Michael Webber

Category: Technology

  • LastPass Unlocked Event

    Last Thursday, October 3, 2019 I had an opportunity to attend LastPass’s Unlocked – Cybersecurity & Identity Trends event in Boston, MA.

    The panel of security experts included:

    • Bill Cheswick, Computer Security and Networking Researcher
    • Gerald Beuchelt, Chief Information Security Officer/Vice President for LogMeIn
    • Steve Gibson, Software Engineer, Security Researcher, and Host of the Security Now Podcast. grc.com

    I’m a big fan of Twit.tv, Leo Laporte, Steve Gibson and I use LastPass every day. So I was really excited to attend the event knowing I’d be participating in an engaging and fun conversation around security, passwords, and learn more about Steve’s solution for passwords, the SQRL project.

    The full-length video of the discussion is available on YouTube, which I’ve embedded below.

    Twit’tv Coverage of the Cybersecurity & Identity Trends Unlocked Event
    October 3, 2019 – Boston, MA
    Twit.tv’s Leo Laporte at the LastPass Unlocked event in Boston, October 2019
    Steve Gibson – grc.com

  • Video Production Trade News – Week of November 12, 2017

    Each week I share select trade news articles with students enrolled in my New England Tech video production classes. It’s critical in any field to remain current, follow emerging trends, examine best practices, and learn about various challenges that face the industry.

    Below are some articles from the past week that were discussed during class:

    1. NBC to Make SkyCam Main Camera for Titans-Steelers

    Trade Publication Source:
    TVTechnology – http://www.tvtechnology.com/business/0011/report-hdr-tv-shipments-to-reach-nearly-48m-in-2021/282201 

    2. Snapchat Usage by Media Companies

    There are two announcements this week by major media companies that plan to use the Snapchat platform. 

    Conan O’Brien Launches Comedy Show on Snapchat
    Trade Publication: Broadcast & Cable
    http://www.broadcastingcable.com/news/currency/conan-o-brien-launches-comedy-show-snapchat/170052

    ESPN Launches ‘SportsCenter’ Segments on Snapchat
    Trade Publication: Multichannel News
    http://www.multichannel.com/news/content/espn-launches-sportscenter-snapchat/416529

    2. On this Date in Radio history – Lee de Forest

    On November 13, 1906 Lee de Forest patented the Audion tube.

    Trade Publication: Media Confidential
    http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2017/11/november-13-radio-history.html

  • Video Production Trade News – Week of July 31, 2017

    Each week I share select trade news articles with students enrolled in my New England Tech video production classes. It’s critical in any field to remain current, follow emerging trends, examine best practices, and learn about various challenges that face the industry.

    Below are some articles from the past week that were discussed during class:

    1. PBS Federal Funding

    “There is no PLAN B” if $450 Million federal budget for PBS is cut.

    Read Full Article: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/la-et-entertainment-news-updates-july-there-is-no-plan-b-for-public-1501448678-htmlstory.html  

    2. Follow UP on NFL Ratings Discussion

    Since our discussion last week, a J.D. Power 2017 Fan Experience Survey reveals other possible reasons for the dip in ratings.

    Read More: https://www.sbnation.com/2017/7/27/16050800/nfl-viewership-national-anthem-protests-jd-power-survey-2017?yptr=yahoo

    3. Drone UAV Pilot Training

    Website: https://www.zephyr-sim.com/ 

    4. July 30th – Vladimir Zworykin Birthday

    In 1889…Vladimir Zworykin, called the “Father of Television” was born in Russia. He invented the iconoscope in 1931 while in the employ of RCA, the parent company of NBC. He died July 29, 1982 on the eve of his 93rd birthday.

    Read More: http://mediaconfidential.blogspot.com/2017/07/july-30-radio-history.html

  • Video Production Trade News – Week of July 24, 2017

    Each week I share select trade news articles with students enrolled in my New England Tech video production classes. It’s critical in any field to remain current, follow emerging trends, examine best practices, and learn about various challenges that face the industry.

    Below are some articles from the past week that were discussed during class:

    1. Sony’s Electronic Variable ND Filter

     

    Electronic Variable Neutral Density (ND) Filter is the name Sony is giving a new feature now available on certain Sony Cameras.

    Controlling our environment and camera exposure settings to produce professional level compositions is a topic we’ve discussed in class many times. Developing a solid understanding of exposure is critical to controlling Depth of Field, a technique used is frequently to direct viewers attention and allow our subjects to stand out from the background.

    Sony’s auto ND filter makes controlling DOF even easier, assuming you have enough light.

    2. NFL Making Changes to Commercial Breaks – Testing Split Screen Ads

    The NFL conducted extensive research last Fall, measuring viewer metrics including eye tracking, heart rates, and skin response. All in an effort to address the 8% decrease in TV ratings last fall.

    Among the changes coming, the NFL will look to make the following changes:

    •  30 percent fewer promotional messages (ie. 60minutes coming up next)
    • Split screen Ads, with an ad on one side and what’s happening in the stadium on the other

    The league is also making changes with an eye on cutting down the length of the game. Officials will use tablets while consulting with officials in New York. Overtime will be cut to 10 minutes from 15.

    Source: https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-07-17/nfl-puts-fans-in-lab-to-see-what-works-as-football-seeks-answers 

    3. Media Composer | First

    The first 30 days (or so) of Media Composer First

  • Video Production Trade News – Week of July 17, 2017

    Each week I share select trade news articles with students enrolled in my New England Tech video production classes. It’s critical in any field to remain current, follow emerging trends, examine best practices, and learn about various challenges that face the industry.

    Below are some articles from the past week that were discussed during class:

    1. NBC Nightly News – New Set Design

    A timely piece of trade news this week as we begin a “Studio Production” course at the college.

    On July 17th NBC Nightly News moved to Studio 3C, where a new set design built by Clickspring Design will debut. 

    According to Newscast Studio, a trade publication with the largest collection of photographs and samples of television sets and graphics packages from around the world, the new NBC studio features:

    • 632 square feet of LED video tiles
    • A double-height LED column, nicknamed “the tower”
    • Color-changing peacock sculpture is suspended from the ceiling, but instead of being lined up in a single plane, each feather is positioned slightly behind its neighbor, so that the sculpture morphs as one views it from different vantage points.  

    The new NBC Nightly News Set in Studio 3C

    Read More – http://www.newscaststudio.com/2017/07/14/nbc-nightly-news-studio-3c/ 

    2. Local TV News Fact Sheet

    PEW Reseach Center released a new study revealing consumer viewing habits of local news, advertising income, and station salaries. 

    PEW is a great resource full of rich data and analysis of our industry.

    Check out the Fact Sheet Here

  • Foxborough’s “Do Your Job” Mannequin Challenge

    I had a great time working on this project with some community residents in Foxborough. “Freezing” a Stop & Shop store in the middle of the day was certainly a challenge. A fun no-budget project that aimed to show community pride and support of the New England Patriots ahead of their AFC Championship Game vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. Mission accomplished!

  • Low Cost Graphics for Blackmagic ATEM Swtichers

    Low Cost Graphics for Blackmagic ATEM Swtichers

    For a while now I’ve been researching low-cost, easy to use Character Generator (CG) system for our Public Access Station’s TV Truck. Today I want to share what I found and outline the solution we’re implementing.

    First, just a little background on what we needed out of the CG system. The station is very active, covering more than a hundred community events each year. Many productions require graphics to be updated and modified on the fly. Especially for sports coverage, it’s is a necessity.

    We also needed a CG that was compatible with our Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher.

    A quick, but important side note on ATEM switchers. ATEM’s DO NOT have built-in scalers, which means that all incoming video must match exactly what you set in the configuration panel. In our case, we’re using HD 1080i. This is an important note when setting up an external CG.

    Users should also know that ATEM switchers CAN store pre-produced, static graphics. If you’re working on a project where all graphics are known ahead of time, you can simply load your graphics into the switcher, DONE. Photoshop is the best graphics software to accomplish this. There’s also a Photoshop plugin that speeds up the process with some automation, but that’s still not ideal for sports production.

    Once you decide that you need an external CG there are many solutions to look at, here are just a few:

    We first purchased the DataVideo CG350, but found it cumbersome and lacking some basic features we need. Software just felt outdated and difficult to work with, we’ll find a use for the software, but not in our main production truck.

    Other alternatives include Compix Character Generators, which is a great solution. Our station has used their product in the past with our SD systems. We’ve avoided this option, mainly for budget reasons, if you have the budget, Compix is likely one of your best options.

    For our situation, PowerPoint was actually the best solution. A low-cost and user-friendly experience. A system we can deploy in multiple production facilities and deal with failures quickly. For example, if the CG system dies, a quick trip to Best Buy or Amazon.com and we’re back up and running. PowerPoint is a well supported and modern software used by millions, unlike more specialize CG software that has a smaller developer team and only a few hundred users.

    I’m working on a blog post that outlines how to connect PowerPoint to a Blackmagic Design ATEM Switcher. Stay Tuned!

  • My Switch from HTPC to Tivo Blot

    I recently purchased a Tivo Bolt to replace my Home Theater PC (HTPC). I currently have the Tivo setup using the antenna (over the air) feature along with the Amazon Prime, which is an app built into the box. We currently do not have a cable subscription.

    It just works! While I enjoyed configuring my own HTPC, running open source software and “getting under the hood” it was becoming a time suck. Don’t get me wrong, in the beginning I used Windows Media Center, which was great software, but once Microsoft discontinued updates in 2009 I began experimenting with various open source options: XBMC, Kodi, mythTV DVR…the list goes on.

    Time to Move On…

    In late 2015 I finally decided it was time to move on from the home-brew setup. I had my spent enough time tweaking and playing around with all the neat software options. The reality was, it was consuming too much time and my pursuit to find just the right solution was coming up short.

    In Comes Tivo Bolt

    When I realized Tivo had a product that would take in OTA signal, provide an electronic program guide, and DVR I purchased immediately. The program guide and DVR were both a struggle to keep working on the HTPC, the Tivo just worked.

    I had looked around several times for a device like this before, but could never find ALL the features I was looking for:

    • Antenna Tuner for Over the Air TV Reception
    • Reliable DVR
    • Electronic Program Guide
    • Ability to Access and Play Personal Video Library (Home Movies and Digitized DVD Collection)

    The Tivo Bolt had it all, the only drawback was the monthly fee. I was trying to avoid an ongoing monthly fee, but ultimately decided the modest fee was well worth the time saved.

    The Tivo Bolt box is much smaller than any HTPC, less wires, and consumes much less power.

    I’ve been using the Bolt for a few months now and just thrilled. The features FAR exceed my expectations, a few that have turned out to extremely useful in our house:

    • Recording FOUR shows at once – you would think with antenna only TV we would never use four tuners, think again!
    • Mobile App – being able to watch DVR recordings on my cell phone or tablet while the kids are using the main TV is a nice bonus. Note, this feature does not work outside the house/remotely. You need to be connected to the same wifi network that Bolt is located.
    • Skip Mode, jumping past an entire commercial break works remarkably well, but not available for all programs.
    • Quick Mode – the feature that allow you to watch 30% faster with pitch perfect audio. A great way to get through news programs and other talk show formats.
    • PLEX App – This is the final piece of the puzzle for me. Tivo Bolt comes with the Plex App installed, allowing the Bolt to connect to a remote Ple Server where I can have all my home movies and digitized DVD library available. This weekend I finally had an opportunity to setup a PLEX server and have it working. So far, so good. I’ve run into a few glitches, mostly minor ones. I hope to write a short blog post about my setup shortly.

    Tivo Bolt is great product for my situation, initially cost is less than a home built HTPC and the monthly fee is reasonable considering the long list of features and reliability. My first experience with Tivo, well done!

     

  • Ahern Career Day 2015

  • Fun XLIX Super Bowl Stats (2015)

    Everything about the NFL Super Bowl is measured on a grand scale. Each year I enjoy looking at some of the numbers. Especially the technical, TV production-related numbers. Here are four “numbers” that stood out this year:

    $4.5M

    This number represents the average costs of a 30-second Super Bowl Commercial for the XLIX 205 Super Bowl. The chart below provides some historical context on the rise of the Super Bowl Commercial.

    12.5M

    According to the Wall Street Journal, Americans are “expected to order about 12.5 million pizzas on Sunday. Order early!

    51

    Lastly, 51… This is the number of television cameras that will be used for “Game” coverage. This does not include, the pre-game show, half time, and all the other extra productions that surround the big game.

    In fact, the full camera plan is available online, check it out here.

    ENJOY THE GAME, GO PATRIOTS!