/ 09.06.2011
IBC Reflects Changing Media Landscape
AMSTERDAM, NETHERLANDS:
Although the supply chains of Japanese manufacturers came under pressure as a result
of the devastating tsunami in March, this year’s IBC Show is being used by many,
including Sony, as a platform to emphasize that “they’re back” and operating at
close to full capacity again.
“IBC 2011 is an important opportunity to acknowledge the incredibly
strong relationships we have with our customers,” said Olivier Bovis, head of AV
media of Sony Professional Europe. “Following the Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami,
our customers have supported us wholly while we resolved various supply chain issues
and got ourselves back on track.
“On the back of what has been a pivotal year in terms of product innovation and
landmark customer wins, IBC will be an opportunity to look to the future and talk
to customers about their business aspirations over the coming year,” he added.
KEY EURO EVENT
For Sony and others, the IBC Show is still the key European event to deliver these
important corporate messages. If last year’s stats are anything to go by, more than
48,000 attendees from over 140 countries will gather at Amsterdam RAI centre, Sept.
8-13 to check out 1,300 exhibitors in 13 halls.
Sony has said that its stand at IBC will
have a strong focus on customers, with specifically designed areas for each customer
segment. As part of this focus, the stand will include a large content theatre that
will showcase cutting edge video from customers in both 3D and 4K. There will also
be a big push on Sony’s key sports partnerships, such as the All England Lawn Tennis
and Croquet Club (AELTC) and its March acquisition of the ubiquitous ball tracking
technology Hawk-Eye, to show how the company is strategically investing and collaborating
with other innovative companies to drive change within the sports broadcasting industry.
Fellow Japanese electronics company JVC
will also be at the show this year with a range of professional camcorders and monitors
and its own new advances in 3D and 4K technology. JVC will showcase a prototype
of its 4K camera, whose make-up will be “integral to the next generation of JVC
camcorders” as well as its first professional 3D camcorder, the GY-HMZ1.
JVC’s ProHD tapeless camcorder range meanwhile includes the shoulder-mount GY-HM750,
with simultaneous recording to two SDHC cards for an instant backup, and the GY-HM790
camera for both studio and ENG applications. The GY-HM790 will also be shown with
the FS-790 optical fibre solution, suitable for broadcast, OB and live events.
According to Avid, this year’s show highlights
will include the newest developments in its graphics solutions which, it claims,
are providing broadcasters with brand-enhancing, cost-saving, powerful graphics
workflows for on-air graphics production.
Avid will also debut its ISIS7000 v2.4, expanding its real-time shared storage system.
There will also be value-add enhancements to NewsVision, the company’s entry-level
HD news system that gives local and regional broadcasters the ability to achieve
greater speed and efficiency with file-based news production.
Visitors to Miranda Technology’s stand
meanwhile will be able to view the manufacturer’s “strengthened” production studio
signal management and monitoring systems as well as its integrated IT-based playout
solutions, which combine iTX automation and playout with graphics and monitoring
systems.
WHAT’S NEW?
What was notable at last year’s event was the presence of some of the industry’s
most senior executives such as Gerhard Zeiler and Sir Michael Lyons, who chose the
conference to set and challenge the media agenda.
This year IBC has incorporated a new exclusive Leaders’ Summit strand into its program,
hosted by the respected journalist and broadcaster Andrew Neil. Running across Thursday
and Friday, the summit will see top business leaders such as Sir Martin Sorrell,
founder of ad giant WPP as well as Sky’s COO Mike Darcey discuss what the industry’s
businesses leaders need to do to keep pace with the changing media landscape.
In light of the recent hacking scandal currently engulfing Rupert Murdoch’s empire,
the sessions on “leadership in a digital age” and “demanding managerial challenges”
promise to be fascinating.
While the invite-only summit is an extra cost to delegates and is aimed primarily
at business leaders, some of the same issues and faces appear in Thursday morning’s
opening keynote, “The Future of Broadcasting.” The panel—which includes William
H. Roedy (former chairman and chief exec of MTV networks) and Luke Johnson (entrepreneur
and former Channel 4 chairman)—will discuss how broadcasters will respond to the
dilution of ad revenues and the threat posed by new mobile and Internet delivery
platforms.
Another coup for the conference is Joanna Shields, vice
president and managing director of the EMEA for Facebook, who is to present the
convention keynote address.
Shields, who was recently named as Wired
magazine’s number 1 ‘UK Digital Power Broker’ will focus her speech on the relationship
and revolution social media has developed with broadcasting, and a look to the future
implications of the pairing.
IBC will also recognize Sir David Attenborough, a pioneer in natural history programming
for the BBC, with the IBC2011 International Honour for Excellence. Attenborough
is being honored for his remarkable career in television and, in particular, natural
history. His career spans almost 60 years, with his Atlantic Productions documentary
“Flying Monsters 3D with Sir David Attenborough” one of the most acclaimed programs
commissioned by Sky 3D.
The International Honour for Excellence, which will be given out at the IBC Awards
Ceremony, Sunday Sept. 11 at 6:30 p.m., is the highest award which IBC bestows.
It is presented to individuals and organizations which have taken the best technology
available—and driven technology forward—to create the finest broadcasting content.
~ by Ann-Marie Corvin for TV Technology