What is Extreme File Transfer, and How Does it Help Organizations Move Large Files More Efficiently?

When it comes to large file transfers, there is always a concern about the size of large data files and how long it will take to exchange them from one location to another. Files are growing in size due to the increasing sophistication of data capture (high resolution video/imaging). Workflows for data are becoming more geographically dispersed. Files generated in one location are processed or consumed in other locations. That might be in another country or continent. It is the distance that can slow the process down, and the problem has gotten worse with the pandemic moving a lot of workflows remote. Every industry is experiencing growth in the average size of files and it’s even more important for organizations to pay attention to what sort of tools they will use as their large file transfer sharing solution. The main question that organizations should ask when trying to move extra-large file sizes (that are gigabytes in size) from point A to point B is: what’s the most efficient and effective way? The answer may be extreme file transfer (XFT).

What is Extreme File Transfer (XFT)? 

Extreme file transfer, also known as XFT, comes from a need to solve the issue of large file size. In some cases, the files themselves may be much too large. In others, the problem may be that the file destination is simply too far away for reliable delivery over TCP/IP. These large files have become known as “extreme files.” Like many file transfer options, there are some shortcomings to TCP/IP that can get in the way of file transfers. There is a small window that the file can be transferred within which forces users to find a different solution to share files: extreme file transfer. XFT allows companies to move a large amount of data quickly and reliably and over larger distances than other protocols.

What Can Extreme File Transfer Do for Your Organization? 

Extreme file transfer is a category of file transfer that focuses on moving files faster than traditional methods. Each extreme file transfer product (such as FileCatalyst) has a proprietary protocol that can move files very quickly. Here are a few incredibly useful benefits of XFT:

  • Disaster recovery and business continuity
  • Content distribution and collection, e.g., software or source code updates
  • Continuous sync – near real time synchronizing for ‘active-active’ style HA
  • Supports basic replication, but also more complex bi-directional sync and mesh scenarios
  • Person to person distribution of digital assets
  • Collaboration and exchange for geographically distributed teams
  • File based review, approval, and quality assurance workflow

As evidenced above, extreme file transfer is a powerful tool for those who have large files to transfer, especially over long distances. If your organization finds that a more robust file transfer protocol is necessary for their workflows and security plans, extreme file transfer could be the solution

FileCatalyst’s Extreme File Transfer 

FileCatalyst is an XFT solution in that it was built to support the fast transfer of very large files at high bandwidth over long distances. Big data, media-rich files, databases and more can benefit from FileCatalyst’s acceleration capabilities. FileCatalyst’s accelerated file transfer applies anywhere in the world. Any organization can calculate the estimated length of time file transfers will take with FileCatalyst from different locations in the world.

One of FileCatalyst’s major strengths is its ability to begin transferring media files that are still being encoded. Even as a file grows, transfers can begin. Organizations are also able to leverage on-the-fly compression in order to maximize transfer speeds and achieve reliable file transfers over remote networks. They can also quickly distribute data across a WAN to any of their storage platforms. For companies like the Travel Channel, Filecatalyst was able to “transfer and manage its internal digital content exchange more efficiently, creating an immediately faster, and better organized, file exchange process.” – Matthew Westrup, Head of Operations at Scripps Networks

Ultimately, FileCatalyst provides many of the key capabilities that make up XFT. It is designed to meet organization’s needs for quick file transfers of any size from anywhere in the world.

In Conversation with Blackbird

We are joined by Ian McDonough, CEO at Blackbird to hear more about their recent announcement that a global broadcast company has licensed their core video technology, Blackbird, including patented video codec technology, for a 5 year period.

We hear why they chose to go with Blackbird and the importance, as more and more remote production is taking place, of being able to access professional standard editing toolsets in a browser on minimal bandwidth for customers.

In The Hub Ep 51 – PlayBox Technology Launches MEGA ICX – w/ Phillip Neighbour

In this week’s episode, the team at PlayBox Technology has a very special announcement. The latest version of our industry-leading playout software, AirBox MEGA ICX, has launched and is available for free trial download. We’re joined once again by Phillip Neighbour as he takes us through the benefits of the new solution, how hybrid is the future for broadcasters and what he envisions for the future of playout.

In The Hub Ep 50 – The Future of Sports Broadcasting Pt.2 – w/ Bruce Devlin

This week, join us in welcoming back Mr MXF himself – Bruce Devlin. This episode closes our 2-part series on The Future of Sports Broadcasting. Bruce talks us through exciting new technology trends in sports, whether a stadium atmosphere can ever be matched and reveals his vision for the future of sports broadcasting.

Calrec Craft Interview: Zeynep Mengioglu, Sound Engineer at HD Protek in Turkey

Summary: Turkey-based Zeynep Mengioglu is the first woman to work in an OB van in Turkey. Her years of growing up around professional audio have helped hone her craft as a sound engineer at HD Protek, which is part of the Saran Media in Istanbul. She uses the Brio, Omega and Summa consoles and specializes in sports broadcasts.

1. How did you become a Sound Technician and who or what inspired you to go into this field? What does your current role involve?

My family used to own a sound system company. I developed a special interest in sound as I grew up learning about the techniques of it all. I moved to Istanbul after my graduation and I started working on music entertainment programmes on national channels. I witnessed technology move from SD to HD, Dolby Stereo started to emerge and back then I didn’t know anything about digital mixers. In 2008, the Saran Media Group decided to build an HD OB truck for the first time in Turkey. They asked me to work on the installation for that project and then I started to work as head of the audio team. I was very excited about learning about OB truck installation and understanding many new technologies. It was a very important opportunity for my technical development and we worked on many important projects together.

2. When did you first start working with Calrec products? We know you are currently using a Summa, Brio and Omega consoles, but can you tell us more about the projects/give examples of what you programmes you have worked on?

In 2012, Saran was building its third OB truck. We were looking for a console for that project. Calrec’s Turkish distributor offered us a Calrec Omega console, which we quickly realised would meet all of our needs. Prior to this, we had the opportunity to review different Calrec consoles at IBC and we knew the Omega console would fit with our way of working.

Saran is a very important technical services provider and a rights holder in Turkey for many years. It’s a key partner for many of the TV platforms in Turkey, and the Saran technical team works under the guise of many channels. For 13 years, I have been a member of this team for national and international sports broadcasting. We work with organisations such as UEFA, FIFA, FİBA, Euroleague, Turkish Super League and on TV shows such as The Voice. Calrec consoles completely meet our needs across all of the projects on which we work; they are vital in our work because they are easy to understand and use.

3. How does mixing for sports broadcasts differ from other types of live broadcast?

Sports broadcasting is very varied in its requirements, meaning you have to deal with a lot of instant changes that don’t necessarily come about in a coherent order. Things happens in the moment and there’s really no margin for error. You have to pick a lot of different audio from a wide range of sources in various locations and use them in a way that makes sense. In order to respond to these variables, instant reaction, fast working and technique come to the fore. It can be difficult to correct mistakes and a mistake can cause chaos because it is watched by so many fans. You need a lot of understanding and experience to ensure a consistent smooth output.

I think the biggest difference in sound mixing for live sports and a TV show is the difference in the number of variables and hence risk. With TV shows, everything is planned beforehand, with a fairly tight running order and everyone is pretty much aware of the flow. But with live sports, we obviously don’t know what will happen next.

4. What differentiates Calrec from other consoles and what are your favourite things about using them? Can you give an example where Calrec’s features stood out and really helped you get the job done?

I love its easily accessible user interface. I used the track option when working on The Voice Turkey recordings and they were my most helpful buttons. It was the easiest way of sending sources to the recorders. For the Eurovision JR project, which was in Georgia, Eurovision was mixed in Dolby surround; I think Calrec was our audio teams’ best friend on that production. Strip variations/signal width — using the automatic downmix facility to create a simultaneous 5.1 and stereo mix — are an important feature that allow us to produce different type of audio signals with less effort.

5. Can you talk us through the project you’ve most enjoyed working on? What have been some of the highlights in your career so far?

The Eurolegaue Final Four 2012 İstanbul was one of the projects that I enjoyed the most. As the host OB van, our I.S., meaning our international feed (the mix minus and local commentary audio mixing for the match was heard by many people around the world. This was exciting. The pre- match running order was really too tight and it was a challenge to adhere to it without any mistakes. At the same time, I had to check the feeds that we provided to other broadcasters. The intercom system was extraordinary! It was the first important project we worked as a host. We were providing a technical service for many major TV channels around Europe and they were all on our control faders. Acting as the host broadcaster and technical services truck within the same OB van was sometimes challenging but a great experience.  It was a real pleasure to get the job done without any problems. Following this, we worked on similar projects for other organisations, but the first one is always special.

In my career, working with a leading technical provider is a real opportunity. Our production team has worked on many major international productions in the last 13 years and I was there.  I need to thank Saran at this point because I feel very lucky.

Among these, working for UEFA, Eurolegaue, FIFA, FIBA, F1, WTA, and ANZAC organisations are some of my career milestones and have been all great experiences for me.

6. What have been the key technological milestones you’ve witnessed in your time in broadcast audio and how have they changed how you work?

I think switching from analogue to digital was the most important change. Being able to use a digital routing matrix to patch signals and manage connectivity (rather than having to physically plug in cables to a patchbay) was a revolution. It completely changed the way we work and the way we think about configuration. The limits of what we can do have expanded because we’ve gained flexibility and speed. Now we’re thinking about IP-based systems and partly because of Covid, we’ve started to think about remote production.

7. The industry is moving towards IP-based solutions for audio control, networking and distribution. What is your experience with these changes and how are you experimenting/working with IP? What’s the impact been in your world?

We haven’t used IP yet, but we’ve started to think about this for new projects. I do not know the advantages as I do not fully understand it yet, but as far as I have seen, we are entering a new era for audio production, especially with remote production. These developments have impacted our entire workflow and planning. I think it will resemble learning a whole new language at some point and we will need to learn different styles of production in the coming years. All our existing habits will be replaced by new ones.

8. How is COVID-19 affecting your work at the moment? How has it significantly impacted a recent project that you’ve done?

During lockdown, we thought about how to do remote production with less people and without going to the site. Sports broadcasting in Turkey reverted to normal workflows fairly quickly. We continue our projects following Covid protocols and taking weekly PCR tests, but the cancellation of international competitions caused too many job losses. Many technicians are without work with jobs being scarce. Plus, most productions have switched to simpler formats that do not need complex technical requirements. It’s a really strange period for everyone and because so much of the industry has been turned on its head, we’ve had to change the way we work. Though I hope we can go back to our good ‘ole days quickly without any more cancellations and job losses.

9. Women make up just 5% to 7% of audio engineers and producers, according to reports by the Audio Engineering Society. Why do you think this is the case? Are you able to share your experiences?

I am the first and only woman working in an OB van in Turkey. I had a hard time in my early years as it seemed my technical knowledge and abilities weren’t enough to land me a job; I also needed to make an extra effort socially to be part of the team. This industry is still very much a male-dominated one and the working environment / conditions are hard for women. Since women aren’t very prevalent in the field and therefore aren’t available for hire much, the industry isn’t really moving in the right direction. But I believe the time has come and we’ll begin to see more women in the professional audio world. I think the new generation will be more open-minded and women will start to just do their jobs without gender discrimination. It’s true that men’s and women’s visions and ways of thinking are different, but I believe that ideas can come from these differences.

10. How do you see audio evolving in the next five years?

When IP-based systems really start to penetrate our industry, we will begin to use more technology remotely, resulting in less people on-site overall. Maybe it will be something like there will be one technician on-site who needs to install microphones and get these signals via fibre to the control room. We will have fewer, and/or smaller OB trucks on-site alongside fewer staff. Far more production will happen remotely and it won’t be necessary to be on-site for audio production. Sadly, I think this means job losses will happen because of these new ways of working alongside the use of, redesigned, small OB trucks.

In my opinion, being on-site is important and necessary and full remote production will be difficult to embrace. Though who knows, maybe it will end up being the better way of producing. I guess time will tell.

11. Do you have any mixing top tips for engineers when using a Calrec console?

During a production, if something unexpected happens, Audio Operators are really busy patching signals into faders. I assign all sources to faders and make them suitable for my operation by colonizing on the first layer so I can answer faster. Colonizing is a good solution to my immediate need.

In Conversation with Pebble

We are joined by Yucel Timur, Director of Operations at Pebble to discuss IP-based solutions and the customer journey. We hear from Yucel about the core solutions that Pebble provides for their customers along with how they have risen to the challenges of remote working throughout the pandemic.

Yucel outlines how the future is looking for Pebble in an ever increasing demand of IP-based solutions and talks to us about what his role as Director of Operations involves and how it impacts on the customer journey.

Finally, we talk about how Pebble grown on an international scale recently and how they have on boarded new starters during this time.

Imagine Communications Case Study – Knowledge Network Canada

Delivering Knowledge

Knowledge Network is a different kind of broadcaster with an unusual set of requirements. Based in Vancouver, Canada, we are dedicated to the residents of the province of British Columbia, although online content is available across Canada. We are a licensed broadcaster and a registered charity, publicly funded through grants from the provincial government and through donations from viewers.

Knowledge Network does not carry advertising, focusing wholly on supplying consistent, high-quality content, commissioned or acquired from distributors in British Columbia and across Canada as well as around the world. The broadcast day is divided into two distinct segments: from 06:00 to 18:00, we offer commercial-free children’s programming, and from 18:00 through the night, we offer a mix of documentaries and factual and drama programming, also commercial-free. To ensure we meet our audience’s high standards in terms of content, we are always conscious that every dollar we spend on infrastructure is a dollar we are not spending on programing.

But in 2019, our existing playout automation application was reaching the end of its life, and we acknowledged it needed replacement. We considered many options that were available on the market, and drew up a shortlist of three potential suppliers, who we invited to run proof-of-concept trials. Having carefully evaluated what was available, we chose the solution from Imagine Communications, using the widely deployed Versio modular playout platform with the ADC automation control layer.

We were fortunate to be able to set up a dedicated test suite at our location to assess and build out the new system. From the test suite we could comfortably prepare for going live with parallel operations and use the test suite to evaluate the special features we had requested. We were able to take advantage of a working schedule that allowed us to participate with Imagine Communications’ R&D staff to refine our workflows. We were able to work out all of the technical requirements for integration of the Versio Workflow and Versio Ingest applications with our other platforms that are required to prepare, move and present our programming service.  It was an ideal opportunity to iron out all the workflow details and train the team to handle some of the new functionality that became available. By the time we were ready to switch over in 2020, it was seamless ― the viewers at home definitely did not notice when we went live!

The Versio architecture is built on a virtualized framework, with many software modules all having hooks into other modules. Right from the start, the benefits of moving to software-based playout technology were evident. Even for requirements as relatively uncomplicated as ours, the old system needed 22 separate pieces of hardware to be integrated and coordinated. The new Imagine-based system has just nine devices, which means savings in real estate in the server room and in cabling, power, and air conditioning, as well as the capital savings in setting the system up.

We were able to take advantage of the streamlined Versio integrated playout architecture, which has allowed us to continue to use our established complex workflows with fewer manual interventions, as well as take advantage of new tools and applications. For example, we typically had to invest in extra hours and manpower to transition during biannual time changes. But with the new Imagine system, this year’s move to Daylight Savings Time was seamless.

Where other broadcasters show commercials, we put a heavy emphasis on interstitials and branding, so the Versio Graphics application’s ability to support dynamic graphics played a big part in our final decision. With our old system, we had to detail all the individual channel branding actions in our BroadView traffic system. Just to make a bug appear, animate, and then disappear could take 26 separate commands.  Our brand team had been held back on refreshing and improving our on-air graphics look because it was so labor intensive. Now it is easy.

Versio Graphics works well with our standard graphics tools and allows our branding team to embed all the instructions inside the graphics file. This means we can schedule in the traffic log a complex graphics event with just one instruction, which makes life easier, obviously, but it also opens up new opportunities. For example, when we recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of Knowledge Network, the branding department was able use the new graphics connectivity to develop special on-air animations ― something we would have been reluctant to do with the old system.

Our audience tells us they would prefer to read end credits. For this reason, we do not use squeeze backs or other effects that reduces the visibility of the credits, so our channel branding graphics must be flexible to fit into the content. The Versio Graphics application makes it much easier for us to create and command dynamic graphics like “next” and “later” through the use of billboards snipes and animations.

That is particularly important in the children’s half of the day, when some of our programs are just six or seven minutes long. Our children’s schedule is linked by three animated characters: Luna, Chip and Inky (an owl, a beaver and an octopus). We use them as station idents, and they usher our young audiences from one show to the next. These animated graphics are created dynamically on the fly using various templates and the associated metadata.

Versio Graphics supports WAV and MP3 type audio files and enables us to add audio objects to layouts and edit their properties. This is allowing our team to expand the presence of Inky, Chip and Luna by giving them voices so they can attract the attention of our viewers. This will enable an extension to our branding, which will in turn drive audiences to our website and streaming options.

Overall playout control uses ADC automation from Imagine. This software is widely used and respected around the world, which means that any major traffic/scheduling software provider that might need playout integration will have ADC support. Certainly, our BroadView traffic system integrates seamlessly with ADC.

All of the scheduled broadcast elements are managed from within the Versio and ADC platforms, including ratings classification, Vchip, closed captions, on-air channel banding and described video.

Looking ahead, our operators are keen to move to the new graphical interface being developed by Imagine. As well as giving the operators more information and clarity, the look of the interface is important. One of the aspects of  a publicly funded broadcaster is that a number of viewers and donors want to come and visit us, and the new graphical interface will aid in describing how the station presents content to the viewers in their home.

What has impressed me about Imagine is that they are very good at planning and managing upgrades while mitigating risk. There are dozens of interconnected applications running at the same time, and any change must be carefully orchestrated. The release notes are detailed and clear, and we can decide whether we need to add any update at any time. Imagine support staff are available and easily scheduled to be on standby when updates and patches are uploaded. That kind of support is invaluable, and I feel very comfortable that I am not taking risks with the on-air signal.

As I mentioned earlier, most stations, including Knowledge Network, have a unique set of requirements, but Imagine listened to what we needed and gave us exactly the right answer. The transition to the new system was seamless, and our staff are very happy as it allows them the freedom to use a variety of new tools to develop a unique viewing experience ― particularly with the station’s branding. We have a platform today that will support us wherever our future plans take us.

What is EMC/EMI Shielding?

As electronic systems become more sophisticated, they also become more sensitive to outside interference. Across medical, defence, broadcast and other industries, electromagnetic shielding (also referred to as EMC or EMI shielding) is used to give a device total protection from its outside environment and any potential interference that may affect its performance, which can be dangerous depending on the purpose of the equipment. Because environmental electromagnetic conditions are unpredictable by nature, having effective shielding in place removes this particular threat to your electronics.

What is EMI?

EMI stands for electromagnetic interference. Any electricity flowing into a conductor generates a magnetic field, the size and strength of which depends upon the level of power. Motors, transformers and other devices which use a lot of power tend to produce significant magnetic fields.

Electromagnetic interference refers to the effect that these fields can have on other devices nearby. A small amount of EMI can easily interrupt input and output data signals, so having the right protection in place is crucial to the smooth running of equipment.

What is the difference between EMI and EMC shielding?

There is little difference, and the two terms tend to be used interchangeably. While EMI refers to the interference itself, EMC refers to the function performed by the shielding, which is electromagnetic compatibility. This means that a circuit has been designed to incorporate the prevention of interference and disruption by having shielding in place.

How does EMI shielding work?

The main aim of EMI shielding is to completely prevent any sensitive electronic equipment from being impacted by EMI or radio frequency interference. This is why it is so widely used across a variety of industries – there are many types of equipment that can be affected. While EMI shielding is typically associated with highly complex equipment used in specialist fields, a form of it is also used in everyday electronics such as smartphones.

Typically, a metallic screen is placed all around the equipment and used to absorb the signals, meaning that anything incoming and outgoing is prevented from having an effect. In many cases, the sensitive equipment is also transmitting EMI of its own, so the shielding works both ways.

How effective is EMI shielding?

One of the main principles in the design of EMI shielding is that you need to use conductive materials to form the barrier which will break the interference, and this is based on the idea of the Faraday cage. This is the relatively simple aspect of shielding construction – but the more complicated element is that the device needs to be completely enveloped by the enclosure. This is not easy to achieve when access to the device itself is needed, and many shielding enclosures come in at least two parts for this reason.

The conductive continuity between these two parts must not be broken, otherwise the interference can find its way through the gap and the shielding will be rendered useless. This space is often filled by rubber seals in order to keep out environmental hazards such as water and dirt, but because EMI can pass through rubber this must also be enclosed in metal wire that maintains contact with both parts of the enclosure. Usually, as long as any gaps left are under 3mm, effective shielding from EMI can still be maintained.

What materials can be used to construct EMI shielding?

The material used to create EMI shielding depends upon the specific equipment in question. At CP Cases we have many years of experience in designing bespoke protection for highly specialised equipment.

In addition to the metallic casing, some of the most commonly used materials are:

  • Metallic foil or plated metallic braid, which can be used for shielding wires. This must be attached to the metal casing, and connectors at the ends of the wire must have metal covers, to ensure complete protection.
  • Inner metallic casing which can protect devices like audio speakers from incoming EMI from nearby devices
  • Sheet metal
  • Metal foam
  • Conductive paints and conductive plastics where the magnetic field is below 100kHz

Speak to us about EMI shielding

At CP Cases we specialise in meeting the exact needs of clients across a huge range of industries, and we’ve been developing and improving our designs for over 50 years. Contact us today and our friendly team will be happy to discuss how we can meet your requirements.