Skywalker Sound

Skywalker Sound Pioneers Use of High Speed, High Resolution Digital Audio/Video KVM Skywalker Sound is one of the largest, most versatile full-service post-production facilities in the world. It is housed within the 155,000 square foot Technical Building at Skywalker Ranch about 45 minutes north of San Francisco. There are six feature film dubbing stages, a 300 seat screening room, a scoring stage (capable of recording a 130 piece orchestra), 10 newly-remodeled sound design/editing suites and 36 digital sound editing rooms (which can be configured for sound or picture editing), an impressive Foley/ADR stage, and complete audio and video transfer services. It lays claim to a world-class scoring stage and the breathtaking Stag Theater. Skywalker Sound has become a part of virtually all our lives. Chances are they have made you jump, scream, cry or laugh a multitude of times. Skywalker Sound's extensive credits include feature and television films, IMAX and state-of-the-art amusement park rides. So whether you are sinking with the Titanic, adventuring with Indiana Jones, saving Private Ryan, or fighting the Clone Wars with Anakin Skywalker, the Skywalker Sound crew engrosses you like no other. To accomplish this, they need to stay on the forefront of technology. This is further evidenced by their pioneering usage of the High Definition (HD) KVM DVI Draco Tera matrix switch from IHSE, the first HD KVM solution to support Digital Audio and mix both CATx and fiber optic connections between source and target. OOBAXS (pronounced Out-of-Band Access) was a key integrator that identified Skywalker’s need for flexibility and brought in several manufacturers’ technologies. IHSE was the first to come up with changes quickly after suggestions were made. “They showed the right potential to begin with when I first demonstrated the new products and engineering models,” said Alan Frank, technology strategist and founder of Skywalker’s reseller OOBAXS. “OOBAXS is all about working with vendors like IHSE that go the extra mile. They have enabled us to be a better partner with Skywalker and other leading broadcast facilities.” “Sound Editors and Mixers need to be able to see the highest picture quality of the film possible when doing their work,” said Steve Morris, director of engineering at Skywalker Sound. “The KVM system needs to be transparent from the computer to the display.” “We are a post production facility, with approximately 100 audio workstations. In this particular application we have 48 systems and 48 users. On a typical day, 2 – 6 people are working in each Dub Stage and are using the IHSE Draco to access any number of these stations that reside in one central machine room,” added Morris. “Editors and Mixers can easily switch between multiple workstations from their location on the Stage. This is a total replacement of the previous analog system that was installed roughly 8 years ago. The IHSE Tera system gives a much higher resolution and higher picture quality to the artists using the system.” Skywalker Sound purchased the IHSE Tera 160 to replace an older VGA-Based analog matrix switch that had reached its limits in both size, support of HIDs, and resolution. Skywalker was able to improve display clarity and resolution and change to a DVI signal transport (Digital Video Interface) while increasing speed and reducing HID Latency. With the implementation of Digital Audio, Skywalker was able to simplify the system design while still achieving the same functionality. The Draco TERA solution, with the new configuration capabilities, features, and DVI support allowed for the inclusion of projectors for immediate access to content. On a moment’s notice Skywalker can display content or tools on anything connected to the HD-KVM Matrix. “Using the system since July 2011, the higher quality audio and video helps the sound effects editors, dialog, and music editors do their work with finer detail,” said Dusty Jermier, sound engineer at Skywalker Sound. “The quality of the picture went from analog RGB on long twisted pair cabling @1600 x 1200 (which was a little fuzzy by today's standards) to a high quality digital picture resolution of 1920 x 1200.” When you are working on the next big blockbuster, every detail needs to be accounted for. This focus and quest for perfection is a major reason Skywalker Sound Artist’s have won 18 Academy Awards along with numerous nominations, including 2012 nominations in both the Mix and Editorial categories, The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and War Horse. Skywalker Sound was also able to utilize their existing copper wire (4 UTP CAT5e and better) for this transition which saved a significant amount of time, effort, and expense that would typically be required for recabling. “We were able to use our existing copper so it was easier to upgrade our older system to the new system smoothly,” added Jermier “Another reason was configuration, we change the name of our workstations on a daily basis as projects change and ease of configuration changes was very important to us.” “We were able to work with IHSE and asked for significant design changes. IHSE customized many features for us,” added Morris. “That flexibility was a large part why we went with them. They were able to meet the specifications that we required for our application." Post-production tasks can be time consuming and draining on resources and typically depend on individual hardware and locations. “OOBAXS searched for almost four years to find a solution to meet the changing needs of Skywalker, their growth, and the demand for migration from analog to digital display technologies,” added Frank. “In bringing various solutions to Skywalker, it wasn’t until I was presented with IHSE‘s newer DVI technology that we felt it could take us through to the future while supporting additional features and making the change cost-effective.” Skywalker Sounds plans to expand the Draco system as more workstations are added to the facility.

OOBAXS in Technicolor

Leading Broadcast Reseller Provides Large Scale HD-KVM Switch to Technicolor at Paramount LAS VEGAS, NV– April 3, 2012 – OOBAXS (pronounced Out of Band Access), the console access authority for data centers and broadcasting today announced that they (OOBAXS) have helped Technicolor integrate a new connectivity solution for their new 65,000 square foot post production sound facility. Located on the Paramount lot, the large facility was a co-op between Technicolor and Paramount to handle a variety of post production activities. The facility handles sound mixing, ADR and foley for both theatrical and broadcast releases including television shows such as Glee, Dexter, Vampire Diaries, Castle, Army Wives, and True Blood. Alan Frank, founder of OOBAXS was involved early on to help evaluate their need for a keyboard, video, mouse (KVM) solution that would enable them to easily manage multiple systems focused on post production. It took nearly four years during the industry transition from VGA to Digital to find an acceptable solution for Technicolor. OOBAXS worked with and showed the Technicolor Content Services team multiple solutions and provided evaluation equipment. “After more than one year of demonstrations, changes, upgrades and testing, I was introduced to a future offering of a DVI Extender solution from IHSE - Germany that demonstrated the potential to meet the required needs…no moving parts, no noise in the final content, high-definition DVI at 60fps and an inter-frame switching speed between clients,” added Frank. “This was the first time a solution like this was seen in the industry. Then the manufacturer provided a prototype for digital audio (DA) within weeks per the customer request, which was the icing on the cake!” OOBAXS received consensus from the team shortly after the working DA prototype that the IHSE HD-KVM matrix was the solution chosen for the new facility. From that point for the next year OOBAXS provided feedback from continued testing to the manufacturer who further developed the solution to meet and exceed the final expectations of Technicolor. “I visited the IHSE facilities in Germany to watch over the production of the IHSE Tera (core switch) then scheduled installation for their facilities, noted Frank. “Seeing first-hand the attention to detail, pristine environment, and high-tech automation IHSE deployed was truly inspiring and supports their zero-deficiency record!” In the fall of 2011 Technicolor’s facility opened with the fully operational IHSE HD-KVM solution. Technicolor editors and technicians now manage 25-30 systems per switch. “Since the switches included digital audio we are now able to use headphones to monitor our activity through the KVM,” said Michael Novitch, chief engineer of Technicolor Sound Services. “The resolution looked great there was no sign of video artifacts that we had in the past. The speed consistently switching back and forth between systems was the biggest issue we solved.” Technicolor has been using the HD-KVM solution since the facility opened in early September. The whole system works flawlessly and supports Technicolor’s efforts to help their media and entertainment customers be at the forefront of the digital shift. “OOBAXS has been working with us for four years to help us identify a product to fit our needs,” added Novitch. “They were instrumental in allowing us to sample the first production model within our infrastructure and made sure everything got shipped, tracked and handled every issue, failure and problem.” The flexible system now enables editors to monitor multiple systems without the need for multiple routers. About OOBAXS (Out of Band Access) OOBAXS.COM (pronounced Out of Band Access) provides anywhere, anytime console access to broadcast facilities and data centers. The company has a long track record integrating access solutions to help data center managers gain access to any appliance or piece of equipment in their network. OOBAXS.COM has been instrumental in bringing the latest technologies to data centers helping them improve anytime access, image/video quality, productivity, access speed, and a more flexible infrastructure. OOBAXS has brought modern data center tools and techniques into the broadcast world. The result is a client list that includes the world largest movie, recording, radio and television studios as well as Fortune 100 company data-centers. As video, speed and visual interfaces continue to improve; OOBAXS will remain a leading resource for CIOs, CTOs, and broadcast engineers. All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

OOBAXS Brings Switches Capable of Mixing CATx & Fiber to US

Market

Hollywood Studios Jump on New Technology LAS VEGAS, NV– December 13, 2011 – OOBAXS (pronounced Out of Band Access), the console access authority for data centers and broadcasting today announced that it is bringing High Definition (HD) KVM DVI Draco matrix switches capable of mixing both CATx and fiber optic connections between source and target to the US market. The switches are manufactured by IHSE Germany, a leading developer and innovator in high speed, high definition DVI and KVM/Video extension and switching solutions. OOBAXS, one of Hollywood’s leading technology integrators will provide installations, support and guidance on deployments at numerous post-production facilities. “The Draco series is the fastest core switching product on the market,” said Alan Frank, technology strategist and founder of OOBAXS. “IHSE’s willingness to be a responsive partner with their end-users has led to the evolution of a product that is changing the way movies are made.” The Draco offers DVI video extenders over CATx or Fiber for “mission critical” server and computer access, as well as, fiber optic HD-KVM matrix switches. The Draco, featuring ZERO blocking, high speed switching, HD DVI to 1920x1200, and four HID, has already made its impact on Hollywood studios. Working with OOBAXS to design and deploy a solution using Draco, Shapeshifter Post was the first post-production facility in Hollywood to embrace the high speed technology. “We had been researching KVM Matrix switching/extension options for many months, and needed a robust solution that could support all our input devices without issue, including our Avid Symphony, DS, and Media Composer, as well as De Vinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro workstations,” said Russo Anastasio, president of Shapeshifter Post. “We knew that by installing the IHSE Draco, we would increase our productivity, but didn’t realize the extent of that increase would be such a game changer!” “Post-production tasks can be time consuming and draining on resources and typically depend on individual hardware and locations,” added Alan Frank. “An editor may have traditionally worked in one bay for picture editing, but then would need to move to a new location to add in special effects or color-time. With the Draco, an entire production house worth of resources becomes accessible at any single end-point.” About OOBAXS (Out-of-Band Access) OOBAXS.COM (pronounced Out of Band Access) provides anywhere, anytime console access to broadcast facilities and data centers. The company has a long track record integrating access solutions to help data center managers gain access to any appliance or piece of equipment in their network. OOBAXS.COM has been instrumental in bringing the latest technologies to data centers helping them improve anytime access, image/video quality, productivity, access speed, and a more flexible infrastructure. OOBAXS has brought modern data center tools and techniques into the broadcast world. The result is a client list that includes the world largest movie, recording, radio and television studios as well as Fortune 100 company data-centers. As video, speed and visual interface continue to improve, OOBAXS will remain a leading resource for CIOs, CTOs, and broadcast engineers. All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.

Skywalker Sound

Technicolor Sound Services - Paramount

ShapeShifter Post

US Department of Agriculture - Forest Service Aviation SIM Room

Connect with OOBAXS

Skywalker Sound

Skywalker Sound Pioneers Use of High Speed, High Resolution Digital Audio/Video KVM Skywalker Sound is one of the largest, most versatile full-service post-production facilities in the world. It is housed within the 155,000 square foot Technical Building at Skywalker Ranch about 45 minutes north of San Francisco. There are six feature film dubbing stages, a 300 seat screening room, a scoring stage (capable of recording a 130 piece orchestra), 10 newly- remodeled sound design/editing suites and 36 digital sound editing rooms (which can be configured for sound or picture editing), an impressive Foley/ADR stage, and complete audio and video transfer services. It lays claim to a world-class scoring stage and the breathtaking Stag Theater. Skywalker Sound has become a part of virtually all our lives. Chances are they have made you jump, scream, cry or laugh a multitude of times. Skywalker Sound's extensive credits include feature and television films, IMAX and state-of-the-art amusement park rides. So whether you are sinking with the Titanic, adventuring with Indiana Jones, saving Private Ryan, or fighting the Clone Wars with Anakin Skywalker, the Skywalker Sound crew engrosses you like no other. To accomplish this, they need to stay on the forefront of technology. This is further evidenced by their pioneering usage of the High Definition (HD) KVM DVI Draco Tera matrix switch from IHSE, the first HD KVM solution to support Digital Audio and mix both CATx and fiber optic connections between source and target. OOBAXS (pronounced Out-of-Band Access) was a key integrator that identified Skywalker’s need for flexibility and brought in several manufacturers’ technologies. IHSE was the first to come up with changes quickly after suggestions were made. “They showed the right potential to begin with when I first demonstrated the new products and engineering models,” said Alan Frank, technology strategist and founder of Skywalker’s reseller OOBAXS. “OOBAXS is all about working with vendors like IHSE that go the extra mile. They have enabled us to be a better partner with Skywalker and other leading broadcast facilities.” “Sound Editors and Mixers need to be able to see the highest picture quality of the film possible when doing their work,” said Steve Morris, director of engineering at Skywalker Sound. “The KVM system needs to be transparent from the computer to the display.” “We are a post production facility, with approximately 100 audio workstations. In this particular application we have 48 systems and 48 users. On a typical day, 2 – 6 people are working in each Dub Stage and are using the IHSE Draco to access any number of these stations that reside in one central machine room,” added Morris. “Editors and Mixers can easily switch between multiple workstations from their location on the Stage. This is a total replacement of the previous analog system that was installed roughly 8 years ago. The IHSE Tera system gives a much higher resolution and higher picture quality to the artists using the system.” Skywalker Sound purchased the IHSE Tera 160 to replace an older VGA-Based analog matrix switch that had reached its limits in both size, support of HIDs, and resolution. Skywalker was able to improve display clarity and resolution and change to a DVI signal transport (Digital Video Interface) while increasing speed and reducing HID Latency. With the implementation of Digital Audio, Skywalker was able to simplify the system design while still achieving the same functionality. The Draco TERA solution, with the new configuration capabilities, features, and DVI support allowed for the inclusion of projectors for immediate access to content. On a moment’s notice Skywalker can display content or tools on anything connected to the HD-KVM Matrix. “Using the system since July 2011, the higher quality audio and video helps the sound effects editors, dialog, and music editors do their work with finer detail,” said Dusty Jermier, sound engineer at Skywalker Sound. “The quality of the picture went from analog RGB on long twisted pair cabling @1600 x 1200 (which was a little fuzzy by today's standards) to a high quality digital picture resolution of 1920 x 1200.” When you are working on the next big blockbuster, every detail needs to be accounted for. This focus and quest for perfection is a major reason Skywalker Sound Artist’s have won 18 Academy Awards along with numerous nominations, including 2012 nominations in both the Mix and Editorial categories, The Girl with The Dragon Tattoo and War Horse. Skywalker Sound was also able to utilize their existing copper wire (4 UTP CAT5e and better) for this transition which saved a significant amount of time, effort, and expense that would typically be required for recabling. “We were able to use our existing copper so it was easier to upgrade our older system to the new system smoothly,” added Jermier “Another reason was configuration, we change the name of our workstations on a daily basis as projects change and ease of configuration changes was very important to us.” “We were able to work with IHSE and asked for significant design changes. IHSE customized many features for us,” added Morris. “That flexibility was a large part why we went with them. They were able to meet the specifications that we required for our application." Post-production tasks can be time consuming and draining on resources and typically depend on individual hardware and locations. “OOBAXS searched for almost four years to find a solution to meet the changing needs of Skywalker, their growth, and the demand for migration from analog to digital display technologies,” added Frank. “In bringing various solutions to Skywalker, it wasn’t until I was presented with IHSE‘s newer DVI technology that we felt it could take us through to the future while supporting additional features and making the change cost-effective.” Skywalker Sounds plans to expand the Draco system as more workstations are added to the facility.

OOBAXS in

Technicolor

OOBAXS Brings

Switches Capable of

Mixing CATx & Fiber

to US Market

Hollywood Studios Jump on New Technology LAS VEGAS, NV– December 13, 2011 – OOBAXS (pronounced Out of Band Access), the console access authority for data centers and broadcasting today announced that it is bringing High Definition (HD) KVM DVI Draco matrix switches capable of mixing both CATx and fiber optic connections between source and target to the US market. The switches are manufactured by IHSE Germany, a leading developer and innovator in high speed, high definition DVI and KVM/Video extension and switching solutions. OOBAXS, one of Hollywood’s leading technology integrators will provide installations, support and guidance on deployments at numerous post-production facilities. “The Draco series is the fastest core switching product on the market,” said Alan Frank, technology strategist and founder of OOBAXS. “IHSE’s willingness to be a responsive partner with their end-users has led to the evolution of a product that is changing the way movies are made.” The Draco offers DVI video extenders over CATx or Fiber for “mission critical” server and computer access, as well as, fiber optic HD-KVM matrix switches. The Draco, featuring ZERO blocking, high speed switching, HD DVI to 1920x1200, and four HID, has already made its impact on Hollywood studios. Working with OOBAXS to design and deploy a solution using Draco, Shapeshifter Post was the first post- production facility in Hollywood to embrace the high speed technology. “We had been researching KVM Matrix switching/extension options for many months, and needed a robust solution that could support all our input devices without issue, including our Avid Symphony, DS, and Media Composer, as well as De Vinci Resolve, and Final Cut Pro workstations,” said Russo Anastasio, president of Shapeshifter Post. “We knew that by installing the IHSE Draco, we would increase our productivity, but didn’t realize the extent of that increase would be such a game changer!” “Post-production tasks can be time consuming and draining on resources and typically depend on individual hardware and locations,” added Alan Frank. “An editor may have traditionally worked in one bay for picture editing, but then would need to move to a new location to add in special effects or color-time. With the Draco, an entire production house worth of resources becomes accessible at any single end-point.” About OOBAXS (Out-of-Band Access) OOBAXS.COM (pronounced Out of Band Access) provides anywhere, anytime console access to broadcast facilities and data centers. The company has a long track record integrating access solutions to help data center managers gain access to any appliance or piece of equipment in their network. OOBAXS.COM has been instrumental in bringing the latest technologies to data centers helping them improve anytime access, image/video quality, productivity, access speed, and a more flexible infrastructure. OOBAXS has brought modern data center tools and techniques into the broadcast world. The result is a client list that includes the world largest movie, recording, radio and television studios as well as Fortune 100 company data-centers. As video, speed and visual interface continue to improve, OOBAXS will remain a leading resource for CIOs, CTOs, and broadcast engineers. All trademarks are the properties of their respective owners.