The 2018 IBC Show wrapped up a successful event last month in which the industry took stock of the latest technologies, trends and insight into what’s on the horizon. Like it’s bigger cousin, the NAB Show, the IBC event provides an opportunity for our industry to not only examine its current status but to hear from emerging players as well as established leaders in content creation and media distribution.

The major talking points coalesced around 5G, UHD, IP, the cloud, immersive audio and VR and AI, which has had an increasingly important impact on both creation and distribution over the past year. I had a chance to speak with many of the vendors about industry trends and how they saw our market changing.

That change is constant now, according to Jeff Rosica, CEO of Avid. “Welcome to 2018 where disruption is the new norm,” he said. “We’ve got to admit that this is not some kind of temporary situation that is going to go away. We have to think differently and that includes technology suppliers.”

Rossica noted the importance of the industry working together to solve problems. “We’ve got to get on open environments where we can develop openly together,” he said. “We not going to solve the problems individually, and we’ve got to do it fast. We used to talk about doing one thing at a time, now we’re talking about doing 10 things at once.”

While SMPTE standards are still important particularly in real time live production scenarios, Rosica noted the impact that Silicon Valley has had on the modern media landscape, illustrated by Apple’s announcement just prior to the show that its next generation iPhone XS platform will support Dolby Vision and HDR 10. “That’s a big deal and all the telcos are now going to focus on those standards,” he said.

On the show floor, Grass Valley moved into the exhibit area occupied by SAM just a year ago, announcing that the integration of the two companies is now complete. At the company’s press conference, President Tim Shoulders discussed a recent company survey that revealed some interesting industry trends.

Looking at the core broadcast segment, Shoulders said that while industry revenues from subscriptions, advertising and licensing have been growing “at a very rapid pace,” at around 4 percent annually, customers’ costs are increasing due to the explosion of content creation and distribution platforms, illustrated by competition from OTT players such as Netflix and Amazon.

“Multiplatform distribution has been a problem for our customers in that they have been investing a lot of money to access new markets,” he said. “This change in market cost structure has put pressure on our segment of the industry and when you combine that with being in the middle of a technological revolution where it’s the cloud, IP, or the need to go UHD, it’s made it a difficult market to participate in.”

Shoulders said he thinks that the pace of revenues from the video business will decelerate with the average price of subscriptions dropping as we see more “skinny bundles” proliferate as well as the expansion of viewership in China and India. He also expects the cost of live TV production will increase as rights to marquee events get renegotiated and expectations for UHD/HDR coverage will be added to the packages.

Imagine Communications CEO Tom Cotney sees similar market pressures as well.

“Our customers are under increasing pressure, they’re being squeezed by a change in technology and loss of viewership to different mediums,” he said. Cotney also called for more intra-industry cooperation. “What I’ve learned over the nine months since I entered this industry is that I’m not competing with everyone else who has a booth in this exhibit hall,” he said. “Imagine is competing with our customers’ number one problem and that is the total cost of ownership and technology is part of that answer but not the complete answer.”

At the show, Cotney announced that Imagine will begin rolling out a new set of services that will help its customers not only migrate to IP but help those customers that may not be ready to take the plunge.

“We’re going to be beta testing three new service offerings that address the needs of customers who may be too risk averse to go to IP right away,” he said. “Some people like to buy into technology later on the maturity curve. We need to be a partner for that customer as well as the one who is ready to make the deal this quarter.” The new services will be ready by the 2019 NAB Show.

For the former Ericsson Media Services, the show served as the coming out party for “MediaKind,” the new name for the company division, which was spun off last year as its parent company chose to focus on its core market, 5G. Matt Goldman, senior vice president for the division, noted the launch of the “MediaKind Universe” which resulted in the renaming of all of its core products around constellations, adding that the renaming of the business represents a renewed vision.

“The product line is everything that we were before Ericsson Media Solutions,” he said. “But now we’ve bloomed because we now control our own destiny.”

Although attendance was down by a mere 3 percent, the exhibit floor grew by 667 square meters (7,180 square feet) and conference delegates were up by 14 percent from 2017.  

AMSTERDAM--IBC Show officials reported attendance at the 2018 event of 55,884, a 3 percent decline from the 2017 show that attracted 57,699. The exhibit floor grew by 667 square meters (7,180 square feet) and conference delegates were up by 14 percent from 2017. The organization, which marked its 51st event, said noted that diversity of its content had improved with the number of women speakers at the conference up from 14 percent in 2017 to 37 percent.

The IBC International Honour for Excellence was awarded to its first-ever woman recipient this year: Joan Ganz Cooney, co-creator of Sesame Street, 50 years ago. Ernie the muppet accepted the trophy on her behalf. The IBC App logged more than 91,000 interactions and IBC itself trended number one on Twitter in the Netherlands on several days of the convention, with 185 million potential impressions and over 250,000 video views, according to show organizers. Engagement with IBC has also increased on a year-round basis with IBC365 – the site now has over 55,000 subscribers averaging 49,000 active users per month.

Apart from attendance, IBC CEO Michael Crimp noted that the show stats “are up in almost all areas and re-bookings are ahead of last year. IBC is much more than a trade show, we have developed a basket of data-driven statistics including sales leads generated on stands, conference attendance and IBC365 views and this sharing of information is pivotal to the longevity of IBC’s success and sits at the core of the organisation.”

New initiatives this year included a new content steering group, drawn from across the industry, and chaired by Keith Underwood, Chief Operating Officer at Channel 4 in the UK.

IBC head of content Jaisica Lapsiwala, said, “This year, we have worked closely with the industry to create a programme that is not only reflective of the changes in the ecosystem, but which also paves a path forward for our industry. This has resulted in an engaging and diverse 2018 edition of IBC. An example of this was our Global Gamechangers day which brought creative, technology and business chiefs such as Zahra Rasool from Al Jazeera, Peter Salmon from Endemol and Lindsay Pattison from WPP to the stage. Threaded through the programme were the cutting-edge technologies transforming the industry. Blockchain is a great example, with a keynote from Kim Jackson of Singular DTV and papers from people who are already implementing it, like Éric Minoli of Groupe Média TFO.”

IBC2019 will run Sept. 12-17 in Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM--TVBEurope has announced the winners of the Best of Show at IBC2018 Awards.

This year, the TVBEurope awards are broken down into three distinct categories: Production & Post; Content Management; and Delivery & Distribution. ThePSNEurope category covers all Broadcast Audio products and solutions, while Radio World International encompasses all product innovations targeted for Radio Broadcast Solutions.

The winners in the TVBEurope categories are:

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Content Management:

• Make.TV - Live Video Cloud
• Prime Focus - Clear Media ERP
• IHSE GmbH - Draco vario Remote IP CPU
• Net Insight - Nimbra 1060
• Paywizard - Paywizard Singula

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Delivery

• CSG - Ascendon
• Verizon Digital Media Services - Smartplay
• Limelight Networks - Limelight Realtime Streaming
• MediaKind - Encoding Live
• Crystal - Crystal Connect with VidTime™ technology
• IBM Aspera - IBM Aspera Streaming for Video
• Telestream - Telestream iQ video monitoring and analytics solutions
• Black Box EMEA - Emerald™ Unified 4K KVM
• Agama Technologies - Agama 360 Analytics
• Conviva - Ecosystem Module

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Production & Post

• Aperi - V-Stack virtualised production platform
• LiveU - LU300
• AJA - HDR Image Analyzer
• TEDIAL - SMARTLIVE
• Dalet - Dalet OnePlay
• Haivision - SRT open source protocol

September 11, 2018 – Sigma is pleased to announce the development of three new Sigma Cine lenses in the FF High Speed Prime Line: 28mm T1.5 FF, 40mm T1.5 FF and 105mm T1.5 FF. With these additions, the FF High Speed Prime Line now includes ten lenses covering 14mm to 135mm and T1.5 to T2, giving cinematographers even more options to empower their artistic expression and take their cinematic vision to the next level.

Available for test-shooting at the 2018 IBC Show in Amsterdam from September 14-18, 2018, attendees are welcome to visit the Sigma booth 12.D64 to get hands-on with the new cine lenses.

New Models in the Sigma Cine FF High Speed Prime Line

All the lenses in the FF High Speed Prime Line, including the brand new 28mm T1.5 FF, 40mm T1.5 FF and 105mm T1.5 FF, are compatible with full-frame image sensors and optimized for ultra-high-resolution 6K-8K shooting.

All three lenses come in PL, EF and E mounts with lens support foot and cap included. The 105mm T1.5 FF is expected to start shipping in October 2018, the 40mm T1.5 FF in the end of 2018, and the 28mm T1.5 FF in early 2019. Pricing for each new model will be announced at the time of availability. For further technical specifications and lens characteristics and high-resolution product images, please download the full announcements here: https://bit.ly/2O46Gen.

Development of LPL Mount

In the future, the Sigma Cine lens series will include an LPL mount, the new lens mount optimized for the large format sensor released by ARRI in 2018. The planned release date for the Sigma Cine lenses in LPL mount is 2019 or later.

About Sigma Corporation

Craftsmanship. Precision. Dedication. Since 1961, Sigma has been devoted to the pursuit of advancing photographic technology. Unique to the industry, the family-owned business produces its high-quality, award-winning cine and camera lenses, DSLR and mirrorless cameras, flashes, filters and accessories from its state-of-the-art manufacturing facility located in Aizu, Japan.

In 2012, the company introduced the Sigma Global Vision with three distinct lens lines: Art, Contemporary and Sport. Designed for industry camera mount systems including Canon, Nikon, Olympus, Pentax, Sony and Sigma, each lens is handcrafted and tested in Japan to ensure a high-performance, premium product that is purpose-built to last.

Sigma continues its tradition of imaging excellence with the mirrorless sd Quattro, sd Quattro H and the compact dp Quattro camera line. Leveraging the ultra-high resolution Foveon sensor, the Sigma Quattro cameras are designed to produce the highest quality image with every shot.

For information about Sigma, please visit www.sigmaphoto.com or follow the company on Sigma Blog, Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

AMSTERDAM--At the 2018 IBC Show, German broadcast transmitter provider Rohde & Schwarz will debut the R&S TMU9evo UHF transmitter, a new version of its popular TMU9 transmitter line with improved energy efficiency and reliability. According to the company, the R&S TMU9evo delivers maximum energy savings even during channel changes or when adjusting the output power. The intelligent R&S Efficiency Optimization feature automatically provides the most economical operation possible for every operating scenario, Rohde says, adding that the R&S TMU9evo is the only transmitter in its power class that can be optionally equipped with an integrated exciter backup battery, enabling it to dependably bridge power interruptions of up to 10 seconds. This reduces off-air time to a minimum and eliminates the need for an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).

The R&S Efficiency Optimization feature minimizes energy costs for all types of operating scenarios which is especially important when adjusting output power or during channel changes. An intelligent algorithm, deployed at the press of a button or adaptively, optimizes amplifier parameters so that the transmitter achieves maximum energy efficiency at all times.

Improvements to R&S Multiband Doherty technology in the R&S PMU905 medium-power amplifier in the TMU9evo provides maximum efficiency, combined with the capability to operate across the entire UHF range without any modifications. This technology ensures that network operators are optimally prepared for 700 MHz spectrum clearance and reallocation, according to the company.

The R&S TMU9evo retains the successful and proven R&S MultiTX concept along with the R&S Tx9 generation’s intuitive GUI, which is closely aligned with user requirements and work habits. The R&S TMU9evo air-cooled UHF medium-power transmitter delivers output powers from 400 W to 3.0 kW for COFDM and ATSC.

The new transmitter will be available in November 2018.

Rohde & Schwarz will be in Stand 7.21. The IBC Show takes place at the RAI Amsterdam, Sept. 14-18.

AMSTERDAM—The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers will make its presence known at the 2018 IBC Show with a slew of sessions and additional resources including the return of the popular IP Showcase.

SMPTE BIG SCREEN SESSIONS

The four-day Big Screen sessions at the RAI Auditorium feature the very latest in cinema projection and sound installation. A world-class forum where creativity meets technology, the Big Screen program allows visitors to hear from the talent behind the camera.

During "HDR Focus: 'Blue Planet 2' and 'The Grand Tour,'" the first of two sessions on high dynamic range (HDR) that will be chaired by Randi Altman of postPerspective, Andrew Dune of the BBC and Chloe Blackwell of Chump will take a look at two innovative productions and explain how they used new HDR technology to build scale and bring the screen to life. During "HDR: From Post to Screen," speakers at the cutting edge of HDR postproduction, VFX, grading, and delivery will share their insights and discuss the change of gear needed to get the workflow right, exploit the potential of HDR, and achieve the holy grail of lifelike images. The panelists — Jeremy Booth of Jellyfish Pictures, Peter Collins of The Farm, Christos Glaridis of Visual Data, and Cara Cheppard of Warner Bros. De Lane Lea Studios — have worked on productions ranging from "The Innocents" to a restored version of "The Deer Hunter."

Jack Watts of Deluxe and Tomasz Witkowski of Sundog Media Toolkit will present "Ensuring the Ultimate Cinematic Experience Every Time," sharing essential information and usage concepts that aid distributors and exhibitors in guaranteeing an authentic cinematic experience. The two speakers will focus on how features supported by the SMPTE Digital Cinema Package (DCP) ensure interoperable implementation of critical new content formats such as immersive audio, HDR, multiscreen presentations, high frame rate (HFR), and more.

Presented by Jonathan Karafin of Light Field Labs and Ben Keen, an analyst and advisor to companies in the media and telecommunications space, "Keeping It Real: Technologies Behind Immersive Entertainment" addresses the technologies that bring people to the cinema and allow them to lose themselves in the story and characters and to forget about the real world. New and emerging technology promises cinema displays capable of producing holographic images, virtual-reality images, immersive sound, and location-based experiences. This session will explore how these advances will make it possible to create an experience that puts the audience inside the story.

During "The Latest Formats, the Best Cinematography," three of the world's top cinematographers will share their latest 4K and HDR project workflows. Geoff Boyle, BSC, will reveal results from his recent and highly anticipated camera tests and showcase recent projects. Bill Bennett, ASC, will bring his work with RealD Flamengo and the ARRI Alexa LF Motocross to the Big Screen stage.

SMPTE GENERAL SESSIONS

"SMPTE ST 2110 Standards Suite: Catalyst for Industry Transformation" will be a special IBC2018 session dedicated to explaining the growing SMPTE ST 2110 Standards suite and why it is essential to the future of the industry. Speakers will examine how, with the publication of each additional SMPTE ST 2110 Standard, professional media creation facilities are transforming the business of content creation.

The session titled "SMPTE ST 2110 Implementation Case Studies: What Have We Learned?" will explore how professional content-creation facilities around the world are leading the industry evolution by implementing the SMPTE ST 2110 standards. Citing their experiences within real-life implementations ranging from greenfield builds to updates of existing facilities, leaders in the realm of IP-based operations will discuss the challenges facilities have encountered and the lessons learned about how best to maximize the benefits of SMPTE ST 2110.

The Hollywood Professional Association (HPA) IMF User Group will host "The Interoperable Master Format: Gateway to Component-Based Workflows," a session dedicated to the explosion in the number of content versions resulting from the proliferation of localized versions due to worldwide distribution and acquisition; multiplication of viewer experiences; and the expanding repertoire of audio-visual essence.

The IBC Content Everywhere Hub Sessions provide an engaging way for show visitors to get up to speed with different aspects of "Content Everywhere" and the explosive growth in the consumption of video, TV, and media on IP-connected devices. The panels aim to expand visitors' understanding of the business and technical issues at the intersection of broadcast and broadband. SMPTE Executive Director Barbara Lange will be moderating this session.

IP SHOWCASE

The Society will again join with the Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), and Video Services Forum (VSF) to support the IP Showcase at IBC2018. Dedicated to educating visitors and highlighting the business and creative benefits of IP, the IP Showcase will provide a unified, industry-wide view of the latest advances in IP technology and how it can add maximum value to the broadcast industry and the individuals and companies that drive it.

Visitors to the IP Showcase will see engineering progress along with real-world examples of IP applications from leading networks and program producers. The exhibition also will assist broadcast/IT engineers, CEOs, producers, and others in determining how they can effectively leverage the recently published SMPTE ST 2110 standards documents. More information about the IP Showcase is available at ipshowcase.org. Details about SMPTE ST 2110 are available at smpte.org/st_2110.

SMPTE PUBLICATIONS & RESOURCES

Visitors to the SMPTE stand will have the chance to view the newly released "Magic & Miracles: 100 Years of Moving Image Science & Technology" by executive editor Phil Cianci, a richly illustrated and meticulously crafted history of the Society and its groundbreaking work over the past century, as well as "The Honor Roll and Honorary Members of the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers," a limited-edition book that showcases the past century's industry leaders and innovators. Attendees can purchase these books and take advantage of low-cost international shipping options online at magic-and-miracles.org.

Throughout IBC2018, SMPTE staff — including Thomas Bause Mason, attending for the first time as SMPTE director of standards development — will be available to discuss current trends and answer questions about SMPTE activities, resources, and publications, including the latest "SMPTE Standards Quarterly Report," which details the outcome of the June 2018 SMPTE Technology Committee meetings. The report summarizes the current progress of SMPTE committees that are working to create, approve, revise, and remove standards for the industry and is available at smpte.org/outcomereport.

In the year since IBC2017, the Society completed a first-of-its-kind pilot project to define a prototype SMPTE Technical Specifications (TSP) process. Digital Production Partnership (DPP) has proposed the first SMPTE TSP, which focuses on the use of the Interoperable Master Format (IMF), or SMPTE ST 2067, for broadcast and online applications.

The documents represent input by the DPP, SMPTE, the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA), and the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), as well as manufacturers and end users across the media industry. The draft specification for IMF for broadcast and online applications will address constraints including MXF Track Files, composition playlists (CPLs), output profile lists (OPLs), and IMF packages. The specification will reference other activities as well, such as the EBU.io/qc project for carrying quality-control metadata and EBU-TT, and it includes optional methods for carrying traditional EBU-STL subtitles in Europe and CTA-608/CTA-708 captions in North America.

More recently, the Society announced published standards for binding Ad-IDs to commercials and Entertainment ID Registry (EIDR) codes to programming content. The standards specify the use of Kantar Media's audio watermarking technology, an open solution available for licensing. The SMPTE 24TB Open Binding of IDs Drafting Group created and published two new sets of standards and recommended practices: ST 2112-10 and RP 2112-11 for the Open Binding of Content Identifiers (OBID) and ST 2112-20 and RP 2112-21 for the Open Binding of Distribution Channel IDs and Timestamps. The availability of these standards for persistent binding of identifiers into advertising and programming content establishes a fundamental building block for the advancement of full cross-platform measurement and content integration.

At its IBC2018 stand, SMPTE also will offer details on the results of the SMPTE 2018 Innovation and Technology in Media Entertainment Survey, part of the Society's ongoing work to provide insight into the critical issues that are transforming the media and entertainment (M&E) technology industry. The survey examined artificial intelligence and machine learning (AI/ML), immersive media, professional media over managed IP networks, and the Better Pixels Project.

As always, the Society will feature at its stand the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal, which last year earned a Merit Award in the STC International Summit Awards (STC ISA) competition. Copies of the September 2018 "Progress Report" issue will be available in the stand.

SMPTE has published videos of the presentations from the SMPTE 2017 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition (SMPTE 2017) on its YouTube channel youtube.com/smpteconnect. The new content includes more than 50 videos of the expert paper presentations delivered over the one-day Symposium and three days of technical sessions, held last October in Los Angeles and dedicated to exploring media and entertainment technology. The technical papers themselves are available within the SMPTE Digital Library hosted on the IEEE Xplore platform, along with more than 800 SMPTE standards documents currently in force and the peer-reviewed SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal dating back to 1916 — more than 20,000 documents in total. A complete listing of SMPTE publications is available at smpte.org/digital-library.

SMPTE Director of Membership Roberta Gorman and other SMPTE leadership will also be available on the SMPTE stand to discuss membership benefits and the Society's role in global standards and interoperability. Prospective members will be able to join, and existing members may renew their memberships on-site. Through the Student Membership Challenge (SMC), a SMPTE fund that pays for a student's first year of membership, students can join for free. Further information on student programs is available at smpte.org/students.

AMSTERDAM—ENCO will launch the latest version of its HotShot audio playback appliance at the 2018 IBC Show, Sept. 14-18 at the RAI Amsterdam. HotShot3, introduced at IBC2017, adds new features that tighten interoperability with other pertinent workflow systems and now offers customizable, automated features across logging, compliance, rights management and royalty reporting.

“HotShot3 simplifies how broadcasters and production teams manage both the entertainment and legal requirements of their operations in one easy to use package,” said Ken Frommert, President, ENCO. “Interoperability with royalty reporting is perhaps of most interest, ensuring that artists are paid for their intellectual property and creative endeavors. Collectively, we are ensuring that our customers are protected by seamlessly feeding important data to logging and compliance systems that they can leverage upon request.”

Along with these new workflow interoperability benefits, HotShot3’s inherent flexibility gives customers creative freedom to inject excitement into a variety of events across sports, performances and live TV broadcasts, for example. To optimize efficiency, HotShot3 provides instant access to local and network audio assets, with a user-friendly design ideal for control rooms, audio suites and mobile production trucks. Stereo and surround sound capability ensures that HotShot3 can be utilized for any broadcast and live event audio requirements.

HotShot3 provides several playback options, including on a pre-labeled 80-button keypad or touchscreen operation—as well as remote operation using an iPad—to support all broadcast and production applications. The layout adopts ENCO’s on-screen “button box” layout to accelerate learning curves and allow users to navigate up to hundreds of active icons with ease, each displaying a visual thumbnail with clip information.

In addition to HotShot3, ENCO will demonstrate ClipFire, its companion instant playout system for video; as well as MOM and DAD, ENCO’s flagship automated production and playout systems for television and radio, respectively.

ENCO will be in Stand 8.A592018, which takes place September 14-18 at the RAI Amsterdam

LONDON--The 2018 IBC Show is introducing the "Content Everywhere Hub," a section of the show floor covering the latest trends, strategies and developments in online TV and video. During the show’s run, Sept. 13-18, the hub will host 10 expert panel discussions and 34 product demos.

Situated in Hall 14 at the Rai, IBC Content Everywhere combines a high-quality exhibition with the Hub program designed to help visitors learn and experience how innovative new technologies are expanding the opportunities arising from the exponential growth of content consumption online.

[Read: IP Showcase Returns To IBC]

The agenda for the Hub is centered on 10 panel discussions drawing together a range of perspectives and expertise on key issues including the implications for the digital media sector of high profile emerging technologies such as 5G, Edge computing and blockchain. Other topics covered will include how to successfully grow an OTT service, how artificial intelligence and machine learning are impacting content creation, OTT distribution and monetisation, new business models and innovations in programmatic advertising, as well as the convergence of broadcast and telecoms.

There will also be 34 product demonstrations covering the entire OTT distribution chain, including online video platforms, transcoding and streaming solutions, content security options and monetization techniques. Speakers will include experts from small start-ups to some of the biggest names in technology including Google, Alibaba, CSGi, Telia, Ooyala and Roku.

AMSTERDAM--Registration is now open for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run at IBC 2018. The event will take place Saturday, Sept. 15 at 7:00 A.M. in Amstelpark in Amsterdam. For runners who have previously run the course, the start/finish line has been slightly relocated within the park due to nearby construction.

The 2.49-mile run is officially endorsed by the IBC and and the venue is located near the RAI Exhibition Centre, the site of the 2018 IBC Show. The 4K 4 Charity Fun Run was launched at the 2014 IBC Show and also takes place in Portland, Ore., as well as Las Vegas during the annual NAB Show in the spring. Since its founding, the series has raised more than $690,000 in gross proceeds for global and local nonprofits that support increased diversity and inclusion initiatives.

[Read: Remembering Sam Blackman]

Sponsorship deadline is Aug. 3. Contact Kate Incerto for more information.

Visit here to register. 

AMSTERDAM—At the 2018 IBC Show, live IP video solutions provider TVU Networks will focus on TVU MediaMind platform, which uses artificial intelligence to drive how media content can be produced and consumed.

“At IBC we will be demonstrating solutions that deliver real ROI benefits today, as well as pointing towards an AI-led future for broadcast acquisition, production and distribution,” said Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks. “We look forward to demonstrating at IBC how our customers can embrace the exciting AI-driven changes that are about to revolutionize the media industry.”

Visitors to TVU’s IBC booth can also check out its TVU One field transmitter, which supports HEVC and utilizes TVU’s patented Inverse IS+ (StatMux Plus) transmission algorithm to transmit HD quality video with half-second latency

Also at the booth: the TVU MLink cellular 3G/4G LTE, satellite and microwave live video uplink transmitter’ the TVU Router, a portable broadband Internet access point that can provide over 200Mbps of secure, reliable, high-speed wireless Internet connectivity anywhere; and the TVU Anywhere mobile app, which provides turbo-boosted connectivity through bonding Wifi and cellular, enabling broadcasters to work anywhere.

TVU will also demo TVU Producer, a cloud-based live event production system that minimizes the complexity and cost of covering live video events from any location and the TVU Remote Production System, a cost-efficient solution capable of synchronizing up to 6 HD SDI signals over the standard internet without any OB vans, ideal for second and third football league tournaments.

TVU will also feature a section of its booth for attendees to learn more about how to stream, distribute and monetize video through the company’s TVU Grid marketplace. TVU Grid enables broadcasters to acquire live video from different sources and seamlessly distribute to thousands of Grid-enabled locations, as exemplified by major US broadcast networks such as CNN, which uses TVU Grid to make live video accessible to select TV station partners.

TVU will be in Stand 2.B28. For more information or to register, visit www.ibc.org.

Future is now accepting entries for this year's IBC Best of Show Awards program.

In addition to TVBEurope, Best of Show Awards will be given out by Future publications: Audio Media International, PSNEurope,Radio World International,Installation and AV Technology Europe.

The 2018 awards program features five brand new categories through which to enter products, each aligned to specific areas of the broadcast workflow that will be on display at this year’s show.

The TVBEurope awards are now broken down into three distinct categories: Production & Post; Content Management; and Delivery & Distribution. The PSNEurope category will cover all Broadcast Audio products and solutions, while the Radio World International category will encompass all product innovations targeted for Radio Broadcast Solutions.

IBC exhibitors can submit a product for consideration by one or more of these publications, and may submit multiple products. There is no limit for entries, but please note that each entry will require a separate entry and payment.

Entries close on Sept. 10 and nominations received before Aug. 31 will benefit from early bird pricing of £365 + VAT per entry.

The shortlist will be announced on Sept. 12 and Future Best of Show judges will vet shortlisted products at the show, with winners announced on Sept. 16.