AIMS is extending its deadline for submitting presentations for the one-day Media-Over-IP Pavilion during the AES New York Show in October to July 30, 2024. 

AIMS is once again collaborating with the Audio Engineering Society (AES) to bring the popular Media-Over-IP Pavilion to the AES New York show, Oct. 8-10, collocated with NAB Show NY 2024 at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. The Media-Over-IP Pavilion will be an exclusive one-day event held on Oct. 9. 

The Media-Over-IP Pavilion will address all professional media networking topics, with particular emphasis on the AES67 standard, specifications in the AIMS Roadmap, and case study presentations. Its focal point will be the Media-Over-IP Pavilion Theater, which will host a continuous program of 30-minute presentations covering the latest developments in this constantly evolving field.

The call for presentations is open to end users, industry associations, solutions providers, and technology developers, who are invited to share their knowledge and perspectives on how developments in IP networking will impact the Pro Audio, Broadcast and Pro AV industries.

“The Media-Over-IP Pavilion Theater has become a must-see attraction at the AES Show, providing all attendees with the opportunity to gain valuable knowledge from top media networking experts,” said Terry Holton, Chairman of the AIMS Audio Working Group. “We’re excited to bring this unique platform back to New York to educate the industry on the many different aspects of professional media networking.”

More information and the submission form are available at www.ipshowcase.org.

The 2024 NAB Show brings the return of the IP Showcase, an essential event for industry professionals to explore the forefront of broadcasting technology. Since its inception, the IP Showcase has been instrumental in demystifying IP production and broadcasting, offering a unique platform for learning, sharing, and discovering how open standards fuel innovation and collaboration across the media landscape.

This year we continue the tradition of enlightening and inspiring NAB Show attendees, with a program that mirrors the dynamic evolution within the standards community. Located in Booth W2867 in the West Hall, the 2024 IP Showcase lineup is crafted to showcase the latest strides in media over IP, reflecting our members’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of what's possible.

With a robust schedule of roughly two dozen presentations, the IP Showcase caters to a wide audience — from those just stepping into the world of media over IP to industry veterans. Each presentation is a window into the ongoing evolution of IP standards and their application in real-world scenarios. As a preview, let’s look at three of them.

First up is “What is IPMX? – A Plain Language Summary of the IPMX Technical Recommendations” by Jed Deame of Nextera Video. This presentation promises to deliver a comprehensive summary of the major features of IPMX, breaking down its components into easy-to-digest segments. 

Deame will peel back the layers of technical jargon to reveal the core benefits of IPMX for both broadcast and ProAV users. Attendees can expect a comprehensive look at how IPMX builds upon the foundations of SMPTE ST 2110, enhancing interoperability and easing the transition to IP workflows. This session is an essential primer for anyone looking to grasp the significance and application of IPMX in today’s media landscape.

Next, Andreas Hildebrand of Lawo AG takes the stage with his presentation “MADI over IP: The Magic About Flow Configuration and Packet Setup.” With the industry's shift towards IP, understanding the nuances of audio transport becomes crucial. Hildebrand, a renowned expert in the field, will guide attendees through the intricacies of transporting MADI over IP networks, emphasizing latency considerations and flow configuration. This talk is tailor-made for audio engineers and system architects seeking to leverage the full potential of IP audio within their operations, offering insights into achieving seamless audio integration in an IP-centric world.

Rounding out our selection is “Expanding ST 2110 beyond the Studio — Connecting it all together” by Gerard Phillips of Arista Networks. As live production environments increasingly embrace IP, the question of how to interconnect these “islands” of IP production for broader collaboration and sharing becomes paramount. Phillips' talk addresses this next frontier, exploring strategies for extending ST 2110 connectivity to foster greater creative and operational flexibility. Attendees will leave with a roadmap for enhancing opportunity and creativity through comprehensive IP connectivity, making this session a must-attend for professionals tasked with envisioning the future of their IP infrastructure.

These are just a sample of the two dozen presentations expected at the IP Showcase. By offering insights into IPMX, audio over IP, the expansion of ST 2110 networks, orchestration and automation in the cloud, mastering the basics of media-over-IP network design, or any of the other topics planned for this year’s lineup, they will provide attendees with a valuable perspective on the evolving IP landscape.

We encourage attendees to prioritize the IP Showcase at the 2024 NAB Show, whether for our insightful presentations or the opportunity to engage in our meetups. It’s an essential destination for professionals seeking to deepen their knowledge and discuss the latest in media over IP. The IP Showcase stands as a testament to the industry’s ongoing evolution and offers a valuable platform for learning, sharing, and networking. Make sure it's on your 2024 NAB agenda.

The IP Showcase will return to the 2024 NAB Show, April 13-17 in Las Vegas and it's a must-see for anyone deploying media-over-IP technology for real-time broadcast or Pro AV applications. As always, the presentation of technical papers will be a central element of the IP Showcase, along with technical demonstrations, case studies on media organizations and facilities that have shifted to IP, and other educational opportunities.

Proposals for papers are now being accepted by IP Showcase partners as well as end users, industry associations, solutions providers, and technology developers — all of whom are invited to share their knowledge and perspectives on how the adoption of IP technology is transforming all types of media organizations today and in the future. 

IP Showcase partners include Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF).

Proposals are due by Jan. 29, and may be submitted here

Appropriate paper topics include:

• Overview of SMPTE ST 2110, AES67, AMWA-NMOS, or TR-1001
• IPMX IP for non-engineers: What do operations, resellers, management need to know?
• IP Scorecard: How are we doing? Where are the gaps?
• Making the business case for IP standards development
• Updates from an industry body such as SMPTE, AMWA, VSF, OPA, etc.
• How IP-focused standards work is addressing real-world problems such as security across the WAN, ground-cloud operations, and remote production
• End-user case studies on deployments of all sizes, as well as post-deployment considerations
• QC, monitoring, and maintenance in IP-based environments

More information about the event and further details on paper submissions are available at www.ipshowcase.

BOTHELL, Wash.—Dust off the boat shoes; pull that captain’s hat out of the closet; and get ready for an IP excursion in Amsterdam during IBC 2023, Sept. 15-18, at the RAI.

The IP Showcase is returning to the event thanks to the Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and the Video Services Forum.

This year’s edition of the showcase occur aboard boats cruising the city’s historic canals on Sept. 17 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Boats will depart from Strandzuid, located near RAI Amsterdam at Europlaplein 22, 1078 GZ Amsterdam, event organizers said.

Six one-hour cruises, each accommodating up to 35 attendees, will feature two 20-minute sessions from top IP experts. In total, 12 presentations are planned on a wide range of IP-related topics, they said. 

To learn more about various open IP-in-media standards and specifications, visit: AIMS, IPMX, AES, AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF Technical Recommendations webpages.

LAS VEGAS—Now in its eighth year, the IP Showcase has evolved into a must-see exhibit for anyone deploying IP technology. Over the years, AIMS and other major technical and standards organizations within the broadcast industry have taken advantage of large industry events like the NAB Show to highlight vendor products, technical presentations, and real-life case studies of IP deployments, while providing attendees with networking opportunities with access to the experts that make open IP standards a reality. 

As the NAB Show celebrates its 100th anniversary, we couldn’t be more excited to be there again, as well as welcoming our newest members—Megapixel VR and NETGEAR—to the IP Showcase.

Demonstrating Interoperability
In the beginning, the IP Showcase started out as a way to demonstrate to the industry that IP standards work and to highlight their interoperability. However, in listening to feedback from attendees on what they’re hoping to see and what they need from the Showcase, we quickly learned that there’s a lot of hunger out there for education on a wide range of topics. 

Part of this need is met by the IP Showcase Theater, where industry professionals give 20-minute presentations on case studies and other topics. As in previous years, this will be a centerpiece of the IP Showcase at the 2023 NAB Show. In addition, the “IP in Action” wall will be back, which will display additional information about different IP installations that have taken place. 

We’ll also have people on the ground to answer questions about today’s hot topics, such as ground-to-cloud, cloud-to-ground, and of course, the IPMX set of open standards and specifications for AV-over-IP deployments being developed by AIMS. 

There’s also been a lot of work going on with codecs in our various groups, and we’ll be there to educate people on the flurry of activity around standards over the last year, including work around JPEG XS, H.264, and EDID. In addition, the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) recently published its guide for implementing NMOS controllers, and its work on stream compatibility management is moving to the next phase of testing and interoperability. 

The Video Services Forum (VSF) has also released the first draft of TR-10-1 for system timing in IPMX—with revisions active and ongoing—and the HDCP Key Exchange Protocol draft specification. We’re expecting these to be popular topics of discussion at the show. 

Knowledge Sharing
Education is certainly at the forefront of attendees’ expectations for the IP Showcase; however, we’ve also learned that organizations and individual professionals aren’t strictly looking for information and insight, they are also eager to share ideas. 

So, this year at NAB Show, we decided we really wanted to emphasize the social aspect of the IP Showcase and provide attendees with the opportunity to get together and have these conversations. And we’re doing that with the introduction of a new element: the meetup section. This is going to be an open space with flexible seating, where attendees can come in and host conversations revolving around IP media systems that are important to them.

And while we’re normally very selective about who can give presentations at the IP Showcase, we’re opening the meetup space to just about anybody who wants to have a conversation regarding anything related to AV-over-IP, SMPTE 2110, or even other proprietary protocols out there. As long as the topic is centered around IP media systems and making them work, anyone can host a conversation; they don’t need to belong to AIMS or any other organization. 

The reason for this inclusivity is that we envision this new section not only as a place to support our community of open-standards-based solutions, but to also hear from users in general. We want to find out what you’re doing in IP, the problems you’re facing, and your success stories. 

Sharing such information at the IP Showcase is a really exciting prospect, and we’re anticipating that a lot of smaller groups will want to take advantage of it. So, we’ve been casting a wide net for participants, sending out a sign-up sheet via social media and other outlets. All people have to do is fill out a form, and they’re given a time slot for their conversation.

We’ll also have industry experts come in to address groups that want to discuss certain topics. So, for example, if there’s a group that wants to discuss network convergence or issues they’re having when setting up IP systems, we’ll bring in experts from companies in our organization that specialize in those topics, and they’ll be available for those meetups. 

And finally, we’re opening up the space to groups that already meet within standards organizations over Zoom and elsewhere to have face-to-face meetings at the NAB Show. There are so many possibilities to use this new space as an educational opportunity, and we can’t wait to see what people do with it. It’s going to make the 2023 NAB Show 2023 one to remember, and we look forward to seeing everybody there.

Visit us during exhibit hours at Booth W2867 in the West Hall of the LVCC. 

Register for the 2023 NAB Show at nabshow.com/2023.

The IP Showcase has announced that it is returning to the 2023 NAB Show between April 15-19 and that the deadline for partner proposals and technical papers is Feb. 28.

As usual, the presentation of technical papers will be a central element of the IP Showcase, along with technical demonstrations, case studies on media organizations and facilities that have shifted to IP, and other educational opportunities, the IP Showcase said. 

Proposals for papers are being accepted by IP Showcase partners, which include Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF).

Proposals are due by 28 February and may be submitted here.

Appropriate paper topics include:

• Overview of SMPTE ST 2110, AES67, AMWA-NMOS, or TR-1001.
• IPMX IP for non-engineers: What do operations, resellers, management need to know?
• IP Scorecard: How are we doing? Where are the gaps?
• Making the business case for IP standards development.
• Updates from an industry body such as SMPTE, AMWA, VSF, OPA, etc.
• How IP-focused standards work is addressing real-world problems such as security across the WAN, ground-cloud operations, and remote production.
• End-user case studies on deployments of all sizes, as well as post-deployment considerations.
• QC, monitoring, and maintenance in IP-based environments.

The IP Showcase will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the new West Hall, booth W2867. More information about the event and further details on paper submissions are available at www.ipshowcase.org.

LAS VEGAS—The IP Showcase, which returns to an in-person format at the 2022 NAB Show this April, is asking for proposals for technical papers to be delivered during the Showcase. 

The IP Showcast is designed to be a must-attend event for anyone deploying media-over-IP technology for real-time broadcast or Pro AV applications. 

The presentation of technical papers will be a central element of the IP Showcase, along with technical demonstrations, case studies on media organizations and facilities that have shifted to IP, and other educational opportunities.

Proposals for papers are now being accepted by IP Showcase partners, which include Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF).

Proposals are due by March 15, and may be submitted here.

Appropriate paper topics include:

• Overview of SMPTE ST 2110, AES67, AMWA-NMOS, or TR-1001.
• IPMX IP for non-engineers: What do operations, resellers, management need to know?
• IP Scorecard: How are we doing? Where are the gaps?
• Making the business case for IP standards development.
• Updates from an industry body such as AES, AIMS, AMWA, EBU, SMPTE, VSF.
• How IP-focused standards work is addressing real-world problems such as security across the WAN, ground-cloud operations, and remote production.
• End-user case studies on deployments of all sizes, as well as post-deployment considerations.
• QC, monitoring, and maintenance in IP-based environments.

The IP Showcase will take place at the Las Vegas Convention Center in the new West Hall, Booth W3925. More information about the event and further details on paper submissions is available at www.ipshowcase.org.

For more information on the NAB Show, April 23-27, please visit nabshow.com/2022

BOTHELL, Wash.—IP Showcase wants to hear from you, as it has issued a call for presentations that will be given during the 2020 NAB Show. For those interested, the deadline for submitting speaking proposals has been set for Feb. 28.

The IP Showcase serves as a way to highlight the progress toward an all-IP ecosystem. The event is hosted in association with the NAB and sponsored by the Audio Engineering Society, the Alliance for IP Media Solutions, the Advanced Media Workflows Association, the European Broadcasting Union, SMPTE, the Ultra HD Forum and the Video Services Forum.

Presentations for the IP Showcase are designed to communicate current user experiences and advances. Suggested topics for presentations include case studies on the deployment of SMPTE ST 2110 and AMWA NMOS systems; the impact of SMPTE ST 2110 and UHD workflows; tutorials tailored to IP video newcomers; and advanced technology presentations describing new developments in standards and specifications.

Specifically, IP Showcase is planning on putting a special emphasis on new capabilities like TR-1001-1 from the Joint Taskforce on Networked Media and the IPMX set of open standards and specifications designed for the carriage of compressed and uncompressed video, audio and data over IP networks.

The call for presentations is open to end users, industry associations, solution providers and technology developers who wish to share their knowledge and perspectives on how IP can and is shaping the broadcast industry. IP Showcase discourages product marketing presentations.

For more information or to submit a proposal, visit the IP Showcase website.

The 2020 NAB Show will take place from April 18-22 in Las Vegas.

BOTHELL, Wash.—IBC 2019 will be featuring the IP Showcase on its show floor, an education and demonstration pavilion that spotlights IP standards for real-time professional media applications, and is now looking for presentations to fill up its schedule during the five-day conference.

For this year’s edition of the IP Showcase, there will be a particular emphasis on JT-NM TR-1001-1 automation, as well as covering the SMPTE ST 2110, AES67 and AMWA NMOS standards.

End users, industry associates, solution providers and technology developers are all open to submit proposals for the showcase. Presentations can take many different forms, including tutorials, case studies, panel discussions, market and business case analysis, point-of-view or advocacy, and standards progress updates. There is also an expanded stage area this year, which will allow for presenting select hands-on technology demos. Product marketing presentations are discouraged.

“As broadcasters increasingly adopt and expand their commitment to IP implementations, the industry has come to rely on IP Showcase presentations as a valuable ongoing industry reference for media professionals worldwide,” said Brad Gilmer, IP Showcase executive director.

The deadline for submitting presentation proposals is July 12. To submit, or to find out more information, visit ipshowcase.org.

IBC 2019 will take place from Sept. 13-17 in Amsterdam. The IP Showcase, which will take place in room E106/E107, is sponsored by AES, AIMS, AMWA, the EBU, SMPTE and VSF.

LAS VEGAS—The Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) will demonstrate its progress on the development of a set of protocols to make it easier for broadcasters to implement IP-based systems in the new Future Zone area of the IP Showcase (Booth C12634) at the 2019 NAB Show, April 8-11, in Las Vegas.

The task force, which is defining and in the process of releasing the protocols known as the JT-NM Tech Stack, will demonstrate them for the first time in the Future Zone, said the organization.

Last year, the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) published a document recommending additions to IP-based systems to complement the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards for professional IP-based media.

That document, “The Technology Pyramid For Media Nodes: Minimum User Requirements to Build and Manage an IP-Based Media Facility,” spurred the task force to develop the JT-NM Tech Stack 1, of JT-NM TR-1001-1 (Technical Recommendation 1), which is intended to make SMPTE ST 2110 deployments easier.

“It was only three years ago that the industry began pushing for a standards-based approach in the transition to IP in broadcast, and in that short time, not only have we seen the development and ratification of SMPTE ST 2110 as the transport layer for IP, we’ve also seen the development of a number of other open specifications that will make deployment, integration and securing these facilities easier going forward,” said Brad Gilmer, executive director of the IP Showcase. “These specifications will simplify installation, maintenance and security.”

The Future Zone will also feature technologies under consideration for JT-NM Tech Stack Part 2, including AMWA NMOS IS-07 Event & Tally, NMOS IS-08 Audio Channel Mapping, AMWA BCP-002 Grouping and BCP-003 NMOS API Security: Communications. Along with Tech Stack 1, the technologies under consideration for Tech Stack 2 would form a suite of open specifications to simplify building, maintenance and operation of multivendor ST 2110 systems, the task force said.

The IP Showcase will also see the introduction of the JT-NM Tested program, offering potential technology buyers greater, more documented insight into how equipment aligns with the SMPTE ST 2110 and ST 2059 standards.

Several groups are sponsoring the IP Showcase, including Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) and Video Services Forum (VSF).

More information on the IP Showcase is available online. 

LAS VEGAS--This year’s IP Showcase at NAB Show has announced a call for presentations for the event.

The IP Showcase is a joint venture between the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), the Society of Motion Picture and Technology Engineers (SMPTE), and the Video Services Forum (VSF).

The submission deadline for speaking proposals is Feb. 25. Speaking times are limited during the four-day exhibition; the selection committee is looking for the following types of presentations:

• Tutorial (basic, intermediate, advanced)

• Case study

• Panel discussion

• Market/business case analysis

• Point-of-view/advocacy

• Standards progress/update

Preference will be given to presentations related to the following technology areas on the Joint Task Force on Networked Media (JT-NM) Roadmap:

• AES67

• SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards for Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks

• AMWA NMOS specifications such as IS-04, IS-05, IS-07, and IS-08

• Timing and synchronization using SMPTE ST 2059-1/2

• JT-NM TR-1001-1 framework for installing, configuring, and interconnecting equipment

More details and the submission form are available at the IP Showcase’s website.

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—The IP Showcase will return to the IBC for the third year in a row, according to several broadcast technical and standards organizations.

The Audio Engineering Society (AES), Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), European Broadcasting Union (EBU), Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), and Video Services Forum (VSF) will again host the IP Showcase at the annual IBC Show in Amsterdam, Sept. 14-18.

The Showcase, which started out as the “IP Interoperability Zone” at the 2016 IBC Show, will feature vendors and broadcasters who will provide instructional and case-study presentations and an array of IP-based product demonstrations highlighting the benefits of, and momentum behind, the broadcast industry’s move to standards-based IP infrastructure for real-time professional media applications.

[Read: IP Showcase Returns To IBC2017]

Organizers say the event has been instrumental in helping the industry to galvanize behind the standards-based approach to IP. This is the first IBC show since the publication of documents within the SMPTE ST 2110 Professional Media Over Managed IP Networks suite of standards, the foundational standards for essence-based transmission of video, audio, and metadata.

“The broadcast industry reached a crossroads when it faced the choice of pursuing a standards-based approach to IP or pursuing multiple alternatives and directions,” said Brad Gilmer, executive director of the IP Showcase. “Almost unanimously, the industry chose the standards-based approach, uniting behind SMPTE ST 2110/ST 2059, AES67, and AMWA IS-04/IS-05. As we move from watching the progress of the early adopters into seeing how the industry as a whole will move into the IP transition, the IP Showcase is more important than ever.”

The IP Showcase will feature equipment displays and product demonstrations that emphasize everything industry vendors have achieved in support of IP standards and specifications. The displays will showcase the benefits IP can bring to an operation and will comprise equipment from an estimated 50 vendors — one of the most massive assemblies of interoperable IP products ever. Displays will highlight the benefits of IP signal transport and focus on SMPTE ST 2110-10/20/21/30/31/40, the SMPTE ST 2059 Broadcast Profile for IEEE 1588 Precision Time Protocol (PTP), AES67, and AMWA IS-04/IS-05.

The IP Showcase Theatre will provide an education resource of information about the phases of IP adoption. Vendors, broadcasters, service providers, and integrators alike will highlight their solutions to technical challenges related to the transition from SDI to IP. Choosing from a full slate of presentations on IP technology and installations, professionals ranging from broadcast/IT engineers and CEOs to TV producers can learn how to unlock the full potential of using IP for real-time professional media.

The IP Showcase will take place in rooms E106 and E107 at RAI Amsterdam during the show. More information is available at www.ipshowcase.org.

LAS VEGAS—Next-Gen television rose to the forefront as both subject and object of the 2018 NAB Show, April 9–12. No matter where one turned, there were constant reminders of the ascendency of ultra high-definition, extended color gamuts, high dynamic range, and immersive audio, along with their enabler, the newly-minted ATSC 3.0 digital television transmission standard. Beginning in the Central Hall concourse of the Las Vegas Convention Center and extending into the exhibit halls and beyond, there were constant reminders of what lies ahead in terms of a greatly enhanced television experience. Technical experts laid bare the inner workings of ATSC 3.0 in all-day Saturday and Sunday sessions, as other presenters explained how to best make use of the standard, as well as how to profit from it.

ATSC 3.0 SPREADS ITS WINGS

“The momentum for ATSC 3.0 is evident with the interest we received from broadcasters throughout the world during the NAB Show,” said ATSC president Mark Richer, in reflecting on the rollout of the new standard during the event. “There was high interest in the potential for television transmitted to moving vehicles like the autonomous shuttle that was in our exhibit, and for the potential for next-generation television to reshape how broadcasters relate to their audience. People are carefully watching the deployments, with an eye on taking advantage of various new services made possible by ATSC 3.0 such as hybrid broadcast broadband applications, targeted advertising, and mobile reception.”

That mobile reception aspect of ATSC 3.0 was graphically demonstrated via a receiving installation in a small driverless “bus” that maneuvered in the open area outside Central Hall during exhibit hours. In addition to the completely hands-off driving experience, passengers witnessed rock-steady video despite vehicle motion, signal shadowing from buildings, and multiple reflections from surrounding structures.

Incoming ATSC Technology Group chair, Madeleine Noland, also expressed her satisfaction with the “buy-in” for the new TV standard at the show.

“I am amazed by the progress of next-gen TV from year to year, and momentum showed no signs of slowing at NAB 2018,” said Noland. “This year showed a clear shift from demos to deployments. The ‘Road to ATSC 3.0’ exhibit highlighted deployments across the U.S. and South Korea, and the Saturday IEEE BTS panel discussion offered an in-depth look at three field deployments projects, along with info on Advanced Emergency Alerting. As incoming ATSC TG chair, I’m excited about the year ahead and can’t wait to see what NAB 2019 will bring.”

UHD/HDR/ECG/HFR ALSO IN THE LIMELIGHT

Noland, who’s also with LGE Electronics’ office of the CTO, was one of 15 presenters at the day-long Saturday “Global UHD Conference” that explored topics including use of higher frame rates, advanced television rollout regulatory issues, and compression technologies for accommodating greater line counts, extended color gamuts, increased dynamic range and other components in UHD signals. The presenters included a Korean contingent that addressed the deployment of advanced TV in their country, and “lessons learned” in that rollout.

The accomplishments of the Koreans were acknowledged by NAB president and CEO, Gordon Smith, in his closing remarks at the Global UHD Conference.

“I want to congratulate Korea’s broadcasters, who, using the occasion of the Winter Olympics, were able to make this transition [to ATSC 3.0] in a way such that anyone could experience the dramatic difference made by this new technology,” said Smith. “The Olympics gave the Korean broadcasters an opportunity to shine, and they truly did. And they brought that great event to audiences all over for everybody to enjoy and get a glimpse of the future. U.S. broadcasters look forward to [soon] joining you in rolling out next-gen TV commercially.”

Examples of ATSC 3.0 technology were liberally scattered across the convention center’s exhibit halls, ranging from ATSC 3.0-capable transmitters, to consumer products including set-top boxes to allow older TVs to work with the new signals, “dongles” for converting tablets into ATSC 3.0 receivers, and even a master antenna television (MATV) unit for distributing 3.0 signals throughout an apartment building or hotel.

In addition to its ATSC 3.0-ready TV transmitter line, Hitachi-Comark also featured a complete “end-to-end” 3.0 demo.

“Visitors were able to see a “glass-to-glass” (camera-to-TV) ATSC 3.0 demo showing 1080p60 HDR along with up to 12 SD programs in a single 6 MHz RF channel,” said Joe Turbolski, marketing chief for the Southwick, Mass.-based company. “They expressed a keen interest in our transmitters for repack [as well as] ATSC 3.0.”

Turbolski added that Comark Digital Services (CDS) had recently been relaunched to assist broadcasters’ migration from ATSC 1.0 to 3.0.

AD TARGETING COMES OF AGE

ATSC 3.0 even extended to an upper floor of Las Vegas’s Wynn Hotel where the standard’s targeted advertising capabilities were demonstrated. Kevin Gage, executive vice president of strategic development at ONE Media, participated in the demos and said response was “overwhelmingly positive.”

“We hosted a broad range of global industry members in our suite,” he said. “Along with our partner SK Telecom, we demonstrated how MMT [MPEG Media Transport] enables broadcasters to provide client-side targeted dynamic ad insertion and geotargeted graphical overlays.”

The show also served as the backdrop for the Monday afternoon signing of a memorandum of understanding addressing the emergency alerting capabilities that ATSC 3.0 brings to the table. Representatives from AWARN (Advanced Warning and Response Network) Alliance, the NAB, and Korea’s RAPA (Korea Radio Promotion Association) agreed to “actively promote next-generation television using the ATSC 3.0 standard,” giving special emphasis to its emergency alerting capabilities.

IP CONTINUES TO MAKE INROADS

Although Next Gen TV got the lion’s share of attention, there were plenty of reminders of other churn and evolution going on within broadcasting, including the increasing movement to the cloud, virtualization, and most assuredly, the transition to IP connectivity. Many equipment manufacturers featured IP-enabled technology, and the industry-sponsored IP Showcase returned for its second NAB appearance and first since the SMPTE 2110 video transport over IP standard was approved last fall.

“The interest in real-time IP conductivity changed since last the NAB when the IP Showcase’s focus was interoperability,” said Stan Moote, IABM CTO. “This year’s hands-on demos, complete with a SMPTE ST 2110 studio producing videos and live streaming of the presentations at the IP Showcase IABM Theater, drew crowds. The ‘standing-room-only’ theater sessions [included] IP use cases and deep dives into the specifics of existing IP facilities, configurations and standards specifics.”

THE CLOUD GROWS

Companies that in the past have not been directly associated with broadcasting such as Amazon, Microsoft, and Verizon were at the show, with larger booths and increased staffing to accommodate interest in their wares.

Mary Kay Evans, chief marketing officer at Verizon Digital Media Services, spoke about her company’s offerings, noting the increased level of interest in live streaming and other new content delivery modalities.

“We debuted our Live Event Operations managed service which allows broadcasters to quickly ramp up operations capacity to optimize live event streaming,” she said. “It was perfect timing, as monetizing and scaling live event streams were big concerns for many of the visitors who stopped by our booth.”

Amazon Web Services (AWS) chief product officer Asiam Khader also noted an uptick in interest in what his company is offering.

“Cloud migration is definitely accelerating,” said Khader. Increased agility and innovation, along with lower costs, are the drivers.” 

He observed that another tool offered by Amazon is gaining traction. “We also are seeing more providers building intelligent video workflows with AWS machine learning services to improve engagement.”

No matter where you looked, it was evident at this year’s NAB Show that a paradigm shift was underway in the way both broadcasting and content production are done. The 2018 event seems destined to be remembered as the one where next-generation television arrived in full force and reminders of ATSC 3.0 extended throughout the entire show.

The 2018 NAB Show featured exhibits from 1,718 companies that occupied more than one million square feet of floor space. Approximately 93,000 attended, a 10 percent drop from 2017. Of those, 25,550 were international.

The 2019 NAB Show is scheduled for April 6-11 in Las Vegas.

For a comprehensive list of TV Technology’s ATSC 3.0 coverage, see our ATSC3 silo. 

CLEVELAND & LAS VEGAS—Telos Alliance, along with its subsidiary companies, will have a pair of booths all to themselves at this year’s NAB Show, but the company also plans to have a presence at the IP Showcase on the show floor. Telos Alliance will join more than 50 companies as part of the Showcase that will demonstrate the benefits of IP.

Using AES67, the SMPTE ST 2110 standard and AMWA NMOS specifications, IP can provide operational benefits. At the IP Showcase, visitors will be able to see some of these benefits, like format flexibility and efficient cabling; resiliency and data-loss protection; plug-and-play connection management; and a choice of interoperable audio equipment. Presentations, panels and a live all-IP studio will also be hand to highlight IP.

The IP Showcase will be located at booth C12634 in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center. Telos Alliance will have its own booths (N6531 and SU2321) also on the show floor.

The 2018 NAB Show takes place from April 7-12 in Las Vegas. 

BOTHELL, WASH.—The Alliance for IP Media Solutions will set itself down at the IP Showcase in the Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center for the duration of the 2018 NAB Show. As one of the showcase’s sponsor, AIMS will highlight progress on the move toward uniform IP interoperability.

The IP Showcase is being set up as a one-stop shop for NAB attendees to understand using IP for real-time media. The booth will highlight key technologies and offer seven demonstration areas focused on IP workflows: format flexibility from SD to UHD; simplifying discovery and registration with AMWA IS-04 and IS-05; compatibility between AES67 and SMPTE ST 2110-30; audio/video lip sync and handling of multichannel audio; design of deterministic IP systems with COTS IP switches using SMPTE ST 2110-21; SDI and IP conversion and harmonized timing with SMPTE ST 2059; and system resiliency and protection from data loss using SMPTE ST 2022-7.

AIMS’ additional plans for showcasing IP include an “IP in Action” wall, which will display information about reference sites that use IP technology on the AIMS roadmap. The organization also plans to demonstrate IP’s real-world power with an all IP-production room broadcasting live during the show. AIMS members will also be making presentations in the IP Showcase Theater.

Furthermore, AIMS members are slated to present 10 papers during the NAB Show covering a range of topics for media-over-IP workflows. Thirty AIMS members will also have AIMS-branded sections of their booths.

AIMS will be located at booth C12634 during the 2018 NAB Show, which runs from April 7-12 in Las Vegas.

LAS VEGAS—IP has been a part of the NAB Show for the last few years, but with the approval and publishing of the first documents of the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards the path to real-time IP signal flows is clearing and the show floor will feature an IP Showcase that will further illuminate just what is on that path.

Featuring more than 50 manufacturers and eight industry standards bodies and trade organizations, the IP Showcase will serve as a demonstration of the benefits and practicality of transitioning to IP workflows using the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards, AES67 and AMWA NMOS specifications. Some of these benefits expected to be highlighted include format flexibility and efficient cabling; resiliency and data-loss protection; plug-and-play connection management; and choices of interoperable audio equipment.

Other areas of focus that will be discussed as part of the showcase include transitioning from SDI to hybrid IP/SDI systems and on to all-IP; designing deterministic systems; and using new tools for automatic alignment of signals. There will also be information on IP reference deployments for real-world comparisons.

[NAB Show: Technology for Storytelling]

A live all-IP studio will be on-hand for a firsthand look at live program production and output using SMPTE ST 2110. The integrated IP Showcase Theater, curated by IABM, will provide presentations that cover a range of real-time IP production and intra-facility distribution topics.

If companies are still interested in participating in the Showcase they are required to attend a pre-stage event to demonstrate interoperability between SMPTE ST 2110 devices from March 19-23 at Fox Network Center in the Woodlands, Texas.

LAS VEGAS—Associations, vendors and broadcasters will have the opportunity to take the stage of the IP Theater at the 2018 NAB Show and give presentations on IP tech solutions, applications and case studies. IABM is now accepting presentation synopses that will be presented during at the IP Showcase at this year’s NAB Show.

The IP Showcase is sponsored by AES, AIMS, IABM, AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF, and will host companies demonstrating the benefits of IP and producing television using the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards.

For presentations in the IP Theater, IABM says it is looking for broadcasters and media companies to share examples of real installations of IP and the benefits of it. It is also interested in technical presentations to educate the industry on the new standards and how to implement them; IABM will work with JT-NM on these presentations.

The deadline for submitting a presentation synopsis is going to be Jan. 28. For information on pitching, click here.

LOS ANGELES—The on-going roll-out of IP connectivity in the broadcast plant is featured in a big way at SMPTE 2017 Technical Conference & Exhibition, with a demonstration of the technology in action.

Paul Briscoe and Luann Linnebar

The IP Showcase was set up in the show’s Centennial Hall. According to Luann Linnebar, Nevion’s director of business development, and one of the SMPTE Conference IP Showcase hosts, the concept for the demonstration had its roots in IP-connected equipment “Plugfests” or compatibility testing performed by a number of equipment manufacturers.

“We brought 50-some companies together in Texas this past August, and tested everything including cameras, microphones, production switchers, ingest, playout servers and routers to prove that a complete television production could be done with IP,” Linnebar said. She added that such IP interoperability testing has been going on for about two years.

“It started with a just handful of companies, and now we’ve grown to more than 50,” she said.

This large equipment package from the latest round of testing was assembled into a complete all-IP television facility and demonstrated in September at IBC 2017 in Amsterdam.

The SMPTE IP-Showcase equipment setup featured gear from multiple vendors.

Paul Briscoe, principal consultant with Television Technology Consulting, and another IP demo host, noted that the SMPTE IP Showcase—although scaled-down from 19 racks at the IBC Show to eight—even included the “theatre” area for IP-related presentations featured at the September conference.

“The only thing we didn’t include was the IP-connected production studio,” he said.

LONDON—The IP Interoperability Zone at IBC2016 will be remembered for playing host to industry collaboration like never before, as an unprecedented gathering of leading executives from standards bodies and associations celebrated becoming the “IP history makers.”

The newly announced 2017 IP Showcase at IBC builds on the success of last year’s world-first (pictured), with great strides having been made during the intervening period in formalizing and universally adopting the SMPTE ST 2110 suite of real-time IP signal flow standards.

The IP Showcase brings together the AES, AIMS, AMWA, EBU, IABM, MNA, SMPTE and VSF to deliver a one-stop destination where everyone from broadcast/IT engineers and CEOs to TV producers can learn everything they need to know to unlock the full potential of using IP for real-time media.

“IBC is excited to be working with our IP Showcase Partners once again at IBC2017,” said Michael Crimp, IBC’s CEO. “The IP Showcase will be an ideal opportunity for our visitors to see how far the IP Interop standard has come since its original demonstration at IBC2016. They will also be able to learn from those who have already adopted IP as the norm.”

More than 40 vendors will work together to demonstrate real-world IP interoperability based on SMPTE ST 2110 final draft standards and AMWA NMOS specifications. To prove ease of use as well as interoperability, the demonstrations are divided into logical application pods—live production signal flows, contribution and playout signal flows—all shown under the control of familiar user interfaces.

In addition, the integrated IP Showcase theater, curated by IABM, will be running a non-stop series of presentations covering the full gamut of knowledge for real-time IP production and intra-facility distribution. Visitors will hear about the rapidly increasing number of real-world IP deployments from broadcasters who have already embraced IP signal flows.

This story originally appeared on TVT's sister publication TVB Europe.