【NEWS】The 47th InterBEE2011 showcased the cutting edge of the broadcast industries

The 47th InterBEE2011 showcased the cutting edge of the broadcast industries

The 47th International Broadcast Equipment Exhibition 2011 (InterBEE2011) was held at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City, Japan, from the 16th to 18th of November. The premier professional show for audio, video, and communications was sponsored by Japan Electronics and Information Technology Industries Association (JEITA), and supported by Japan Broadcasting Corp (NHK) and National Association of Commercial Broadcasters in Japan (NAB-J). This year's event hosted exhibits from 800 companies and organizations, of which 466 were represented from 34 countries and regions overseas.

As one of Asia's top-ranked exhibitions, InterBEE2011 provided the greatest platform for all visitors to experience the most comprehensive and cutting edge broadcast technology and innovation. The world's leading manufacturers such as Panasonic, Sony, Yamaha, Canon, Grass Valley, Avid Technology, Blackmagic Design to name a few, featured their latest audio, video, and communications equipments and highlighted 4K video, 8K ultra-high definition TV, stereoscopic 3D TV, and sophisticated workflow applications.

InterBEE started in 1965 and is well recognized as one of the Asia's most successful exhibitions along with BroadcastAsia in Singapore and BIRTV in Beijing held in June and August respectively. In recognition of such great achievements made by the efforts of JEITA, NHK, and NAB-J, Gordon H. Smith, President & CEO of the National Association of Broadcasters, delivered a keynote speech on the opening day of InterBEE2011 under the theme "The Strength of our Partnerships are Building a Stronger Broadcast Future"and crowned the great success. In his speech Golden Smith emphasized, "The relationship between our two countries is a strong one. We have long been allies on the international stage. This strong relationship extends to our broadcasters as well and it has been a fruitful one in many ways."As prominent examples, he pointed out such latest developments as Ultra-HDTV, 3D TV, Hybrid-casting. "As we look to the future of broadcasting, NAB wants to work collectively with Japan's broadcasters to protect and grow this industry and ensure its success well into the 21st century,"Golden Smith stated very clearly in front of the jam-packed broadcast industry professionals.

Looking into the satellite communications and broadcasting sector at InterBEE2011, four exhibitors with five Satellite News Gathering (SNG) vehicles were highlighted. AT Communications K.K. (AT Com) showcased two eco-friendly models for the broadcast industry. Other three exhibitors, Matsuura-Kikai Seisakusyo Company Ltd (Matsuura), Fuyo Video Agency (FVA), and Mitsubishi Electric Corporation (MELCO) displayed one each.
AT Com unveiled two ecology-oriented SNG vehicles. One vehicle was equipped with SWE-DISH CCT120 dual reflector antenna and hydraulically-operated pole on the roof of a new Nissan ElGrand minivan. Panasonic HD camera and LAN transceiver were installed on top of the elevated pole. They also unveiled another eco-friendly SNG OB Van with CCT120 antenna and 4meter pole on the roof. This pole uses an air-compressor system for deployment in stead of hydraulics. "We are paying special attention to ecology this year. That is why oil compression system was not selected for elevating pole"said Takeo Asano, President & CEO of AT Com. He also proudly added: "All windows are made of polycarbonate resin instead of heavy glasses and the newest 3.6 KVA electric generator was adopted to save energy."
Matsuura Kikai Seisakusho showcased SNG vehicle with C-COM's "iNetVu 1200"drive-away system and Alvarion's "BreezeAccess VL"LAN antenna. "The iNetVu 1200 can be deployed at a press of a button and within a few minutes deliver 10Mbps HDTV by using a 25W BUC and Ku-band transponder on iPStar satellite,"said Yoshihiko Matsuura, President and CEO. "The BreezeAccess VL is operated on a two-axis pan head made by Matsuura and can provide 20Mbps broadband transmission,"he added.

FVA unveiled latest SNG Van made for Saitama TV Station this year. Its highlights included a flat antenna called Portalink mounted on the roof of Toyota High Ace minivan and a Field Pickup Unit (FPU) on top of a 14meter pole. Portalink is manufactured by Japan Radio Company and communication service is provided by SkyPerfect JSAT's Superbird-B2 satellite. The Digital FPU was manufactured by NEC.
MELCO display the latest Satellite-On-The-Move SNG vehicle. Their SOTM system was mounted on a Toyota Vanguard, a compact SUV, and featured a 40centimeter antenna inside a radome for automatic tracking during the move. It also features GPS receiver for positioning and MELCO's outdoor SSPA equipped on the roof. Inside the vehicle they installed their own MPEG-4 AVC/H.264 High 4:2:2P encoder (Type VM1000) and DVB-S2 modulator (Type MS8200). "15Mbps transmission speed can be attained in most of Japanese territory with MELCO's 80W SSPA. The system is qualified for up-linking high quality HDTV video,"explained Yasushi Miyazaki, Manager of Sales & Marketing Section.

Also very much visible at InterBEE2011 was Ku-band and X-band flyaway type of SNG equipments. Moubic showcased for the first time in Japan "Advent NewsLite Satellite Mobile Gateway System.""I am so happy to introduce NewsLite 6000 to Japanese broadcast industry players this year. Actually I wished to do so at last year's InterBEE but could not make it"said Makoto Ozawa, President & CEO of Moubic. According to Ozawa NewsLite6000 features Lynx DVE5100 video exciter, 25W SSPA, DVE5200 receiver for MPEG-2/MPEG-4, all in one suitcase and weighs only 23 kilograms.
AT Com, as was last year, exhibited SWE-DISH IPT Suitcase and "miSat-X,"an X-band flyaway system made by Rockwell Collins. "miSat-X is equipped with a 50centimeter antenna and a 16W SSPA. Minimum data rate for transmitting is 1.0Mbps and 4Mbps for receiving per DVB-S2 specifications under the condition of G/T 7.0dB/K and EIRP 38.5dBW,"said Makio Komatsubara, Sales Director at AT Com.
KDDI, one of Japan's leading telecommunications groups, together with KDDI R&D Laboratories displayed HNS9201 BGAN terminals made by Hughes Network Systems. An engineer at the booth said that the standard IP transmission can be attained at the speed of 492kbps and it is most suitable for "Vista Finder."

InterBEE2011 also provided a venue for two exciting launches. One of them was iDirect's VSAT hub system named "Evolution.""Evolution can handle both IP and SCPC carriers. It is equipped to serve five different satellite networks,"said Sunny Ho, Regional Sales Director of iDirect Asia, who was invited by AT Com to promote sales at their booth.
Another one was the satellite communication system called "Helisat."This system was developed by MELCO and enables transmission of HDTV video while the helicopter is on the move. The antenna system is similar to their SOTM unit for SNG vehicle and has already undergone verification tests in October by using Ku-band capacity on the JCSAT-1B satellite. "The verification tests conducted in October proved that the transmission can be maintained even at a bank angle of 30 degrees,"Muneo Abe, General Manager, Telecommunication Systems Department said. He also confirmed that a maximum transmission speed of 10Mbps for uplink and 64Kbps for downlink can be attained.

Naoakira Kamiya
Managing Director
Satellite System Research Institute