Channel in a Box...... At IBC 2013

Channel in a box or CIB for short. Or even called an ICD integrated channel device. Whatever the label, the aim of the game is to provide the same levels of service currently found in traditional broadcast chains, plus quality, device capability, flexibility and reliability all from this 1 box.  All of which should be cheaper to put into service and maintain than the current models which have been in place for some years.




I keep reading the phrase play out out providers are 'experimenting' with this new way of delivering programming and launching new channels at the drop of a hat, albeit at an competitive rate in these harsh economic times.

When does the experimenting stop?

Surely now we have got to a stage in product development that these types of product have reached a tipping point. Providing quality and reliable programming output that delivers against the most strictest of service level agreements. It is reported that the long held fears of the server reliability is now a distant memory with both server and software improvements.  I actually believe that with the decline of the linear transmission model, less and less capital will be available and so CIBs offer a suitable solution going forward. To quote Senior Product Manager Karl Mehring at the UK Based Snell Group

"More of today’s consumers expect to view content when and where it’s convenient and on the device of their choosing,” Mehring said. “These market dynamics are forcing broadcasters to offer a broader range of services without a commensurate increase in revenue per service to finance the supporting infrastructure.  Out of these requirements has emerged the concept of a “channel in a box,” a turnkey broadcast production system that combines master control and playout functions into a single, compact unit. By reducing the number of complex, high-maintenance systems in a production workflow, a CIB solution offers great potential for helping broadcasters run a leaner and more nimble operation." Source Broadcast Engineering

At IBC this year it will be interesting to see the huge number of companies offering a channel in box solution. From the well established automation companies such as Snell offering ICE, Harris Broadcast offering VERSIO and recently Pebble Beach offering Stingray. Grass Valley with the GV Edge , Plus a number of others from Oasys, Miranda, Pixel Power......  The list is endless.

Each CIB has the fundamentals, plus a layer of unique features and benefits that sets them apart from the competition.

Who ends up being the market leader and preferred vendor? Time will tell and to be honest whoever that vendor is, they are set to do rather well! As the global channel-in-a-box market is estimated to grow from $43.4 million in 2012 to $146 million in 2017.

Who has the best CIB product in you opinion?
	Snell
	Harris
	Grass Valley
	Evertz
	Pixel Power
	PlayBox
	HARDATA Smart Server
	Harmonic
	Pebble Beach
	Oasys
	Florical
	Miranda
pollcode.com free polls

Security.....

10 Immutable Laws of Security

I love this page from Microsoft declaring the 10 laws of security..... Most of which I have to say is just good old common sense. But then again there a lot of stupid people out there !!

Source Microsoft 10 Immutable Laws

Here at the Microsoft Security Response Center, we investigate thousands of security reports every year. In some cases, we find that a report describes a bona fide security vulnerability resulting from a flaw in one of our products; when this happens, we develop a patch as quickly as possible to correct the error. (See "A Tour of the Microsoft Security Response Center"). In other cases, the reported problems simply result from a mistake someone made in using the product. But many fall in between. They discuss real security problems, but the problems don't result from product flaws. Over the years, we've developed a list of issues like these, that we call the 10 Immutable Laws of Security.

Don't hold your breath waiting for a patch that will protect you from the issues we'll discuss below. It isn't possible for Microsoft—or any software vendor—to "fix" them, because they result from the way computers work. But don't abandon all hope yet—sound judgment is the key to protecting yourself against these issues, and if you keep them in mind, you can significantly improve the security of your systems.

Law #1: If a bad guy can persuade you to run his program on your computer, it's not your computer anymore 
Law #2: If a bad guy can alter the operating system on your computer, it's not your computer anymore 
Law #3: If a bad guy has unrestricted physical access to your computer, it's not your computer anymore 
Law #4: If you allow a bad guy to upload programs to your website, it's not your website any more 
Law #5: Weak passwords trump strong security 
Law #6: A computer is only as secure as the administrator is trustworthy 
Law #7: Encrypted data is only as secure as the decryption key 
Law #8: An out of date virus scanner is only marginally better than no virus scanner at all 
Law #9: Absolute anonymity isn't practical, in real life or on the Web 
Law #10: Technology is not a panacea 

Odemax FIRST EVER NET DELIVERED 4K FILM!

Odemax.... 

looks like the Red Bee company logo !

Odemax are the first to deliver a 4K movie to the home.
The unlikely group to pull off this next step in the fast paced evolution of TV you have never heard of. We all thought Sony would break this ground first, but no !

Last month, a REDRAY player downloaded a Ultra HD/4K movie for the very first time, a milestone in 4k online distribution.  The film, which was a 23-minute short titled “The Ballad of Danko Jones,” starring Elijah Wood.

The movie at 23 minutes in length was 3GB in size and took over an hour and a half to download by an OdeMax customer over Time Warner Cable and was encoded with RED’s UHD Codec. A file size of 3 GB for a film that’s not even a half hour long? Blimey !
It’s important to note that the film was downloaded and stored on RED’s REDRAY Server and not streamed, but streaming is sure to come.

And while the 23-minute short weighed in at a hefty 3GB download, according to Odemax, the download was merely a private beta test of the network architecture to select users that used less compression, presumably to stress test the connection.

Odemax/Red says that the compression settings of the REDRAY codec can create feature length file sizes of 6GB. And even if that’s true, you’re talking about taking three hours to download a film to watch it with current consumer grade bandwidth speeds.

In other news, representatives from BBC and BSkyB will co-chair a new forum to outline the requirements for Ultra HD televisions, before any new sets are plastered with "Ultra HD-Ready" labels.
The new UHD-Forum will outline the benefits of the new format which, the Telegraph reports, will help to avoid a repeat of the public confusion surrounding 'HD Ready,' claims when high-def sets first arrived.

The group, led by the UK's Digital TV Group (DTG), will also decide whether a 'UHD profile' should be established, requiring manufacturers to meet certain standards in order to call their TV's 'Ultra HD'.

The sets currently on sale only have to meet the '4K resolution' can call themselves Ultra HD, but the forum sees variables like colour, frame rate and dynamic range as also contributing to the new viewing standard

A number of 'Ultra HD' sets from Sony and Samsung (like the S9 Ultra) have already gone on sale in the UK in the last few months, starting at around £3,999 and are available from Curry's and PC World.
Sony has pledged to begin streaming 4K movies later this year, in light of the current dearth of Ultra HD content available to consumers.