BroaMan’s Mux22 was originally conceived as a series of application engineered devices offering multiple signal support in a compact 1RU chassis. This combines 3G/HD/SD-SDI I/O with Optocore and SANE digital audio networks, transporting video, along with audio and data, on a single duplex fiber.
Now BroaMan has added to the series with a Mux22 BNC Intercom version. The new board allows the connection of up to eight intercom panels or matrix ports using coax cable in AES3id standard (a 75-ohm BNC electrical variant of AES3). The coax connectors can, of course, be also used to interface with any AES3id device.
There are eight bi-directional AES BNC ports, each of which can handle 2-In and 2-Out.
As always, audio routing is possible between AES ports and any other audio interfaces provided by Optocore or BroaMan (such as analog, Cat5 or copper AES and fiber or coax MADI).
In total the 1RU device features video; 8 x 3G-SDI channels; audio: 16-In/16-out; 4 x GPIO or RS485; Sync I/O; 2 x LAN; 2 x SANE/LAN; 2 x Optocore links; fiber tunnel for generic protocol. It can all be transported over a single duplex fiber to another Mux22 (point to point) or Route66 (network) device.
Explaining the rationale behind this new solution, BroaMan Technical Sales Manager Maciek Janiszewski, stated, “We’ve been supporting all major intercom manufacturers for many years. Now, along with Cat5 and generic connectivity, we are offering AES/EBU on BNC interfacing. This has been a frequently requested feature and we can happily say that now we cover all connectivity options with intercom systems.
“Furthermore, thanks to the new card, we are able to provide a more robust, and very popular coax connector for digital AES3 signals to interface different audio products. This an extremely useful feature, especially for live production.
“Finally, the new board allows us to pack even more audio channels in a very high density 1RU Mux22 chassis.”
With its HQ in Milan, and a branch office in Rome, Communication Video Engineering (CVE) has been appointed new distribution partner for Italy by BroaMan.
CVE brings nearly 40 years’ experience in the design, implementation and support of advanced technical solutions for broadcast and telecommunications organisations. In addition to its operations in Italy, the company also has a subsidiary office in Dubai.
“We had been looking for a fibre solution to handle point to multipoint,” explained CEO Luca Catalano. “Our tech team undertook research which is how we got to know BroaMan.”
Munich-based BroaMan manufactures advanced solutions, which use a fibre infrastructure to integrate Video, Audio, IP, Intercom and other Data on a redundant low latency system. As well as broadcasters, these interfaces are targeted at production companies, sport facilities, professional AV integrators — in fact every application that requires SD/HD/3G video transport or routing.
CVE can propose broadcasting solutions to customers in full ‘Glass-2-Glass’ mode. “In other words we create systems and solutions to enable production, distribution and delivery of live and on-demand media to viewers of TV services,” continued Mr. Catalano. “BroaMan gives us the ability to have a point to multipoint over dark fibre, using the core fibre matrix that sits in the middle of the star topology fibre network.”
CVE is looking forward to introducing the new BroaMan technology to its clients, based on the company’s vast experience, and integrating these fibre solutions into their projects. “We see great potential not only among the large broadcasters but also applications in the non-broadcast markets, such as military,” says the CEO.
Adds BroaMan Sales Distribution representative, Dawid Somló, “We look forward to meeting many important broadcast customers from Italy during IBC, and have the opportunity to deliver the most reliable and future-proof fiber solution on the market.”
German fibre-based broadcast solution providers, BroaMan, have appointed Beijing Insight Visual Technology Co., Ltd. (IV-Tech) as their new distribution partners in China.
BroaMan’s product portfolio is unique in that it uses a fibre infrastructure to integrate Video, Audio, IP, Intercom and other Data on a redundant low latency system to provide a scalable solution. IV-Tech has been engaged in product and service provision for the Chinese broadcast and the film industry since 2014, its young and energetic team helping to drive the wave of new technology now influencing the development of TV/Film. It is therefore constantly seeking cutting-edge product and smart solutions including optical transmission product, into which category they see BroaMan fitting perfectly.
Their reasons for taking on the BroaMan business were obvious. “We have many TV station customers, who are seeking good and simple optical product on top of the current Chinese product, so I asked BroaMan to help me develop me to develop this market,” stated IV-Tech co-founder and managing director, Stephen Wu.
He was initially attracted to the product portfolio after seeing references at the NAB, “They offer a simple and reliable system set-up which is mostly plug and play,” he continued. “Mux22 provides multi-signal in one box for live production work, good signal extension and compatibility with Optocore audio equipment, while other product such as Route66 also has an application role in the Chinese broadcast market.”
Stephen Wu predicts that initial impact will be with the live production sector where they are already experiencing positive feedback. The next phase will be to develop sales with the TV stations and other parts of the AV industry.
The IV-Tech team have already received full training from the BroaMan engineers, and in turn have trained their own customers in the field about correct usage of the product. They have also produced Chinese literature in advance of participation at the BIRTV 2017 Show for radio, television and film industry in August — where they will exhibit in Hall 8, at stand # 8B31.
IV Tech recently completed a customer demo with eight MUX22, supporting the e-sports live production 2017 Hearthstone Spring Championship in Shanghai.
“I see the new relationship with BroaMan as a win-win situation,” concludes Mr. Wu. “We already have the possibility of an OB van sale and we expect to expand the BroaMan business substantially through these special and unique products, which will be fully supported by our professional technical team.”
The America’s Cup sailing race is the oldest trophy in international sport, dating back to 1851. And for the 35th edition, presented by Louis Vuitton, the location was Bermuda, as the event moved to the iconic Great Sound.
Local Bermuda Broadcasting Company (BBC) were appointed as the official broadcast partner, and they responded by creating an advanced fibre network between the America’s Cup Village at the Royal Naval Dockyard, the transmission, editing and news gathering hub, and their own studio back at base. They did this via a BroaMan advanced fiber network ¬– this has not only enabled them to provide viewers and listeners with live coverage of all the racing over the five weeks via terrestrial TV and radio broadcasts over IP but also to feed its web and social media platforms. This has included taking video and commentaries out on the water, from helicopters overhead and on shore.
BBC constructed this by deploying a powerful pair of BroaMan Mux22 interfaces which connect the 35km distance between the two locations via a single duplex fibre. These hardware enablers allow them to provide connectivity of six video signals (4 HD-SDI In / 2-Out), 4 Line In / 4 Line Out, 4 GPIO (with IC444 board) plus a 100Mbit LAN switch, RS485 and 1Gb Ethernet.
Patrick Singleton, CEO of Bermuda Broadcasting, admits his company’s appointment by the America’s Cup organisers had forced a substantial upgrade at the station, including new TV and radio transmitters, high-speed fibre-optic systems and a fully digital workflow. “The America’s Cup is the greatest sporting event in Bermuda’s history, and we are pleased to have been able to present this in beautiful, high definition.”
But this looked unlikely when last year a lightning strike damaged their playout and destroyed sensitive MCR automation equipment ahead of the Summer Olympics. Having competed in three Olympic Games himself, and now on the International Olympic Committee’s Athletes’ Commission, he was quick to act. “We handle a lot of live sports and so we developed a mobile application to show this important sporting event, but that didn’t solve the problem of terrestrial broadcasting,” he explained.
It showed just how far BBC had come since setting up 70 years ago, initially broadcasting AM radio before branching out into FM and terrestrial TV.
12/06/2017 – Bermuda (BDA) – 35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs Finals
When seeking the optimum solution for the America’s Cup coverage Singleton became aware of the BroaMan platform, and its vast potential, after reading an interview with their MD, Tine Helmle on SVG Group’s online resource. In it she discussed fibre solutions for professional broadcast. “Especially interesting for us was the fact that BroaMan had supplied a solution for the World Rowing Championships and I could see they were especially good at delivering sporting events. I wanted to create a remote broadcast facility at one end of our country and operate from a master control back at base … and BroaMan seemed like the perfect solution,” he stated.
He then spoke to Helmle at length, researched the brand and met BroaMan representatives at the NAB Show.
It had been the innovative app they had created after the lightning strike that had first aroused the interest of the American Cup organisers, and they had initially asked BBC to assist with their own app.
“This was the catalyst,” remembers Patrick Singleton, “but instead of building a mobile app we were then asked if we would handle their entire terrestrial broadcast feed so that the entire country could watch or listen to the races live on TV or Radio ¬–Including all the spectators watching and listening live from boats on the side of the race course.”
10/06/2017 – Bermuda (BDA) – 35th America’s Cup Bermuda 2017 – Louis Vuitton America’s Cup Challenger Playoffs final, Day 1
In fact BBC had been looking at a level of implementation beneath BroaMan’s Mux22, which combines different formats of video and data in a single fibre cable. They felt BroaMan’s Repeat48 would have sufficed. “But then the organisers told us it was no longer just TV they required, but radio as well, and they wanted a physical presence in the America’s Cup Village, with DJs and live news,” Singleton remembers. “And so the requirement changed. We needed to move to Mux22 as we were taking a large number of feeds direct from the America’s Cup OB’s routed through the BroaMan platform.”
In fact the amount of data and number of UHF channels being transmitted was remarkable, with the HD-SDI signal entering the BroaMan domain and coming out over fibre to BBC’s main studios. “We have a 12km line of site but there is a fall over redundant fiber ring that runs 35km that we had to plan for,” Singleton continued. “Once the signals arrived at our station we play them out over our TV and FM transmitters.”
They also send the signals to local cable companies and their live produced TV race feed is also sent 14,000km by fibre to Asia where it’s recorded and stored. “Additionally the event organizers asked us if we could pass through our equipment a special broadcast feed that they were producing to one of the cable companies for delivery to Super Yachts. This was made possible due to the flexibility of the BroaMan Mux22.”
He emphasized the value of BroaMan with the following anecdote: “In one instance we were doing some editing at the event village and had a 3Gb file and we thought it would take an age to send it back to base but it went in seconds. With BroaMan, large files can be sent very quickly and it went straight into our network storage.
“We were confident in the BroaMan technology and it has proved to be rock solid — it was German engineered so it had to be good.”
The ‘rock solid’ fibre network was co-designed with UK-based consultant engineer Mark Johnson from TTFN TV, with the aid of their new transmitters. An earlier concept of a wireless and microwave technology solution was dismissed due to interference and the threat of large ship masts cutting the point to point link.
It had been Johnson’s idea to use an Ethernet Audio over IP network, using the 100 Mbit LAN and 1Gb switcher for file transfer and remote control. “The Telos Axia LiveWire provided the AoIP sub-network, linking video to the NewTek IP Series Video Mix Engine,” he explained.
Further expansion of BBC’s remote mobile facility included the acquisition of a LiveU LU500 video field unit for OB transmission, while the purchase of IP switchers has been a further benefit in the broadcasters’ systematic upgrade. Reflecting on other challenges, Patrick Singleton continued, “The SFP transceiver modules also had to be right, which was difficult. In fact the organisers tasked us with a lot more than we had initially expected.” This included IP cameras for security and monitoring the America’s Cup pit lane.
“It’s been fantastic operating all this through the BroaMan gear,” he said.
Meanwhile, feeds to guest broadcasters from around the world, including NBC, BT Sport, Sky Sports, Canal+, Mediaset, RTVE, Eurovision were provided by the America’s Cup authorities themselves.
This exercise has marked a major technological step change for Bermuda Broadcasting Company. “Five weeks is a long deployment and the BroaMan portable rack has been faultless — particularly considering we are operating in a tent that wasn’t air conditioned rather than a dedicated post production facility. In fact we have been so impressed with it that we now feel the need to continue with it.” But at the same time he emphasizes the necessity to access dedicated dark fibre in order to provide coverage, for instance, at dedicated cricket or football venues.
“We have been able to broadcast practically frame accurate, and our people are in awe of it. We’ve really shown how a legacy media company can up its game.”
As for Mark Johnson, he was also unequivocal about the role played by BroaMan in the success of this year’s America’s Cup. “Their fibre solution has just fixed so many problems, it was like the genie out the bottle,” he said. “As hardware enabling components, BroaMan provided the equipment in one neat box at each end — enabling us to do everything we wanted whereas previously it would have required half a dozen. It was such a neat solution.”
