TME BLOG

Camera Alignment

2011-11-14T15:25:00.001+04:00

In the bad old days of tube cameras, line-up was a daily (or more frequent) requirement. The camera tubes were thermionic devices which drifted constantly, as did the analogue circuitry that controlled them. So, we had to look after beam current, beam focus, raster geometry, registration, all before even starting on the camera chain controls. These front end alignments had to be carried out by a highly skilled Engineer. They were not operational tweaks. The same Engineer would then proceed to set up the subsequent chain, adjusting blanking, flares, shading, blacks, gains, gammas, linear matrix, clippers, knees, contours, thresholds, coring and more.When solid state image sensors appeared and matured, the front end alignments no longer applied. There was no scanning beam and the devices, being physical, had fixed geometry. In practice, they were instruments for measuring the aberrations of the lens. Also the digital camera chains were far more stable than their analogue predecessors. The net effect of these improvements was to reduce Engineering intervention. Unfortunately, in some cases intervention has been reduced almost to zero. It is unfortunate because to get good matching pictures from modern cameras there are still a few controls that have to be optimised regularly. Let's see. These include: flares, shading, blacks, gains, gammas, linear matrix, clippers, knees, contours, thresholds, coring and more. Familiar list? Plus ça change...

Recent Activity

2011-03-03T11:45:00.000+04:00

It's in the nature of Consultancies that an element of secrecy is often attached to what they do. So, while I can say that we have recently been involved in two new start-up TV Channels in the Gulf region, I can't yet divulge where they are or when they will launch.
One I can talk about is PIK TV, a Russian language channel broadcasting from Tbilisi, Georgia, which launched on Jan 25, 2011. In a mere ten days of consultancy, TriMedia developed the generic system design for the channel, proposed alternative solutions, and helped bring together the team of system integrators and key suppliers who were able to carry the project through to completion and launch, all in four months.
The key is to provide the best consultant for each situation. Our organisation, as a loose network of associates, helps us do exactly that.

Graham Day joins ATG Broadcast as Managing Director

2010-07-20T11:06:00.000+04:00

The full unexpurgated version can be found here! Congratulations, Graham - this should keep you gainfully employed for a while!

Safety Hazard

2010-07-03T16:58:00.000+04:00

Let's hear it for the creative genius who designed this public hall PA system around 13A sockets used as microphone points! Best of all, he'd used the line & neutral connectors, for maximum impact. I won't be drawn on where I saw this, but it is horribly genuine.

Taming the Vuvuzelas

2010-06-15T19:37:00.000+04:00

It's hard to know without being there, but it certainly sounds as though effects spill onto the commentators' mics (in South Africa) is an unresolved problem. If that is the case, it would be worth trying this: tape the main and spare lip mics together; gang them on adjacent faders with a stereo clip; match their gains on the preset and invert the phase of one of them. With both faded up, you'll get almost perfect cancellation of low to mid frequencies, but the commentary comes through loud and clear as only one mic is pressed to the lip. And the best of it is, the commentator doesn't have to care which is main and which is spare, as both work and both are always available, taped together!

Just ask TriMedia...

Something for Nothing

2010-05-25T17:20:00.000+04:00

Don't let anyone tell you you can't get something for nothing. You can. You can download a free Space Game from TriMedia that will keep you and your kids entertained for hours. It's even educational! (Read the pdf before running the executable) Have fun!

Cabsat 2010

2010-02-28T13:45:00.001+04:00

Dave and Graham will be at Cabsat as usual, with several pre-booked appointments of course but time enough left over to catch up with friends and clients along the way. Looking forward to a good show.

Trimedia Website Migration

2010-02-05T14:06:00.000+04:00

We have migrated our website from the long domain trimediamiddleeast.com to the more convenient trimediame.com. The old site is still on-line and functional, but will not be updated and will in time be phased out. Please bookmark us here.

3D or not 3D, that is the question.

2010-01-27T13:35:00.003+04:00

Six years ago, for my sins, I spent a few months looking after Saudi Aramco's 3D projection theatre. This was quite an impressive installation, with an eight by four-and-a-half metre glass bead screen, twin Barco video projectors (shooting through +/- 45-degree polarisers) and Dolby 5.1 surround sound. And an endless supply of polarising spectacles: plastic frames for VIPs, cardboard for the general public.

From a good central seat in the auditorium (and only from there) the total experience of 3D vision and surround sound was very impressive. So much so that it took a considerable effort of will to refrain from dodging flying rock fragments in the wake of the mighty drill...

So, will I be rushing out to buy a 3D TV for my own home? Not a chance. Even if the format war were over (after all, only one of the competing solutions has a future, and it doesn't involve glasses, active or passive!) the answer would still be no.

This small jury of one is still out, even on the value of surround sound in the domestic environment - except in ideal conditions (read non-domestic) it is usually more of an irritation than a boon. But when it comes to 3D TV, my interest in it is purely as a technologist. Of course it presents fascinating challenges. Of course it is yet another seed for inventiveness and ingenuity. But would I want to sit in front of one (just a fraction closer, sir, and try to keep your head very still!) - sorry, not my cup of tea.

And that's not even to think about what else I could do with that much disposable cash!

Post-IBC 2008

2008-09-17T16:41:00.004+04:00

It's becoming clearer by the year, or at least by the IBC, that the Broadcast Industry is under siege from IT. It used to be that to get real information on a stand, you first asked the 'desk dolly', who would insist on swiping your card before referring you to a salesman, whom you had to confuse with a couple of real questions before he'd pass you on to an engineer with answers. But that was all part of the game. Now, more and more, though the path is essentially the same - desk dolly, salesman, engineer - you find that the 'engineer' is an IT graduate with no real knowledge of the industry. Yes, he can tell you how his software works but he can't tell you why it even exists or how it can help in a real newsroom or studio. And that's hardly surprising since he probably has hands on experience of neither. So, you have to go through another tier to reach someone who really knows what's going on. Or head straight for the IBC Pub (just off Hall 2) where true expertise tends to gravitate and clump together.

This is not to knock IT. Every industry in the world needs IT expertise to survive. But the best Broadcast Engineers have taken IT on board just as they previously mastered 'digits' and before that, 'colour'. Broadcast Engineers learn what they need to when they need to. Would that IT Engineers would do the same. Even TriMedia's TV Quiz would be a good starting point.

Having said that, it was a good show!

Introducing TME BLOG

2008-09-08T16:43:00.002+04:00

We're re-branding our News & Events page as a blog, starting with this post. The reason is simple enough. Often we find there's something to say, something deserving comment, that doesn't really count as News or an Event. So, till now, it's had to remain unsaid. But on a blog, anything goes. At least, anything we think might interest or entertain our loyal readers. Watch this space!

Digital Media Archiving

2008-09-07T21:49:00.002+04:00

Check out our newest article on Digital Media Archiving. Getting started needn't cost an arm and a leg.

IBC 2008

2008-08-13T12:50:00.002+04:00

TriMedia's Dave McClure will be attending IBC 2008 on Saturday and Sunday, 13th and 14th September. Graham Day is likely also to be there, dates still to be arranged. Dave is particularly keen to discuss workflow development and training matters with existing or prospective clients. We never take a stand at IBC, preferring to roam the Halls at will. If you would like to pin us down to discuss your latest initiative, please drop an email to info@trimediame.com and we'll be pleased to arrange a meeting. But don't leave it too late - IBC diaries fill up fast!

Attention - Final Cut Pro Users!

2008-04-07T11:50:00.001+04:00

Just a reminder that the Final Cut Pro Users' Group for the Middle East, FCP-me, originally started and hosted by TriMedia Middle East, is now alive and well and living with EmiratesMac. Check it out!

Happy Birthday Al Jazeera!

2007-11-15T11:38:00.001+04:00

Al Jazeera today celebrates the first anniversary of the launch of its English Language Channel. We at TriMedia send our congratulations to Jazeera staff in Doha, London, Washington and Kuala Lumpur. We're proud of our close association with Al Jazeera Network and look forward to sharing in their continuing success story.

Digital News Production

2007-11-15T10:04:00.001+04:00

If you're thinking about entering the world of Digital News Production, you could do worse than read this introduction before approaching any manufacturer. We explain the the main concepts and provide an outline of a typical media workflow through a News Station.

TriMedia at IBC 2007

2007-09-06T14:26:00.001+04:00

It's that time of year again, and Graham and Dave will be in Amsterdam for the show. You'll find Graham pretty close to the Omneon stand most of the time, but Dave will be peripatetic and more than willing to be waylaid between stands and dragged off for a coffee and a chat about your latest project. If you want us to get in touch, just drop a note in our contact form. Rumour has it that Amsterdam in September is cooler than the Middle East. We'll see...

A New On-Line Look

2007-07-28T18:50:00.000+04:00

Maybe not earth-shattering, but our first website redesign for over two years can surely justify its own news item. We hope you like the new look. It isn't just cosmetic of course. There are a couple more self-test TV quizzes and a whole new section - the TriMedia Forum. Nothing much there yet, but this is going to expand rapidly, with articles, features, a download section and an information exchange for Broadcast Engineering professionals. Watch this space!

Michael on the Move!

2007-04-25T13:00:00.000+04:00

Michael Brennan, co-founder and director of TriMedia has resigned from the company to pursue interests outside TME's scope of work in the Gulf region. Graham and Dave extend thanks to Michael for three exciting years of building the company together, and extend their best wishes in all his future ventures. Good luck, Mike - keep in touch!

Broadcast IT and Engineering Contracts

2006-09-14T09:18:00.001+04:00

Work for TriMedia ME - We are always on the lookout for Broadcast IT and Broadcast Engineering Professionals interested in short, medium and extensible term contract work in the Gulf Region. Please use our Enquiry Form to express an interest.

TriMedia host Quantel eQ Demo

2005-03-06T12:58:00.000+04:00

TriMedia are hosting a demonstration of the Quantel eQ system, enhanced with the new Eiger software, from March 8th to 10th. To book a viewing slot, please download this pdf file which has all the necessary contact, location and registration details. We look forward to seeing you there.

TME Final Cut Pro Training

2005-01-27T17:15:00.000+04:00

TriMedia is to provide training in Final Cut Pro for Showtime TV's newly recruited QC and Promo Editors. The work will be done on site, commencing first week in February, and will be the first use of the new network. We actively encourage all FCP users to sign up (free!) for the Final Cut Pro Users' Group, FCP-me, hosted on the TriMedia website. Peer discussion is one of the best ways of advancing knowledge and skill.

Note (July 2007): The FCP-me Forum is now hosted by EmiratesMac the Apple forum for the UAE.

TriMedia ME & Showtime TV - Update

2004-12-30T21:25:00.000+04:00

We are pleased to have found 3 Promo Editors and 8 Quality Control Editors to help staff Showtime TV's Phase 2 development. Our congratulations to the successful candidates - we wish you every success in your new positions. Thank you to all candidates who applied through our on-line application form. When we hear of new vacancies, we search our database for suitable matches before placing public adverts. It makes sense to enlist!