*Discovery ‘channels’ virtual set

To deliver the appropriate backdrop for special One Small Step: The Legacy of Apollo 11, Discovery Channel Canada employed virtual set technology and created a lunar landscape for the show’s hosts. Through parent company Netstar, Discovery is the first Canadian specialty to buy into virtual set technology and used the CyberSet E system from Israel-based ORAD to recreate the look of the moon’s surface for the show.

Netstar’s CyberSet E system runs on SGI Onyx and is typically used for 3D images in a single camera set-up and for 2D in a multicamera situation.

The moon set was designed and animated in-house with Softimage. The set was originally created as a 2D paint graphic using Matador Paint, and after that version was camera tested it was transferred into the virtual set system as a high resolution paint image. The show’s producer and director viewed the set at this stage and made necessary revisions before the data was exported to Softimage and rendered as a 3D model.

Using the CyberSet E system required rendering different camera angles to accommodate a three camera set-up, so that each camera has its own background. The system flags the camera through the vertical interval to alert the computer as to which camera is online.

The One Small Step project on Discovery is the first show to use the virtual set system but Netstar may also use the system for tsn’s coverage of Formula One races, where the system would create customized sets for each race. ‘We’re not using the system to duplicate practical sets, sets you could build – albeit at great cost,’ says Netstar Director of Operations Paul Patenaude, ‘we’re going to use it to create sets we couldn’t otherwise do.’

*Media storage: mergers and acquisitions

The Tape Company Canada, a large, newly constituted media storage distributor, launched itself in Toronto recently, the product of a buyout of two existing Canadian players by a large u.s. operation. Daisy Tech, a major u.s. wholesaler of it products has purchased The Plug Media Corporation and Steadi-Systems Canada, which will now operate under the name The Tape Company Canada. Daisy Tech had previously purchased u.s.-based Steadi-Systems, the American parent of Steadi-Systems Canada. Daisy Tech also purchased u.s. tape distributor The Tape Company.

The Tape Company Canada, based in Markham, Ont. is a dedicated wholesaler of professional media products, carrying all formats from manufacturers including Sony, Fuji, Maxell, BASF, Quantegy and others. The company is targeting production, post and broadcast, duplication, audio and corporate markets in addition to educational and medical users. TCC’s Sales Manager will be Paul Anand, Daisy Tech’s Susan Barrett is GM and Steve Grandy is Product Manager.

*Engineers and the Art of Sound

The 107th Audio Engineering Society convention is scheduled for September 24-27 in New York with the declared mission of Advancing the Art of Sound: Leading the World of Audio into the 21st Century.

The convention will feature several workshops, technical tours and special events and more than 100 technical papers. Paper topics include Convergence of the pc and the Audio Production Facility (Technology, Trends and Predictions); Room Simulation for Multichannel Film and Music; and An Open Architecture for Realtime Audio Processing Software. Workshops include: A New Millennium of Microphones and Music Production and Delivery via the Internet.

Meanwhile, the 17th AES International Conference will happen September 2-5 in Signa, Italy and will be the first scientific conference devoted to the topic of high quality audio coding. Sessions at that conference will provide in-depth studio of MPEG-4 audio and other technologies. Event information can be found at the aes web site (www.aes.org).

*Version 2.0 ‘On ICE’

Desktop effects company ice is shipping Version 2.0 of ‘On ice’ for Adobe After Effects and Avid. After Effects On ice and Avid On ICE 2.0 are touted to feature accelerated effects. ice-enhanced packages like Avid On ice are hardware and software solutions that include ice’s hardware card and ice’d software. Avid On ICE 2.0 promises new accelerated effects including ice filters like ice’d Channel Blur as well as ice’d Ultimatte. After Effects on ice features 32 new ice’d effects including ice’d Geometrics. After Effects On ice is priced at US$7,995 and Avid On ice at US$12,995 including the ice hardware card.

*20th Century tech triumph: Cold Beer

A study conducted recently by u.s. communications equipment maker Harris Corporation and the University of Florida asked Americans which were the most significant technological achievements of the 20th Century. The computer emerged as the top tech pick, followed by the television and the refrigerator, which tied for second place in the survey. Down the list were medical advances and the Internet. Asked which country has been the technology leader of the 20th Century, the top choice was the u.s., chosen by 69% of respondents, followed by Japan with 35% of the votes and Germany with 2%.

*NY rep for TOPIX/Mad Dog

Toronto’s TOPIX/Mad Dog has signed New York-based Elyse Emmer and the Emmer Group to represent the company for u.s. East Coast sales.

*Feingold departs Media 100

Marlboro, Mass.-based Media 100 has announced that B. Robert Feingold has resigned his post as president and coo of the digital video gear maker. ceo John Molinari will assume Feingold’s responsibilities and the presidency. Tony Scotto, vp of Product Development is also resigning. The company released its second quarter results recently, which reflect net sales of US$12,537,000, a 30% increase over net sales for the second quarter in 1998. The company touts its new NT-based Finish products as a factor in its increased profitability. The company also announced it has completed the planned acquisition of Terran Interactive, a California-based Internet video software company.

*Pan Am Games run with Panasonic

To bring the 13th Pan Am Games to the public, July 23-Aug. 8, Panasonic has geared up with the Panasonic international Broadcast Centre in host city Winnipeg. The centre is packed with an assortment of Panasonic equipment to supply direct feeds to 23 different broadcasting companies.

The centre encompasses several buildings and 27 trailers and will use DVCPro 50 digital videotape machines, nine eng camcorder units and numerous color monitors. Panasonic will also provide two large screen 20’x25′ Astrovision television displays, the first time these displays will be used in Canada.

*Quebec post house gets hdtv-ready editor

Readying itself for hd, Montreal post house PMT has hooked up a Quantel Editbox, an on-line, non-linear editor that can be upgraded to hd. It is the first of its kind in Montreal.

Editbox would appear to be a prudent purchase as the industry finds itself perched between digital technology and the coming of high definition, which could still be as far off as two years.

Editbox features up to four hours of non-compressed 601 storage and four mix/fx channels. It also offers the latest in fader tablets, dve, tracking and keying.

But the buyers at PMT – which offers such post services as digital video studio shooting, on-line and off-line editing, and computer animation – say they were most impressed with the fact that Editbox is ready made for hd.

*SGI releases workstation upgrade

Silicon Graphics has released a new processor that will provide higher computing capabilities and improve graphics on its O2 visual workstation.

Users of O2 R5000 workstations can upgrade to the new 300 MHz QED RM5200, sgi says, at a cost of US$2,495. sgi says the upgrade will improve compute performance by 69% and graphics performance by 59%. The QED RM5200 is designed and manufactured by Quantum Effect Devices out of Santa Clara, Calif.