The deadline to submit nominations for the Best of 2021 Awards has been extended to 30th November.

Our Best of 2021 Awards recognizes outstanding broadcast products and solutions brought to market between September 2020 (the 2020 IBC Showcase) and December 2021.

The awards program is supported by Future’s media and entertainment technology brands – TV Tech, TVBEurope and Radio World – and each brand will be providing its own dedicated coverage of all the winning entries. The previously announced Best of Show Awards are now be included in the Best of 2021 program following the cancellation of IBC’s in-person show.

The Best of 2021 Awards is open to companies who have launched products between September 2020 and December 2021

The awards program contains three separate categories to enter depending on the most relevant magazine publication for your product: TV Tech, TVBEurope and Radio World

Full details of how to submit an entry are available on the dedicated Awards’ website.

LONDON—Faced with a rising number of cases in the Netherlands, the IBC has cancelled the in-person event in Amsterdam. 

The decision was made by the IBC Partnership Board today (November 23) based on feedback from IBC exhibitors and visitors after the COVID-19 situation in the Netherlands worsened last week. 

“Due to take place on December 3-6 at The RAI in Amsterdam, IBC20201 will now focus on bringing the content and technology community together via IBC Digital,” the organization said in a statement. 

More information on the digital event is available at www.ibc.org.

LONDON—IBC 2021 is scheduled to go ahead as planned next month, despite the Dutch government imposing a partial lockdown in the country.

The show takes place Dec. 3-6 at the RAI in Amsterdam.

IBC confirmed it plans to stage this year’s show following an IBC Partnership Board meeting, where it was agreed to continue with the planned event as the event’s organizers believe it “can be delivered safely and create the essential business momentum that the industry needs”.

In a statement, IBC chief executive Michael Crimp said:

“As content and technology companies strive to recover from the awful impact of Covid-19, IBC2021 will be the catalyst that brings the industry together again and enables us all to get back to doing business in person.

“We recognize that attending a live event is not for everyone at this time, and we fully respect individual decisions. We will forge ahead with our IBC Digital offering to ensure that whether onsite in Amsterdam or onscreen at home the industry can come together.”

Last week the Dutch government announced a three-week partial lockdown, that currently runs until Friday Dec. 3, the first day of IBC. Restrictions will then be reviewed. Also last week, in the U.S., the CDC issued a travel advisory alert for Americans traveling to the The Netherlands, indicating "a very high level of COVID-19 in the country."

Registration
Visitors can register for the show via the IBC website. The free visitor passes provide access to the exhibition halls, content program and Showcase Theatre sessions, show floor sessions, IBC Accelerator Media sessions, and more. There are also a limited number of Visitor Plus passes that provide fast-track on-site registration, access to Visitor Plus booths, and a dedicated networking lounge.

The show has revealed that some of the high profile media companies are scheduled to attend this year’s show include Disney, Netflix, Apple, BBC, ITV, Sky, BT Sport, France Televisions, RTE, RTL, Amazon Prime, Formula One, Olympic Broadcasting Union, FIFA, UEFA, NHK, Fox, CBC, ABC, Eurosport and ARD Germany. 

Exhibitor Cancellations
In September, Ross Video announced it would not be attending the show, citing concern about “predicted spikes in infection rates from the Delta variant of Covid-19. With the international travel situation continuing to be uncertain and customer appetite for a physical event in December unclear at best, we do not feel able to ask employees, partners and customers to make the trip to Amsterdam.”

Sony also confirmed it is not exhibiting at IBC this year, but is expected to attend to “meet partners and support the event.”

Here is a list of other companies that have announced that they will not have a booth at the show (as of Nov. 17): 

Object Matrix
DHD.Audio
LiveU
Irdeto

Updated Nov. 18:
Xytech
Viacess-Orca
Newsbridge
Aspectra
DVB Project
SDVI
Canon (will still be listed as an exhibitor)

Updated Nov. 19:
Blackmagic Design
Grass Valley
Telestream
Synamedia
CommScope
Object Matrix
vMmix
Schoeps
Broadpeak

The IABM—an association representing its membership of broadcast manufacturers, and an IBC stakeholder—has revealed the preliminary results of a survey into market intent with regard to IBC show attendance. The results so far are that 65.7 per cent of respondents say that they will not attend the show, with only 18.9 per cent saying that they will.

TV Tech will continue to update this list when warrented.

The organizers of this year’s IBC Show have announced it will take place as planned Dec. 3-6 at the RAI in Amsterdam, despite the Netherlands entering a three week partial lockdown.

The announcement follows a decision at yesterday’s IBC Partnership Board meeting to continue with the planned event as the event’s organizers believe it “can be delivered safely and create the essential business momentum that the industry needs”.

The show will take place in a “protected zone”, with a perimeter fence surrounding The RAI exhibition centre and all attendees entering via two check points, at The Elicium at entrance D and at Hall 5.

To access the show, visitors will be required to show their Covid status and answer health screening questions before picking up their badge or entering the show floor. Social distancing of 1.5 meters will be in place whilst queuing for the entry check.

“As content and technology companies strive to recover from the awful impact of Covid-19, IBC2021 will be the catalyst that brings the industry together again and enables us all to get back to doing business in person,” said Michael Crimp, chief executive of IBC. “We have the support of many of the leading technology companies in the market such as Blackmagic Design, Bridge Technologies, EKT, UK Tradefair, and a full agenda of content and events that will make attending IBC a valuable and rewarding experience.

“We recognize that attending a live event is not for everyone at this time, and we fully respect individual decisions. We will forge ahead with our IBC Digital offering to ensure that whether onsite in Amsterdam or onscreen at home the industry can come together,” Crimp added.

Due to the restrictions brought in by the Dutch government on Saturday, the show will now close at 4.30 p.m. from Friday-Sunday, and at 4 p.m. on the Monday. However, exhibitors and distributors will be allowed to enter the building from 8:00am and stay in the building until 6 p.m.

WASHINGTON, D.C.—Cinegy has announced that it will highlight a range of solutions at IBC 2021, including Air 21.9 and Multiviewer 21.11, giving customers and partners an opportunity to learn about new functionality and features first hand. 

The company also said that Mike Jacobs, head of professional services at Cinegy will participate in a session entitled "Cloud-based Workflows – what IP can do for production of content" that takes place on Saturday 4 December.

Cinegy managing director Daniella Weigner noted that “We are excited to re-connect with our customers, industry friends and colleagues face-to-face and have provided a safe meeting space in which to demonstrate all the innovations and updates we have been busy working on since we last had the opportunity to gather together. IBC 2021 will give our customers the opportunity to find out how we can help them make the transition from traditional workflows to IP and cloud more straightforward.”

The products being highlighted at the Cinegy stand include:

• Cinegy Air 21.9, which simplifies the increasingly complex process of playout, automation and file delivery.
• Cinegy Multiviewer 21.11, which streamlines the process of dealing with a rapidly growing number of streams from satellite, camera feeds and playout devices.  
• Cinegy Capture 21.9, which revolutionizes the acquisition and transcode process. 
• Cinegy Titler 21.9, which provides a straightforward way to add multiple layers of automation controlled, template-based titles, logos, animated graphics, and more.

Cinegy is exhibiting at IBC 2021 from December 3-6 in Hall 7 Stand A01.

AMSTERDAM—The Netherlands government has announced a three-week partial lockdown for the country, beginning tomorrow from 8pm local time.

The new restrictions mean that people will be asked to work from home as much as possible, and sporting events will be played behind closed doors. Schools, theatres and cinemas will remain open but with limited capacities, and cafes, bars and restaurants will be told to close at 8pm. Restaurants are able to deliver orders after 8pm local time.

The restrictions will be revisited on Friday 3 December. There is currently no updated guidance on international travel into or out of the country.

In a statement in response to the measures the IBC said: "IBC is aware of the Covid rule changes announced by the Dutch government on Friday evening. IBC is assessing the impact and engaging with our stakeholders. As you can imagine, this is an issue that needs careful consideration and we will communicate our plans as soon as possible. The safety and well being of all IBC2021 attendees remains our number one priority. Thank you for your continued support and patience.”

It is also believed the government is considering bringing back mandatory social distancing measures, legislation that would reportedly take up to two weeks to pass through both houses of parliament.

The number of new coronavirus infections in the country was recorded at more than 16,000 for the second day running today, with the current infection rate of 93.5 per 100,000 people the highest since the pandemic began.

This year’s IBC show is due to take place at the RAI in Amsterdam from 3-6 December.

The Netherlands government updated its Covid protocols as recently as 2 November when it reinstated mandatory face mask rules for the public from 6 November in public areas where no Covid entry passes are used, including supermarkets, shops, libraries, theme parks, and train stations.

IBC subsequently announced that its December show was on track to go ahead in a “safe and comfortable way” as it was exempt from the measures due to it being organised within a perimeter where everyone must show proof of vaccination or a negative Covid test before entering the premises.

We will have more on this story as it unfolds…

CESSON-SEVIGNE, France—Broadpeak will showcase how its advanced CDN is future-proofed for video delivery and leverages an open, dynamic and elastic architecture at IBC 2021, Dec. 3-6, at IBC 2021 in Amsterdam.

Broadpeak’s CDN allows delivery of third-party content, such as HBO Max, Amazon Prime Video, Disney + and DAZN. The CDN allows service providers to optimize traffic and quality of experience (QoE) dynamically via powerful analytics and a new centralized steering center, which enables service providers to make constant adaptations to the streaming context.

The CDN’s video distribution capability is elastic. All features and components on Broadpeak's CDN are available as containers orchestrated via Kubernetes to adapt the topology to the actual consumption.

The company will conduct live demos of its CDN to show context awareness with the steering center; open caching based on SVA APIs for streaming Disney + content; and video analytics to maximize quality of service and establish better control over the video system with A/B testing.

The company will also highlight its nanoCDN solution, which brings scalability and low latency to the live multiscreen video delivery environment. Broadpeak will discuss how nanoCDN benefits video service delivery and supports the latest trends in live sports rights acquisition and streaming.

Broadpeak will feature its ad insertion solution for monetizing live, cloud DVR and VOD content on every screen. Broadpeak's BkYou ad insertion solution includes fast offline ad transcoding, robust security and anti-fraud as well as server-side ad insertion capabilities with detailed client-side reporting.

See Broadpeak at IBC 2021 Stand 1.B79.

More information is available on the company’s website.

MELBOURNE, Australia—Mediaproxy will feature upgrades to its LogServer logging, monitoring and analysis system at IBC 2021, Dec. 3-6, at the RAI Convention Center in Amsterdam.

LogServer, which works entirely in software, is designed to log and monitor program output reliably to ensure it is compliant with broadcast regulations. It fits into cloud, virtual or on-premise workflows and supports video, audio and real-time data from the sources used in broadcasting today, including 4K, HDR, 10-bit, HEVC, TSoIP, SMPTE 2110, 2022-6, Zixi and SRT, the company said.

New features include advanced clustering of decentralized systems on IP networks, including cloud, and a new pooled interface platform to simplify configuration at scale, it said. 

"Compliance has drastically changed over the years. It’s become an intrinsic part of both engineering and business. Our customers recognize our strong and continued commitment to providing the best engineered solution,” said Mediaproxy chief executive Erik Otto. “The ever-increasing demands on modern compliance loggers to scale across IP networks challenges us to constantly stay ahead of the curve and we look forward to showcasing this at IBC 2021.”

See Mediaproxy at IBC 2021 Stand 7.B44.

More information is available on the company’s website.

RENNES, France—OTT-native live delivery solution provider Quortex today launched Quortex I/O, a cloud-native platform that gives content owners control over resources and bandwidth needed to stream live and launch new services.

With the software-as-a-service (SaaS) solution, users can deliver pop-up or 24/7 online channels to reach audiences around the globe.

Quortex I/O is based on the company’s patented “Just-In-Time-Everything” technology. It maximizes live streaming benefits and minimizes risks associated with online event launches, the company said.  

Users are charged for Quortex I/O on a pay-as-you-use basis and only pay for the bitrates subscribers consume while watching content. They can even be charged by the specific user profiles being transcoded, it said.

“Our approach makes streaming a risk-free opportunity for engaging audiences with personalized content based on a subscriber’s characteristics, with no need for an external management system,” said Quortex CEO Marc Baillavoine. 

“Subscribers can be analyzed to understand their preferences, the type of devices they use or where they are located and more. We’ve designed Quortex I/O to be as simple as it should be while delivering a sustainable option for streaming content anywhere globally through the cloud.”

By taking advantage of the latest cloud technologies, Quortex I/O lets users deploy only the resources required for a livestream. The platform also can use cloud providers’ unused capacity. 

See Quortex at IBC 2021 Stand 5.C33.

More information is available on the company’s website.

NANJING, China—Magewell will make its trade show debut of the Magewell Cloud management software, which provides centralized configuration and control of Magewell streaming and IP conversion devices, at IBC 2021, Dec. 3-6, in Amsterdam at the RAI Convention Center.

Magewell Cloud offers stream management features, including protocol conversion and SRT relay. Able to run on a cloud hosting platform or on on-premise servers, Magewell Cloud enables integrators, administrator and users to manage multiple Magewell encoders and decoders across many locations through an intuitive, browser-based interface.

The company also will feature its new Ultra Encode family of universal live media encoders. They offer system integrators and video professionals a flexible, affordable encoding solution for live streaming, remote contribution, IP-based production and other applications. Ultra Encode supports H.264, H.265 and NDI|HX encoding and streaming protocols, including SRT, RTMP, RTMPS, RTSP and HLS, the company said.

It can be combined with Magewell’s Pro Convert decoders for end-to-end transport in NDI|HX or streaming formats, it said.

The company will demonstrate interoperable, end-to-end workflows leveraging the combination of its Ultra Encode devices, Pro Convert NDI encoders and Pro Convert multi-format decoders with third-party production tools.

See Magewell at IBC Stand 6.C13.

For more information visit the company’s website.

SOPHIA, Bulgaria—PlayBox Neo will make the European debut of its latest broadcast playout system at IBC 2021, Dec. 3-6, in Amsterdam at the RAI Convention Center.

The company will demonstrate its complete playout solution, handling every element of content management from ingest and pre-production to scheduling and transmission. The modular solution gives broadcasters the ability to choose between hardware-, software- or cloud-based operation. A hybrid approach is also supported. The solution can be scaled from a single regional or thematic channel to a global network, the company said.

"The two years which have elapsed since the last IBC show have seen major advances across many sectors of the broadcast media industry," says PlayBox Neo CEO Pavlin Rahnev.

"Most significant of these have been the need for maximum flexibility in where, when and how broadcasters choose to work given the restrictions imposed by the Covid-19 pandemic," he continued. "Secure IP-based operation has long been a core feature of our technology, allowing easy control of the entire playout process regardless of physical distance. 

PlayBox Neo Capture Suite will make its first European appearance at IBC 2021. It is designed to speed up ingest workflows for TV networks, post-production facilities and playout service providers.

Operators can control multiple ingest channels across multiple servers. Input selection, ingest presets, file-naming conventions, assignment and auto-transfer can be done from a single web interface. The solution includes a web-based multiviewer with black-frame and freeze-frame alarms. It also offers loudness level monitoring, the company said.

PlayBox Neo will also feature its AirBox Neo-20 automated streaming and broadcast playout system. It is available in 1U channel-in-a-box and 3U multichannel versions. Well-suited for local or IP-link remote control, it enables playlist scheduling to be done weeks before transmission. Media files can be finessed, rescheduled or integrated with live production. Playlists can be configured for 24/7 automated operation on any scale, including support for multiple time zones in multiple languages, it said.

New refinements include GPU acceleration for fast file decoding, secure web-based resource monitor configuration support for input and output, automatic alerts for absent or frozen video feeds, PiP digital video effects creation and loudness monitoring, the company said.

Transport stream and XDCAM MXF file clips can be played back while still being ingested. Enhanced connectivity capabilities include NDI input in addition to the existing compatibility with SDI, MPEG-2 TS and IP streams. NDI output is also now included, supplementing the existing SDI, SRT/UDP/RTP stream and RTMPS outputs, it said.

PlayBox Neo will also showcase its Cloud2TV for content ingest, graphic editing, media browsing with metadata management, clip trimming, QC and verification, transcoding, playlist management and audit logging. Available as a SaaS subscription, Cloud2TV is fully compatible with an existing AirBox Neo-20 playout infrastructure. 

See PlayBox Neo at IBC 2021 Stand 8.B71.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LONDON—Following a November 2 update on COVID protocols by the Dutch government the IBC has announced that its "December event can go ahead in a safe and comfortable way."

Under the new COVID protocols going into effect on November 6, the public will be required to wear face masks in public areas where no COVID entry pass is used, including supermarkets, shops, libraries, theme parks, and train stations. 

But IBC Show will be exempt from these measures because it is taking place within an area where everyone must show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test before entering the premises, the organizers said. 

This means that it will not be obligatory for IBC2021 attendees to wear a face mask once they have entered the RAI and are inside the IBC Show bubble, the IBC said. 

The new COVID protocols from the Dutch government also mandate that beginning November 6,  bars and restaurants will operate between 06:00 am to 12:00 am. Guests will be required to show proof of vaccination or a negative COVID test, the same evidence needed to access the IBC Show. 

There will also be no change in entry requirements for international travelers, which means the show will remain accessible for almost 100% of IBC’s usual audience, the IBC said. 

Overall, the IBC Show visitor experience remains unchanged, and the new measures announced by the Dutch government will help everyone feel safer when visiting the city of Amsterdam, the IBC said. 

International travelers can check IBC’s travel and safety guide for further information on the documentation they will need to enter the Netherlands and access the show.

“The safety and wellbeing of all IBC Show attendees remain our number one priority, and we’re confident we can uphold that commitment while staging a live event in Amsterdam,” said Michael Crimp, chief executive of IBC. “The recent announcement from the Dutch government will not impact the IBC Show visitor experience but, rest assured, we will be delivering the gold standard in live event safety. We can’t wait to see the industry reunited in Amsterdam in December. It has been far too long, but it’s almost time for us to get together again.”

The IBC’s exhibition health and safety protocols are available on its website. 

HACKETTSTOWN, N.J.—Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint will exhibit in person at IBC 2021 with stands in two exhibit halls where 5G and remote production will be the focus.

“IBC is particularly exciting for Vislink this year, as it’s the first time we’re exhibiting our new integrated product range, following the acquisition of Mobile Viewpoint earlier this year,” said Vislink CEO Mickey Miller.

“This acquisition means that Vislink can now ensure our customers can acquire and deliver video however they need to, over any public or private network. IBC will see us making our Connected Edge video transport concept a reality, through utilizing ubiquitous IP networks and cloud-scale compute across 5G, WiFi6, Mesh and COFDM-enabled networks to acquire, transport and produce high-quality live video.”

Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint will have solutions experts at IBC 2021 discussing their pioneering use of 5G networks for live contribution of wireless camera video and how these platforms will develop going forward. 

In Hall 1 at Stand A63, they will feature Vislink’s HCAM wireless camera and matching Quantum receiver that enables production teams to bring immersive camera views in 4K and HDR with single-frame latency and to cut between wireless and wired cameras at will. 

They also will feature the Mobile Viewpoint UltraLink-Air bonded mobile wireless camera solution, which makes it possible to be on-air in moments and operate entirely remotely and the IP connectivity and workflows at the heart of the latest Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint products.

In Hall 5 at Stand H49, Mobile Viewpoint will feature its vPilot automated studio system using AI technology to automate in-studio camera direction and its IQ Sports Producer, which provides advanced AI-driven production to enable cameras to track sports players automatically.

More information is available on the Vislink website.  

GARBSEN, Germany—Dream Chip has improved on the ability of their cameras to capture high quality images from sports and events by adding an ND filter-holder that will help producers avoid oversaturation and glare in harsh or rapidly changing light. 

The filter-holders will be added to its AtomOne mini cameras, including the flagship AtomOne mini, AtomOne mini AIR, and the AtomOne mini Waterproof. 

The addition is particularly beneficial in sports where the camera is mounted on something moving, such as motorsports. A number of high profile racing competitions already integrate versions of the AtomOne mini and ND filter-holder addition into their broadcast setup, the company noted.

Dream Chip added that while internal mounting of cameras in race sports has an established history, it often represents a complex trade-off between the needs of the racers and the needs of the audience. The cameras add weight, inconvenience and potential risk to the competitors while the need to keep cameras small and capable of withstanding the intense conditions of motor racing often meant a compromise in broadcast quality and reliability, not to mention cost.

The AtomOne mini was designed to overcome this problem, the company said. It is only a little larger than a euro coin and weighs just 45 grams, making it safer to the racers while its exceptional image quality mean that producers can be confident they are getting the highest quality images, with exceptional reliability due to the rugged build quality.

“The ND filter-holder is a natural extension of our product and the philosophy behind it: namely, the ability to capture exceptional image quality even in the most challenging of conditions,” explained Christian Kühn, head of sales and product marketing for  Dream Chip. 

“The development of the ND filter-holder stemmed from consultation with existing customers,” he continued. “By developing to accommodate the needs of specific users who we already have an established relationship with, we are able to create enhancements that benefit the whole market. We remain committed to always finding ways to meet the needs of our customers; this balance between in-house innovation and customer-led development is what keeps us leading the market in terms of miniaturized camera innovation, and we’re very fortunate for it”.

Dream Chip will showcase this new feature at IBC 2021 on booth 11.C36.

More information about Dream Chip and its products is available at www.atom-one.de.

Globecast will highlight its market approach across key sectors, including OTT, remote production and media supply chains, at IBC2021.

The company will discuss its work to create ecosystems in each sector and feature those efforts prominently on its stand.

Globecast has significantly expanded its OTT solution portfolio over the past year with an end-to-end integrated service offering that optimizes business and technical approaches. It has partnered with a range of technology suppliers, including Viaccess-Orca and MainStreaming for OTT solution development.

Expanding upon its global media supply chain expertise, Globecast will highlight its best-in-class, cost-effective live 4K playout and significant updates to its sport-oriented Managed Cloud Network with the launch of version 2.0.

The new 4K live channel cloud playout capabilities use a leading cloud service provider alongside Globecast’s Orchestrator in-house cloud MAM to enable customers to take full advantage of cloud OPEX models for live 4K playout.

Version 2.0 of Globecast’s Managed Cloud Network (MCN) solution allows customers to add value to an event they bought the rights to by facilitating cost-effective, secure, cloud-based distribution of additional content. This means affiliates can air content specific to each affiliate without the additional cost of more fiber or satellite capacity. 

The company will also feature its remote production service offering developed in close cooperation with several customers this year. Globecast provides low-latency, high-capacity, premium reliable connectivity for remote productions from the site out to wherever the production is happening.

See Globecast at IBC Stand 1.A29.

More information is available on the company’s website.

IBC is back this December, and so too is Future’s annual Best of Show awards program which celebrates the innovation and craft of the industry’s R&D teams by recognizing some of the standout products and solutions on display in Amsterdam.

This year, Future is running two awards program to accommodate both IBC show exhibitors, and those that aren’t able to exhibit this time around. The Best of Show Awards 2021 is open to IBC 2021 show exhibitors and offers a valuable platform for companies to raise awareness for the new products and solutions they will be launching or showcasing at the RAI Amsterdam, Dec. 3-6.

New for this year is our Best of 2021 Awards, a new program for non-exhibiting companies that recognizes outstanding broadcast products and solutions brought to market between September 2020 (the 2020 IBC Showcase) and December 2021. Both awards program are supported by Future’s media and entertainment technology brands: TVBEurope, TV Tech and Radio World—and each brand will be providing its own dedicate coverage of all the winning entries.

What are the categories?

TV V Tech will feature all of the winning entries in the January 2022 edition of the magazine, and in a dedicated awards ebook which will be released after the show.

PARIS, France—Dalet will be highlighting its solution for unified news operations, Dalet Pyramid, online at Dalet Connect and in-person at IBC2021. 

The Dalet Pyramid offering is designed to accommodate both digital-first and linear end-to-end news workflows and enables a collaborative storytelling 360 approach to multi-platform production and distribution, the company said. 

“Dalet Pyramid builds on Dalet’s Unified News Operations where planning, content creation, asset and resource management, playout and multiplatform distribution have been combined into a single platform that enables production of fast-breaking, digital and live news, current affairs shows, and more,” states Raoul Cospen, director of product strategy, news at Dalet. “The new agile architecture design facilitates collaboration at story-level with the industry’s first Storytelling 360 approach and enables a truly virtual newsroom. Just like all Dalet offerings, Dalet Pyramid is a cloud-agnostic solution that supports multiple cloud providers, including industry leader Amazon Web Services. It can also run in virtualized environments, offering unprecedented mobility that supports the industry’s continued pivot to solutions designed to support remote productions.”

Dalet Pyramid’s user experience covers the breadth and depth of news production, planning, distribution and playout tools to facilitate fast breaking news across all viewing platforms, the company said. 

The web-based user interface makes it easy to onboard staff and freelancers quickly, reducing training time. Users can contribute, produce and manage the full news story lifecycle from anywhere using smartphones, tablets and laptops connected to basic internet. The underlying Dalet asset management and orchestration engine facilitates content flow from ingest through planning to distribution and archive, the company said. 

It also provides full storytelling capabilities on mobile devices and is available in the cloud, on premises or a mix of both.

“The agility of the Dalet Pyramid architecture and inherent benefits of SaaS enable customers to rationalize their productions across the entire operation and dramatically increase user productivity everywhere, reducing the overall TCO of the platform," Cospen said. "Combined with its digital-first and Storytelling 360 workflow capabilities, the solution will help transform the business of news production, setting a new bar for operational standards and efficiencies while opening doors to new revenue opportunities thanks to stronger digital and OTT workflows.”  

Further information is available at Cospen's latest blog post “Dalet Pyramid - a natural evolution for Dalet Galaxy five newsrooms” where he explains the key benefits Dalet Pyramid brings to Dalet Galaxy five customers and the steps that will lead to a smooth transition.

The Dalet Pyramid introduction video is available here. Media professionals can register for the first Dalet Pyramid premiere online session held on November 4th here, and in person at IBC2021 (suite 1BS21). 

LONDON—IBC has announced that its IBC2021 International Honour for Excellence will be awarded to Barbara Slater, BBC Director of Sport. She is the first woman to hold the post and a pioneer for women in sports broadcasting worldwide, IBC said. Slater will be presented with the award at the IBC Innovation Awards, Nov. 23 exclusively on IBC Digital.

"Disparities still exist between men and women's sport in terms of viewership and coverage, but Barbara Slater has played a pivotal role in helping level the playing field during her time at BBC Sport," said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. "The International Honour for Excellence has a long history of rewarding industry pioneers, so it's hugely appropriate we recognise Barbara Slater for her commitment to technological excellence and equality in sports broadcasting."

Slater is a former Olympian, having participated in diving competition in the 1976 Montreal Olympic Games. After retiring from competitive gymnastics, Slater moved into television and quickly joined BBC Sport, where she has worked for 37 years.

Barbara was appointed BBC Director of Sport in 2009, and among her first projects was developing the network's multiplatform coverage of the 2012 London Olympics. Today, she works closely with other broadcasters and sports bodies, including advising the International Olympics Commission. In 2014 she was made an OBE for her services to sports broadcasting.

"I am extremely honoured to receive this prestigious award," said Barbara Slater. "In my years at BBC Sport, I've seen an industry transformed. Technology has paved the way to an entirely new level in the quality of coverage, the choice, the range. I am so proud of my career in sports broadcasting and would like to say a huge thank you to IBC for this accolade, which in turn recognises the significant advancements women's sport has made." 

Alongside presenting Slater with the IBC International Honour of Excellence, this year's awards ceremony will also announce the winners of the IBC Innovation Awards, the IBC2021 Best Technical Paper Award and a special award recognising excellence in this year's Olympics coverage. Winners will be invited to attend a networking reception at the live event in Amsterdam in December.

OSLO, Norway—Bridge Technologies has announced that it will demonstrate the new HDR capabilities of its VB440 at IBC 2021 (Booth 1.A71). 

These new functionalities allow production professionals to monitor and visualize both HDR and SDR production outputs from anywhere in the world using only an HTML5 browser, thus eliminating the need for specialist HDR-enabled monitors and equipment, the company said. 

Built as a monitoring solution for IP and SDI/IP-encapsulated production environments, the VB440 delivers ultra-low latency analytics of compressed and uncompressed data to provide creatives and technicians alike with the deep insight they need to ensure error-free delivery of live and recorded broadcast, from any remote location across the globe.

Speaking of the new functionality, Bridge Technologies chairman Simen Frostad explained that “as broadcast technology develops, so too do viewer expectations, and with the rise of HDR-ready TVs, viewers are becoming increasingly discerning in relation to image quality. But this represents a problem in the field of broadcast production, because the ability to work with both SDR and HDR in tandem – particularly in live or remote contexts – is both challenging and potentially expensive. It is this challenge that the most recent addition to the VB440 probe addresses: a suite of unique, innovative new HDR tools which allow content producers to adapt their workflows to accommodate HDR in an efficient, accessible, intuitive and accurate manner”.

Frostad also said that the HDR capabilities are “just one of a range of additions we are making to the VB440 – including JPEG XS monitoring and a range of innovative audio monitoring tools - to ensure that it remains at the forefront of developing production standards, particularly those relating to ‘immersive’ viewing. We look forward to showing audiences at IBC the full potential of our award-winning IP production tool”. 

In relation to the addition of HDR functionality, the VB440 starts from the point of being able to identify the type of coded stream coming in, be this HLG, PG, S-Log3, or a number of other standards, either through manual setting or through automatic recognition from ancillary data or NMOS signaling data, the company said. 

The user is then able to access any of the existing wide range of waveform scopes within the VB440 and apply them to this HDR stream. The Graticule has been adjusted to accommodate the needs of HDR more comprehensively, including not only IRE but NITs graticules, as well as an ability to adjust Graticule sensitivity.

An HDR CIE Chromaticity scope has also been added which demonstrates the full color gamut of a given video, and provides a number of options in order to suit the user’s need, the company said. And because HDR still represents a transitional standard that has not fully penetrated the market, the VB440 also facilitates data and image visualization according to SDR parameters.

Whilst these data visualizations are key, what is most fundamental about the HDR capabilities of the VB440 is its ability to give a visual preview of an HDR output image through a non-HDR compatible browser, the company added. 

This is achieved by converting the specific codings of the HDR image into the sRGB color space of the browser, thus effectively ‘mimicking’ a localized preview of what the HDR output will be like for audiences. 

Because it works with any HTML5 browser, the VB440 allows for full production capability to be achieved from anywhere in the world, in real time, the company said. 

Bridge Technologies will be at IBC2021 in booth 1.A71. More information about Bridge Technologies and its products is available at www.bridgetech.tv. 

LONDON—With nine weeks to go, IBC Show organizers have unveiled their plans to hold a hybrid event in December.

Following the reduction in Covid restrictions announced by the Dutch government earlier this month, organizers say they are “heading in the right direction” in terms of the physical event. “We are focusing on delivering an absolutely safe event,” CEO Mike Crimp told a media briefing.

While the rules around social distancing and wearing of masks have been relaxed, the IBC exhibition will include signs asking attendees to respect everyone’s preferences if they should want to continue with the measures.

The exhibition will also implement a “festival-style” perimeter fence, and include checks on vaccinations status, as well as recent Covid test status. Attendees from non-EU countries (such as the UK and US) will be able to gain access to the Netherlands with a negative PCR test, but organizers suggest they check both their own government and the Dutch government’s websites in the run-up to the event.

In terms of the digital side of the event, this year’s content program\\me will be free for everyone to access whether they are in Amsterdam or at home, the first time this has happened in the event’s history.

IBC Digital is a hybrid platform that will run in tandem with the live event, and enable users to watch content, schedule online meetings with exhibitors and other attendees, review exhibitor profiles, and invite colleagues to live meetings.

IBC 2021 takes place Dec. 3-6 at the RAI in Amsterdam, Netherlands. To register, visit ibc.org.

AMSTERDAM—IBC has welcomed news that the Dutch government is relaxing its COVID-19 social distancing measures and removing quarantine rules for fully vaccinated travelers. IBC2021 will be held at The RAI in Amsterdam, Dec. 3-6.

Beginning Sept. 22, fully vaccinated international visitors from areas designated as high-risk will no longer be required to quarantine when they arrive in The Netherlands, according to the new rules.

No longer will the social distancing rule of 1.5 meters nor the mask mandate for those inside be enforced. Rather a coronavirus access pass will be used more widely. To receive the pass to gain access to a venue, people must first demonstrate proof of vaccination against COVID-19, recovery from an infection of the SARS-CoV-2 virus or a negative COVID-19 test within 24 hours of use.

For IBC2021 attendees, the rule change may be most important to those coming from outside the EU COVID travel block. While those within the block—some 70% of attendees—already had easy access to the event, lifting the international quarantine rules means those outside the block have a far easier path to admission, organizers said.

“It’s time to get excited about coming together again,” says IBC CEO Michael Crimp. “We have been anticipating this announcement from the Dutch government for a while, and the whole IBC team is buzzing at the opportunities the relaxing of these COVID-19 measures will bring. That is not to say we can relax our guard—we continue to be fully focused on delivering a safe and valuable experience. But with these new measures, we can stage an event as close to ‘business as usual’ as we could hope for in the current environment.”

IBC has published updated exhibition protocols on its website that reflect the new rules.

News of the rule change comes in the same week that organizers of the 2021 NAB Show cancelled their event due to safety concerns.

Registration for IBC is available online as is hotel information.

LONDON—The IBC has announced that the deadline to participate in its IBC Innovation Awards has been extended to June 21.

The awards are free to enter and cover the following categories:

Content Creation: projects that used pioneering tools to enable creative talent to create compelling content.

Content Everywhere: projects that embrace the connected experience and demonstrate using technology to engage and excite audiences.

Content Distribution: the best new ways to manage content. This could include connecting creators with consumers; and/or bringing creators together with collaborators.

To enter the awards, click here. Click here to register for the show, which takes place at the RAI in Amsterdam, Dec. 3-6. 

LONDON—As IBC 2021 eyes a return to an in-person conference, the annual IBC Innovation Awards are ramping up, with the official call for entries now open. Submissions can be entered between now and June 2; winners will be announced on Sept. 12 at IBC 2021.

The IBC 2021 Innovation Awards will focus on innovations underpinned by collaboration within the content and technology industry, per IBC. There will be three categories for this year’s awards: Content Creation, Content Distribution and Content Everywhere.

“Innovation hinges on the success of collaboration, and this is why the content and technology industry has continued to pioneer new projects and services despite challenging global circumstances,” said Michael Crimp, chief executive of IBC. “Broadcasters, service providers and technology vendors worldwide have transcended the barriers of national lockdowns, restricted travel and social distancing. Coupled with the surge in consumer demand for live and on-demand content, they have accomplished the shared mission to keep TV and video on-air and on our screens.”

In addition to the IBC 2021 Innovation Awards, the IBC Accelerator Project of the Year Award will be presented, a new award that selects the most impressive Accelerator team solution as demonstrated through their Proof of Concept Showcase at IBC 2021.

The International Honor for Excellence will also be presented during the conference.

For more information, visit IBC’s website.