative matrix architecture which lets all our routing products scale from 8×8 to 1056×1056 and beyond using a single family of matrix building blocks. In addition to flexibility of configuration our routing and distribution products typically provide a huge reduction in physical space required for routing hardware and have significantly lower power consumption requirements.  

We provide a host of solutions, each and every one of them is flexibility you can count on.If you need to follow up with Troy regarding SMPTE or have additional questions don’t hesitate to contact us online or by calling here 801-575-8801.

Utah Scientific can be found at Booth N816

At the 2018 NAB NY Show, Utah Scientific will demonstrate its innovative 400 Series hybrid digital router a flexible platform designed to accommodate next-generation IP signals along with today’s high-density SDI. All within a common frame. The 400 Series can handle any number of IP and SDI signal formats along with audio and data. The new SMPTE ST 2110 and SMPTE ST 2022-6/7 IP formats are supported, along with 3G-SDI, analog, HD, SD, and audio signals including analog, digital AES3, MADI, TDM, and AES 67.

Additionally, the world’s first SDI/IP hybrid “pass-through” card will be available only in the 400 Series. The pass-through card will change how broadcasters look at the SDI/IP transition. The router also handles all major digital and analog audio formats, features advanced signal processing for embedding and de-embedding, and is backed by the industry’s only no-fee 10-year warranty.

 SynView – 4K and IP Multiviewer

The Utah Scientific 400 Series Hybrid Router integrates with the SynView 4K and IP multiviewer. SynView from Axon is a powerful, modular multiviewer that can handle both 4K and IP video formats. SynView is the industry’s only single-field latency multiviewer system to offer external looping for an unlimited number of input channels.

UHD-12G Digital Routing Switcher

Utah Scientific will also feature its UHD-12G digital routing switcher at the 2018 NAB NY. The UHD-12G is an enterprise-class router capable of enabling distribution of a full range of SDI video signals, from SD data rates up to 2160p60, in a single-link interconnect. Ideal for live acquisition of UHDTV content, the UHD-12G simplifies installations, reduces the rack space and cables needed to process 4K

Intended for enterprise broadcasters that need to meet growing consumer demand for UHDTV content. The router is fully compliant with SMPTE ST 2081 and ST 2082 standards for SDI video and compatible with the full line of Utah Scientific products. The UHD-12G can be controlled by any version of Utah Scientific’s current family of routing control systems, including the SC-4, SC-40, and SC-400.

Cerebrum – Full Facility Control System

In modern broadcasting, multiplatform delivery and multipurpose repackaging of content demand mastery of multiple workflows. Cerebrum software makes the control and monitoring of a traditional or IP broadcast infrastructure easier, more efficient, and cost-effective than ever. Cerebrum provides comprehensive tools with which to configure, control, monitor, and maintain products from any manufacturer within and beyond the broadcasting industry.

“Visitors at NAB will see true innovation when they visit us at booth N816. Our purpose built 400 Series router is reliable enough for any demand the market has. Visitors will also see that Utah Scientific is more than routers. We are multiviewers, signal process, full facility control, automation, servers, and a 10- year warranty that gives peace of mind your hardware is future-proof.”

-Dave Burland, President and CEO, Utah Scientific.

Company Overview:

Utah Scientific is the world’s leading specialist in routing switchers, master control switchers, and related control software, and it set the benchmark for the broadcast industry with the first no-fee 10-year product warranty. Since 1977, the company has provided industry-leading products and best-in-class service and support as recognized three times by Frost & Sullivan with its global Customer Service Leadership Award. Additional information about the company can be found at www.utahscientific.com.
All trademarks appearing herein are the property of their respective owners.

Serving the Broadcast Industry

When it comes to experience Utah Scientific is one name that has been there since the very beginning. We have been serving the broadcast industry ever since our first analog video router. Today we live in a different world, and keeping up with the market today requires innovation, reliability and the efficiency.

Innovation

By definition innovation is action or process of change, new methods or ideas. Utah Scientific’s innovation can be found in every product big or small to fit any operation. We have pioneered many features that are considered commonplace in the industry from multi-format routing, integrated A/D and D/A conversions on inputs and outputs as well as 300 megabit switching.

Efficiency

In terms of efficiency the majority of our products are geared to get the job done while expending less energy. Not only do our products take up less space, but they are readily scale-able and have been proven capable of inter-operability meaning you can add more to do more as you grow with the assurance that your Utah Scientific hardware will continue to function.

Reliability

Our 10-year warranty is the best in the business providing clients with the ultimate in prestige care and quality service. Some might ask why we offer such a long warranty compared to the competition. It’s because we are confident our products work, plain and simple. To us, this is the ultimate in dependability and true statement of our quality.

When it to routing we haven’t just been here for 41 years, we have been serving the Industry by providing the cutting edge products our clients need. Your infrastructure requires mission critical success and dependability. To learn more about our 10-year warranty or discuss any of the products that we provide please feel free to reach us online here or call us at 801-575-8801 today!

When to Update Software or Firmware

Is it necessary to update my Utah Scientific firmware or software? Well…that depends. In some cases, it is important to upgrade, for example: Sometimes a new known issue with the component is discovered prompting the need for an update to fix it.  In other cases, an update may be optional. This typically happens when a new feature is developed and released. Other times it might not be needed at all!  We are always happy to check the release notes for a product to determine if there is in fact an upgrade and if we find one we can help you determine if it is necessary or not.

How Are we Notified?

Typically, Utah Scientific does not notify all our customers whenever a new release is available. When a product is shipped we ensure that it has the latest version installed. Unless an issue comes up with that component shortly after release or a new feature is developed and released down the road, no update is ever truly necessary. Since updates typically aren’t a major need, we don’t publish them on our website or make huge release announcements. If you are curious about the existence of an update or availability at any time, we recommend contacting our service department.

How are Updates preformed?

When we provide an update, it can be done a few ways. Depending on the component and level of complexity, this can be as simple as sending a file to you via email or as complex as having one of our service engineers remote in and perform the update. Either way all you need to do is sit back and speak with our service team to determine what will work best.

Is There a Cost?

Depending on the warranty and service plan that the component is under it may require a fee for updating any software and firmware. There are some components that would require replacement hardware that would incur additional costs to update to current versions. Would you like to know more? Click here to reach out to us online or call us at 801-575-8801 Today! 

Randy Rose

For non-emergency inquiries, normal business hours are 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. MST (-7 GMT).

Tel: +1 801-575-8801
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Email: service@utahscientific.com

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