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Fincons Group | Next Gen TV Prototype Shows How Educational Equity Can Be Achieved For All Students

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Fincons Group | Next Gen TV Prototype Shows How Educational Equity Can Be Achieved For All Students
NAB, Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, and Fincons Group have developed a pioneering prototype application to enable students to undertake remote learning via their television screens without broadband

Washington, D.C. — The National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) has collaborated with Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, and international IT consultancy Fincons Group to create a first-of-its-kind prototype Next Gen TV application that helps bridge the gap in access to learning and helps with the goal of creating educational equity for all. By utilizing ATSC 3.0 technology, students without access to the internet could use such an application to participate in home learning, do homework, take quizzes and access additional learning resources — all through their Next Gen TV screens, thanks to data broadcasting.

The demonstration, taking place during an NAB Amplify session on June 24 at 2 p.m. EDT, will showcase the simplicity of the application and how datacasting works. These include having the class schedule presented in a TV guide-style with easy navigation and a traffic light color-coded system that indicates to students: work that is outstanding, ongoing and completed. When work is complete, a QR code is generated, allowing students to submit their work to their teacher with a mobile device. This innovative feature allows two-way communication between the school and the students, which is crucial for remote education to be effective.

Kathryn Procope, head of school at Howard University Middle School of Mathematics and Science, said, “What became incredibly apparent since the start of this pandemic is that so many children are simply not receiving equitable resources for their home learning needs. Educational equity means that every child is provided with an equal opportunity to succeed and have the necessary support to do that. We have seen across the country digital deserts, and while schools can support by providing devices, a device that cannot connect is no help at all. Rather than focusing on what households don’t have, we looked at what the majority of homes do have and how it could be utilized to provide much-needed home education, and that is a television.”

Francesco Moretti, group deputy CEO and CEO international at Fincons Group, commented, “Exploring avenues to maximize the latest technologies for the citizen is fundamental, and as a group, we are exceptionally passionate about this. The pandemic has been highly challenging. We have risen to utilize our skills, experience and innovation, developing applications that solve real issues affecting us, from education to remote working.

“This prototype application for educational equity could go beyond the pandemic,” added Procope. “It could provide extra learning resources to students who may require additional support once they have returned to the classroom.”

“So much of the conversation today around ATSC 3.0 is focused on providing better picture or audio quality or the interactivity of broadcast applications, yet this standard opens the door to new opportunities for data broadcasting or datacasting. In our demonstration, this has been placed in the context of creating educational equity,” said Sam Matheny, chief technology officer at NAB. “This application highlights an important capability of Next Gen TV that could easily be overlooked.”

“Providing new services to the citizens such as remote schooling, but also hyperlocal news, weather forecasting, emergency alerting or other data-driven personalized services, will be an effective scaling factor towards a rapid and wide adoption of Next Gen TV,” said Oliver Botti, strategic marketing and innovation executive director at Fincons Group.

Sean Plater, general manager at WHUR and acting general manager at WHUT Howards Media Properties, concluded, “Datacasting is an applicable feature of Next Gen TV, and we are very excited about what opportunities exist going forward. Service to our communities is always at the top of what we do. This goes way beyond providing great content. It’s about creating applications and use cases that make a real difference, not just at the middle school level but across education generally.”

More information and the complete recording of the session can be found on the NAB Amplify website, where it will be available for 60 days. The prototype application will also be demonstrated as part of Futures Park at NAB Show in Las Vegas, October 9-13, 2021.

About NAB
The National Association of Broadcasters is the premier advocacy association for America’s broadcasters. NAB advances radio and television interests in legislative, regulatory and public affairs. Through advocacy, education and innovation, NAB enables broadcasters to best serve their communities, strengthen their businesses and seize new opportunities in the digital age. Learn more at www.nab.org.

About Fincons Group
With 2000 employees worldwide and 38 years of experience, Fincons is an award-winning IT business consultancy, providing a broad range of services and solutions in strategy, digital, technology and operations to a diverse range of industries. In the Media sector, the Group has long term and successful relationships with Tier-1 clients, providing solutions and ICT services covering the entire Digital Supply Chain, from Rights Management, Programming and Scheduling, to Advertising Sales and Omnichannel Video Delivery. Fincons has offices in the US (New York, Los Angeles), in the UK (London), Italy (Milan, Rome, Bari, Verona, Catania), Switzerland (Lugano, Bern, Zurich, Küssnacht am Rigi), Germany (Munich) and in France (Paris).

About Howard University
Founded in 1867, Howard University is a private, research university that is comprised of 13 schools and colleges. Students pursue more than 140 programs of study leading to undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees. The University operates with a commitment to Excellence in Truth and Service and has produced one Schwarzman Scholar, three Marshall Scholars, four Rhodes Scholars, 12 Truman Scholars, 25 Pickering Fellows and more than 165 Fulbright recipients. Howard also produces more on-campus African-American Ph.D. recipients than any other university in the United States. For more information on Howard University, visit howard.edu.

About WHUT
WHUT-TV, Howard University Television was founded in 1980 in Washington, D.C. as WHMM. At its inception, the station became the first public station in the United States to be licensed and operated by a historically black college and university (HBCU) – Howard University. The station broadcasts reach over 2.5 million households in a 60-mile radius. The station endeavors to underscore Howard University’s overall mission in its commitment to excellence in truth and service. More information about WHUT is available at whut.org or by following WHUT on Twitter, Facebook or through our apps for mobile and connected devices.

Media Contacts:
NAB
Ann Marie Cumming
(202) 429-5350

Fincons
Josephine Ornago
+39 320 2921051

Howard University
Sean D. Plater
Brooke Hardy

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Newsflare | Newsflare Ranked in ScaleUp Tech Top 50

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Newsflare | Newsflare Ranked in ScaleUp Tech Top 50
London 18th October 2021: Newsflare, the world’s leading licensing platform for user generated video, has been ranked in a listing of the 50 most promising high-growth technology companies in the UK by tech group Silicon Valley Comes to the UK (SVC2UK).

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Speaking about the ranking, Newsflare CEO Jon Cornwell commented:

“We’re delighted and excited to be part of this elite group of fast-growth businesses. The creator economy is worth over $100 billion dollars, and video monetisation is playing a key role in economic growth across the globe. Online publishers, television producers and marketers all know that premium user-generated video (UGV) is highly effective at driving both audience growth and engagement.”

Newsflare provides a front row seat to the greatest show on earth. The largest collection of rights-cleared user generated video in the world, Newsflare’s ever-growing global army of filmers are constantly capturing life as it happens, and through its highly automated platform, TV production companies, online and social publishers and brands can gain access to a wealth of highly compelling video content with which to delight audiences, attract eyeballs, drive engagement and boost monetisation.”

Now in its 16th year, SVC2UK selects a group of the fastest-growing companies to join the cohort each year, providing them with access to knowledge and mentoring from US and UK business leaders to help them scale further.

“This diverse group of founders represent the innovation and creativity of tech in the UK,” said Janet Coyle, managing director for business growth at SVC2UK. “They also demonstrate not only a thriving technology ecosystem ready to offer unique innovations, but the importance of promoting greater inclusivity in the tech ecosystem.”

NOTES TO THE EDITORS
For more information about Newsflare please contact:
Kelly Prior, PR Consultant
Tel: 07730 572878
Email: Kelly@kellyprior.co.uk

About Newsflare
Life, with all its colour and craziness, sights and sounds, triumphs and tragedies, is the greatest show on earth. A spectacle that demands to be shared with audiences everywhere, through engaging captivating and enthralling user-generated video. Newsflare’s constantly growing global membership of filmers are out there capturing life as it happens, uploading new clips all day, every day, to our huge, ever-expanding vault. It’s alive with diverse, emotionally powerful content and fresh ideas that will resonate deeply with anyone audience on any platform – and we’ve made it quick and easy to search, select and license your clips. Moments that matter are being captured everywhere, all the time, and your audiences are hungry to see them. So, dive into Newsflare, and give them a front-row seat to the greatest show on earth.

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Appear | Appear launches dedicated solution for digital satellite news gathering

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Fincons Group | Next Gen TV Prototype Shows How Educational Equity Can Be Achieved For All Students
Appear’s new X10 DSNG Platform supporting encoding/decoding and satellite uplink/downlink in a single rack unit

13 October, Oslo, Norway – Appear, the global leader in media processing and delivery technology, today announced it has launched a new tailor-made solution dedicated to Digital Satellite News Gathering (DSNG). The X10 DSNG includes a switch module, with built-in satellite reception and ASI IO ports that supports encoding and satellite uplink in a single, 1 rack unit (RU) chassis. With increasing demands for live event coverage, the X10 DSNG is a compact, powerful solution that meets the very specific and challenging needs of DSNG and mobile production.

DSNG vans are often needed in conjunction with outside broadcast (OB) vans to support live production for large events. While fibre connectivity has become more widespread, or associated with live event broadcast, there are still many venues that do not have high capacity fibre connectivity, or require satellite transmission as a backup for fibre—which means DSNG vans still play an important role in contribution. For DSNG vans, it is vital to have equipment that can deliver content via satellite or IP ports to support the use of satellite and fibre delivery simultaneously. Moreover, DSNG vans are generally small with very limited space. Equipment size and power consumption are important factors when selecting equipment for DSNG operators, and a solution which offers as much functionality as possible is a necessity.

Supporting both fibre and satellite delivery, Appear’s X10 DSNG provides all the functionality DSNG operators need for contribution, including encoding/decoding and satellite uplink/downlink, as well as integrated reception and monitoring of uplinked signals. With the power to support 1G to 10G of traffic, the X10 DSNG features:

    • 1 x switch module with dual 1G IP IO ports, satellite demodulator and 2 ASI IO ports
    • 1 x encoder module
    • 1 x satellite modulator module
    • 1 x decoder module

Typically, this level of functionality is needed in multiple RUs. The compact, power efficient X10 DSNG offers:

    • Multiple channel support: Operators can flexibly define the number of channels to be encoded and decoded, plus the number of satellite modulated outputs needed. It can support encoding of 32 HD or 16 UHD channels with 4 HD or 2 UHD channels of decoding (for monitoring), while uplinking to one or two satellite transponders.
    • High-capacity streams: The X10 DSNG can support 250 streams ensuring it meets contribution needs.
    • Compression standards support: Common compression technologies and video protocols are supported, which makes the X10 DSNG adaptable to all operational requirements within contribution, remote production, video networking and distribution. With the modular nature of the X10 DSNG, additional compression standards can be supported through adding JPEG XS and JPEG2000 features.
    • Built-in redundancy: The X10 DSNG is designed to be as reliable and failsafe as possible, even when used stand-alone, thanks to its integrated modulator redundancy switch. Should an internal failure take place, a range of redundancy options can take effect to keep the chassis fully operational.
    • IP network security: The X10 DSNG has a high-capacity firewall feature that can monitor and regenerate traffic as required.
    • Future proof video protocols: Not only does the X10 DSNG have the ability to handle all commonly used video protocols, but the programmable hardware also means that it can support new standards as and when they are defined.

“Over the past 18 months we’ve seen more remote productions and large-scale events take place, which has thrust OB and DSNG into the spotlight, and put more demands on operators. DSNG has an important role to play, and we’re delighted to bring a new solution to market that addresses their specific needs,” says Thomas Bostrøm Jørgensen, Chief Executive Officer at Appear. “The X10 DSNG not only supports fibre and satellite, but with built-in security, redundancy and support for an array of compression technologies and protocols, it is a solution that not only meets operators needs today, but will continue to support them for years to come. It is a comprehensive, powerful solution, and we’re excited to see how it fulfils its huge potential in this market.”

The X10 DSNG is available for commercial deployment immediately.

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ST Engineering iDirect | ST Engineering iDirect and USSI Global close C-band Clearing – Programmer Uplink Compression Integration Deal

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ST Engineering iDirect  | ST Engineering iDirect and USSI Global close C-band Clearing – Programmer Uplink Compression Integration Deal
Future-proof broadcast equipment will ensure a smooth transition for satellite programmers involved in the compression of signals for C-band clearing

Herndon, VA. and Melbourne, FL. September 28, 2021 – ST Engineering iDirect’s broadcast technology has been selected by USSI Global, a leading provider of customized network, broadcast and digital signage systems and services worldwide, to enable the modernization and compression of satellite programmers’ distribution uplinks to comply with the Federal Communications Commission’s (FCC) C-band spectrum transition.

ST Engineering logo

The upgrade work is part of the FCC’s initiative to clear 300MHz of the C-band’s 500MHz bandwidth frequency for 5G mobile services and relocate service providers within that spectrum to the remaining 200MHz. As the C-band spectrum is mostly used for TV and radio operations, many providers will vacate the 300MHz targeted for 5G services. These transitions will require affected providers to navigate complex technical changes including installation of new and existing antennas and the repointing and filtering required for the antenna upgrades.

ST Engineering iDirect is a key technology partner in the upgrade and will be providing broadcast equipment including M6100 modulators, USS0212 redundancy switches and FR0730 up and down converters, enabling USSI Global to ensure a smooth transition and high-efficiency, future-proof infrastructure. The modernized compression systems will serve extensive sports distribution encompassing MLB, NHL and NBA teams, as well as several major programmer distribution systems in the USA. The upgrade is expected to be completed by August 2023.

“This is a critical and highly visible project that represents an important first element in the FCC initiative to clear the C-band spectrum for 5G. The ground solutions track is part of our core business focus, both now and in the future for our company,” said Bob Dunbar, SVP of Business Development at USSI Global. “We have worked with ST Engineering iDirect for a number of decades and they are a trusted technology partner. We have used its equipment as the solution in most all of our customer uplink modernizations around the globe with several compression vendors. Through its highly innovative and efficient technology and our strong, proven partnership, we know that we can enable the smooth transition for the programmers affected by the C-band clearing compression requirement. We also look forward to seeing our partnership continue to flourish in the future as we jointly leverage emerging opportunities in satellite ground segment.”

“Sports broadcasting is integral to the media sector in the United States, and the transition from the C-band is a critical one,” said Darren Ludington, Regional Vice President of Sales, Americas at ST Engineering iDirect. “We are delighted to support our partner, USSI Global, in what is an important venture for the company. Through this deal, they have truly demonstrated the continued trust they have in our broadcast technology. We look forward to further building on our solid relationship in the future.”

*****

ST Engineering North America is the U.S. headquarters of ST Engineering, a global technology, defense and engineering group with a diverse portfolio of businesses across the aerospace, smart city, defense and public security segments. Based in Alexandria, VA, it has major operations across 16 cities in 12 states and employs about 5,000 people providing innovative products and solutions to commercial and government customers across diverse market segments.

ST Engineering iDirect, a subsidiary of ST Engineering North America, is a global leader in satellite communications (satcom) providing technology and solutions that enable its customers to expand their business, differentiate their services and optimize their satcom networks. Through the merger with Newtec, a recognized industry pioneer, the combined business unites over 35 years of innovation focused on solving satellite’s most critical economic and technology challenges and expands a shared commitment to shaping the future of how the world connects. The product portfolio, branded under the names iDirect and Newtec, represents the highest standards in performance, efficiency and reliability, making it possible for its customers to deliver the best satcom connectivity experience anywhere in the world. ST Engineering iDirect is the world’s largest TDMA enterprise VSAT manufacturer and is the leader in key industries including broadcast, mobility and military/government. In 2007, iDirect Government was formed to better serve the U.S. government and defense communities. For more information on our platforms please visit www.idirect.net.

Media contacts:
Julie Bettinger
Vice President, Corporate Marketing
ST Engineering iDirect
Phone: +1 703 648 8155
Email: jbettinger@idirect.net

Guy Shields
Director, Corporate Communications
ST Engineering North America
Phone: +1 703 739 2610
Email: guy.shields@stengg.us

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