The rapid growth in the consumption of broadcast content on devices other than the traditional TV screens is reflected across IBC2008 in its exhibition, conference and business briefing programs.
Recent years have seen a steady rise in attendance from the telecoms sector as carriers and mobile operators seek a better understanding of the broadcast sector and evaluate IPTV and mobile multimedia revenues as a supplement to stagnant or declining voice revenues.
Opening day, Thursday, Sept. 11, is dedicated to “Content Access via the Web” and will explore how consuming content across devices such as mobile phones, PCs, multimedia players and games consoles is impacting the traditional broadcast value chain.
Saturday, Sept. 13, the theme is “The Digital Dividend: HD, Mobile, Broadband or New Media?” This day will examine the options and issues that arise when telecoms operators compete for spectrum released by the transition from analog to digital terrestrial TV transmission.
Sunday’s theme, “Content Production: Technology, Creativity and Business in an Era of Headlong Change,” will provide insight into the broadcast sector’s perspective of the creative and commercial implications of the rapidly changing media landscape.
Thursday’s technical paper sessions will include a look at technical innovations in “IPTV and the Networked Home.”
Ken Blakeslee, chairman of WebMobility Ventures and veteran of the mobile industry, leads a free session in Friday’s Content Production stream entitled “Entertaining the Mobile Audience—Games and Rich Content Production and Distribution to an Interactive Audience of One,” which will look at the dynamics of conceiving, designing, monetizing and delivering entertaining content to the “Fourth Screen” This will be followed by another free session: “User Generated Content—Social Networking and the Democratization of Broadcasting.”
Mobile will also be the focus of “What Caught My Eye,” featuring expert reports on the notable notions from exhibition floor.
Monday’s program includes tutorials from DVB and ETSI on “Open Standards, Technology & Implementation,” outlining the evolution of the Digital Video Broadcast standard to accommodate a number of distribution scenarios including DVB-H for handhelds.
IBC will also feature dedicated Mobile and IPTV Zones bring together innovative application developers, content providers and technology companies. More than 30 companies are exhibiting in the Mobile Zone, including industry leaders such as Qualcomm MediaFLO, MobiTV and Nagravision, while about 50 organizations will be in the expanded IPTV Zone.
Digital Signage will also have its own zone at IBC.
