3D growth stalls as broadcasters dig in for the long haul

3D Focus

Discovery and Sky restate their intent to stay with 3D until the market revives, reports Adrian Pennington

http://423digital.wordpress.com/2012/08/23/3d-growth-stalls-as-broadcasters-dig-in-for-the-long-haul-3d-focus/

It’s been two years since the world’s first 3DTV channels launched in a blaze of publicity but the industry has not managed to translate its enthusiasm for the format to consumers in high enough numbers, prompting many advocates to reign in their expectations.

Take the Sky 3D channel, which launched in the UK in October 2010, but seems stalled on a base of 250,000 Sky subscribers. BSkyB prides itself on pioneering new technology, it has invested heavily in production equipment, primarily OB facilities for live 3D sports, and has always described its 3D activity as core to attracting consumers to the brand rather than a profit centre in its own right.

“Growth in 3D has been pretty much as expected,” says Chief Operating Officer Mike Darcey. “Take-up is linked closely to the sale of 3DTV sets which in turn is linked to the cycle of TV replacement which has slowed due to the economy. An improved consumer environment will help and will be progressed further as prices come down and as glasses-free displays emerge.”

Another high-profile 3D leader, Discovery Communications, has no imminent plans to replicate 3Net, its 3D channel co-run with Sony and Imax in the US, in Europe but emphasises it isn’t leaving the game either.

“3DTV set sales are not going as fast as HD did and the biggest hurdle is the need to wear glasses, but autostereo displays will come,” says John Honeycutt, EVP and COO, Discovery Networks International. “We’ve learned a lot about how to produce in 3D and to tell a story in 2D as well as 3D in a way that drives down cost. We’ve confirmed that if consumers have an opportunity to watch content that is closer to reality they will migrate toward that. So as the market develops we are right there and ready to go.”

His boss, DNI chief executive Mark Hollinger, confirms the company is “still very bullish” about 3D and that “the exact trajectory will be unpredictable but our investment horizon is long term. The consumer platform for strong 3D business is getting established.”

The lack of 3D content has been a stumbling block for the industry as a whole but particularly for payTV operators. Canal Plus cited the limited availability of 3D content alongside slow subscriber uptake (20,000) as the key factors behind the termination of its 3D linear channel in January. DirecTV, which launched 24-hour channel n3D partnered with Panasonic in 2010, drastically scaled back its commitment in July, slashing the budget for production of content and citing lack of audience demand.

The London Olympics has not had a significant impact on the uptake of 3DTVs or 3D services. Indeed, there have been several reports of disappointing viewing figures of BBC’s Olympics coverage in 3D. According to the BBC just 66,000 people watched the 100m final in 3D despite the fact that it was available free to air and that well over 1m UK homes now own a 3DTV.

“This may well be down to the fact that the 100m is a very short event and therefore many people may not want the hassle of switching to the 3D channel and putting on the glasses,” notes Futuresource analyst Amy Martin. “However, viewing figures of other sports events in 3D from the BBC (including the Wimbledon final) have been low and it seems that specialised 3D video and certain 3D movies are the most popular forms of 3D content.”

Even Sony’s professional division emphasises its leadership in 4K over that of 3D, with Head of AV Media Olivier Bovis confirming that the company will have “no brand new product that will revolutionise 3D” on show at IBC2012. “We have left the early adopter stage and entered a stage of standardised production, but one which is not yet mainstream,” he adds.

Instead it’s a waiting game. Waiting for decent quality, mass produced glasses free screens.

Predicts Futuresource’s Martin, “Passive 3D is gaining share versus active shutter and enables the feature to be offered on a wider product range at lower prices, and within 3-4 years we expect auto-stereo or glasses-free sets to start building displacing active shutter at the high-end of the market “

All the major consumer electronics brands are investing in it with Dolby making considerable splash at NAB2012 with its full HD autostereoscopic display technology devised with Philips Research. The latter developed a receiver and lens array to optimise the display of glasses-free 3D content compressed with Dolby’s codec over any size screen or device. The prototype will again be demonstrated with the first commercial models expected in 2013, according to Dolby.

These though will be high-end models so the 3DTV industry will have to bide its time until the latter half of the decade for business to improve.

Putting safety back in front

Broadcast

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/production-feature/putting-safety-back-in-front/5044472.article

Falling budgets have led to some productions cutting corners on health and safety, but it could prove more costly in the long run. Adrian Pennington speaks to the experts.

Serious health and safety incidents in TV would appear to be in decline, but there’s no room for complacency, as the perennial squeeze on budgets can create the biggest risk of all.

“People who work in TV have a good commitment to safety and are doing the best they can, but they are under more pressure than employers in other industries like construction and manufacturing. I expect we will see more accidents as a result,” says Olivia van der Werff, managing director of health and safety adviser Beyond Dispute.

Awareness of safety has changed for the better over the past decade, suggests anecdotal evidence and official figures from the Health and Safety Executive (HSE).

The number of non-fatal injuries reported by employers has been dropping consistently since 1998, standing at 115,379 in 2010/11. Self-reported non-fatal injuries have also fallen in that time, the Labour Force Survey estimates.

While film and TV can be expected to chime with that trend, break­out statistics are harder to come by. “For an industry based on free­lancers, that is serious, so we do need data to be collated,” says Clem Leneghan, film and TV adviser at Safety Guys.

Fear of speaking out

There are accounts of injured parties refusing to co-operate with the HSE for fear of the reputation they may gain.

“In other industries, people are keen to find a ‘no win, no fee’ lawyer, but the TV business is a small world, and people fear they won’t find work again if they sue,” says Van der Werff.

As in the broader workplace, rather than the more obviously hazardous environments, the most common accidents in TV involve manual handling, tripping and falls from a height. “High risks tend to be well managed simply because it is obvious what to do,” says Bob Forster, who runs 1st Option Safety Services. “Incidents of people falling down the steps of a location van or over cables tend to cause frequent injuries that can keep people out of work for months.”

The biggest problem is the continuous downward pressure on budgets and the knock-on effect on set-up times, planning and recces - challenges that are more acute for smaller companies, which lack the resources or the confidence of bigger outfits to challenge broadcaster demands.

Including a health and safety check in the production budget is not an option but there are few regulations outlawing any specific practice on safety grounds. Producers could face a civil suit if they are shown to be acting negligently, such as employing an incompetent stunt co-ordinator. Potentially more serious, carrying imprisonment as an ultimate penalty, is falling foul of the Health and Safety at Work Act (1974).

“If you get it wrong, the consequences are much more serious than just getting sued or fined,” says Leneghan. “The law doesn’t specify, for example, that there is a limit on falls of 20ft. The onus is on the producer to risk-assess whether the situation is ‘reasonably practicable’. That obscure legal phrase essentially means the more risk involved, the more effort you need to make to ensure the risk is minimised.”

H&S issues in film and TV differ from most other work environments and pose particular dilemmas.

“Imagine building a factory with a budget of £10m for a building that has to last 25 years,” says Leneghan. “You wouldn’t think twice about putting a £10,000 handrail around the roof for safety during maintenance.

“For film and TV, you may be asking people to site themselves on a rooftop for maybe five minutes or half an hour. The nature of the risk is temporary and the economics of erecting a safety rail don’t stack up.

“Since the law makes no allowances for lack of time or money, the choice is whether or not to send a crew into a dangerous situation knowing that you don’t have the money and resources to make it as safe as you would like.”

It’s the job of H&S specialists to advise on what ‘reasonably practic­able’ means. “There is a culture of cynicism towards H&S, which has come about because some institutions have taken a risk-averse and literal approach to the law,” says Leneghan. “By risk-assessing absolutely everything, it becomes seen as a bureaucratic exercise and even a joke, with the danger that this attitude extends to practices on set.

“We take the view that risk assessment is a tool to help producers make decisions to keep their teams out of hospital - and themselves out of court.”

Forster backs this view. “H&S should be in support of production,” he says. “If a safety adviser’s first response is ‘no’, then change the safety adviser. If the insurer’s initial response is ‘no’ or they want a load more money, find another insurer. The reality is you can do almost anything you want, provided you understand the risk. Problems arise where people do not have the necessary experience and confidence, support or advice.”

Established practice

Caroline Daly, freelance production manager and secretariat of the Film Broadcast Health and Safety Group, says H&S is now embedded in the production culture at grass roots, with all members of the team thinking through risk assessments and policies from the start of production.

Arguably, this practice is more ingrained than in the film industry, where temporary shell companies set up for a particular project lack a history of H&S.

Skillset administers the Production Safety Passport (PSP), a database that logs the H&S qualifications of industry professionals. Running since October 2010, it has clocked up a quarter (3,500) of the registered base of people working in TV production roles. It is working with employers to deliver a unified H&S framework that ties in the PSP with Skillset-developed qualifications and the Joint Industry Grading Scheme (JIGS), which embraces special effects, stunts and rigging.

Skillset can also approve individual grants for H&S training, provided there is evidence of need. In 2011, it funded 53 individuals, at an average of £207 each. This year, it is releasing funding for TV freelancer training in three lots of £100,000 to cover craft technical areas, producer skills and H&S, with the first tranche already allocated.

Nonetheless, the pressure of working long hours may take its toll. “It’s only a matter of time before we see a really bad accident as a result of tiredness,” predicts Van der Werff. “It will probably happen as a result of someone driving home. It will be a junior person because they are asked to work crazy hours, and it will probably not be reported as an H&S incident at all.”

RISK ASSESSMENT CRITERIA

People Are the crew and contractors physically and technically competent? What risks will public contributors bring, and what additional level of support and advice is needed?

Equipment From cameras to generators, what kit is needed and what risks does that entail?

Task What could go wrong with any particular task, from rigging a set to stunt work?

Environment Assess the location for risk. Is there potential for violence? What is the weather condition? Are explosives involved? Is it shot in a studio, a housing estate or down a mine?

DAREDEVILS: LIFE ON THE EDGE PLAYING IT SAFE

Channel 4’s Daredevils: Life On The Edge (Christie HQ/Renegade Pictures) explores why people engage in extreme sports. Filming involved some high-risk scenarios for both contributors and crew. In one sequence, presenter and stunt cyclist Danny MacAskill races at 150mph on the back of TT racer Guy Martin’s motorbike. The show’s safety adviser, Clem Leneghan, explains the steps taken to ensure their safety.

“The motorbike had to be modified by an expert mechanic and then tested. We also had to ensure that the onboard minicams weren’t going to interfere with the safe operation of the bike - again, this needed a specialist to install and check the kit.

“We explored several options to make Danny feel more secure, especially when leaning into the corners. We discussed using a strap to attach him to Guy but, in the end, they both felt more comfortable going low-tech - in other words, Danny held on very tightly. We also looked in detail at the set-up on the track, including camera positions, marshalling, control of access to the track, comms and emergency procedures.

“On similar shows in the past, we might have been physically present for all of the recces and filming, which obviously involves cost for the production. Now we will stop and think twice before telling the client that they have to spend that money - by having very regular [phone/email] contact and being very selective about when we are needed on location.

“We can still be a real support for the production team, but at a lower cost.”

Haivision and iStreamPlanet Go Live for Olympics Streaming

StreamingMedia

Created specifically for the Olympics, Haivision and iStreamPlanet's GoLive service offers an end-to-end solution from signal acquisition to player.

http://www.streamingmedia.com/Articles/Editorial/Featured-Articles/Haivision-and-iStreamPlanet-Go-Live-for-Olympics-Streaming-83752.aspx

IBC on track to break records

Broadcast

Trade show IBC is on target to break its record for visitor numbers having already sold the largest amount of floor space in its history.

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/ibc-on-track-to-break-records/5044091.article

More than 55,000 attended last year and organisers anticipate a 5% increase in numbers when doors in September.The exhibition has sold a record amount of space, including that of an additional fourteenth hall, with over 100 companies set to make their IBC debut.

“Despite the financial pressures of the Eurozone, exhibitors are showing a lot of confidence in IBC,” said chief executive Michael Crimp.“That may be counterintuitive but I think IBC is seen as a safe pair of hands and an essential part of growing their long-term business.”

Also new to IBC is a section devoted to file-based production, and an expanded Rising Stars programme aimed at finding and inducting the next generation of industry leaders. An invitation-only Leaders Summit returns with an expanded roster of 20 delegates, including Discovery Networks International chief executive Mark Hollinger and Sky chief operating officer Mike Darcey.

Headlining the IBC Conference are ITN chief executive John Hardie and Samsung Electronics executive vice president David Eun.

Panoramic ball camera to make debut at IBC

Broadcast 

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/panoramic-ball-camera-to-make-debut-at-ibc/5044266.article

IBC 2012: A unique camera kit that can be thrown into the air to capture panoramic still images will be demonstrated at IBC.

The Throwable Panoramic Ball Camera takes a full spherical panorama when thrown into the air. At the peak of its flight, a full panoramic image is captured instantaneously by 36 2-megapixel mobile phone camera modules.

Inventor Jonas Pfeil said: “Conventional techniques for capturing panoramic images have either a low resolution or cannot be used with moving subjects. With this technology, every direction is covered, even up and down, and the single images are combined into a single panoramic image. It can capture scenes with many moving objects without producing ghosting artefacts.”

Pfeil and his business partners are currently seeking an investor or third party to license out further development and production.

The Dalai Lama

Total Production

The 14th Dalai Lama, Tenzin Gyatso, spent ten days in Britain last month as part of a tireless mission to share his beliefs of non-violence, dialogue and compassion with audiences all over the world. Adrian Pennington went to Manchester Arena to witness this idea-challenging, historical event.

http://www.tpimagazine.com/production-profiles/1507467/the_dalai_lama.html

NHK develops SHV tech for London 2012

Broadcast 

http://www.broadcastnow.co.uk/techfacils/nhk-develops-shv-tech-for-london-2012/5043993.article

A graphics system and editing platform are among the innovations developed by Japanese broadcaster NHK for the Super Hi-Vision (SHV) production of the London 2012 Olympics.

A lightweight SHV camcorder will also be previewed, but not used in the trials. Uncompressed signals will be taken from Olympic venues back to Television Centre, where the BBC is building a production suite to generate a live feed and 45-minute highlights reel for showing on giant screens in the UK, US and Japan.

“This includes an ability to render the world’s first SHV graphics,” said Tim Plyming, project executive, digital, and editor, live sites, BBC London 2012.

Pictures will be streamed across the UK’s Janet research network, a 20GB IP network, to Washington via other academic networks, and streamed to Tokyo and Fukushima by telco NTT.