Cutting Edge

If you're thinking of submitting a proposal for technical sessions at the Western Show from Dec 2-5 now is the time. The California Cable & Telecommunications Association (CCTA) and The Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) have set a deadline of July 11 for receiving proposals. Preferred topics include network security, managing the network in the retail environment, and traffic management although any topic will be considered. Selected presenters will be required to provide electronic versions of their fully developed papers by Oct. 10. Completed proposals can be e-mailed to technicalsessions@scte.org.

America Online and Dolby Laboratories have introduced Dolby AAC technology, an enhanced version of MPEG AAC streaming technology. It's currently being deployed with new versions of Radio@AOL and Radio@AOL for Broadband. The new system is designed to improve the radio listening experience by streaming audio content with higher quality at lower bit rates (64 kbps for broadband and 14 kbps for narrowband).

National Mobile Television's latest HD production unit, the $10 million HD4, recently produced its maiden HD/NTSC simulcast from Continental Airlines Arena in East Rutherford, N.J. The truck, which includes Thomson Grass Valley cameras, was used for NBA-TV's broadcast of Game Five of the first-round series between the New Jersey Nets and Milwaukee Bucks. That production was 1080i; future work for ESPN-HD will be done in 720p.

Mobile production company NEP has installed Sony's DVS-9000 digital production switcher in the Columbia OB Mobile Production truck it purchased from Action Sports Cable Network. According to George Hoover, NEP senior vice president of operations and engineering, the switcher allows the truck to create both SD and HD content simultaneously or individually as needed. The switcher has up to four mix effects, 80 digital video inputs, 56 outputs and eight full-function DVE channels. The 53-foot truck also has 12 Sony HDC-900/950 cameras and nine HDCAM videotape recorders.