Patel began his career in the television industry in 1978 where he worked for the BBC in White City, London. For the past 39 years, Patel has found the changes in technology and television entertainment compelling enough to keep him interested and excited about what he does. He has always worked primarily as an engineer and most recently has worked with several DPs on Beyonce, Taylor Swift, Pearl Jam, the iTunes Film Festival in London and the first ever LIVE Snickers commercial for Super bowl 2017 in 4k. Patel’s interests outside of work include enjoying the national parks, camping, volleyball, soccer and hiking.
Tracy Leming is Imagecraft’s General Manager. After 20+ years in the TV industry Tracy has done everything from front desk reception to rental agent. Tracy enjoys her job, loves her clients, and is excited to be at Imagecraft. Tracy moved from a small town in Northern California to the Los Angeles area in 1997. In her spare time Tracy likes to garden, travel, paint furniture, and play softball. She also enjoys spending time with her family and friends. Tracy is especially close to her two children, Kourtnee and Brandon, and has a boxer named Dude.
Jason Been is the Owner and President of Imagecraft Productions. Jason has been in the television production industry for over 20 years. He started his career in San Diego working sporting events with the San Diego Chargers and San Diego Padres. He soon met Robin Hirsch and Gar Smith, Co-Founders of Imagecraft Productions. He moved to LA to work with Robin and Gar and ended up on staff with Imagecraft full time. Jason eventually took ownership of Imagecraft and has continued to build it into one of LA’s best production equipment rental houses.
Efren Navarro is one of Imagecraft Productions’ shop techs. Efren is a born and raised Californian who has been in the entertainment industry for over 15 years. Efren has experience working with cameras, lenses, operating switcher boards, working as a lighting tech and grip. Efren is hands on and face to face with clients on a daily basis at Imagecraft. He knows the importance of good customer service and works hard to make sure Imagecraft’s clients are happy and have what they need.
Nick Casas has been working in rental houses for over 10 years. Nick works alongside his brother Jason Casas and Efren Navarro building, shipping, and receiving equipment for clients. Nick loves to play golf and enjoys spending as much time with his family as possible.
Jason “JC” Casas started working in production as a driver in 2008. He really enjoys the fast pace work flow of a shop and learning about the new innovative equipment. After working at several rental houses around LA, JC found his way to Imagecraft. “This is my fourth year with Imagecraft and I love the small family feel of the office.” Being a shop tech is something he finds challenging and rewarding day in and day out. JC loves a great game of golf, shooting firearms, playing slow pitch softball, fishing, and spending any chance he gets with family.
Rob Dietze graduated from University of Central Florida with degrees in Film, Radio and Television. He began his career working at Universal Studios Florida as a Live Show Technical Director, Weapons Tech, and Pyro Tech. In 2001, Rob moved to Los Angeles where he began doing freelance production work. Rob met Jason while working on ‘Supernanny‘ as a First AC and Technical Coordinator. In 2011 Rob made the move from freelance to staff as Imagecraft’s Camera Engineer.
In a land where the evil Emperor K-os reigns, one girl embarks on a journey to restore order, schedules, and the integrity of math for the people of the land, The Crew. Meet Lindsay. Lindsay was just an average A+ student at Miami University of Ohio double-majoring in communication and interactive media studies, working 2 part time jobs, and playing softball. Until one day, she saw an ad for Miami’s film club… and everything changed. After dipping her toe in as Director of Programming for the region’s first international film festival, she dove in to every film/commercial/doc project available and gradually realized she wasn’t the same as the other kids. Her skills were unlike anything they’d ever seen. She could itemize budgets, locate large crews, color-coordinate spreadsheets, and manipulate a scheduling matrix with the swiftness of a ninja through the shadows. After graduating early, she tried to hide her abilities and disguised herself as a mindless PA at a local news station, but the calling was too strong and the world needed her. In 2010, she headed to LA in search of a challenge. Her pilgrimage took her from freelance PA to Coordinator to Manager, through the realms of Film, Livestreaming, Music Videos and Commercials until she arrived in a foggy, rule-defying land called Reality TV. In 2011, she discovered a time portal that took her to Imagecraft. There she found a properly equipped battle station where she continues to coordinate her plans. Will she ever defeat her lifelong nemesis, K-os? Will she find the enduring strength to do battle with his minions, The Producers? Will she become the hero we need? Now playing in a Burbank rental house near you.
Ben Fuller is originally from small town Massachusetts, and moved to LA in 2004 to pursue acting. He started at Imagecraft in 2006, and transitioned pretty early on from runner to shop tech, and shortly after to shop manager. Ben is now Imagecraft’s Rentals Manager. “Getting to deal with clients on a daily basis is a good place for me. I still maintain open lines of communication with the shop staff, which has evolved quite a bit since my days in the trenches.” Ben is a huge Boston sports fan, a karaoke junkie, and is always up for an adventure.
Mark Alexander has been in the TV industry since 1980. Mark started his career at B.E.R.C. as a driver, and landed here at Imagecraft Productions 37 years later. Mark’s experience in the industry ranges from delivery driver, to Sound Operator, to Director of Field Operations, and eventually to his position here at Imagecraft as Strategic Account Manager. Mark has been married to his wife Kelli for 35+ years. They have 2 kids and a miniature dachshund named Cool. He loves wine tasting, plays in a dodge ball league, and is an avid reader of history and non-fiction books. He’s even a single digit golfer…sometimes.
Gene Duggan has worked for Imagecraft Productions since 2012. Gene started his career in the TV production industry in 1990 at B.E.R.C., working his way from equipment delivery driver to operations manager. Gene is now Imagecraft’s Director of Sales and Business Development. At work, Gene’s number one priority is his clients and their productions. In his spare time, Gene enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons and playing golf, softball, and basketball.
NEW TEK TALKSHOW VS 4000 SKYPE TX
Call for Price - Day Rate
TalkShow VS 4000 is the professional, multi-channel video calling system designed to simultaneously connect you with up to 4 remote guests—regardless of location—in real time and deliver distraction-free, broadcast-quality HD content with complete production control.
Features:
Essentials
Broadcast-Style Video from Regular Skype Calls
With automatic aspect ratio conversions and balanced audio, and without requiring a scan converter.
Optimized On-Air Video
NewTek’s proprietary, real-time video processing engine incorporates superb scaling, format conversion, aspect, and color correction routines; limit return video resolution in order to prioritize the quality of incoming call video.
Built-In Video Quality Checks
Failover to a custom, still image when unforeseen bandwidth constraints occur below operator-defined preset value.
SDI I/O
Output a live video call to any SDI production switcher or router, and accept any SDI input source to send a return signal back to the remote caller over Skype.
Multiple, Simultaneous Skype Calls
Group call or queue any combination of 4 contacts on TalkShow VS 4000, or stack multiple TalkShow VS 100 units, managing all calls within a single interface.
Access to Anyone with a Skype Account
…and to anyone else who downloads and installs the Skype app on their device, and signs up for an account.
Setup
Video Over IP
Integrate TalkShow into IP video workflows via NDI™, NewTek’s innovative Network Device Interface technology, which allows TalkShow to send Skype video calls across a standard network to TriCaster® and other NDI-enabled systems and devices, and receive NDI video sources over IP for return to caller. TriCaster will also send a tally notification downstream to TalkShow to indicate when a Skype call is on air.
Small and Simple
Why take up precious space? Each TalkShow system occupies only 1RU of your rack—integrating easily into any facility, control room, or production environment, whether in single or multi-unit installations.
Better Return Sound
With TalkShow’s exclusive support for multi-channel audio on input for signals coming into the system over the network or SDI, operators can have multiple, selectable audio feeds—such as mix-minus—available for use as the return audio back to the caller.
Audio Over IP
You heard right. In addition to audio over IP via NDI, TalkShow includes integrated support for Dante™ audio, interfacing with other audio devices utilizing the Dante networking protocol from Audinate®. In addition to sending and receiving audio over the network, and versatile audio source selection, TalkShow supports extensive management of network audio signals, including gain, equalization, compression, metering, and more.
Dante audio support available only on input for TalkShow VS 4000.
Signal Monitoring
Calibrate your video and ensure your signals are broadcast-compliant with built-in waveform monitor and vectorscope displays accessible right from the TalkShow VS 4000 user interface.
System Restore
TalkShow has a comprehensive restore function that allows the operator to undo system changes by returning to the factory default settings at any time.
TalkShow Exclusive Advantage
Other video calling production systems just pass a studio-grade Skype call through to a switcher. With TalkShow, you can make every call higher quality, more efficient, and more like network TV along the way—and it will continue to work harder for you, even when the show is over. Because only TalkShow allows complete control of the entire video calling workflow—before, during, and after the call.
On-Air
Talk Back
Communicate off-air with Skype callers directly, with a headset and the click of a button—or an external GPI trigger. With TalkShow’s Talk Back function, operators, producers, or directors can speak with callers as easily as they do with in-studio talent and crew, enabling them to prepare callers, provide instructions, and relay additional information before they go to air.
Color Correction
Outside the controlled studio environment, when lighting conditions or color characteristics are less than ideal, easily compensate with TalkShow. It’s the only solution to include NewTek’s fully configurable proc amp settings and auto color correction, so picture characteristics can be optimized dynamically in real-time—without requiring monitoring. Remote callers’ video can be all over the place, but you can make sure your viewers see a professional presentation.
Preview Monitoring
The promise of full-motion Skype calls should pay off with full-motion previews, so operators know exactly how the call is proceeding. Where other solutions may make you rely on video previews with a frame rate of approximately 5 frames per second, TalkShow supports full-motion, high-quality video previews for real-time monitoring of input and output signals.
Tally Support
Always know who’s talking. TalkShow is the only Skype TX solution to support a tally overlay visual for return to callers, indicating when they are on air. The tally overlay is customizable, allowing for a show logo or graphic of choice—not only to let callers know when their conversation is live, but to provide additional branding opportunities for your program as well.
Built-In Video Screen with Tally
TalkShow VS 100 operators can view a full-color preview via the video screen built into the faceplate for instant recognition of the caller currently connected to that system, with tally support to indicate whether the caller is live or on standby—quick and easy verification of which TalkShow system is on air in a multi-system installation.
Available only in TalkShow VS 100.
Professional Audio Tools
Incoming and outgoing audio signals are fully configurable, with gain control, compressor/limiter, and 7-band equalizer on inputs and outputs to enhance sound quality, adjust levels for consistency, and prevent clipping or overdriving. TalkShow also includes VU meter displays that are configurable in all common professional audio scales, including dBFS, dBU, and dBVU, for accurate, real-time audio monitoring.
Configurable Monitoring
TalkShow VS 4000 supports dual-display monitoring and control, optional picture-in-picture views of incoming and outgoing video signals, and allows you select from different multi-view layouts and independently apply your choice of video overlays—including safe areas, center cross, and audio VU meters—to each call monitor to configure the workspace to your preference.
Available only in TalkShow VS 4000.
Minimal Latency
TalkShow is optimized to provide the lowest latency when integrated into and genlocked within broadcast environments.
Post Show
Record and Re-Use
TalkShow VS 100 enables full-bandwidth recording of any call onto external USB 3.0 or SAN storage with the click of a button—so you can capture the call while it’s happening, and use it in a later broadcast or a whole new program. And both models are compatible with the NewTek IsoCorder Pro and NDI IsoCorder for remote recording over the network via NDI. Calls are saved as distinct QuickTime files that work with every major non-linear editor and all other NewTek systems for archive, post-production, and playback.
Available only in TalkShow VS 100.
Specifications
Skype Channels – Up to 4 simultaneous
Hardware Video Input – 4 x HD-SDI with embedded audio
Hardware Video Output – 4 x HD SDI with embedded audio
Hardware Audio Output – 4x embedded SDI audio, 2x balanced XLR (line)
IP Networking – Video and audio over IP Via NewTeK NDI
Dante Audio Networking – Network audio input and output via integrate support for Dante networking protocol from Audinate
Call video Configuration – Fully configurable color correction settings, including white balance, proc amp controls and auto color
Return Video Configuration – Selectable video source for return to each Skype caller
Call Audio Configuration – Fully configurable audio settings, including gain control,
seven-band equalizer, compressor/limiter, and noise gate
Return Audio Configuration – Selectable audio source and mix-minus channel Control for return to each Skype caller
Talk Back – Supports direct, off air communication between operator and caller(s) via headset
Video Monitoring – 2 x HDMI monitor ports and configurable multiviewer workspace with selectable layouts and optional overlays
Audio Monitoring – 1 x stereo 1/4” phone jack and on screen audio VU metering
Call Management – Skype TX controller software included
Supported Output Formats:
1080i- 25, 29.97. 30
1080p – 23.98, 24
720p – 50, 59.94, 50
576i (16:9 or 4:3) – 25
480i (16:9 or 4:3) – 29.97
Call Recording – Supported via integration with external hardware running NewTek IsoCorder applications
Tally – Hardware tally via HD15 GPI connector ro network tally via NewTek NDI
Watermark – Optionally supports Skype logo watermark on output
Control Interface – Direct mouse and keyboard USB interface required
GPI – HD15 GPI connector
Reference – Genlock input supporting SD (Bi-level) or HD (Tri-level) and +4dBU audio reference level
Signal Monitoring – Integrated Waveform and Vectorscope, full field rate with digital calibration, color preview and support for ITU-R Rec. 601
Call Processing – Auto aspect ratio conversion, call quality monitoring and autiomatic failover to snaphot with audio when bandwidth falls below operator-defined preset
System Processing –
Video: Floating Point, YCbCr +A 4:4:4:4
Audio: Floating Point 96kHzv
Standards:
HD-SDI video confirms to SMPTE 292M
HD-SDI video conforms to SMPTE 259M
NIC – 2 x 1 Gigabit NIC
System Fail-Safe – Multi-tiered fail-safe system and comprehensive system restore
System Physical –
1RU chassis with 180W PSU
19.0 x 1.75 x 16.75in with rack ears attached
15 lbs
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