SMPTE New England Section Meeting

(FREE AND OPEN TO ALL). Students are especially welcome!

DATE: Friday, September 28th

TIME: 6:30 PM light refreshments, 7:00 Meeting

LOCATION: WGBH-TV, 1 Guest Street, Boston.

Free parking with validation in the adjacent garage.

PRESENTER: Jim Jachetta, EVP of Engineering and CTO of VidOvation

Advances in Wireless Video

THE EVENT: You will learn about the technical challenges of producing a live multi-city reality show. You will also learn about new wireless developments facilitating broadcast quality video with only a 7msec delay.

EXAMPLES DISCUSSED: The Technical Director of A&E’s live reality show “Live PD” faced several technical issues. One major challenge was how to cost-effectively produce a “live-from-the-street” police show in six cities simultaneously using up to 41 cameras.

The show is a REMI (Remote Integration Model) production, where every camera is home-run from each police vehicle to A&E master control in New York. All cameras must

be in perfect gen-lock synchronization, and have perfect audio and video lip-sync, because there is no time in a live broadcast to correct synchronization issues.

In this presentation by Jim Jachetta, he will delve into the details behind the video transmission solution from VidOvation and Haivision solving this technical challenge.

You will learn about Haivision’s SafeStreams technology, with advanced forward-error correction, that automatically re-requests dropped packets and uses bonding techniques, precise timing, and adaptive bit-rate encoding over bonded cellular and the public internet.

FEATURES PRESENTED:

• Broadcast live from six or seven different cities simultaneously

• Maintain Gen-lock, multi-camera synchronization and lip sync

• Stream live at 130 MPH from a police vehicle

• Stream live from handheld camera operators

No other technology was able to meet these challenges.

Directions to WGBH

WGBH is located in Boston’s Brighton neighborhood, close to Allston, Cambridge, and Watertown, Massachusetts.

The address is: WGBH

One Guest Street, Boston, MA 02135 617-300-2000

From the East: Via Mass Pike (I-90)

Take Exit 20 (Brighton/Cambridge). After toll booth, follow sign to Allston/Brighton. Continue on exit ramp to cross over Mass Pike onto Cambridge St. Go through four traffic lights. At fifth light, with Twin Donuts in front of you, bear right onto North Beacon St. Go through three traffic lights. At fourth light, turn right onto Market St. At next light, turn right onto Guest St.

Via I-93, Route 1, or Storrow Drive

Follow Storrow Drive west to Mass Pike/Central Square exit. On exit ramp, stay in left lane. Turn left onto Cambridge St. After traffic lights at ramp and Doubletree Hotel, cross over Mass Pike, continuing on Cambridge St. Go through four traffic lights. At fifth light, with Twin Donuts in front of you, bear right onto North Beacon St. Go through three traffic lights. At fourth light, turn right onto Market St. At next light, turn right onto Guest St.

From the West Via Mass Pike (I-90)

Take Exit 18 (Brighton/Cambridge), bearing left after toll booth and following signs to Allston/Brighton. Cross over Mass Pike onto Cambridge St. Go through four traffic lights. At fifth light, with Twin Donuts in front of you, bear right onto North Beacon St. Go through three traffic lights. At fourth light, turn right onto Market St. At next light, turn right onto Guest St.

Via Arsenal Street

Pass Arsenal Mall. Get into right lane and continue up Arsenal St. through two traffic lights, following signs to Brighton Center. At third light, turn right and immediately get into left lane. Pass through two lights on Market Street. At third light, turn left onto Guest St.

Via Charlesbank/Soldiers Field Rd.

After MDC pool on right, road splits; bear right onto Leo Birmingham Hwy., follow sign for North Beacon St./Brighton Center. Go through one traffic light and one flashing light. At next light, turn right onto Market St., passing over Mass Pike. Turn left onto Guest St. at next light.

Via public transportation

WGBH’s Guest Street studios are easily accessed by two MBTA bus lines. Number 64 runs from Faneuil St. Oak Square in Brighton to University Park or Kendall/MIT via Central Square

(Red Line). Number 86 runs from Sullivan Square Station to Cleveland Circle (Reservoir/Chestnut Hill Ave.) via Harvard Square, providing access to the Red and Green Lines.

For MBTA bus schedules: www.mbta.com

The Boston Landing Commuter Rail Station offers another option.

Located adjacent to Boston Landing on Guest St (spanning to the Everett St bridge), the service runs along the Framingham-Worcester line.

Martin P. Feldman, SMPTE New England Section Chairman