26 CREATION
April 2017
The Vitec Group addresses production requirements at 2017 NAB Show
Year after year , the NAB Show has been one of the leading platforms for groundbreaking innovation and product reveals from brands all over the world .
Bringing together some of the most respected and sought-after brands in the industry , the Vitec Group plans to make 2017 NAB Show another memorable year in cutting-edge advancements at booth C6025 , with
At IBC last year , a few of your brands made key product launches that received huge acclaim . Can you tell us a little more about these products ? Richard Satchell : 2016 was a great year of innovation that led to a number of successful launches for the Vitec Group ’ s broadcast division . At IBC , in particular , we unveiled the award-winning Vinten Vantage , which was the first compact robotic head of its kind to offer high-end broadcast robotic movement at the same price point as a PTZ ( pan-tilt-zoom ) camera .
We ’ ve also seen a very positive response to Sachtler ’ s award-winning FSB 10 , a new entry-level 100mm fluid head that builds upon the legacy of the robust FSB family , and is a premium solution for on-the-go camera operators working in news , documentaries , wildlife , and more .
For Litepanels , we introduced the Astra Soft Bi-Colour LED panel . With a new diffused lens , the Astra Soft Bi-Colour provides a soft light alternative to the original Astra 1x1 Bi-Colour LED panel , mimicking the effect of a softbox in a compact , portable design .
So last year was a very busy and exciting year for us , but we are looking to capitalise on the key industry trends to make 2017 our best year yet .
What are the key trends you believe the industry should watch out for this year ? Satchell : The Internet has enabled the sharing and distribution of content to a much wider audience and as a result , we have also seen the amount of content being produced and consumed increase exponentially . Linked to this , the cost of production has fallen significantly and broadcast-quality equipment is becoming ever more accessible to a wider set of content creators , and we fully expect this trend to continue .
We have embraced this trend and , last year , Vinten ’ s award-winning Vantage gave users the opportunity to future-proof their studios . This is a major product launches designed to improve the workflows and experiences of customers .
Richard Satchell , VP and general manager of Vitec brands such as Autoscript , Autocue , Sachtler , Vinten and O ’ Connor , provided APB with details on the brands ’ imminent plans and discussed up-and-coming industry trends .
compact robotic head with the same capabilities as Vinten ’ s high-end broadcast robotics , which means that as users need to change from HD to 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) or 8K , the Vantage head will support their future investments in new camera technologies .
You mentioned 4K / UHD . Many still have questions about its ROI and whether 4K / UHD is enough . What are your thoughts on these ? Satchell : More broadcasters are beginning to adopt 4K / UHD as a means to create a more immersive experience for viewers , and we are seeing this with increasing frequency in the sports industry . Portions of last year ’ s Rio Olympics were aired in 4K / UHD , while Japanese public broadcaster NHK is expected to broadcast the 2018 Winter Olympics in 8K . We believe 4K / UHD or 8K is not a question of ‘ if ’, but ‘ when ’.
As a result , this widespread increase in 4K / UHD content is influencing production equipment purchases by studios and technology developments by manufacturers towards Internet Protocol ( IP )
The Vinten Vantage is said to be the “ first ” compact robotic head to offer highend broadcast robotic movement at the same price point as a pantilt-zoom ( PTZ ) camera . adoption . IP solves many of the questions around 4K / UHD production and gives studios the bandwidth , flexibility and connectivity they need to support 4K / UHD and beyond .
And while mainstream adoption of IP is not dependent on 4K / UHD , widespread adoption of 4K / UHD for live production is largely dependent on IP . In other words , IP has been around for a while in studios , but its universal implementation is going to be driven by — and is pretty much a prerequisite for — 4K / UHD production .
What trends and new products can we expect to see from the Vitec Group at 2017 NAB Show ? Satchell : NAB Show 2017 will be very exciting for the Vitec Group ! Our goal is to develop best-in-class solutions that are user-friendly and help customers concentrate on what they are creating . This year , we will have groundbreaking launches from Vinten , Sachtler , Litepanels and Autoscript . Across the industry , we have seen broadcastquality equipment become available to a wider audience . Our brands have not only embraced this trend but have also led it . So this year , we are building on the success of our
Vantage head with the launch of the Vinten microVRC controller .
The new microVRC controller is a cost-effective tool that gives users the ability to leverage Vinten ’ s award-winning robotics , including the Vantage compact robotic head , at a fraction of the cost . This gives everyone , from small studios to enterprise customers access to the benefits of robotics , including broadcast-quality movement and unmatched flexibility in content creation .
❝ The widespread increase in 4K / UHD content is influencing production equipment purchases by studios and technology developments by manufacturers towards Internet Protocol ( IP ) adoption .❞
— Richard Satchell , VP and General Manager , Brands ,
Vitec Group
What are some of the other benefits of having this new technology in the market ? Satchell : The microVRC is truly groundbreaking and the only product of its kind . It is an easy-to-configure modular version of our full HD-VRC software , which offers the user control of robotic systems and access to various features such as camera select , pre-set shots , essential shading , as well as video switcher integration .
This is a game-changer because it makes robotics available to a wider audience and easier to use . It allows users to extend the controller ’ s functionality through additional software features and add-ons , including third-party PTZ integration , the ability to add support for ICE , additional Vantage heads or full support for the automation interface ( support for ICE and full support for the automation interface will be available this September ).
This allows the controller ’ s abilities to grow with the studio or users ’ requirements . The microVRC is ideally suited for customers who require support for Vantage heads , control over third-party PTZs or need to control up to four pan-and-tilt heads .
This is just one of the major launches we have planned for 2017 NAB Show . I do not want to give away too many details but I can say there will be something new for users from all different markets — broadcast , cinema , pro-video and everyone in between . ❑