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Engadget's Sony PlayStation pre-event broadcast: live from New York City! (video)
We don't know for sure that it's going to be the PS4, but Sony sure as heck has something PlayStation-related to show us tonight, and we can't wait to find out what it is. Join the editors of Engadget and Joystiq for a pre-event live video broadcast in which we'll break down the myths, the rumors and the actual information we have on the console codenamed Orbis. Join us after the break where we'll be talking all things Sony. Update: And that's a wrap. You can now catch it all over again below. Up next: the liveblog.
Engadget's post-iPad mini event live broadcast from San Jose
Wowza. Can you believe Tim Cook did that thing with the unicycle and the polar bear to close out the show? Just kidding! If you were following along with the liveblog you'd know we're just pull in' your leg, but in case you missed any of the fun today we've got a little recap for you after the break. Click through to enjoy a special live stream with Tim Stevens and Darren Murph as they break down the events of the day.
Engadget's pre-iPad mini event live broadcast from San Jose
Apple has a "little more" to show us and we've got a little more to show you, by which we mean our handsome faces. Chances are you couldn't make it out to San Jose yourselves and scoring an invite to Apple press events is a pretty tough proposition for the general public. So join us here and live vicariously through our coverage of what is shaping up to be a slightly more understated event from Apple than usual. You can enjoy all the liveblog action here but, before that, Tim Stevens and Darren Murph will be having a live chat from outside the venue. Click on through to get your stream on. For more coverage, visit our Apple Special Event hub!
UK carriers form alliance to speed up 800MHz LTE rollout, let us enjoy our Freeview TV
Isn't it better when we work together? British carriers think so. EE, O2, Three and Vodafone have officially created a non-exclusive joint venture, Digital Mobile Spectrum Limited, that should speed up the deployment of 800MHz LTE by keeping Freeview over-the-air TV signals clear of interference while the partners bring their low-frequency 4G online. Previously, the networks were bound to form an equivalent company called MitCo that wouldn't have been active until after the 800MHz auction, preventing companies from getting their wireless houses in order until they'd already made a commitment. There's also a competitive angle involved to go with the cooperative work, as you might imagine: with EE's 1,800MHz LTE poised to go live on October 30th, choosing infighting over assistance would only help widen the frontrunner's lead. Whether DMSL represents altruism or pragmatism, we'll appreciate knowing that the hurdles to a catch-up in UK 4G will be more those of the technical reality than the usual political maneuvering.
BBC News Channel conducts live video interview over smartphone, goes where satellites can't (update with video)
We usually associate smartphones in news reporting with citizen journalism, not full-time journalists. However, a confluence of events has just led to the BBC's Nick Garnett becoming a pioneer for mobile broadcasting on the professional level. When a shortage of satellite trucks prevented Garnett from getting the usual video feed for the BBC News Channel, he successfully arranged the British network's first live video interview piped through a smartphone. The key, Garnett says, was Dejero's Live+ iPhone app: while live streaming apps are already commonplace, Dejero's let him merge the 3G and WiFi connections together, getting enough bandwidth to make a TV-worthy broadcast in a country where LTE is still very new. Combined with some very ad hoc staging and help from the BBC's technical teams, the coordination resulted in a surprisingly smooth interview about flooding in northeastern England with relatively few hints of the extra-tiny recording equipment involved. It's unlikely that broadcast crews will reach to their pockets for live coverage solutions before anything else, but the BBC is actively testing Dejero and other apps that could make smartphones as much a part of the field reporting arsenal as a camcorder and an eye for a good story. As we can't embed the clip, check the source link to see it for yourself. Update: We've now managed to embed the clip after the break.
The Daily Grind: Do you like having achievements broadcast guild-wide?
There are two schools of thought when it comes to handling achievements in MMOs. The first is to keep it mostly private, the second is to herald it to the world entire. Private achievements are great ways to pat the player on the back while keeping him or her modest. Not everyone likes achievement spam, anyway. Yet I've come to prefer games that do broadcast achievements guild-wide. Why? Because not all of us are so attention-seeking that we constantly write about what we're doing... but if the game's doing that for us, oh well. It's not me being egotistical, it's the game's doing. But if you happen to notice what I'm doing? So much the better. I genuinely like seeing what my guildies are up to as well. It feels like we do come together for the typical "grats" after an achievement notice, or even the rare "holy crap, that's awesome!" for significant milestones. Of course, sometimes these games can get silly with the number of trivial achievements, so it can hurt the legitimacy of the real ones. What do you think? Do you like having achievements broadcast guild-wide, or would you prefer it kept quiet (or even turned off)? Every morning, the Massively bloggers probe the minds of their readers with deep, thought-provoking questions about that most serious of topics: massively online gaming. We crave your opinions, so grab your caffeinated beverage of choice and chime in on today's Daily Grind!
NHK 8K Super Hi-Vision camera captures native 120Hz footage, we go eyes-on at IBC (video)
We've seen plenty of 4K cameras, and we've even heard a whisper or two about 8K, but the quality of a viewing experience isn't tied only to resolution -- frame rate also comes into play, especially with fast-moving subjects. NHK's prototype Super Hi-Vision camera doubles the capture rate from the standard 60Hz to a much speedier 120Hz, yielding sharper motion. While the difference isn't noticeable with static or slow-moving scenes, it certainly comes into play when filming rapid-motion sporting events or panning the camera. The Japan Broadcasting Corporation's latest model was on hand at IBC in Amsterdam, and the advantages of a 120Hz cam were immediately crystal clear. Filming a rotating image that paired ordinary objects and cityscapes with letters and numbers, you could see the difference instantly, with the 120Hz image on the right side yielding far shaper details, while the left side was often a blurry mess. There's no software smoothing on hand here -- because the higher frequency comes directly from the source, it appears perfectly natural, and much more pleasant. We captured a video demonstrating the expo floor rig, but because our camera doesn't sport the same spec, you won't notice a difference in the hands-on clip after the break. You can see the difference in our stills gallery below, however, and you can take us on our word -- the improvement is quite dramatic.%Gallery-164700%
Sony Stitch merges footage from two 4K F65 cameras to create zoomable panoramic with HD output (video)
Well, that's a mouthful of a headline. Going a bit more in-depth, a new professional solution from Sony allows broadcasters to capture side-by-side 4K video at, say, a sporting event, then use a standard camera zoom device to select small portions of each feed for 720p or 1080i output. On the receiving end, you'll see a live image that looks indistinguishable from something you'd capture with a moving camera, with a few extra benefits to boot. Sony demonstrated the system using feeds from an F65 4K camera earlier this year at NAB, but was only able to present a simulation at that point, with pre-recorded output cropped from larger-format footage. Now, as we saw today at IBC in Amsterdam, the technique works in realtime, so an adjustable smaller portion of the video is pumped out seamlessly and instantaneously. The 4K video can also be recorded at full resolution simultaneously, letting you change the framing long after an event takes place. Sony only had the demo configured to pull live video from the left portion of the feed, but eventually the entire capture will be enabled, giving producers access to an entire football field, as you'll see in the hands-on video after the break. We wouldn't expect this solution to replace human camera operators anytime soon, but it's certainly a viable method for adding angles and placing a bit more control in the hands of production teams, even after the fact.
Avid Studio for iPad gets renamed, free on the App Store for a limited period of time
Avid Studio for iPad arrived back in February, priced to coax iPad filmmakers away from Apple's in-house iMovie. Since then, however, the company sold its consumer business arm to Corel, leading it to re-brand the package as Pinnacle Studio for iPad. The editing app has gained a bunch of features that users were clamoring for, including 1080p support, integrated uploads to Box and a raft of stability tweaks. As part of the change, it's being offered free for a limited time, so if you own an iPad (or plan on getting one in the future), we suggest you jump-cut to the App Store pretty quickly.
ITU approves NHK's Super Hi-Vision as 8K standard, sets the UHDTV ball rolling very slowly
We'd heard that the International Telecommunication Union was close to approving Super Hi-Vision as an Ultra High Definition TV standard, and the UN agency hasn't waited long to confirm the rumors. The recommendation to use NHK's 7,680 x 4,320 format has gone unopposed and should define the parameters for incredibly detailed 8K video worldwide. This shouldn't lead anyone to return that 4K TV just yet -- once again, it's important to remember that NHK still won't start any kind of wider testing until 2020. That's also assuming that the first 8K sets are down to Earth instead of the incredibly expensive 145-inch variety.
Nikkei: ITU near recommending NHK's Super Hi-Vision as official TV standard
We've seen NHK preparing its Super Hi-Vision 8K video since time immemorial. Wouldn't it be nice if the TV broadcast technology was more than just a perpetual research project? If sources for Japan's Nikkei aren't dreaming, the International Telecommunication Union is now "likely" to declare the format an official standard for broadcasters and TV makers. Should it go ahead, the UN telecom body would ask the world to rely on Super Hi-Vision as an eventual successor to HDTV and reduce the balkanization of TV standards that we've seen in the past. Neither the ITU nor NHK is known to have commented on the claim so far, but NHK isn't exactly in a rush to get a seal of approval from anyone -- widescale test broadcasts aren't coming until 2020, and production TVs themselves are only just entering a 4K universe.
Apple gets patent for process that replaces unwanted media with user content
If your favorite audio or video broadcasts are spamming you with obnoxious ads (or anything else you don't like) an Apple patent describes a process to cut them out -- then substitute your personal content. First, the system would check media in real time through audio analysis or metadata scanning. Then, it would determine if it's "of interest" to you by checking it against a profile based on your listening habits or personally defined preferences. Finally, if it thinks you're into a particular stream, it would continue playing it, and if not, it could blast something from your own collection. The patent claims even describe a TiVo-like time-shifting function -- ensuring you'd catch that entire guitar solo while not missing a single word from your favorite show.
Dejero LIVE + Mobile app turns the iPhone into a broadcast camera
The next wave of innovation in the mobile space will look at the existing hardware and ask how we can use the power in our hand to make life easier and better. For broadcasters, this future will lie in apps like the LIVE + Mobile from Dejero. Dejero is the company behind LIVE +, a portable broadcasting system that lets reporters deliver live HD or SD video using a cellular, WiFi or Ethernet connection. The company has taken this technology one step further and bundled it into an iOS app that'll turn any iPhone 4S or iPad owner into a field reporter. The Dejero LIVE + Mobile app lets you broadcast live HD or SD video using your iOS device. It uses Dejero's patent-pending bonded cellular technology that combines both WiFi and cellular connections to broadcast live footage at the best quality possible. The app also takes advantage of both the front and rear-facing cameras, so a single reporter can capture both himself and the action in front of him using only his iPhone. As you can imagine, the possibilities are limitless for reporters who have access to a broadcast solution that replaces a camera crew and fits in their pocket. Bogdan Frusina, Dejero CTO writes, "This technology allows them [reporters] to be first on a news scene and bring high quality live footage back to their viewers that previously would not have been possible." The Dejero LIVE+ Mobile app is available for free from the iOS App Store. It requires a Dejero LIVE+ Broadcast server. You can read more about the technology on Dejero's website.
Aereo doubles DVR space to 80 hours for early adopters
Were you so entranced by Aereo's approach to over-the-air TV broadcasting that you signed up even while the legal battles were just getting started? You're likely being rewarded for your trust. The company has confirmed with GigaOM that New Yorkers who subscribed in the "earliest days" will have their cloud DVR storage doubled to 80 hours -- no limited period, no extra charge. There should likewise be some improved tools for overseeing all that extra space in the near future, although just what that might entail is left to the imagination. We won't fret about it much: given the service's still-tentative existence, any upgrades are icing on the cake for customers.
Samsung demos its take on LTE Broadcast, edges closer to TV over 4G
There must be a resurgence of mobile TV in the works at Samsung. Just hours after it brought out the TV-equipped Galaxy S Lightray 4G, the company has confirmed (through partner Anritsu) that it's successfully testing LTE Broadcast technology. As the name implies, the standard and its evolved Multimedia Broadcast Multicast Service (eMBMS) pipe software-independent services like TV over a 4G network's ample bandwidth rather than requiring dedicated networks and the costs that come with them -- we all know how that last strategy panned out in the US. Unsurprisingly, Samsung isn't saying what its long-term plans might be at this early stage, although we'd note that it isn't alone. Qualcomm was showing LTE Broadcast back at Mobile World Congress, for example. While it's far too soon to tell if there will be any American revival, Samsung's help puts the writing on the wall for conventional mobile TV formats like T-DMB.
BBC shows off 33-megapixel Super Hi-Vision Olympic footage, we ask: why?
The first live Super Hi-Vision broadcast for public consumption was of the Olympic opening ceremony in London last week. We didn't get to see that premiere, or the second or third screenings either -- but the fourth? Oh yes. We grabbed a seat right up front of a small theater inside BBC Broadcasting House, watched a live 33-megapixel feed from the Aquatics Center and absorbed some very fond memories in the process. At the same time, a question hung over the footage like a watermark: why bother? The world is barely getting to grips with the notion of 4K, which already solves pixelation at regular viewing distances, so why did the BBC and Japanese broadcaster NHK go to the expense of sending a dedicated SHV video truck, a SHV audio truck rigged for 22.2 channel sound, and the world's only three 8K Ultra HDTV cameras to London? Fortunately, we caught up with someone in charge who was able to respond to that question. Read on for what they said, plus a slightly fuller sense of what the footage was like to watch.
Sony broadcasts three-chip PMW-200 XDCAM with Android or iOS remote control app
If you're the reporter and camera operator for K-STIX, Sony's got good news: they just unveiled the PMW-200 XDCAM, and you can control it with your smartphone. The camcorder features a broadcast-friendly 50Mbps data rate drawing from three half-inch CMOS sensors -- bigger than any other broadcast handheld cam, according to Sony -- though that size is still a far cry from its own super-35 filmmaking cams and others on the market. The Japanese company claims the chips provide "exceptional" low-light powers, and other features include 30fps at 1080P or 60fps at 720P, a 14x zoom lens, 3.5-inch 852 x 480 LCD display and a 15 second pre-record cache. The camera will be available by September, but the aforementioned WiFi adapter for Android or iOS remote control won't fly in until the end of the year. Pricing has yet to be announced, but if you need an easier way to multitask or the approving nod from that rigid broadcaster, check the PR for all the specs.
4K TV already being trialed by one UK broadcaster
4K in the UK? It could happen sooner rather than later, if viewers give a thumbs up to feedback tests currently being conducted by a British broadcaster. According to a senior figure at a company that is directly involved in the experiments, people are being asked if they can spot the difference between 4K and regular 1920 x 1080, which will help to decide whether the format is worthy of immediate investment. Our source refused to reveal which broadcaster is running the show, beyond saying that it has complete control over its pipeline right down to the set-top box, which hints at Sky or perhaps Virgin being likely candidates. When asked how 4K TV might be transmitted as a mainstream service, given that it contains four times the resolution of Full HD, he simply replied that the broadcaster would "compress the hell out of it," which surely only cements his credibility. Next stop, 8K.
NHK working on Hybridcast interactive TV platform (video)
NHK is working on Hybridcast (an entirely different system to the Hybridcast 3D-delivery setup it demonstrated last year), a system that uses the internet to make vanilla TV broadcasts interactive. It works by pushing HTML5 overlays to your tablet and TV, so you can play along with quiz shows or follow a travelogue from the comfort of your couch. The company is planning to build a set-top-box with the technology ready for sale next year, with integrated TVs hoped to arrive from Sony, Toshiba, Panasonic, Sharp and Mitsubishi shortly afterward. You can see what the residents of Japan can expect by watching the video after the break.
NAB 2012 wrap-up
"That's a wrap!" Finally, an appropriate use for that industry cliché, since, ya know, we really are at a motion picture / television conference. As our first trip to the National Association of Broadcasters' annual event in Las Vegas fires its last frame, we're going to roll to the credits, honoring all those products that enabled us to justify spending a week in Sin City on the company dime. From Canon's 4K-capable 1D C (that'll sadly run you far more than $4k) to RED's Dragon sensor upgrade set to render "obsolescence obsolete," there's plenty to look forward to in the world of cinematography. We also happened upon a few consumer-facing gadgets, including Ceton's new DVR companion apps for Android and iOS, that Lenscaster SLR lens mount for iPad and a new Dolby 3D standard that could help propel glasses-free 3D into mass production. That's but a small sampling of the gadgets at NAB 2012, however, so jump past the break for all our hands-ons from the show.
