NAB 2006 Post-Game Spectacular

Well, it's over. time for a Best of Show… well, for me it’s always a toss up between Caesar’s Palace and the Venetian. But if I had to vote for one it’d be the vene… oh, not the casinos… the actual stuff at the trade show… oh, ummm… yeah.

Most stylish client entertainment area: quantel. Theirs was not the biggest of the high-end enormous manufacturers; that was reserved for sony, apple & avid. But the design was so cool.

Thing WE must have for just $7000: chyron lyric pro. This upgrade allows for super-kool seamless transitions between messages. The duet falls just sort of the lyric pro’s eye-candy animation skills. the kids at chyron assured me that no hardware upgrades to our current duet are needed, just software.

Everything old is new again award: newtek tricaster. Those of you who have been around for a while, might have run into the videoToster in the past. It was an all-in-one switcher, 3d animation system (lightwave 3d was the animation software that came with the box, and aparently kept the company afloat) it all ran on an amiga desk top computer. WELL, this redesigned all in one guerilla field production unit has its own proprietary box (about the size of a regular toaster, actually), a little switcher with a t-bar & all the software runs on windows now. The software also includes a 4 channel audio mixer. The cool thing is that it can stream the audio & video out the back of the machine. Perfect for on location internet broadcasts, or streaming an on-location back to the station via the ‘net so we could air it. I’m not sure all of the infrastructure is quite there yet for streaming NTSC quality video from just anywhere but, intriguing none the less.

Best quote from my seminar notebook:


Thing that became apparent: how “out there” in terms of innovation we really are. Here’s what I mean… one whole day seminar I went to was on MoTV (mobile tv… pod-casting, vod & live tv to cell phones etc.) most of the stuff they were talking about stuff we already do, with our c3ktogo.com news, weather and the other digestible programming that gets put on the site. A lot of the other people there were just trying to get into it. In another seminar about the upn/wb/cw/myNetwork thing, a guy described how their second channel was running Oprah in prime time, after the main channel runs it in the afternoon (sound familiar?). a bunch of people were like “oh, that’s a good idea…” I know I’m kissin’ up a little when I say this, but it’s true.

Shiny Object award: why do i need a pen with a green light by the clip?

Holiday snaps (aka: cleaning off the camera's memory card):

just a fraction of the sea of shipping crates that brought all of this cool stuff to the show...

compared to the huge booths of the big manufacturers, the small ones off to the side are where the real "inventors" are. these are the guys who build very specific black boxes in their garage, in the hopes that everyone will need one someday...

How deals get done: that's Tim Saunders the set designer from BDI that we work with, in a very high level pitch meeting, in a rather relaxing setting.

Final Score:

gambling +/- = what happens in vegas...

thanx to:

Margo & Marlone for missing me.

Jill for sending me to NAB.

Margo's mom for coming to madison to help Margo take care of Marlone.

Kevin & Pat and Chuck & Judy for letting me hang with them after-hours.

Dan & Stan for hooking me up with the thinkpad.

Nicole & Tim for the generous donation to the Tour de Cure

http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251

and, of course, YOU for tuning in!

Day V:

today was all audio boards, all the time. i'll get the other stuff out of the way first:

and now, a word from the sponsor...

on 20 may 2006, i'm riding in a 100km (62mi) tour de cure charity bicycling event in madison, wi. all proceeds benefit diabetes research. if you're so inclined, visit my TdC web site & make a donation to the TdC, or just give me the filthy lucre when i get back. don't like me? Dan Zweig is riding too, so give your donation to him... see if i care.

link:http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251

or go to diabetes.org/tour click "sponsor a rider" -- select "wisconsin" -- select "madison" -- search "barcheski"

the score:

+/-=let's just say i won't be replacing my timex anytime soon.

amount i miss Margo & Marlone=i'll be home later today.

stay 'tooned for best of show and odds & ends coming soon.

board snap shots:

Wheatstone D7 / D10. Instant Gratification: cost: $$$$$$ / Overall Rating :)
a quality board. prooven but pricy. but, the way they do it, you have one set of guts that can get controled by multiple consoles. so, if we buy a smaller D7 as a more robust back up for the oxford, when it comes time to replace the sony, the wheatstone guts are already in-house, and we buy another wheatstone board with more sliders and cooler features as our main board. super clean interface.


Euphonix MaxAir: IG: $$$$$$+ / O.R. :
a very shi-shi high-end board. would be a direct replacement. somewhat of an intimadating interface. in use by CNN, among others.


Lawo Zirkon XL: IG: $$$$$ / O.R. :
this definately could perform as a great oxford backup, but maximum fader capacity tops out at 40. so, it probably would not serve our needs if it was ever called upon to be the main board. very simple looking and feeling interface. will pass 5.1 surround, but can't create it.

Solid State Logic C100: IG: $$$$$$+ / O.R. :)
a really cool and powerful 5.1 surround sound board. this ain't no body's backup. cost is high, but you get a lot.

Calrec (i forgot the model #): IG: $$$$$$ / O.R. :)
a very impressive top-tier board, which has an interesting redundancy plan. it has a PC to help you program the thing, but if the windows machine croaks, you can do everything on the main console anyway.

Klotz: IG: $$$$$ / O.R. :(
very simple design, but no 5.1. right now not a problem, but down the road a problem. would work as a backup, but would be obselete too soon. max of only 16 sliders



Harriston Air 24/7: IG: $$$$$$ / O.R. :
a simple-looking mixer, but too simple. the faders are very far apart, making a 24 fader model unnecessairly huge. could serve as a backup, but it would be iffy as a main. metering had a cool wave form animaton too it. SAS Rubicon IG: ???? / O.R. :( realy a radio board that couldn't be flexible enough to be a main board someday.

Day 4:the legends...

big mobile tv conference/panel discussion tusday. lots of guys were talking about what we already do; podcasting & cellphone distribution. also, how geeked people are to get live tv to the cellphone. of course, chaos abounds as everyone has their own idea of how to accomplish this technically (names like DVBH compression, MediaFLO, DMB). if you don't like acronyms, you're in big trouble.

reconed some audio boards, although wednesday will be the serious looking day with Chuck and Kevin for that... stay 'tooned.

a grand party thrown by roscor, a vendor & value-adder of panasonic & grass valley products (among others). mr. "cc rider" & "devil with a blue dress" Mitch Ryder & the Detroit Wheels entertained Pat, Judy, Chuck, Kevin, my self & all the other attendees.

curiously, Aaron Lawler is out here... see pix below:

and now, a word from the sponsor...

on 20 may 2006, i'm riding in a 100km (62mi) tour de cure charity bicycling event in madison, wi. all proceeds benefit diabetes research. if you're so inclined, visit my TdC web site & make a donation to the TdC, or just give me the filthy lucre when i get back. don't like me? Dan Zweig is riding too, so give your donation to him... see if i care.

link:http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251

or go to diabetes.org/tour click "sponsor a rider" -- select "wisconsin" -- select "madison" -- search "barcheski"

the score:

+/-= ballooned to -$26 (i blame roscor for providing the free error-in-judgment refreshments)

you know you've been in vegas too long when: you seriously consider how much work at the craps table it would take to purchase that Tag Heuer Monaco you've had your eye on.

amount i miss Margo & Marlone=think a stage with alpe d' huez, croix de fer, col de madeline, mont ventoux & the koppinger in one day... i miss you & love you very much!

HOLIDAY SNAPS!

(1/top of post & 2): Mitch Ryder can still bring it... much respect to the legend.
(3): almost didn't recognize Lawler when i saw him. he seems to have taken the vegas thing a little far...
(4): ooohhh solid state logic's c100 audio board aaaahhh!

NAB Day III: J.Marty Dormany, the finest chyron product specialist ever. EVER.

highlights:

WHY? why am i not yet used to the cannon-fire from the girl-pirates vs. boy-pirates show which is right outside my hotel window? i mean, you'd think that at some point one would get used to CANNON FIRE right outside one's window, RIGHT? ("how often does the train go by?" "so often you don't even notice.")

first day of the big cool displays... ran into Marty at the chyron booth.

special tv lunch & ceremony with David, Glen & George. among the honorees was Emilio Nicolas Sr. and the late Raoul A. Cortez, pioneers in spanish-language broadcasting in america, Jack Valenti (you saw him on oscars while he was president of ampas. GREAT speech*) and Regis Philbin.

met with David, Carm, Tom & the set designer from BDI about the new set for the 10pm show on WISC. the theme of that meeting became "back to the drawing board." (get it?! a set designer draws things?!)

after a seminar about the CW & MyNetwork situation, i wraped the day with a trip to the VideoTechnics booth. who's that you ask? the company that built the Aprisa Replay Still store and video clip player. OH, THOSE GUYS! i was nice as i could be while describing the littany of solved and unsolved issues with their "product." 'course, they promised (yet again) to try and resolve our issues... [pause] BUHAUAUAUAUAUA!

and now, a word from the sponsor...

on 20 may 2006, i'm riding in a 100km (62mi) tour de cure charity bicycling event in madison, wi. all proceeds benefit diabetes research. if you're so inclined, visit my TdC web site & make a donation to the TdC, or just give me the filthy lucre when i get back.don't like me? Dan Zweig is riding too, so give your donation to him... see if i care.
link:http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251
or go to diabetes.org/tour click "sponsor a rider" -- select "wisconsin" -- select "madison" -- search "barcheski"

the score:
wins/losses=-$16 (still)
amount i miss Margo Marlone= 3.HC (i love you both)
amount Marlone needs to start sleeping more at night to help mommy=a lot.

*cool thing: Jack Valenti recited the first ammendment from memory:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

6:30am CBS engineering breakfast @ the Bellagio scoreboard:
food=good
time=bad
free=good
cbs off the air saturday AM due to an over-aggressive fire alarm=bad
High Definition CCD's smaller than 3/4"=not that bad
the new sony XDcamHD for electronic news gathering=good ($30,000 body only; no lens)
HD lenses=complicated
the success rates of digital microwave eng trucks=good

and now... holiday snap shots!

(1/top of page): THE J.Marty Dormany, an Arthur M. Chyron Lifetime Achievement Award Winner
(2): another barry manilow sighting
(3): so, sony's booth is HUGE. they have this kiosk surrounded by all their cameras. in the kiosk are these "models" that just sit there all day and make oragami cranes, just so you have something to shoot while trying out their cameras. it's kinda creepy. they get paid to just sit there all day, but they look so exquisitely bored... it's kinda like a stylish young adults exhibit at the San Deigo zoo.
(4): TV geeks as far as the eye can see.
(5). Regis Philbin interupts lunch to yap about his storied career.

NAB Day 2

now the real fun begins.

first seminar today was on how to hire the best people. NOT that we've hired any duds to date... just wanna insure that i do my part to help keep the streak alive.

the next one drew parallels between hypnosis techniques and advertising scripts/tag lines/ad campaigns. while some of the examples seemed a bit of a stretch, most were at least entertaining (finger lickin' good).

but the highlight was finding the booth where i got to pick up my FREE schwag bag (see pix). when i told my sister that i was going to NAB she reminisced "[NAB] wasn't the one that Dad brought home the cool stuff. The really cool stuff came from the programming convention." well... just check the picture and turn "green..."

dinner tonight was with our intrepid engineering representatives Chuck & Kevin and their better halves Judy & Pat. we ate at the Bellagio's "sports bar/pub/brewery." no newcastle (!?) and service was, shall we say, "minimalist." however, it was very nice of those guys to invite me and a pleasure to hang with them. food was good, too.

early day tomorrow (6:30am CBS breakfast). also, if there's anything on the NAB exhibitor's floor you want me to try to check out... just shoot me an e-mail.

pix below.

and now, a word from the sponsor...
on 20 may 2006, i'm riding in a 100km (62mi) tour de cure charity bicycling event in madison, wi. all proceeds benefit diabetes research. if you're so inclined, visit my TdC web site & make a donation to the TdC, or just give me the filthy lucre when i get back.
don't like me? Dan Zweig is riding too, so give your donation to him... see if i care*. (*that could prolly be classified as "polarity response technique" a kind of reverse psychology that, in the end, gets you to do what is desired, regardless of the way you got there. a very effective advertising tool).

link:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251

or go to diabetes.org/tour click "sponsor a rider" -- select "wisconsin" -- select "madison" -- search "barcheski"

the score:
wins/losses=-$16

amount i miss Margo Marlone= 2.HC

and now... holiday snap shots!

(1/top of page). not sure whether to use a "Bert" of Bert & Ernie reference or a The Producers reference here... oh, you just pick.

(2): infamous schwag bag. assorted NAB hand bills, a lariette for your back stage pass credential, a pen & a bottle of H2O all assembled in a very smart & stylish soft-sided handbag (one word: prada!).

(3): pacific rim location crew taping something... on betacam sp!

(4). "we're ssssoooo hungry!"

National association of Broadcasters (NAB2006), Day 1

as most of you know, i'm at NAB2006 in lost wages, nevada.

my plan is to blog a little about what i see & do, just to keep you guys informed involved and in touch with the "ImMEDIAte FUTURE" (that's their slogan) of electronic media.

Unfortunately, this first edition is rather dull, as the floor at the convention center with all of the cool gadgets doesn't open until monday, but hopefully i can find something to do.

check out the pictures posted below...

The Score:
Layover at O'hare= 3 1/2 hours (give or take)

Gambling Gains/Losses (+ /-) = even.

thing that must change = There's no hairdryer in the hotel room. for me, that's like a week of survival in the aussie outback with a pup tent and a grub-digging spoon.

Amount i miss Margo & Marlone (already) = Hors Categorie

shout out to TJ DeLay representing the mountain time zone.

good night and good luck
al b

and now, a word from the sponsor...
on 20 may 2006, i'm riding in a 100k (62mi) tour de cure charity cycling event in madison, wi. all proceeds benefit diabetes research. if you're so inclined, visit my TdC web site & make a donation to the TdC, or just give me the filthy lucre when i get back. don't like me? Dan Zewig is riding too, so give your donation to him... see if i care.

link: http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=2803986&pg=personal&fr_id=3251

or go to diabetes.org/tour click "sponsor a rider" select "wisconsin" select "madison" search "barcheski"

and now... HOLIDAY SNAPS! HOORAY!

Barry Manilow (large billboard on the Hilton in back ground) keeps an eye on NAB.


all the excitement that is... NAB LOAD-IN!