Using behavioural data to assess the environmental impact of electricity consumption of alternate television service distribution platforms

Digital technology and entertainment is a significant driver of electricity use globally, resulting in increased GHG emissions. Research has been conducted on electricity use associated with adigital services, but to date no complete study of television distribution has been conducted. Here we present the first assessment of electricity used for distribution and viewing of television over different distribution platforms terrestrial, satellite, cable and online streaming. We use a novel methodology that combines life cycle assessment techniques with models of the diversity of actual user behaviour, derived from detailed audience monitoring and online behaviour analytics data. This can be applied to assess overall electricity usage for a given media company's services and allows comparison of the electricity demanded per viewerhour of each distribution platform. We apply this to a representative national TV provider - the British Broadcasting Corporation – and show the mean estimate for BBC distribution/viewing electricity use in 2016 is 2171 GWh, resulting in emissions of 1.12 MtCO2e. We show that viewing over streaming, cable and satellite platforms used a mean of 0.17–0.18 KWh per device-hour (88–93 gCO2e) while terrestrial broadcast used a mean of 0.07 kWh (36 gCO2e). We identify home networking equipment and set-top boxes as key hotspots in the system, and show that though streaming is similar in impact to cable and satellite, this is because people use smaller devices to view – meaning the networking equipment in and beyond the home has a higher impact while the end device has a lower one.

Protective Bags, Cases & Racks

For 50 years CP Cases have met the varied needs of broadcast professionals with superior quality rugged textiles, protective cases, 19” racks and camera rain covers – from uninterrupted coverage of live events, through electronic news gatherers to outside broadcast and individual camera users, our products have supported many customers and applications.

The common denominator is the protection of equipment so filming or broadcasting continues unhindered – therefore, equipment needs to be safely stored, transported and ready to operate on demand. Solutions provided very much depends on the what, where, when, how, weight, ingress etc. and with so many variables to consider it’s reassuring to work with an organisation that has a pedigree of design and engineering, and the range of alternative products to provide objective recommendations.

Take for example Electronic News Gatherers. This is where you need to be somewhere quick, on the ground to broadcast the latest developments of a historic event or occurrence. You need to grab your electronic and Sat Com equipment and move. You don’t need to encounter flight weight and size restrictions and that’s where our super lightweight SatRack comes into play – strong with shock-resistant mounts, SatRack gives you the protection and mobility you need to make the news.

Conforming to IATA standards for checked baggage, SatRack’s thermos-formed honeycomb polypropylene (HPP) body shell has a high strength-to-weight ratio and is resistant to crushing. The forming process does not crimp the HPP but instead gives the angled edges longitudinal strength and rigidity with a stacking capacity up to 100kg.

(Measuring the world’s solar radiation in the Mojave Desert, California using SatRack – the Institute for Energy and Transport (IET) for Renewable Energy was able to transport the equipment as checked baggage and get to their destination quickly and without compromise).

When it comes to protective camera cases there are several options available depending on style and personal requirements or preferences. Our popular aluminium range is a traditional favourite of the broadcast industry, AluCurve is excellent for owners looking for high protection and style.

Made from 2mm rigidised aluminium AluCurve is constructed without an edge corner weld to prevent seam splitting. AluCurve is the ideal balance between style and protection the tough pre-pressed corners add extra seam strength and exceptional resistance to drop damage.

Every aspect of the AluCurve case has been given very careful consideration. recessed catches & handles indents for stacking and radius edges are to name but a few.

You can personalise or brand your AluCurve case with colour coded ‘smarties’ making identification simple. The smarties fit in the pressed corners and allow you to colour code equipment types or spot your case in a crowd.

Alternatively, Amazon Cases are a perfect camera case foil – made from tough polyethylene and rotationally moulded to give thicker edges and drop protection they achieve MIL-STD -810F and is the first choice of the military and security forces.

It’s ideal for making tough waterproof products and provides exceptional strength to weight ratios perfect when protecting and transporting valuable equipment.

A complete range of standard sizes is available to accommodate a wide variety of equipment and where weight becomes an issue, wheels can be added.

AluCurve and Amazon Cases perfectly compliment foam inserts for custom CNC routed cushioning, indeed the vital component of protective packaging is the foam that surrounds and supports the case contents.  The selection of the appropriate foam types and densities is critical in ensuring the safety of a cases’ contents in some situations our cases protect livelihoods.

(Precision engineered foam means your equipment will be stored and transported safely so that it’s operational on demand. There are choices in colour, multiple laminations and foam materials, including those with anti-static, conductive and self-extinguishing properties).

Take for example Steadicam Owner Steve Mitchell, he’s filmed around the world at the Olympics and International Football tournaments and needed to keep his kit safe. He says, “I chose CP Cases as I work on a regular basis with Outside Broadcast and Equipment hire companies. CP Cases have an excellent reputation within the industry and I see them at first hand and have always been impressed with their high standards.

The whole process of design, manufacture and delivery was A1 from start to finish. Nothing was too much trouble and the level of customer service was excellent. I must admit to being a bit OCD when it comes to attention to detail and CP Cases delivered my foam insert which exceeded my expectations.” The full story of Steve’s experience can be found here.

If lightweight and bespoke are your needs then Rugged Textiles provide an excellent alternative – made from tough Cordura, nylon and canvas fabrics, they can be padded or have specialist designed foam for tailored cushioning. Finishing can include wheels, telescopic handles, slings, clips and closures. They are extremely versatile.

And because of the bespoke design and manufacturing process, Rugged Textiles can be produced for almost any product and application such as; backpacks, camera & monitor bags, production organisers and tripod bags, the list goes on.

Colouring and labelling are also possible so that bags can be branded or personalised – pockets and pouches add to the flexibility of the product.

Our new range of Camera Rain Covers has been designed for the very latest generation of 4K OB cameras and lens. The range brings together advances in textile manufacturing technology with designs that provide cameramen free and ergonomic access to controls and connections.

These camera covers provide uncompromising levels of weather protection.

CP Cases has been a strategic partner to the Broadcast sector for over 50 years and has a client list that boasts many of the leading providers as well as independent cameramen. They trust and depend on CP Cases’ products to safeguard vital and expensive equipment so that they can provide uninterrupted coverage when needed.

In Conversation with Asharq News and Newsbridge

In this IABM TV interview, we are joined by Kathey Battrick (Senior Manager – Library & Media Management at Asharq News), Philippe Petitpont (CEO at Newsbridge) and Rachel Cooper (Marcom Manager at Newsbridge).

During the interview, we discuss how Asharq News came to Newsbridge looking for an AI based indexing service solution. We hear what the initial objectives were along with the industry trends driving the need for this solution. Kathey talks us through how they discovered Newsbridge and why they chose to use them. We also look back at the initial objectives to see where they are now with the project and hear stats around the success.

The Azimuth Soft Newsroom Solution Offers Great Value for Money

Working with customer feedback is an important part of Azimuth Soft operations, which results in the development of our solutions’ functionality.

Recently we decided to talk to Tudor Bologan, the CTO of the TV8 station in Moldova, about the systems the channel uses to automate their workflows, and why they made the choice to go with Azimuth Soft.

TV8 is one of the largest socio-political TV channels in Moldova, broadcasting digitally nationwide and included into the must-carry multiplex.

Before Tudor joined as CTO and the Azimuth Soft NewsHouse NRCS was commisioned, the channel had been working without any automation. The broadcaster’s staff grew, and to better organize the production environment, automate routine processes and improve efficiency it was decided to implement a modern NRCS.

Tudor, having worked in broadcasting since his youth, starting at the Jurnal TV channel, knew about Azimuth Soft’s automation offerings but did not have a chance to work with them due to the lack of financing. So later on, moving up the carreer ladder to the CTO position at TV8, he decided to purchase our solutions.

“After coming to TV8 I fulfilled by dream of implementing a full-scale news production automation system”.

We asked the CTO to tell us about his experience running the Azimuth Soft NewsHouse NRCS.

Tudor told us that they never encountered any technical problems when preparing and playing out newscasts in NewsHouse. When incidents occurred due to human error on behalf of the broadcasters’ personnel, the issues were rapidly resolved by the Azimuth Soft support team that was on-call 24/7. The Azimuth video servers are working reliably, and the modular architecture of the NewsHouse NRCS gives TV8 the possibility of scaling and growth at any time.

The systems’ installation would not be possible without the involvement of Moldova-based highly professional integration partners, namely Vizual Impact SRL; O-Video Group SRL and personally their CEO Andrey Zapsha, who know their customer’s needs very well indeed.

When asked how well our systems meet the market’s expectations, Tudor replied that Azimuth Soft offered the best value for money and the systems satisfy all the broadcaster’s requirements.

The personnel training process went with some difficulty, as, like we mentioned before, there was no newsroom automation in place before the NewsHouse solution was implemented. The journalists wrote their stories’ texts in word processors and passed them on, not participating in the actual TV production. The “carrot and stick” method had to be used to explain the importance of workflow automation to the station’s staff. Tudor’s multiyear experience with broadcasters allowed to make that process as painless as possible though.

Due to his deep knowledge of the market and experience with transnational vendor’s solutions, Tudor realised that the running costs for major vendors’s systems can be very high. He also noted the long reaction time from their support departments and the problems with spare parts delivery. For example, the storage arrays from some vendors accept only drives sold by the vendor itself, and the shipping time for those can reach several months. Thus, a potential failure of multiple components within a short time can be a major risk to the systems and the whole broadcasting operation. On the other hand, for the Azimuth Soft solution Vizual Impact usually was there with the replacements on the next day.

We thank Tudor for this conversation and for the vote of confidence, and we wish the entire TV8 staff best of luck and new achievements! And we’ll always be there when you need us.

About Azimuth Soft

We are committed to creating and implementing state-of-the art TV broadcast automation solutions to ensure our customers are empowered with smart and scalable technology. Our goal is to enable our customers perform better and grow as the industry evolves. From a business standpoint, we have a history of having the ability to identify unique customer needs and to design solutions and provide technical support which solve those needs, along with consistent excellent quality. But our vision is not simply about great products, it is more a reflection of the kind of future we all want to live and work.

For more information on Azimuth Soft, visit www.azimuthsoft.tv

In Conversation with Tata Communications

We are joined by Tata Communications Abhishek Ranade, Head of EMEA, Media & Entertainment and Brijesh Yadav, Global Head of Sales, Media & Entertainment to discuss Tata Communications’ Media Services.

We hear about their role as a technology enabler in the overall media ecosystem and how the Media & Entertainment industry is at an inflection point.

Abhishek and Brijesh talk to us about how they see the media technology needs of broadcasters and sports companies changing post COVID.

Finally, we are given an overview of the solutions offered by Tata Communications and how they are unique along with who benefits from these services and industry use cases.

In The Hub Ep 48 – The Resurgence of Film – w/ Adrian Bull

This week, we’re joined by Adrian Bull from Cinelab London – the only full-service film laboratory in the UK. Adrian talks us through the re-emergence of film in popular media, the importance of independent cinemas and his predictions for the future of the broadcasting industry.