2 October 2023: Leader Electronics reports a well attended 2023 International Broadcasting Convention with visitor numbers substantially up on the 2022 figure. Claimed attendance was around 43,000 registrants from 170 countries, 6,000 higher than the 2022 total.The show felt busy and had an energy and buzz about it, says Kevin Salvidge, Sales Engineering Manager at Leader Europe. The four-day format introduced last year seemed to work really well. Most visitors to our booth had researched their requirements online and knew exactly which products they were looking for. The show gave them the opportunity to confirm that their understanding of the products was correct. Our theme at the show was once again on smoothing the transition from SD to HD, HD to UHD, SDR to HDR, SDI to IP and on-premises to cloud. The restricted availability of IP switches in 2022 seems to have been resolved and most visitors to our booth were talking about their IP test and measurement requirements. The challenge remains that the transition from SDI to IP requires in-house expertise which most broadcasters do not have. Accurate, robustly built and operator-friendly test equipment has become essential at every point in the broadcast media workflow.
NEW: Leader LT4670 SDI/IP reference and test signal generator
Announced on day one of IBC 2023, Leader's LT4670 is a 1U full-rack width synchronous SDI/IP reference and test signal generator. It comes with a wide range of tools augmented by options which customers can add when needed. The standard LT4670 toolset includes genlocked black burst signals and tri-level sync pulse generation; stay-in-sync function in the event of an error in the incoming genlock signal; low-lock stabilization when returning to genlock from stay-in-sync; 48 kHz word-clock signal output synchronized to incoming video, and synchronous control between devices (L-SYNC). Preset and memory functions are included. Power supply and fan units are hot-swappable to ensure workflow continuity. Optional features include GNSS synchronization, PTP synchronization, 4K quad-link, plus 3G-SDI, HD-SDI and SD-SDI outputs in any combination, allowing optimal management of synchronous systems.
ENHANCED: Leader LVB440 IP analyzer with expanded toolset
Designed for use across a wide range of IP-connected broadcast production and content distribution environments, the Leader LVB440 can be accessed locally or remotely by up to eight users at the same time via a standard HTML-5 web browser. Applications include monitoring and analyzing high-bitrate media traffic in broadcast studios, OB vehicles, remote production facilities, master control environments and transmission networks.
Occupying a space-efficient 1U, the LVB440 gives production teams the resources they need to perform real-time checks on large numbers of media data streams in parallel at multiple locations. The instrument allows high-precision analysis of SD, HD, UHD and full 4K data flow. Data rates of 10, 25, 40 and 50 gigabit/s are supported, extending up to 100 gigabit/s via dual interfaces. Operators gain the ability to survey every media transport layer of an IP network quickly and easily, allowing issues to be rectified before they impact the quality of service experienced by television viewers.
The new additions include an extended audio toolset supporting all current Dolby standards, enhanced event logging capabilities and a supplementary information display giving operators advice relevant to each measurement.
IBC DEBUT: JPEG XS quality control options for LV5600 waveform monitor and LV7600 rasterizer
Also making its IBC debut was option LV5600-SER33 for the Leader LV5600 waveform monitor and its LV7600-SER33 equivalent for the Leader LV7600 rasterizer. Purchasable as an option which can be activated for new or existing instruments, the SER33 toolset offers television broadcast production teams the resources they need to check the quality of their JPEG XS feeds during pre-transmission system alignment and live content delivery. Incoming JPEG XS signal streams can be decoded within the test instrument for comparison with uncompressed sources using the multiscreen facilities common to the LV5600 and LV7600. The toolset also includes a JPEG XS test pattern generator. JPEG XS compresses the data volume by up to 15:1, dependent on the amount of detail and movement in the transmitted image. It includes HDR compatibility and can accommodate bit depths of up to 16 bits per component channel. Most important of all, the protocol also offers a high level of multi-generation encoding/decoding robustness.
Housed in a half-rack width 3U rackmount or desktop chassis with a touchscreen front panel display, Leader's LV5600 waveform monitor provides the facilities needed to monitor SDI as well as video-over-IP signals seamlessly in a hybrid operating environment. Engineering-related features include test pattern generation, eye pattern display, closed-caption monitoring, CIE chroma chart, HDR measurement, focus assist, customizable screen layout, tally interface, 4K/UHD operation, 10G/25G IP input and 12G-SDI interfaces. SMPTE 2022-6, SMPTE 2022-7 and SMPTE 2110 protocols are all supported. Also incorporated are Leaders CINEZONE and CINELITE which allow fast and intuitive quality monitoring by content production staff. The Leader LV7600 rasterizer offers the same capabilities as the LV5600 but in a low-profile 19 inch 1U form-factor for easy rack or desk mounting.
The general conclusion at the show was that high-quality, engaging and entertaining content will remain king, Kevin Salvidge summarizes. OTT will remain the logical platform for higher resolution broadcasting because it overcomes the bandwidth restrictions that terrestrial and satellite networks face. Apart from NHK's pioneering activity in Japan, 8K now seems to be the preserve
