NAB2000 may at first invoke images of grand casinos and bright flashing lights. All the glamor and glitz of Las Vegas might sound like a spring break for broadcasters and the technology manufacturers and distributors they are making the trip to see.

But what the Canadian broadcasters heading to Las Vegas April 8-13 will actually be faced with are hundreds of thousands of square feet of exhibits, and an endless list of appointments, meetings and product demonstrations.

When the broadcasters’ engineering executives share their thoughts about the event, the terms ‘grueling,’ ‘hard work’ and ‘non-stop walking’ are often bandied about.

nab is really about technology, networking, and sometimes even million-dollar shopping sprees. It’s a grind that leaves little time for blackjack, Nudes on Ice, or any other beloved Vegas attraction.

No smoke and mirrors

for City

Lane Steinhauer, Citytv’s supervisor of technical facilities, explains his company’s agenda for the trade show/conference: ‘We’re just seeing how the world has changed and what people are thinking about. There’s usually a couple of years’ gap between reality and where things really are.’

This ‘gap’ makes City hesitant to actually make any purchases at this high-end technology mega-mall. Says Steinhauer: ‘There are four of us going down, and we just look to see where we are, what we’re doing, and where we need to move to. Then we come back and have meetings. We bring the top two or three [products] in here and see how they actually work. There’s a lot of smoke and mirrors out there. Things are usually not what they seem.’

CTV connects to Net

ctv’s nab strategy is more specific. ‘We’ve already bought server-based newsroom systems,’ says Allan Morris, the network’s vp of engineering. ‘[At this year’s event] we’ll be looking at the interconnect of server-based newsrooms to the Internet and wide-area networking.’

Morris will also cast an eye at ‘archive systems and more digital equipment in standard definition. And we’ll look at where prices are going for hdtv [as well as] digital audio consoles.’ He points to new products from tech companies Grass Valley, Leitch, Louth and Pinnacle Systems as among those he will investigate.

Morris will be joined by two others from his department, one of whom, he explains, ‘will be specifically looking at rf equipment – transmission equipment and microwave equipment. We’ll also be looking at the advancement of digital satellite and cofdm microwave.’

Morris notes that the nab is not just about keeping demo appointments. ‘We’ll also see some new companies and what surprises they might have.’

ctv’s nab contingent does not stop there – representatives of CTV News as well as engineers from ctv stations across the country plan to attend. But Morris points out that ctv ‘never purchases at nab. Our budget year starts in September, so we’re well on our way. You look at what’s to be done for next year’s capital budget.’

Morris illustrates how a purchase can nonetheless develop from an nab discovery: ‘A couple of years ago, before we did SportsNet, we went there specifically [looking] to decide which million-dollar-plus highlight system we were going to buy. We looked at five or six and then came home to decide. What we may do down there is see something interesting and then ask for a demo.’

Morris anticipates a lot of exercise on the show floor. ‘I don’t know how many hundreds of thousands of square feet there are, and stuff’s scattered all over the place,’ he explains. ‘Let’s say you’re looking for cameras. You can’t go to one area and look at all the cameras because you have manufacturers who carry cameras [as well as] a wide range of other equipment. It’s a tremendous workout.’

NetStar divisions plan individual approaches

Wayne Scrivens, NetStar Communications’ vp of engineering and operations, relates that the company’s nab plans are varied.

‘We have four different groups,’ he explains. ‘The one group that works out of the broadcast centre for tsn and Discovery – we’re not doing a lot because of ctv’s potential takeover [of NetStar].’ He adds, however, that they will nonetheless take a peek at file-server systems.

In terms of dtv, which will receive much attention at nab, Scrivens feels ‘we’ve done most of that. We are a serial digital plant. We do a lot of score bugs and crawls and that sort of thing. I guess we will be looking at the next generation of character generation, moving backgrounds and that kind of thing.’

He adds that NetStar’s Montreal station, Reseau des sports, will definitely be snooping around nab, as it is currently undergoing a digital upgrade.

Scrivens reveals that the other two NetStar divisions, post house dave and live event shop Dome Productions, are mapping out their own nab agendas.

‘A lot of dave’s clients are in the u.s. and they’re starting to move more and more into hd on the production side, so we’re looking at taking our post house into hd as well. So, for dave, we’re definitely looking at hd scanners, color correctors and edit suites.’

Dome recently built a serial digital mobile, which Scrivens describes as having ‘been on the road since September. It’s a wide-screen digital mobile and we have wide-screen cameras for it. We’ll be [deciding] whether we’re going to build another one, so we’ll be looking at mobile-related equipment.’

As is the case with ctv, timing of the NetStar fiscal year restricts the company from making actual purchases at nab. And besides, NetStar usually waits until an item is picked up by a Canadian distributor before making a commitment, out of future service concerns. Another advantage of dealing with a distributor is more hands-on time with products than nab could possibly allow with 100,000-plus on hand.

But Scrivens believes the trade show provides tremendous networking opportunities: ‘If you’ve been having trouble with equipment, or you have questions to ask, all the right people are there.’

Global envisions tapeless newsroom

Doug Bonar, CanWest Global’s vp technology and operations, says his network will be concerned mainly with news editing equipment. ‘[Our current system] is really coming to the end of its useful life,’ he laments.

Global has been keeping a close eye on the evolution of the digital newsroom, and its nabers will be checking out related products. ‘We haven’t been satisfied that the total solution was available,’ Bonar admits. ‘But now, with greater storage capabilities, we feel it’s a lot closer. And we’re probably going to dip our feet in the pond this year with some nonlinear systems, especially for our Toronto newsroom.’

With CanWest’s pending takeover of broadcast, communications and entertainment company wic, which is similarly interested in new eng solutions, it would be difficult for the network to evaluate quantities of equipment needed, and so it will probably keep its cheque book in its pocket this year, as opposed to nabs past.

‘Some of our most significant purchases have been signed and sealed at nab,’ says Bonar. ‘We were the very first company in the world to commit to the Sony Betacam format in the early eighties.’ He adds that all technology solution decisions for Global Quebec were made at nab.

Greg Treffry, CanWest director of financial planning and development, will be sniffing out Internet opportunities in Las Vegas, while Gary Maavara, who runs Global’s website, will be looking at Internet applications and possible Internet partnerships.

Bonar says he is also looking forward to meeting with colleagues from CanWest stations in New Zealand, Australia and Ireland to trade notes and discuss ‘common objectives’.

He does, however, admit to some apprehension about the four-day hike through the monstrous trade show grounds. ‘Some people think it’s a holiday,’ he laughs. ‘But it is absolutely grueling. It’s so big, you’ve got to really cherry-pick – set a list and set up appointments. It’s really a very difficult job just to get around.’

Golf carts, anyone?