Pittsburgh Ennes Workshop Abstracts

Using Category 5e, 6, 6a for Audio and Video Applications

Can you use Category 5e, 6 or 6a “augmented 6” to carry analog and digital audio? Or analog or digital video? How about S-video, RGB or VGA? Or HDMI? Or broadband/CATV? Of course you can! For some applications, baluns are required. Exactly how to use, and when not to use, Category cables is discussed. Included is a tutorial on balanced lines and how they reject noise and crosstalk.

Trends in TV Infrastructure - openGear, 3D and Automated Production Control

This session covers three topics, the first being the openGear terminal equipment platform. Among many other benefits, this equipment offers a wide selection of cards from partner vendors. In addition, the standardized frame platform and monitoring/control system ensures inter-operability between vendor offerings. Next, 3D production and how it will affect the local television broadcaster will be explored. The last section provides the Engineer’s Guide to the process of automating control of news productions and explains the many benefits for adopting automated production control technology in your facility.

Better Tower Management by Understanding the Causes, Costs and Cures for Structural Failure

This presentation will discuss the most common reasons towers fail, successful methods of risk detection and reduction with related operational costs identified. Upon conclusion, it will be an undeniable fact: had preventative measures discussed in this presentation been implemented, over 75 percent of tower failures and the related expenditures could be avoided.

The Brave New World of News Backhaul and the Introduction of Robustivity™

The highly competitive landscape of TV news has placed new demands on the means of acquiring stories. New technologies present opportunities unknown even a few years ago, however there are tradeoffs to consider when implementing these systems. The concept of Robustivity™ helps to even the field by making the tradeoffs automatic.

ATSC Mobile DTV – What, Why and How?

As with many new technologies, broadcasters are enthusiastic about the implementation of Mobile DTV and the new business opportunities that it will provide. Likewise with many new technologies, equipment and business models continue to evolve as the technology matures and field experience is gained. This paper will provide the background of ATSC M/H and its path to standardization, as well as a discussion of some of the goals that helped to influence the development of the technology and the implementation of the consumer interface.

Affordable Newsroom Workflows in all Types and Sizes of Markets

So-called news editing systems (really tapeless production systems) for HD have a way of missing the mark at both ends of the price/value spectrum. They can tend to be over featured and over-priced for budget conscious newsrooms, and under-performing for large, demanding operations. The key to resolving this lies in true scalability: a unified set of technological tools that can be applied as requirements increase, either over time or at initial purchase. This presentation will look at how to determine the right mix of capabilities for a given budget point and how to avoid spending money on features that have no reasonable chance of a positive return on investment.

The SNMP Protocol and its Integration as a Broadcast Monitoring Tool

The Simple Network Management Protocol standard is a set of rules that defines a way to identify certain data points, or objects, in a piece of equipment that is connected to a data network. The protocol also establishes a standard syntax that allows users to query that equipment via the network and receive the real-time values of those data objects. This presentation explains the basics of the SNMP structure and capabilities, and how broadcast technical personnel could benefit by integrating the SNMP protocol into their overall facility control and management systems.

Loudness Control and Advanced Audio Processing for Digital Television

The CALM Act has become law and television broadcasters will soon be federally mandated to control audio levels on both over the air and cable systems. The session will cover the theoretical and practical details of Loudness Control at a DTV facility, helping you to insure that your facility is compliant with the new regulations.