System NewsBaseDV

By Vladimir Zontov

Review contents:

Post-production systems of DV format The mobile DV-solution from Apple AVID systems for TV programs post production in DV format Canopus DV Storm2 Pro System NewsBaseDV System Serial-4-Cam for preparation of material at multicamera shooting DV-installation: variants are possible Videoediting stations of DV format from Matrox Company Systems of Pinnacle Liquid Edition series DV Rack from Serious Magic Program-making system DV Station

Production of TV programs is a complex and many-sided task for which there are no uniform solutions. If the short advertising roller may be in production during some days, weeks, and even months, and TV film may be shooted even longer, for example, the news scene should be prepared in the shortest terms, or it will lose a topicality or simply will not get in the next news program. Therefore the task of time minimization for creation of news program is one of the most difficult and claimed.

And here on the way of new technologies, which are more and more actively applied in other areas of video production (advertising, feature films and the serials, scientifically popular programs etc.), practically insuperable barrier is rised: it is the essential time charge for preparation for editing.

Because of it the news frequently prepares in the old manner, on linear editing tables (editing pairs) which frequently are more expensive, demand serious expenses for maintenance of serviceability, are much more modest by opportunities. And in connection with transition to the tapeless broadcasting (from video servers) for on-the-air the files, but not the cartridges with content, are required. So, due to inclusion of VTRs the digitization or complication of broadcast path is again necessary.

NewsBaseDV interface

There are some systems of hybrid editing in which alongside with normal pair “recorder — player” the computer is used, which are actually carried out the functions of an editing post, subtitle station and, if necessary, of the second video player. Here as an end result the file is made, but these systems in the majority are expensive and represent the detached editing places with the limited opportunities of integration in broadcast complex.

For the fast editing the NewsBaseDV system of JC System Integration Company have been designed. Taking into account, that the digital video equipment of DV-compatible formats (DV, DVCAM, DVCPRO), is used for news shootings more often, as basic system interface the IEEE 1394 (synonyms: FireWire, i-Link or simply DV) was chosen. It has allowed to lower the cost of the ready solution on one order and to make its accessible to studios with the most modest budget.

The main advantage of new system NewsBaseDV is in that, having the habitual nonlinear interface, it is designed according to ideology of linear editing. First of all, it is an opportunity of operation with tape recorder without digitization of content. The editor may operate by tape recorder from the program, look through splices, mark and place a fragment on editing ruler. Thus in the program the time code of the appropriate edit points is fixed only, and the content is remained on the tape physically. During final editing the digitization of necessary pieces will be only made.

For simplification and acceleration of editing the designers have refused from multilevel menus, and also have left only a necessary minimum of the transitions traditionally used at editing of news: cross fade, fade in/fade out in black or white field. The whole operation may conduct by hot keys (if there is a keyboard with a designation of keys for Avid editing systems it may simplify and speed up the assimilation of NewsBaseDV) completely. If necessary also it is possible to take the contextual menus called by click of the mouse right button. Before the beginning of work it is possible to adjust (have assigned the type and duration) the effects by default which will be automatically embedded on a joint of clips by pressing hot keys. Any user setting may be kept for subsequent use.

Besides a linear mode of operation with VTRs, NewsBaseDV may digitize materials from a unguided source (from an air, a simple VTR, an output of a camcorder), or in a packet mode with IEEE 1394 control. During digitization the function of recognition of scenes is operated so to the editor it is not necessary to look through all tape preliminary — changes of plans (optical recognition of scenes), record stopping (recognized on tape marks) will be displayed by the appropriate marks-reference points at editing.

During operation above the project (especially when a news program is edited under the ready text) the situation when in the video row there are holes which might be not noticed by editor may arise. For example, this situation may arise under splice correction when the fine scale of viewing of timeline is chosen, and it is easy not to notice a blank by one frame length. It is necessary to pass on a sequence and overview all material, and then to correct the clip lengths or the prepared graphic elements to insert. However each time such hand-held control demands much precious time, but guarantees, that the editor will not miss a hole of one frame, is not present. In NewsBaseDV system the problem is solved as follows: during transmission of the edited scene to the video server or during export to file the system automatically checks the presence of these holes within one frame accuracy and in case of their detection the editor is informed. Immediately by the right key of the mouse he may call the contextual menu and choose the method of defect elimination: to put the freeze frame from the previous scene, the freeze frame from the following scene or re-digitize one of these scenes, to fill in lack of the video row.

The system of operative editing NewsBaseDV has own built-in “subtitle tool”, however may use the files of standard formats (TGA, ICG — Insciber CG), prepared in graphic editors or specialized programs. There is a separate track for the text. It is necessary, when the scene is edited for ready scripting plan that it was not necessary each time to listen the speaker text for it conformity to the video row.

For audio operation in NewsBaseDV there are four tracks which may be mixed at will. One of most frequently used technique is Voice-over that is recording of a sound (announcer’s voice) directly during the project playback from time scale. There is one more function — Autosound: besides automatic reduction of all audio sequence (function “normalization”) to standard value of sound level it may be demanded the alignment of one sound track along to the chosen segment. For example, when the original sound and the announcer text (function voice-over) is present in the frame, a voice of the announcer should be louder than noise, otherwise the speech will be illegible. This function in NewsBaseDV refers to as Autosound and the same as normal normalization, is caused by one pressing of the button.

However all advantages of NewsBaseDV are presented during operation together with broadcast video servers of AutoPlay series. The project prepared in NewsBaseDV, may be kept directly in the video server database. Thus, not only initial operation of preliminary digitization is excluded from process, but also the set-up time of a server to distribution of content in the air is repeatedly decreased.

During operation of NewsBaseDV the content included in the video server database may be used. It can be both the separate video files, and the whole sequences of files (play lists) which are loaded into the program as editing projects. In the last version of program AutoPlay the new module NewsPlay has appeared, allowing to reproduce editing projects NewsBaseDV directly from a video server without the checking in one file.

And, at last, the problem of protection against unforeseen situations is not forgotten also. Probably, each of us were appeared in situation when the urgent project might be broken because of computer “suspension” or simply someone at the wrong time is decided to replace the fuse and switched-off the working computer. NewsBaseDV always has the temporary copy of project from which after emergency reloading it is possible to restore all changes irrespective of that whether work was stopped correctly, or there was an emergency switch-off of power supply.

Thus, the news editing system NewsBaseDV makes modern technologies accessible to the broad range of broadcasting companies. There is an opportunity with small capital investments to organize high-grade news broadcasting complex (News Room), including all necessary things for fast and qualitative preparation of news and other operative programs.

Material provided by JC System Integration Company