LONDON—IBC2025 organizers said global attendees will have access to a new feature that will integrate Amsterdam’s GVB public transport pass into the official event badge, providing ticketless access to trams, buses and the metro.

“This is more than a convenience,” said Tamsin Christofides, operations director, IBC. “This reflects our commitment to sustainability, user-centric innovation, and our ongoing efforts to ensure that Amsterdam continues to be a welcoming and accessible destination for IBC2025.”

The integration was developed in collaboration with longtime venue partner RAI Amsterdam, Amsterdam public transport operator GVB, and smart credentialing provider CredsNow.

RAI Amsterdam has enabled free city travel for all IBC attendees across GVB’s public transport network for many years as part of its longstanding partnership with IBC. For the first time, this initiative will provide for frictionless, ticket-free access to the city’s extensive tram, bus and metro network via an embedded QR code on the event’s badges that are linked directly to the GVB system.

“This integration supports our ambition to create truly sustainable events, and underwrites RAI’s long-term commitment to IBC Show,” Maurits van der Sluis, chief operating officer of RAI Amsterdam, said. “By connecting the city’s transport system directly to the badge, we’re removing barriers and improving the visitor journey in a meaningful, future-forward way.”

IBC2025 takes place from Sept. 12-15 at the RAI Amsterdam. Attendees will be able to use their badge to enter the venue and board any GVB-operated service throughout the city, reducing reliance on cars and streamlining travel across the event. For further information, click here.

LOS ANGELES—The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers this year is honoring Cristina Gomila Torres, managing director of Content, Technology & Innovation, at Sky, with its prestigious Progress Medal—the first to be awarded to a woman—during this week’s 2019 Annual SMPTE Technical Conference & Exhibition at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel.

The award honors an individual for his or her outstanding technical contribution to the progress of engineering in the motion picture, TV or motion imaging industries. The medal is bestowed for an invention or R&D that has resulted in a significant advancement in the development of motion picture, TV or motion imaging technology, according to SMPTE.

Gomila Torres, who joined Sky this year, is being honored for her leadership and contributions to advances in several areas, including the science of algorithms where she holds multiple patents in video coding and other media technologies.

I had a chance to sit down with Gomila Torres this morning at the SMPTE conference and talk to her about what it means to receive the Progress Medal, where women are today in M&E industry, what areas of research interest her today, what the industry can do to attract more young people to its ranks, especially to technical careers and what organizations like SMPTE can do to encourage young women to pursue motion picture, TV or motion imaging careers.

(An edited transcript:)

TVTechnology:Congratulations on being named this year’s recipient of the Progress Medal. What does that honor mean to you, especially since you are the first woman to receive the award?

Cristina Gomila Torres: It’s very emotional. When I thought of all my peers getting me to this level of recognition. My first thoughts were for all the people who helped me on the journey to get here and also for all of the women in this industry who have not been visible for all of these long years and have contributed strongly.

So, I felt really for all of them a lot of weight and responsibility.

TVT:You hold patents for video coding and many other media technologies. What areas of research interest you the most today?

CGT: I started my career on media formats, where the focus was about getting the best possible images to the consumer, focusing on video quality. And I have progressively moved toward what would be the best consumer experience.

Quality is certainly important, but it’s not the only thing. It’s all about how we convey content. How do we make it available everywhere? How do we provide a seamless viewer experience and surprise them with different types of content?

This is today an area that requires harnessing many fields of science. It’s not just one of them. It goes from transmission, but it also goes to machine learning techniques, to cognitive science. Everything that puts the consumer in focus.

TVT:Can you elaborate a bit on how you will leverage these various areas, such as machine learning and cognitive science, to come up with something that achieves what you envision for the consumer?

CGT: We are trying to make the entertainment experience for consumers unique, easier—because we have more and more content to offer them, and at times that can be overwhelming to find what you like—and then mostly we need to listen to them.

What do they like? How do they consume content? And all of the different types of experiences they are looking for. That can go from the current types of content to augmented reality or many different things.

TVT:You brought up unique experiences. Given growing bandwidth availability and other technical advancements do you foresee someday being able to personalize the entertainment experience for individual viewers?

CGT: The future could be much more of a personalized experience. I think there is no doubt about it. We want to better understand the people we serve. We are all very different. So that is not easy. As you said, it has challenges. How are we going to be able to bring all of that content to them? But that is part of the challenge and why we have many years ahead.

TVT:At Sky, where you are managing director, Content Technology and Innovation, one of your responsibilities is the transformation of the existing content supply chain. Can you tell me what your highest priorities are for this effort and why?

CGT: The content supply chain in a media company is the heart of everything. We care about content from acquisition up to delivery for all the processing and enrichment that it goes through, I think it is very important when we look at the future to eventually challenge the established workflows, think about what we could do differently and for that really rely on the new technologies.

I am talking about using the cloud, for example, for everything to scale and for flexibility. I am talking about machine deep learning and all the areas of computer science to assist the editors and the creatives to be more efficient and to make the process more robust.

So, I think that there are plenty of opportunities to introduce new technologies in workflows that have been there for many, many years that sustain the industry.

TVT:How would you characterize where women are today on the technical side of the motion picture and television industry?

CGT: I have seen a major shift during my career. I think right now we are at a moment when the value of diversity is fully recognized, and I think that will encourage many women to step up and prove their value while being true to themselves.

I think in a few years we will see a major change in women taking on more leadership roles and being more visible and really proving that you can think from a different angle and that also brings value.

TVT:What should the Media & Entertainment industry in general—and organizations like SMPTE specifically—be doing to encourage more young women to consider technical careers in TV and motion pictures?

CGT: I think that for many years we have failed to communicate in terms that are attractive to the next generation. If you look at them, it’s all about content. They create content. They consume content all around us. That’s the same thing we do. So why aren’t we connecting?

I think that we need to find ways to communicate that are appealing. Maybe you are doing a YouTube channel, and maybe I am broadcasting sports. But are we that different? Aren’t we looking at creating experiences for people, and why is that not the common future?

So, I think we should approach the young generation, first on their terms, and try to listen because they are the future of consumers, too. But the foundations are the same. When I think of media and entertainment, it’s for me something that the next generation should embrace.

TVT:I have often thought that young people with an interest in technology think first, maybe solely, about careers with companies like Google, Facebook, Apple, etc., and maybe our industry is yesterday’s news in their minds. What are your thoughts about that?

CGT: Come on. It’s all about images and content. As I said, you can create your YouTube channel, or you can start broadcasting. But it’s all about how we transmit images and ultimately experiences. And I think we can find common ground that motivates us all.

I think we have talked for too long about our industry being only about engineering. But what it takes to get a film out there is much more than engineering. It’s creative. It’s many different things. Again, I think we should communicate about that more and more.

TVT:Specifically related to young women, what things could an organization like SMPTE be doing to attract young women to the technical ranks of the motion picture and TV industry?

CGT: Definitely we should not show pictures of our workflows. I talked to you about the value of the consumer experience. So, maybe the way to attract women is to talk much more about the impact of what we do—about the emotions we create when our images get out, like on the night of the Super Bowl. How many emotions there are among the followers of sports.

Or, when we get a new movie at the cinema. You should look at the faces of the kids. I would put more emphasis on the impact of the images that we carry. Let’s talk about news for example. We should think about how to fight fake news and bring good content to the people.

Let’s think more about that, and then in the many different areas—whether in science or art—that are required to do that.

TVT:Would you like to add anything else?

CGT: It’s an incredible period to be alive. I would like to thank all my peers in this community from who I have learned a lot and enjoyed every single moment.

LONDON—Industry innovators are now able to make the case that their latest is worthy of acclaim by entering the IBC 2018 Innovation Awards. IBC has officially issued the call for entries and have set a submission deadline of April 23.

The IBC Innovation Awards seek to identify companies that have drawn on the latest technologies to create proven solutions that find ways to meet creative, commercial and technical challenges, per IBC. There are three programs that are part of the awards: Content creation, content distribution and content everywhere. There is also the possibility of a Judges’ Prize, which can be given out by an international panel of independent industry figures.

“What the judges are looking for is innovation and collaboration in all its forms to solve a real-world challenge, something that makes the content more engaging or more commercially successful,” said Michael Lumley, chair of the judging panel.

All entries are invited to attend the awards ceremony, which will take place on Sept. 16 during the annual IBC Show in Amsterdam.

For more information on submissions, visit show.ibc.org/InnovationAwards.

LONDON—The window for pitching technical pages synopses for IBC 2018 is officially open, per an announcement from the organization. Interested entrants will have until Feb. 5 to hand in their work for consideration.

IBC is changing how it presents its selected technical papers at this year’s conference. Instead of forming a single conference stream, the papers will be integrated into business and strategic presentations within specific themes throughout the conference. IBC believes that this will allow more attendees to hear about the new technologies discussed in the papers.

The papers can cover a range of topics, from machine learning to user psychology. All submissions are peer-reviewed by a panel of professional experts and will be published on IBC365. Papers accepted for presentation at the IBC conference will also eligible to win the Best Conference Paper Award, presented at the IBC Awards.

For more information or to submit an entry, visit show.ibc.org/technicalpapers.

LONDON—IBC 2017 is fast approaching and now interested parties are able to register for this year’s event. Once again taking place in Amsterdam, the IBC 2017 exhibition and conference is slated to run from Sept. 14-19.

IBC 2017 is expected to feature more than 1,700 exhibitors and more than 400 speakers across five tracks.

For more information, visit show.ibc.org.

To register click here.

PORTLAND, ORE.—2017 NAB Show attendees better get ready to run, as the annual 4K 4Charity Fun Run organized by Elemental Technologies is now open for registration and sponsorships. The run has taken place each year at the NAB Show since 2014 and has raised nearly $400,000 for non-profit organizations, according to Elemental.

This year, the event will donate all its proceedings to raise awareness and funding for Mercy Codes, which works with vulnerable women and adolescents in crises, providing safe places, education opportunities, job skills training and community engagement projects. Contributions will also be made to Women Who Code, a global non-profit dedicated to inspiring women to pursue and excel in technology careers and become leader and role models in the tech industry.

Registration for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run is now open at www.4K4Charity.com.

Current sponsors for the event include Aspera, Dolby, Verimatrix, Accedo, Irdeto, ChyronHego, NAB and media partners NewBay Media and Rapid TV News. The deadline for sponsorship commitment is Friday, March 3. Inquires may be directed to Kate Incerto at incertok@elemental.com.

The run will take place on Tuesday, April 25, at 7:30 a.m. in Sunset Park. Transportation will be offered to and from major NAB Show hotels.

LONDON—We’re less than a week into the new year, but IBC 2017 is already getting the wheels turning on its conference later this year. The organization announced that it is now accepting proposals for technical papers that will help determine the topics covered at this year’s conference.

IBC welcomes entries from both the professional and educational fields, with the authors of accepted papers being invited to present their work at IBC 2017, as well as have them published and available for download in a digital library. Some of the guidelines for proposals include the fact that all proposals must be new and cannot have been published or presented elsewhere; the submitted synopsis should be no more than 300 words; and must be written in English.

The deadline for submitting a proposal will be Monday, Feb. 6, with synopsis acceptance notifications expected to be announced on March 20. For more information, please visit www.ibc.org.

IBC 2017 will take place from Sept. 14-19 in Amsterdam. 

WASHINGTON—Word seemed to get around about NAB Show Shanghai, as the National Association of Broadcasters have reported that the show’s attendance increased five times in its second year. The conference, which was co-produced by the International High Tech Cultural Device Cluster, drew more than 5,000 attendees, based on pre-show and onsite registration (numbers subject to change with results of ongoing audit).

Attendance wasn’t the only thing that grew in the show’s second year. A 50,000 square foot exhibit floor was also added to this year’s conference. NAB reports that 145 companies took up spots on the exhibit floor, including the likes of Akamai Technologies, B&H Photo Video, NewTek, Shanghai Media Group, and Sony. The three-day conference also featured a program that included sessions on broadcast, cable, virtual reality, film, OTT and 4K.

NAB Show Shanghai launched in 2015 with the goal of gathering media professionals for to emphasize the need of collaborating on emerging technologies and global business solutions.

The 2016 NAB Show Shanghai ran from Dec. 6-9 at the Shanghai National International Expo Center and Kerry Hotel. The 2017 NAB Show Shanghai is already scheduled to take place from June 13-15 in conjunction with the Shanghai International Film and Television Festival.

WASHINGTON—The 2016 Government Video Expo & National Drone Show was held Dec. 6-8, with the first day (Dec. 6) set aside exclusively for the DC Post Production Conference, a series of training in various video specialties. The exhibition floor opened up on Wednesday, Dec. 7, and the show did not disappoint.

Attendees quickly filled the exhibition hall once the show opened.

With attendee registrations up some 20 percent this year, the exhibition floor quickly filled with people from inside and outside government looking for ideas and a first-hand look at popular industry products.

One such looker was Amy Carter from the St. Mary’s County (Md.) Government Video Channel, who stopped at the Panasonic booth to examine the cameras. Although she said that St. Mary’s County is not ready to commit to an all 4K studio, she is expected to know what’s out there and be ready to move on new gear when funds become available.

“I’m here to look around and see what to dream about,” she said. “We’re a taxpayer-funded organization, so funds are always scarce, but you always have to be ready to think about the future.”

After being at the Expo for only a short time, Carter looked around with some surprise.

“I’m a little overwhelmed,” she said.

INDUSTRY TRAINING

Industry training was a draw for some in the area. One who found it worthwhile was Kelsey Brannan, a video specialist with the U.S. State Department.

“I was here for the Post Production Conference,” she said, “as well as seeing some of the vendors here at the Expo. I’m also interested in the drones because I want to get one for myself to get some nice aerial shots.”

Brannan attended the “Mastering Adobe Premiere Pro” session during the DC Post Production Conference, which was spread over all three days of the Expo. She also visited the Ikan and DeWolfe Music booths, and said she was looking at a variety of disk drive solutions on the show floor.

The National Drone Show is major part of the Expo, and it drew attentive crowds at both the drone flying cage and the Drone Show Theater. Presentations were given at both locations, and the Drone Show Theater also featured the winning films in the DC Drone Film Festival.

GV Expo partners with the Federal Government Distance Learning Association, which gives out its annual awards for excellence at the event. Among several awards handed out, the FGDLA gave its Hall of Fame Award to Kenneth Pisel, satellite program manager for the Joint Forces Staff College at National Defense University.

David Brigham (center) and Michael Polizzi (right) from Epsilon Systems, take a closer look at the Blackmagic Design Studio Camera.

A long list of vendors showed a wide variety of products on the show floor. Some of the overarching product trends include 4K video, leaps in wireless communications to support emergency video, increased storage density particularly for archiving, and the explosion of video production tools enabled by both smaller cameras and LED lighting devices.

Major camera vendors such as Panasonic, Blackmagic Design, JVC and Canon had their own busy booths, where they showed the latest in 4K cameras. Sony and Hitachi also had a presence within the large CEI booth.

David Brigham, a videographer with Epsilon Systems, researched cameras at Blackmagic Design’s booth. His company works on a variety of projects, including training videos for the U.S. Navy, and he described his specific needs for cameras—some of which buck the trend in ever-greater connectivity options.

“We need something that does not have Wi-Fi,” Brigham said, noting that signal security is a top priority on Navy jobs.

360-DEGREE CAMERA

There were other companies with interesting cameras, too. Teradek showed off its new “Sphere” 2D 360-degree live camera streaming system, which is controlled by a tablet or touchscreen, allowing the user to pan and tilt the camera completely around to give the ultimate panorama view. Jon Landman, Teradek’s sales vice president, said that three 4K versions of the system will be used at the upcoming presidential inauguration, giving viewers multiple 360-degree views of the proceedings.

Brian Slanger from Zoom It Films checks out a camera fitted with Teradek’s Cube and Beam TX wireless video system.

Amazing versatility in camera-support equipment is a recent industry trend displayed at the show. For example, Alzo Video showed its “Smoothy,” a camera slider that can be oriented in either a straight line or in a radius curve. New for the Smoothy is a motor that moves along the track and reverses automatically when it encounters a movable magnet.

Most people in the video industry will tell you that getting good audio can be harder than getting good video. Advancements in audio, such as the Sennheiser SpeechLine Ceiling Microphone Array, drew interested visitors to the Sennheiser booth. Consisting of 29 microphone elements and advanced aural processing in a 24x24-inch panel, the SL Ceiling Mic uses beamforming technology to focus the sound on a speaker in a room up to 600 square feet in size.

Another trend in technology is wireless systems to transport video from the street to command centers and studios. (One of these was discussed at length in the keynote talk delivered by Timothy Herlocker, director of the New York City Fire Departmentʼs Emergency Operations Center.) Vendors such as JVC and Teradek showed their solutions for wireless connectivity, including JVC’s system to provide temporary high-speed Wi-Fi at the scene of an emergency.

CROWD-DRAWING KEYNOTES

The GV Expo and the National Drone show both had an interesting slate of speakers that addressed sometimes overflow crowds in the Government Video Theater. Presentations kicked off with the always-popular TIVA (Television, Internet & Video Association of DC) offering, whose session this year discussed the “Rise of the Drones.” It was a perfect way to start the show.

The podium in the Government Video Theater stayed busy for the next two days with interesting presentations from Renard Jenkins, vice president of operations for PBS; Robert Kennedy, president and co-CEO of C-SPAN; Gail McCabe, war correspondent and executive director of CreativeMediaMatters; Herlocker; Rodney Grubbs, imaging expert for NASA; and Lisa Ellman, drone law expert with Hogan Lovells. Interspersed between these presentations were talks on drones from a variety of experts, notably Fred Bivetto, dean of the School of Unmanned Technology.

POSITIVE REACTION

Reaction to the show from attendees and exhibitors was overwhelmingly positive.

“We get a lot of good visitors here at the show,” said Drew Henderson, CEO of Alzo Video, a Bethel, Conn.-based manufacturer of camera support equipment.

Laurence Means (left) of Citimarketing Group gets product information from Brendan Kilroy of Erector Sets.

One attendee raved about how he looked forward to the show so that he could see and touch the equipment, something that was happening a lot on the floor.

There was plenty to see and do during the two days that the GV Expo exhibition floor was open. With a new president being inaugurated in a few weeks, there is some uncertainty in the air in Washington. However, the Government Video Expo & National Drone show was about as close to a sure thing for the attendees and exhibitors.

Note that next year, the Government Video Expo & National Drone Show will be a little earlier than usual. Although it has traditionally been held during the first week in December, in 2017 the show will be at the very end of November.

LAS VEGAS—For its 50th anniversary, the Consumer Technology Association’s annual CES will focus on the airwaves. Unlike the debut 1967 CES in New York, however, where black-and-white TV sets, stereos and transistor radios were in the spotlight, the 2017 edition (Jan. 5-8 in Las Vegas) will see a greater emphasis on broadband wireless use of airwaves. And while hundreds of TV and video products and services will be on display, this doesn’t appear to be a “breakthrough” year for new technology, although there will be countless updates of the fast-selling 4K UHD TV devices plus advances in high dynamic range (HDR) video, wide color gamut, virtual reality and internet-connected smart TVs. Artificial Intelligence (AI), a building block for autonomous vehicles and other systems, will also be widely seen at exhibits and in private viewing suites.

In today’s tenuous political climate, CES is expanding its “Innovation Policy” conference, where Federal Communications Commission and Federal Trade Commission members will explain the Washington viewpoint—even though some of them will soon not be calling the shots while the presidential transition is in still in effect.

Karen Chupka, senior vice president of CTA and overseer of CES, believes that “TV is still the centerpiece” of the show, however, the focus has shifted to non-broadcast services.

CTA President Gary Shapiro (L) and Karen Chupka, senior vice president of CTA and overseer of CES, at last month’s CES Unveiled event in New York.

“As people are watching content from streaming 4K players and other sources, they want to be in that TV atmosphere,” Chupka said, referring to the continuing appeal of the large-screen flat panel receiver versus handheld video displays. She added that the “quest for better sound ties into the advanced video environment,” pointing to the new High Resolution Audio exhibits plus other entertainment features that are still a major part of CES.

“The continued access to content, even on different platforms, [affects] how much is being generated and also the next generation of viewers,” Chupka said, during a 2017 CES preview event in New York last month.

ATTRACTING NEW MARKETS

CES (no longer called the “Consumer Electronics Show” by CTA, which itself was previously known as the Consumer Electronics Association), has accelerated its efforts to bring program producers and advertisers/marketers into the mix. “C Space” conferences and exhibits will focus on content development, including collaborations between tech and advertising/marketing companies. As part of that program, “The Entertainment Summit,”on Friday afternoon will examine creativity including the types of production technologies emerging for film, gaming and TV shows, as well as multiplatform content.

CES has also become a meeting place for dozens of media-connected groups. Gatherings of the National Association of Broadcasters’ TV Technology and Radio Technology Committees have “become a tradition over the past few years as broadcasters’ attendance at CES has increased,” an NAB spokesperson told TV Technology. The Advanced Television Systems Committee, Cable Television Labs and CTAM: the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing will again bring groups to CES for show floor tours and for meetings with business and technical prospects and partners.

Among nearly 40 ancillary events surrounding CES in Las Vegas is the annual International Conference on Consumer Electronics (ICCE) on Jan. 8-10, produced by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers, featuring presentations by electronics designers and engineers. Sessions will look at technical aspects of ATSC 3.0, cloud computing, “the road to the ultimate virtual reality,” mixed reality, 3D body processing and “technology accelerating the immersive consumer experience.”

Team Lightbulb's “Broadband Conference”on Wednesday will examine “intelligent transportation,” 5G, fiber and Internet of Things (IoT) and promises to look at “Next Gen broadcasting and broadband IP integration,” ATSC 3.0 and FirstNet wireless broadband public safety network.

“Sports Business Innovation,” a conference presented by Turner Sports on Thursday and Friday as part of the C Space agenda, will focus on ways that technology is being used to alter the sports business landscape. Speakers will look at new tactics that affect the sports industry.

FOR POLICY WONKS

At an opening afternoon SuperSession, FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and Federal Trade Commission Chairwoman Edith Ramirez are scheduled to chat individually (30 minutes each) with CTA's President/CEO Gary Shapiro about the challenges their agencies face, even as both of them prepare to leave their seats.

Later that day at an Innovation Policy conference session entitled "2017 Preview: FCC and FTC Commissioner Roundtable," other commissioners will discuss "critical regulatory and policy issues, including: spectrum allocation, privacy, accessibility, the Internet of Things, regulatory reform, disruptive innovation and technological convergence." At press time, FCC Commissioner Mike O'Rielly and FTC Commissioner Maureen Ohlhausen (thre presumptive agency chairman after the Trump transition) are confirmed participants, with the FCC;s Mignon Clyburn, The FTC's Terrell McSweeny and possibly others expected to join them.

Other sessions on the Innovation Policy agenda (spread out over Thursday, Friday and Saturday) will involve government officials and tech entrepreneurs examining regulatory implications of topics such as the IoT, virtual and augmented reality, mobility and sustainability.

FOCUS ON 5G

Although exhibitors continue in their tradition of keeping their product introduction news close to the vest until the show opening, the CES keynotes are a good harbinger of what will be the hot topics in the conference rooms and on the exhibit floors in Las Vegas.

At the pre-opening keynote on Wednesday night, nVidia President/CEO/Founder Jen-Hsun Huang is expected to focus on the chipmaker’s visions for AI, VR, smart cars and other applications.

The show’s six major keynotes include presentations from Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf about the “revolutionary effect of 5G” and from Huawei Consumer Business Group CEO Richard Yu, who will focus on mobile technologies and their ability to integrate artificial intelligence, virtual reality and connected systems. At the pre-opening keynote on Wednesday night, nVidia President/CEO/Founder Jen-Hsun Huang is expected to focus on the chipmaker’s visions for AI, VR, smart cars and other applications.

SuperSessions, such as the Thursday's “Stoked on 5G” program, will delve deeper into high speed wireless services, including a presentation by Ericsson Senior Vice President/Chief Technology OfficerUlf Ewaldsson.

“We’re seeing the continued trend toward connectivity, with sensors being built into every device,” said Chupka, whose official title is CTA senior vice president for CES & Corporate Business Strategy. She also points to the growth of VR applications and “expects to see a lot more, not just gaming content.” For example, Fox is expected to announce new VR ventures.

Chupka extolled the need for long-term visions as ever more content is being generated and “as viewers grow up, there will be different trends.”

“As you try to scale some of these things up, it’s a matter of quality,” she added. She also noted the migration of vendors into new categories, for example Sony’s participation in the “Augmented Reality Marketplace.” one of about 20 focused zones/pavilions where small and large companies showcase new products in evolving categories. Other marketplaces range from the new “Sleep Place” (dealing with health/sleep technologies) to drones and cybersecurity.

CES BY THE NUMBERS

According to Chupka, CTA is “trying to cap attendance” at 165,000, although she admitted that a final body count may approach the 176,000 attendees who came to the 2016 CES. About 3,800 exhibitors will show their wares, equivalent to the number in the past few years, on 2.4 million square feet of floor space spread over three major venues: Tech East (the Las Vegas Convention Center, Westgate Hotel (formerly Hilton) and adjacent properties; Tech West (Sands Expo Center and Venetian Hotel) and Tech South (Aria Hotel and nearby hotels, home of C Space). (Demand for space should ease up once the Las Vegas Convention Center completes a $1.4 billion expansion that is expected to be complete by 2023).

Chupka noted that in the shifting technology environment, a growing number of exhibitors will showcase emerging technologies such as robotics, wearables, augmented and virtual reality, entertainment/content, drones and driverless technology. She also pointed out that “Eureka Park,” an area at the Venetian Hotel for start-up companies will have 600 exhibitors, mostly in 10-by-10-foot booths, a 20 percent increase from the previous show and nearly triple the number of start-ups as five years ago, when Eureka Park debuted.

THE MOOD

CES will open just after the holiday shopping season, which often sets the mood for retailers and distributors attending the show. In its pre-holiday estimate, CTA expected that 4.5 million 4K UHD television sets would be sold this season, bringing the 2016 total sales of UHD receivers to 10 million. That’s 40 percent more than in 2015, with sales moving far faster than HDTV sets sold during their first years on the market at the turn of this century.

Nonetheless, CTA’s sales forecasts for 2017 show modest growth for the flat-panel TV category: about $19.7 billion in U.S. wholesale sales compared to $19.5 billion in 2016. About 20 million 4K UHD sets will be sold in 2017, according to CTA estimates.

Overall, sales in CTA’s five largest categories are expected to decline slightly in 2017, including a $2 billion drop in smartphone sales, about half-billion dollars falloff in tablet sales plus small declines in laptop and desktop computer sales. Those top five categories will still represent 49 percent of total industry sales of $225.1 billion in 2017 compared to 45 percent of $224.9 billion total sales this year.

CTA's 2017 forecast indicates that the fastest growth will come from new categories such as a quadrupling of sales of VR/AR eyeware, which will jump from $32 million in 2016 to nearly $1.1 billion in 2017 and a doubling in 360-degree cameras from $31 million to $65 million year-to-year sales.

“Without these [new] categories, industry growth would be negative,” according to the CTA report. “It stands to reason these products as well as future products will continue to grow the industry as household ownership of several product categories reach their maximum penetration.”

CTA President/CEO Gary Shapiro pointed out, “manufacturers are introducing an increasing variety of 4K UHD displays at a range of price points. Many of these displays include new innovations like HDR wide color gamut that make the viewing experience more immersive.”

THE HISTORY

To celebrate its 50th anniversary, CES will honor long-time exhibitors. Panasonic is the only vendor that has exhibited in all 50 consecutive CES shows. Thirty-seven companies have had booths for more than 40 years; 10 of them were at the 1967 premier event (which had 117 exhibitors and 17,500 attendees) and will also have booths in Las Vegas next month. They include 3M, Lenovo, Memorex (now MEM-CE), Philips, Sharp, Sony, Toshiba, Voxx International and Westinghouse.

THE CONTENT CONNECTION

“C Space,” an enlarged content-oriented conference and exhibit area formerly known as “Entertainment Matters,” will be based at Tech South in the Aria Hotel. Programs there will include “C Space Storytellers Sessions,” the long-running Digital Hollywood conference and “Marketing Reinvented” presented by MediaLink.

The annual Digital Hollywood conference, at sessions spread over Wednesday, Thursday and Friday, will examine topics such as hybrid TV, over-the-top and second-screen content, as well as immersive VR, Contextual and 360⁰ Video Advertising and Internet TV, including multichannel network programming.

At a short conference on “The Continuing Rise of Short Form Video,” on Friday morning, NATPE and CTA will unveil results of their latest research on the adoption of YouTube and other short videos.

“Virtual Reality: The Future is 360,”is a three-session conference on Thursday at which technology and production experts will examine consumer and business applications of VR.

Aisha Tyler

To serve as liaison between Hollywood and the tech community, CTA has appointed Aisha Tyler as this year’s “CES Ambassador.” Tyler, an actress, director, author and comedian, hosts CBS’ “The Talk” and is a regular performer on the CBS series “Criminal Minds,” as well as an active gamer and self-described tech enthusiast. She is also the creator and host of the “Girl on Guy” podcast and just directed her first movie.

“Aisha has torn down barriers for women and diversity in technology, effortlessly integrated and encouraged the use of tech in everyday life and redefined what it means to be a ‘gamer,’” Chupka said.

Tyler explained that, “As a podcaster, author, producer and filmmaker, I can attest to how technology has not only made my life better, but more creatively robust, dynamic and productive in every way. Technological innovation is my artistic secret weapon."

Chupka expects that CES stages and show floor will continue to be peppered with celebrity appearances, including “a lot of surprises this year.”

“We’re seeing non-traditional companies taking a presence because they see themselves in the tech space,” she concluded.

For more information on the 2017 CES, visit www.ces.tech.

For the latest news on 2017 CES, visit our sister publication and publisher of the official CES Daily, TWICE.

Here are five things Artel Video Systems wants attendees to know about the company before heading to the Government Video Expo. Artel will be on the show floor in booth 511.

1.Artel Video Systems Is a Brand You Can Trust

For more than 30 years, Artel has served as a global supplier of mission-critical telecommunications and broadcast equipment. Our equipment can be found in some of the most respected broadcast centers throughout the world. With each technology change, Artel has shown flexibility by navigating the highly dynamic telecommunications sector, moving quickly to develop market-driven solutions and maintaining our leadership role in providing a critical piece of today’s media supply chain.

2.Artel Video Systems Is a Leader Provider of Advanced Solutions

The broadcast industry as a whole is leveraging technological advances in video mobility, networking flexibility, video resolution and quality, and transport of media. These advances could also be used in government-centric applications. Artel has developed IP- and fiber-based media transport solutions addressing these trends. 

3.Artel Understands the Challenges of Government and Military Video Applications

Government-centric broadcast and media applications can benefit from Artel’s proven technological advances found in our broadcast-quality video, audio and data transport solutions leveraging years of knowledge and experience. Engineered with government and military applications in mind, Artel’s products are reliable and easy-to-deploy. Our DigiLink and InfinityLink platforms are rugged and exceed industry standards for testing. Our FiberLink products do not store, in whole or in part, any transmission data in any components or circuitry. 

4.Artel Will Showcase Video-Over-IP, 4K (UHD), and Satellite Scanning.

At Government Video Expo 2016, Artel will demonstrate the versatility of its product lines, from modular DigiLink and InfinityLink solutions for fiber and IP networks to standalone FiberLink fiber-optic transmission products. Solutions highlighted at the show will include new capabilities in video-over-IP, satellite scanning and 4K (UHD) transport.

5.Artel’s GSA Contract Now Includes DigiLink and InfinityLink Product Lines

Artel Video Systems made it easier for government and military organizations to purchase Artel's media transport solutions by extending our GSA Contract to include our InfinityLink and DigiLink media transport platforms along with our FiberLink fiber-transmission products. We work directly with government agencies, contractors and resellers to provide solutions for the most sensitive, mission-critical government and military operations. Also, most of Artel’s portfolio of solutions are made in the United States.

NEW YORK—In its inaugural year, the 2016 NAB Show New York brought 362 exhibitors as well as a record attendance of 15,404, to the Jacob Javits Center. The show, which had previously been known as “Content and Creation World” (CCW), was held in conjunction with infoComm Connections and Satcon.

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith

NAB President/CEO Gordon Smith highlighted the themes of this year’s show in his opening keynote, noting advances in such areas as drones, IP, AV tech, broadcast-OTT synergies and the transition to ATSC 3.0.

Those areas of drones in production as well as new realities in broadcast and streaming content delivery took center stage in any number of the core session presentations.

BIG SPORTS, BIG EVENTS

Oriana Schwindt, TV News Editor of Variety, moderated a panel entitled “Big Sports, Big Events, The Most Exciting Live TV.” Panelists included Gary Zenkel, president NBC Olympics, Brian Rolapp of NFL Media, and Ray Warren, President NBC Universal-Telemundo.

(L to R) Oriana Schwindt, Variety, Ray Warren, Telemundo Enterprises, Brian Rolapp, National Football League and Gary Zenkel, NBC Sports Group

Zenkel noted that NBC has rights to all Olympic Games through 2032, most recently having completed the Rio Olympics. He quipped that the most popular pre-Olympic activity is focusing on everything that could go wrong; and this Olympics had more than its share of controversies. Yet the narrative shifted the moment the athletes began to march into the stadium for the opening night ceremony.

The Olympic franchise continues to be among TV’s strongest franchises with steady climb in viewership. But as viewing patterns shift from strictly broadcast TV to a combination of web, plus broadcast, constant changes in coverage is inevitable. Likewise, moving more reporting from the venue feels far more immediate to the viewer than a disconnected feeling with production strictly within NBC’s large Stamford, Conn., installation. The challenges of combining live broadcast with delayed broadcast with web coverage help evolve coverage of the games to meet the needs of audiences and leverage ever-emerging technologies.

The NFL faces a different set of challenges according to Brian Rolapp. During the season, professional football is broadcast almost half the week. The most recent expansion is into the Thursday night package which started with just eight games and now has expanded to 12-13 games. The NFL also played three games in London this year and one still to be played in Mexico City in an effort to expand the reach of American pro football and build a world-wide audience. Still, consumption is down this year by some 14 percent, which can be attributed in part to greater viewer attention paid to the elections or perhaps weaker team match-ups on Thursday night. Still, over a three-year period, consumption has risen some 27 percent and international viewership has risen 15 percent.

Ray Warren addressed one of NBC Universal–Telemundo’s most significant large scale broadcast, the FIFA World Cup. The 2018 FIFA World Cup will be held in Russia, which, like the Sochi Olympics, presents a special set of logistic challenges. FIFA itself is described by Warren as “FIFA 2.0,” remaking itself after the scandals of the past several years.

The growth potential of soccer broadcast is immense, driven by women’s soccer as well as by a target young Hispanic audience.

It is in coverage of FIFA that we see the greatest convergence of broadcast and web technologies. And it is most important to understand, in this instance as well as in general terms, that web and broadcast are complimentary and not contradictory. Audiences will use and view media differently. Audiences demand the immediacy of the stream as well as broadcast.

In fact, all three of the panelists agree that web partnerships are critical to the expansion and evolution of broadcast markets and big event production. NFL’s partnership with Twitter and the thousands of hours of Olympic streaming emphasize the audiences’ need for content. And broadcasters today must be audience-driven, which in turn drives delivery modalities.

THE IMPACT OF FACEBOOK LIVE ON BROADCAST

Broadcasters’ need to adapt to new viewing habits was driven home by Bob Gruters, U.S. Group Lead, Tech/Telco, Entertainment, Restaurants, and Multicultural for Facebook. Facebook Live enables any Facebook user to stream video, effectively making anyone a content creator but also completely redefining viewing patterns— “primetime” is now any time and the content is there whenever you want it. The world now is connected by storytellers who are any person with a story to share and an audience to watch. In 2003, five billion gigabytes of on-line content was created, today, that same amount of content is created in 10 minutes. Anyone can stream VR or AR content and Cisco estimates that 75 percent of all mobile data will be video by as early as 2020.

Bob Gruters

Gruters also cautioned creators of what he calls a “paradox of choice.” There are just too many choices out there and we continually develop ways of helping viewers find that content. That’s made even more difficult in today’s world where multitasking on multiple devices such as broadcast TV and mobile device simultaneously effectively can give us a 32-hour day. A corollary component here is finding ways not just to help viewers locate content but to deliver pre-emptively content based upon that user’s viewing patterns.

Finally, he notes, all marketing is digital. Facebook estimates that 60 percent of users regularly employ two digital devices and some 25 percent, three or more devices. Tool kits need to evolve. But the key in this digital world, and something that broadcasters need to take to heart to survive in that world, is that there is no “right way” to do things any more. The path to consumption lies not in how it was done or how to do it right but rather in doing what works. Again, the question is not TV vs. mobile but TV plus mobile. They are different yet they work together.

THE CREATIVE OPPORTUNITY OF DRONES

And what greater difference is there in today’s production environment than the creative opportunities opened by drones. Michael Chambliss, technologist for the International Cinematographers Guild, brought together experienced drone production producers to illustrate several test cases.

But first, all involved in any scale of drone production emphasized the importance of hiring an experienced drone crew. With FCC’s latest Part 107 guidelines, there are clear paths to commercial drone operations but using a crew who does this work and only this work assures efficiency, compliance, safety and quality production.

An example was the last “Good Morning American Country Music Awards” coverage in Nashville. This large-scale on-location production combined a traditionally fixed camera with steadicam with remote cameras and with a number of drone shots. Initially, producers had a pre-conceived plan for the drone coverage; the drone production company, however, prevailed on the producers to just “give us a few minutes to try it our way.” Producers were open to the possibility and were convinced that the drone crew was pretty impressive in their concept.

The drone crew itself consisted of a single pilot, one camera operator and two spotters, essential for safety concerns. The pilot and only the pilot was in touch with the director via headset and he then could convey that direction to the camera operator, guided by the spotters. So, another new challenge: Director now adds drone crew to the mix of crew to direct. Drones find their way into everything from local news to high production value programs to advertising. They are a significant adjunct to conventional terrestrial cameras and even cranes.

Of course, ATSC 3.0 looms over the broadcast industry. The transition to ATSC 3.0 converges with the web-based content delivery that all previous speakers had highlighted. And while we’re looking at challenges for both the immediate as well as long-term future of broadcast, costs and other transition aspects to ATSC 3.0 need to be addressed by broadcasters. The production pipeline has the capability of delivering UHD wide color-gamut signals. UHD consumer sets are coming down in price and even YouTube now accepts HDR video. The time to plan this transition is now.

THE EXHIBIT FLOOR

Of course, it wouldn’t be an NAB Show without product. NAB acquired this show from CCW some three years ago and part of that rebranding was an effort to attract more exhibitors and draw from a potentially wider attendee base. Both seem to have worked this year. Nonetheless, with all of the other fall shows such as IBC being more established worldwide, new product introductions were slim.

Sony announced its new FS7 II camcorder, an advanced model of its FS7 which will remain in the product line. The FS7 II offers electronic variable ND filtration, a locking lens mount and improved ergonomics. In the light of the transition to HDR TV and with an eye to the ATSC 3.0 standard for delivering this content, the FS7 II now can output in BT.2020 color space.

JVC introduced a streaming service entitled Videocloud, a streaming service with plans for small users for $50 per month all the way to enterprise users. And they also introduced three new multiformat LCD monitors suitable for studio or production truck. Most impressive for broadcasters is their ProHD Wireless Bridge Live IP uplink solution. It is possible to stream from a compatible JVC camera to the Live IP device mounted, say, to a car’s rooftop. It consists of a receiver to capture the IP signal and then a bonded cellular transmitter with four antennas to send the signal. Because the encoding is done in camera, the entire IP device system can be bought in the $5,000 price range.

For-A was showing its Thunderbolt-connected switcher paired with graphics systems developed by its technology partner ClassX to create complex yet easily-created graphics in coordination with the power switching capabilities of the Thunderbolt device.

NAB New York 2017 is scheduled for Oct. 18-19 at the Javits Center.

NEW YORK—NAB is calling this year’s edition of NAB Show New York one for the record books, as initial numbers indicate a new high in attendance for the annual conference. The announced preliminary registered attendance for the 2016 conference came in at 15,404, a nearly 30 percent increase from 2015’s preliminary number of 12,055.

It wasn’t just general attendees that saw a boost from last year; the number of exhibitions featured throughout the convention center topped off at 362, a 15 percent increase over 2015 according to NAB.

In addition, preliminary numbers identified that 1,112 of the attendees were international, with a total of 87 countries represented. All numbers are based on pre-show and onsite registration and could be subject to change.

The 2016 NAB Show New York was held at the Javits Convention Center from Nov. 9-10. The 2017 edition of the conference will take place from Oct. 18-19 at will be co-located with the Audio Engineering Society’s East Coast Convention.

WASHINGTON—PBS is touting the successful live end-to-end test of a unique combination of ultra-high definition (UHD) technologies, including high dynamic range (HDR) and DTS:X next-gen audio.

Renard Jenkins

The real-time transmission test occurred in September, with PBS partnering up with a host of tech companies, including DPA, DTS, Ericsson, SES and ViXS, along with PBS member stations in St. Paul, Minn. and Jackson, Miss. The content itself included performances by drummer and DPA microphone artist Dennis Chambers and other local musicians, recorded in Washington, D.C. and at Blue Room Music Studios in Herndon, Va.

PBS said it's the first real-time trial with this combination of next-gen UHD technologies, and won't be the last, as more and more broadcasters look to distribute next-gen features to owners of 4K TVs.

"This combination of technologies represents what the future of broadcasting may look like," said Steve Corda, VP of business development for SES. "We were pleased to work with PBS and DTS and carry the transmission on our UHD satellite multiplex, which carries the largest bouquet of UHD channels in North America."

The PBS Advanced Format Center at NPR was behind the broadcast, led by Renard Jenkins, vice president of production and media distribution for PBS Operations. The UHD TV tech PBS used is currently being developed by several groups, including the Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC), Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) and the Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers (SMPTE).

"Creating this content and successfully completing the transmission test with this unique combination of elements was a true collaboration and an exciting look into the future," Jenkins said. "At PBS, we are committed to working with industry leaders across the nation and around the world to help define the future of media and ultimately bring it to the American public.

"This initiative allowed us to partner with some of the best companies working in this field, along with two outstanding public television stations, to prove this format's feasibility and viability within this production-to-living room workflow test. It's a significant step forward for bringing the next-gen audio-visual broadcast experience of UHD TV closer to reality."

Government Video Expo will take place Dec. 6-8, 2016, at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Designed for video, broadcast and AV professionals, Government Video Expo features a full exhibit floor, numerous training options, free seminars, keynotes, panel discussions, networking opportunities, and a new educational series of panel discussions.

Register at http://www.gvexpo.com. 

WASHINGTON—The jocks are taking center stage for the opening keynote of 2016 NAB Show New York, or at least the guys responsible for putting the jocks on TV are. Gary Zenkel, president of NBC Olympics and president of operations and strategy for NBC Sports Group; Brian Rolapp, executive vice president of media for the NFL; and Ray Warren, president of Telemundo Deportes, will all speak during the opening keynote of the conference.

Gary Zenkel

The session, which will be moderated by Variety’s TV News Editor Oriana Schwindt, will focus some of the biggest sporting events in the world: Sunday Night Football, the Summer and Winter Olympics, and the FIFA World Cup. The trio will address a number of factors for each event, including production quality, distribution, promotion, sponsorship and viewer research. Examples will be provided from the most recent Olympics that took place in Rio and the current NFL season, and Warren will provide a look ahead at the 2018 World Cup.

The opening keynote session will take place on Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. NAB Show New York will run from Nov. 9-10 from the Javits Convention Center.

Shortly before NAB Show New York, TV Technology spoke withChris Crump, Senior Director of Sales & Marketingfor Comrex.

TV TECHNOLOGY: What technology trends do you anticipate will be “front and center” at NAB Show New York?

CHRIS CRUMP: OTT and OTA technologies have dominated almost every aspect of the consumer delivered broadcast business these days. Comrex is all about creating products for contribution so we don’t directly play in that space. But it’s certainly interesting to watch how efficient these technologies have become.

TVT: What will be your company’s most important product news?

CC:Our CrossLock VPN Technology was originally developed for our LiveShot IP video codecs and has recently been introduced to our ACCESS and BRIC-Link line of IP audio codecs. CrossLock provides an advanced layer of reliability for IP audio and video transport in Comrex codecs.

TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?

CC: There are other products out there that offer “redundancy” modes in their codecs, but CrossLock VPN goes significantly further by offering redundancy, bonding and a whole suite of dynamic error correction/error concealment tools that make Comrex products truly broadcast reliable.

TVT: Did you attend last year’s show? Do you have a favorite restaurant or point of interest you can share with other attendees?

CC: We really enjoy this show and have participated for several years. There’s always something cool to find in New York. I’m not a smoker (or a fan of smoking), but I discovered this cool little spot called SoHo Cigar Bar (formerly Circa Tabac) that is worth checking out—if you can handle the smoke.

WASHINGTON—On Dec. 8, Lisa Ellman, a partner in the Washington-based law firm of Hogan Lovells, and recognized asas one of the “world’s foremost authorities on drones and law,” will speak about the legal implications of the use of unmanned aerial systems in media production at the Government Video Expo/National Drone Show at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. In advance of her talk, “Drone Fever: UAS Issues for Media Production,” TV Technology recently spoke with Ellman about the regulations that are still being developed around this emerging technology.

TV TECHNOLOGY: What are some potential drone policy topics you will be speaking about?

LISA ELLMAN: I’ll be discussing “Polivation,” a term I've coined for the process of connecting innovators with policymakers to more quickly bring about the benefits of drones in a safe, secure way that gains the public's trust.

I’ll also talk about the Commercial Drone Alliance, a non-profit a colleague and I started with other industry players to more quickly bring drone issues from industry and small business to the attention of policymakers in Washington. 

Also on the agenda will be an examination of the general benefits of commercial drones for various businesses that are paving the way for broader UAS airspace integration.

TVT:Drawing from your expertise, what areas within the use of drones for private and commercial purposes need to be addressed by regulators? What areas do not need be addressed?

LE:Challenges and government-imposed roadblocks remain to be cleared before the full integration of UAS into our National Airspace. Congress can play an important role in clearing these roadblocks, whether through next year’s FAA re-authorization process or by other means. The following items are critical if we expect to keep America competitive in the global UAS industry:

Waiver Process. It is critical that the process for obtaining waivers under Part 107 is streamlined, clear and expeditious. The Part 107 waiver itself must also provide meaningful relief for companies operating UAS in the real world.

Additional Rulemakings. We need additional rules that broadly authorize safe flights above people, beyond visual line of sight and at night—and we need to see these rules developed quickly.

Enhanced Government-Industry Collaboration. Innovators and policymakers must work more closely together—a process I have called “polivation”—to benefit everyone. 

Whole-of-Government Approach to Integration. We must support a “whole-of-government” approach to enable the broader infrastructure for this industry to succeed. This includes support for the efforts of NASA, FCC and others.

Industry Diversity. Finally, Congress must continue to support Small Business Administration programs that assist women and minority-owned small businesses. Two colleagues and I recently founded the Women of Commercial Drones organization to bring gender diversity to the growing UAS industry. Continued support for programs like these is critical.

TVT:In your opinion, where do you see the drone industry going within the next 5 years?

LE: If we tackle these issues properly, we will soon regard commercial UAS as we do the phones we carry and rely on every day: tools that make us more efficient, productive, safer and more connected.

TVT:What regulatory issues distinguish media use of drones from non-commercial use of drones?

LE: Under current law, drone users generally fall into three broad categories: hobbyists, public entities, and “civil use”—which includes anything non-recreational or commercial. Media use of drones falls into the “civil use” category.

In our country hobbyist use of drones is generally permitted so long as they are flown strictly for recreational use, under 400 feet, more than five miles from an airport, and don’t endanger the public.

Civil use of drones, including media use of drones, is now broadly authorized under Part 107 of the Federal Aviation Regulations, which went into effect in August of this year. UAS operations that comply with the rule’s flight restrictions—including generally traveling no higher than 400 feet, within visual line of sight, away from people and during daytime hours—can now benefit newsgatherers in many ways.

Lisa Ellman has held a variety of positions at top levels of the Executive branch at the White House and the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ). Photo Credit Pete Souza.

TVT:In terms of privacy issues, are existing laws adequate or does more need to be done in terms of protecting a person’s privacy from drones?

LE: While the federal government has been most focused on regulating the safety aspects of drone flight, the American public has been most concerned about privacy issues. There are a range of technology-neutral laws and rules— such as trespass, nuisance, or “Peeping Tom” statutes—that protect us from all kinds of privacy-invading activity, including with a drone.

But given the public’s interest in this issue, in May of this year industry and nonprofits came together and agreed on a set of voluntary “best practices” for protecting privacy while operating commercial and private drones. This consensus came as part of a process that was facilitated by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration at the Department of Commerce.

Importantly, the best practices document recognizes the First Amendment and the best practices do not apply to newsgathering. Newsgatherers and news reporting organizations are expected to operate under the ethics, rules and standards of their organization, and according to existing federal and state laws.

TVT:How do you think the use of drones will improve media coverage of live breaking events?

LE: Drones can get unique and amazing aerial coverage that is impossible to see any other way. But they also make expensive tasks cheaper. For broadcasters, sending up a drone to get aerial shots is much more cost-effective than sending up a helicopter. And for local news broadcasters who cannot afford manned helicopters at all, now they are able to obtain aerial footage of major news events, helping Americans receive the news they want and need.

The key regulatory barrier remaining here is that we need to get newsgatherers the ability to fly over people, as news generally happens where people are. I recently assisted CNN to get the first-of-its-kind waiver from the new Part 107 to have the ability to fly over people. This ability is critical for newsgatherers as they start using drones to cover live breaking news events. 

TVT:Is the type of training required for drone use adequate or does more need to be done to train users?

LE:Under Part 107, training is actually not required. Pilots just have to take a knowledge test, pay a fee, and undergo a background check, and get certificated. In just the first few weeks since Part 107 went into effect, 6,768 Remote Pilot Certificate Exams were taken, with a “pass” rate of 88 percent, and 14,909 applications have been submitted.

For the low-risk flights allowed by Part 107, passing the test is likely adequate. As more advanced flights are permitted, I expect FAA to require some training.

It’s also good business practice generally for businesses adopting drone operations to require some training of their employees. Businesses have their own incentives beyond the regulatory framework to fly in a way that is safe.

TVT:What’s the next deadline/benchmark for drone use? In other words, what type of action will we see from the FAA that will most affect the use of drones?

LE: Part 107 going into effect was a significant step forward for the commercial drone industry in the United States, but to truly unleash the potential for the industry, we need to move beyond the rule. In the short term, we need additional rules that broadly authorize safe flights above people, beyond visual line of sight and at night. Otherwise, critical UAS operations that often must occur in these conditions, such as newsgathering, will be stalled.

For example, it is common sense that very small UAS (“micro-UAS”) should be allowed to fly permissively; right now, a two pound UAS is treated the same as a 55-pound UAS. Just this incremental change would enable all sorts of beneficial applications, including in our industry.

I think by the end of the year, we will see a proposed rule to allow drone operations over people. It will be critical that the newsgathering community is vocal with their public comments to this proposed rule.

TVT:Is it just the FAA that regulates the use of drones? Are there other federal or state agencies that are involved and if not, should there be?

LE: Beyond what’s happening at FAA, at the federal level we have seen significant interest from the Executive Branch in keeping the commercial UAS adoption momentum going.

The White House held its first workshop on commercial UAS recently, where a broad range of commitments were made to move the industry forward. Amongst other commitments, $35 million in research funding was announced by the National Science Foundation over the next five years to accelerate the understanding of how to intelligently and effectively design, control, and apply UAS to beneficial applications.

I mentioned previously the role of NTIA at the Department of Commerce in facilitating a multi-stakeholder process to craft voluntary best practices around privacy, transparency and accountability related to private and commercial use of drones.

And NASA has focused on moving its Unmanned Aircraft Traffic Management efforts forward, a critical component toward designing “highways in the sky.”

FCC will also be engaged on the spectrum issues.

States and localities have also been eager to regulate drones, with almost every state proposing and many passing legislation that would limit drone use in some way. It’s important to keep a close eye on this local legislation as many of it could be preempted by the FAA’s new rule.

To register for GV Expo/National Drone Show, visit www.gvexpo.com/the-drone-show/.

Aadyntech Punch Plus VariableSince the first LED professional lights arrived at NAB Show a dozen or so years ago, the number of companies bringing LED fixtures to the show has exploded. In that time, great improvements have been made in their color rendering properties.

AAdyntech updated its Jab and Punch Plus series fixtures to output 30 and 40 percent more light, respectively, without additional power. The company also debuted The Punch Plus Variable, a new fixture that delivers the flexibility of tungsten, daylight or anything in between, without compromising output or quality of the light beam.

ARRI delivered a firmware update for its LED SkyPanel light that yields 10 new features and refinements including the ability of the fixture to replicate colors of the entire gel libraries of Lee and Rosco. It can also ape the color temperature profile during dimming of a legacy tungsten fixture.

BBS Lighting introduced its first remote phosphor light banks, utilizing the cylindrical remote phosphor lamps from its Pipeline System. The banks are available in 3- or 4-foot lengths, in 3200K, 4300K, 5600K and adjustable color models. Control is by on-fixture knobs or via DMX.

Brightline unveiled its L1.2 Series One LED studio fixture, a 108W remote phosphor lighting fixture that utilizes an intensifier to direct the light and increase output. A pair of L1.2 fixtures can be easily joined together to create a wider soft light source. Phosphor panels are available in 3200K and 5600K.

Chimera now provides the ability of its Octaplus to fit more lighting fixtures with two new speed rings. The company also rolled out light shaping products for the ARRI SkyPanel, with a full diffusion front panel, light bank body mounting, and a variety of grid sizes.

Cineo HSXChroma-Q demonstrated its Space Force LED fixtures, an octagonal replacement for existing space lights. It features tune-able color temperature from 2800K to 6300K, and its diffuse nature of output removes the need for silks or skirts.

Cineo introduced Cineo HSX, the latest member of the company’s LED Remote Phosphor line. It is a color-tunable (2700K to 6000K) soft source that provides five color presets, and puts out 25,000 lumens of light.

Dedolight, which utilizes spherical lenses in its lighting fixtures instead of Fresnel lenses, debuted its Turbo series of LED lights. With a new active cooling system, the DLED7 and DLED3 models provide nearly twice the amount of light as the fixtures they replace.

DeSisti introduced its Super LED Vari-White range of LED Fresnels which provide the ability to vary the color temperature range from 2800K to 6600K. The F6 (6-inch lens) draws 120W, and the F10 (10- inch lens) draws 180W. They are both DMX controllable and enable DC dimming for smoothness.

DoPchoice exhibited its Snapbags, Snapgrids and Butterfly grids. These light shaping accessories utilize the company’s Snap Technology to simplify their attachment to lighting fixtures as well as quick dismounting and storage.

Falcon Eyes exhibited its Professional LED Panel LP-DB600CT, a ring light with high power output for use in still or video shooting. It features adjustable color temperature ranges from 3000K to 7000K.

Fluotec launched its Vegalux 300, a powerful 12-inch 300W bicolor motorized zoom DMX dimmable studio LED Fresnel. The company also debuted the CineLight SoftLIGHT Bicolor DMX LED panel system featuring an extensive array of fixtures.

Frezzi introduced the SunLight, a bright 5600K fixture with three LED lamps, with an equivalent output of a 575W HMI while drawing just 70W. Utilizing a proprietary directional focus, the fixture focuses from a 20-degree spot through a wide beam without need for lenses.

Hive Lighting showed the 100 percent flicker-free WASP 1000 Plasma PAR Kit. Combined with a 1,000W plasma bulb is a 12-inch parabolic reflector and four HDP lens set. Plasma lighting yields high CRI color ratings.

iKan showcased three new LED Soft lights, the Rayden, Lyra and Mylo, with various models of each. The Mylo is a 45-degree 800 LED panel, small in size and ideal for news use. The Lyra provides a 110-degree beam angle, and the Rayden has a 50-degree beam angle.

K5600 rolled out new 3200K HMIs in 400W and 800W models. The company also unveiled its new Kurve parabolic umbrella, available in three different sizes. It is lit with K5600’s Joker HMI’s.

KinoFlo exhibited its Select and Diva-Lite LED fixtures, designed to provide the light properties of fluorescent light banks, but from LED tubes. The variable color temperature lights can tune their output from 2700K to 6500K and also include adjustment for Green/Magenta shift.

LightGear showcased its unique and lightweight LED lighting fixture system. The LiteMat provides evenly spaced, color-correct LEDs spread out over a large area, creating soft light without requiring diffusion.

Litepanels debuted its Astra Soft Bi-Color LED panel, a new fixture that provides the same effect as a softbox in a compact design. In addition to the color temperature agile Bi-Color model, it is also available in daylight and tungsten.

Lowel Lighting has redesigned its ViP Pro light, resulting in its just-introduced PRO Power LED. The new light replaces the tungsten bulbing with a daylight LED lamp. Many ViP Pro accessories work on PRO Power fixtures.

Mole Richardson highlighted its 1600W Tener, available in either daylight or tungsten color temperature. The focusable Fresnel fixture has a beam angle range of 10 to 55 degrees, and puts out the equivalent amount of lumens from a 10K tungsten light.

Photon Beard’s Highlight LEDNila Lighting debuted its Arina fixture, featuring a holographic lens. With a power draw of just 800W, it is designed to replace 2500W HMIs and 6000W tungsten fixtures. The fixture is available in both daylight and tungsten.

Photon Beard demonstrated its remote phosphor Highlight LED range of fixtures. Color temperature can be changed by swapping phosphor panels. Its dimming options include local control and DMX. A wide selection of accessories is available.

Rosco expanded its Silk series of LED fixtures with the Silk 110. At just over 12-inches square, it provides 2000 lumens of output. Its color temperature range is 2800K to 6500K, which along with dimming, can be controlled onboard or via DMX.

Softpanels debuted a unique LED panel fixture that has a built-in color meter. This allows the user to accurately measure the color temperature of ambient light falling on a scene so that the fixture can be tuned to match that color temperature.

Videssence now has a full line of LED Fresnels, the VN080, VN150 and VN240, drawing a corresponding 80W, 150W and 240W. They are available in both daylight and tungsten color temperature and feature local touchpad control and DMX.

Visionsmith showed its LED lamps designed to plug into the glass tungsten bulb sockets in legacy lighting fixtures. This enables a facility to re-lamp its fixtures with LEDs instead of replacing the fixtures themselves.

Zylight F8-300 LED Fresnel fixtureVisio Light introduced its B100 system of 5-inch Fresnel fixtures, featuring a diamond diffuser dome. With the Fresnel head in place, the fixtures provide a beam focus of from 28 to 53 degrees. The fixture is available in daylight, tungsten or color-agile models.

Zylight unveiled its F8-300 LED Fresnel fixture, delivering single shadow traditional Fresnel beam shaping and utilizing quantum dot LED technology to deliver excellent light quality. It is available in tungsten or daylight, with adjustable beam spread of 16 to 70 degrees.

BATTERIES
Brute force was a major trend in professional batteries at the 2016 NAB Show, where larger capacity battery packs provide longer run-times of power hungry cameras and lighting equipment.

Anton/Bauer has answered the need for a high-capacity cine battery pack with its Li-Ion-based CINE battery packs which supply 12 amps of constant power. A built-in PowerTap is used to power any other 14V accessory.

BlockBattery introduced the 1500-INV, a powerful battery providing up to 1500W of 120V AC. It delivers pure sine wave power, and its 48V output can power camera as well as lighting equipment.

Hiro Takematsu of Motion Planet Electronic Technology gets a pitch on the IDX Duo-C95 battery from Tomo Nishikawa of IDX.

PAGlink PL150Frezzi debuted its FLB 240 battery packs, touted as the most powerful and lightest weight on-camera professional battery. It can deliver eight hours of runtime with 30W camera load, weighs just 3.1 pounds and connects directly to A/B or V-Lock plates.

IDX showed a pair of high-capacity battery packs, the 7.2V SL-VBD64 (6400mAh/47Wh) and SL-VBD96 (9600mAh/70Wh) batteries, designed to provide estimated runtimes of 130 minutes and 193 minutes, respectively. X-Tap and USB power ports are included.

PAG unveiled its PAGlink PL150 battery packs. When two of the 150Wh batteries are stacked together, it becomes a powerful 300Wh pack. It is capable of handling a 12A draw when two batteries are linked, or 8A when used individually.

Switronix introduced Hypercore Prime, a battery pack design that employs a two-part separable battery pack providing a high-capacity but air-travel-friendly battery solution. Also new is Hypercore SLIM, the first line of slim battery packs capable of handling high-draw loads, making them ideal for UAV, Handheld Gimbal, etc.

SAN FRANCISCO—Held June 15 at the Hyatt Regency San Francisco, Newbay Media's first-ever Video Edge Live expo will focus on the topics and technologies that are driving the expansion of online video. This free event will highlight advances from industry-leading manufacturers and developers, and will offer a full schedule of in-depth discussions, gathering experts for conversations, case studies, viewpoints and industry predictions. Here, we present some of the products you’ll find at the event. For more information or to register, visit www.videoedge.net/live.

EPIPHAN

Epiphan is a worldwide leader in professional audiovisual capture, recording and streaming products. At Video Edge Live, we’re going to be talking about our brand new 4K USB video grabber and IP camera support for our streaming and recording product line.

Regarding the future of streaming, I predict significant investment in adapting the tools, products and services of the traditional broadcast industry to the needs and competencies of everyday users. The following categories of innovation will empower everyone to virtualize their events with professional results, creating a worldwide internet of events.

Unattended Live Production Engaging live video streaming will become more affordable through advancements in self-producing, unattended live production solutions. New products in this space will act as local content aggregators that programmatically choose the best possible aspects for the streaming production.

Simplified, Tailored Workflows Solutions for producing live events (whether recording or streaming) will target specific use cases and will therefore be easier to use. Cohesive end-to-end integration of post-processing, CDN, cloud-based storage and OTT playout options will be integral parts of this solution.

Postproduction in the Cloud Inexpensive post-event editing, clip extraction and social media integration in the cloud will be possible through refined cloud-based tools. These same tools will also provide low-cost alternatives to post-producing large ISO files into engaging video on demand assets.

The days of requiring substantial budgets and large, experienced production crews to create credible, watchable content from live events will be behind us.

—Mike Sandler, CEO, Epiphan

HARMONIC

At Video Edge Live, Harmonic will showcase two new cloud media processing offerings. An extension of our VOS software-based media processing platform, VOS Cloud is a cloud-native solution that enables content and service providers to manage the video production and delivery workflow for broadcast and OTT applications via standard IT hardware over public or private cloud infrastructures. The second offering, VOS 360, is a media processing service that provides operators with a software-as-a-service solution hosted in the public cloud and maintained and monitored by Harmonic, enabling customers to launch revenue-generating broadcast-quality OTT services in a matter of minutes.

There is a fairly rapid move in the industry toward a virtualized cloud environment for media processing and delivery. Many have been waiting for technology providers to take a fresh look at what it takes to build and operate the media factory of tomorrow and then start from the ground up to build cloud-native solutions that are innovative not only in the technology aspects, but also the commercial schemes they enable. The drive for cloud is not for technology’s sake; it’s for infrastructure flexibility that delivers both technical and commercial value.

—Tom Lattie, Vice President, Market Management & Development Video Products, Harmonic

LIVEU

Broadcasters and online video content creators are looking to differentiate their content by delivering quality live streams, maintaining reliable connectivity, and sharing content seamlessly. These goals can be accomplished with LiveU Solo, our new ‘plug-and-play’ live streaming portable encoder.

As our lives become ever more mobile, an increasing amount of live video content needs to be captured on the fly—and out in the real world. LiveU Solo takes multiple signals and bonds them together for consistent bandwidth even in the most unpredictable network conditions, enabling organizations to live stream HD video content directly to Facebook Live or any online video network.

Solo has been implemented for news, entertainment and sports applications, among others. Organizations including the Huffington Post have used LiveU Solo to stream directly to Facebook Live. They’ve seen tremendous success in live streaming and understand that live streaming content connects audiences to high-quality video on the fly.

Optimized for online video performance, Solo delivers the rock-solid video streams LiveU is known for by using the LiveU Reliable Transport (LRT) protocol’s integral adaptive bit rate and forward error correction technology. The technology that we developed for our broadcast product line is now available in a product that is affordable and easy to use for the online streaming market.

LiveU will also be participating in a portable live production panel at Video Edge Live and will highlight Global Streaming Sports’ use of the Solo unit to live stream professional boxer Manny Pacquiao’s road to his final match.”

—Claudia Barbiero, Director of Marketing, LiveU

NEWTEK

At Video Edge Live, JB&A will be previewing NewTek’s TalkShow VS 100, 3Play Mini, TriCaster Mini and NewTek Network Device Interface (NDI) applications.

With NewTek TalkShow VS 100, users can integrate Skype video calls with any contact they can reach online for compelling live conversation, expert analysis, real-time commentary and in-depth discussion—in distraction-free, broadcast-quality HD.

3Play products are already a hit with producers of stadium sports because of their ability to generate audience-engaging programs for projection and broadcast from a mobile unit or video booth. 3Play Mini is for producers who are at the mercy of their equipment size, budget, and ability to react and move quickly to catch the action.

TriCaster Mini gives anyone wishing to use video to communicate with others the ability to create content that looks like professionally-made television—achieved in minutes, where traditionally it took hours or days. No other system in the world makes it as easy to create sophisticated broadcast content, webcasts and presentations, and stream them live, publish to social media or upload to a web site from the office, an event or any location with an internet connection.

NDI, our open protocol for IP production workflow, has led to the creation of a number of powerful applications. NewTek IsoCorder Pro provides the equivalent of racks of expensive recording equipment. With NewTek Connect Pro, up to four simultaneous video signals can be made available over the network in any combination of formats and standards.

—Scott Carroll, Director of Public Relations, NewTek

QUANTUM

At Video Edge Live!, Quantum will be showcasing the latest innovations that help content creators and owners “power what’s next” to meet ever-increasing challenges: more higher-resolution content, more cameras, more content reuse and more platforms for delivery. Everything seems to be getting tighter—including the timelines for new projects and the turnaround times for monetization—and budgets aren’t increasing.

Further adding complexity to the workflow, content is being streamed or downloaded to more devices in more payment models. Everyone has to “do more with less,” and that means streamlining infrastructure to lower costs while remaining nimble to capitalize on new opportunities.

With a converged architecture built on the power of StorNext, Quantum’s Xcellis workflow storage offers built-in NAS capabilities that allow content to be shared between IP and Fibre Channel SAN clients. At the same time, its tighter storage footprint enables customers to start smaller and scale smoothly and indefinitely as their business grows. For even greater convergence, Xcellis can reduce cost and space requirements by running embedded applications in a hypervisor on its workflow director: media asset management, transcode, render, production automation and more.

To streamline monetization and delivery, Quantum also now offers partner integrations for Lattus that enable transcode and delivery directly from object storage-based content libraries, without restoring to online storage first. With converged solutions from Quantum, storage infrastructure can take an even more active role in the processes that make workflows the heart of our customers’ content business.

—Janet Lafleur, Product Marketing, Quantum

TERADEK

At Video Edge Live, Teradek will be highlighting Sphere, its newly announced 360°/VR streaming solution. Sphere compresses, stitches and streams up to eight 1080p cameras directly to the web at bit rates up to 10 Mb/s, offering a high-resolution 360° experience for online audiences. The product is camera-agnostic, which means it works with any VR rig, and its stitching software is iOS based, giving users a new level of mobility compared to PC-based systems. Sphere received five awards at the 2016 NAB Show, including Video Edge’s Best of Show Award, and will begin shipping in late June for $2,990.

We believe the industry is rapidly moving toward more dynamic and engaging online content, which is why 360°/VR content is exploding onto the scene. With a product like Sphere, professional broadcasters and independents alike can bring new experiences and stories to audiences worldwide, all from a box the size of an Apple TV.

—Jon Landman, Vice President of Sales, Teradek

TVU NETWORKS

Today’s consumers have enormous control over what video content they want to view and how they want to view it. To remain competitive, broadcasters need to deliver additional content, but at a lower cost, and deliver it where consumers are watching. TVU Networks understands these challenges and has developed live video solutions from the ground up designed specifically to address them.

At Video Edge Live, we’ll showcase our IP-based family of products for live video streaming workflows. In our booth will be our fifth generation compact mobile cellular transmitter, TVU One, featuring our patented Inverse Statmux Plus (IS+) transmission technology for resilient video transmission and excellent picture quality. Also on display: TVU Grid, which enables rock-solid IP video routing, switching and distribution to multiple locations anywhere in the world; and the TVU Anywhere app, which turns any smartphone into a live video transmitter. Garnering much attention at its introduction at the NAB Show this past April, our TVU RPS (Remote Production System) uses existing control room infrastructure and public internet to provide broadcasters synchronized multicamera production truck capabilities in a cost-effective solution.

Digital media continues its rapid evolution, with video content increasingly featured. Nowhere is this more evident than in new live video platforms such as Facebook Live. As broadcasters embrace new digital social media platforms, TVU remains committed to the successful integration of its IP solutions in support of streaming workflows. Our platform’s technology-leading hardware and cloud-based software incorporates easily into existing operations.

—Eric Chang, Vice President of Marketing, TVU Networks

USTREAM

Ustream, an IBM company, is a leading provider of cloud-based, end-to-end video solutions for media and enterprises. From internal meetings to press conferences to worldwide entertainment events, Ustream powers live and on-demand video for 80 million viewers per month.

Ustream’s suite of products includes Ustream Align, for secure internal video communications to employees, and Ustream Pro Broadcasting, for broadcasters and marketers who need a scalable and reliable live video streaming platform to reach massive external audiences.

Ustream Align helps you share information, create alignment and encourage buy-in throughout your entire organization, while boosting employee engagement, increasing productivity and improving satisfaction. Live video creates an authentic, personal rapport between people that connects and engages far better than e-mail, conference calls or web meetings.

Ustream Pro Broadcasting is the all-in-one video solution that meets all your broadcasting needs. Broadcast, record, publish, manage and measure, all from a single integrated platform to reach your audience anytime, anywhere, on any device, with live broadcasts, VOD, live playlists, syndication and mobile support. Flexible publishing options make it simple to reach your audience in the manner you choose.

Ustream customers include NASA, Samsung, Facebook, Nike and Discovery Communications. Ustream was founded in 2007 and is located in San Francisco and Budapest. In January 2016, Ustream was acquired by IBM and is now part of IBM Cloud Video services.

This story originally appeared on TV Technology's sister site Video Edge. 

LONDON—IBC has announced that Erik Huggers will attend the upcoming IBC 2016 conference as its keynote speaker. The president and CEO of Vevo will deliver his address on Sept 10.

Erik Huggers

Huggers plans to share research insights into how the online generation listens to and views music, and how music has effected the growth of streaming media. Vevo is a music video and entertainment platform that plans to release apps for iOS, Apple TV, Android and the web, as well as original programming.

Huggers speech should fit in nicely with the theme of the conference, which is “Transformation in the Digital Era: Leadership, Strategy and Creativity in Media and Entertainment.”

IBC 2016 will take place from Sept. 8-13 at the RAI in Amsterdam. For more information, visit www.ibc.org.

AMSTERDAM—It’s time to start making plans for the IBC 2016 conference and exhibition, as IBC has officially opened registration for the annual conference.

The conference, which will once again take place at RAI Amsterdam, will run from Sept. 8-12, with the exhibition taking place from Sept. 9-13. IBC is offering a variety of passes, including the Exhibition Visitor Pass, Gold Pass Experience, Silver Pass, Bronze Pass and Green Pass. Early Bird registration rates will be available until July 15.

For more information, visit www.ibc.org.

LONDON—IBC has announced that it has selected Sir Martin Sorrell, CEO of WPP, to give the keynote address during the IBC2016 Conference in Amsterdam this fall. During the keynote, the advertising and marketing professional will talk about the trends in the changing world of media, as well as the role of content, data and technology in the 21st-century marketplace.

Sir Martin Sorrell

Entitled “Transformation in the Digital Era: Leadership, Strategy and Creativity in Media and Entertainment,” IBC2016 will feature more than 300 speakers providing insights on key issues in the entertainment, media and technology fields. The conference will also feature a new stream, Audiences and Advertising, examining how people access and consume content and how it is paid for.

Sorrell will give his keynote address on Sept. 9.

Registration for IBC2016 opens on May 26. The conference will take place from Sept. 8-12. For more information, visit www.ibc.org.

WASHINGTON—It’ll be lights, camera, action for the 2016 NAB Show as the annual conference will kick off proceedings with Oscar-winning director Ang Lee making a presentation at the “Future of Cinema Conference.” Produced in partnership with the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, Lee will give a keynote at the conference on the future of filmmaking and provide an exclusive sneak peek of his upcoming movie “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk,” which was shot in 4K, 3D, 120 frames per second resolution and HDR.

Ang Lee

Lee, who is best known for directing “Life of Pi” and “Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon,” will make his presentation with members of his “Billy Lynn” production crew, including editor Tim Squyres, production system supervisor Ben Gervais, stereographer Demetri Portelli, and Scot Barbour, vice president of production technology for Sony Pictures Entertainment. The panel will discuss the technology and possible future of working in 120 fps 4K 3D format.

“Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” is an adaptation of Ben Fountain’s novel of the same name, about an infantryman who partakes in a halftime show on Thanksgiving before being redeployed to Iraq. The film stars Joe Alwyn, Vin Diesel, Kristen Stewart, Garrett Hedlund and Steve Martin and is slated for a Nov. 11 release date.

“The Future of Cinema Conference: The Immortal Movie” will take place April 16-17. Lee will give his presentation on April 16 at 2:15 p.m.

The 2016 NAB Show runs from April 16-21 in Las Vegas.

PITTSBURGH—One of the big questions in the broadcast industry at the moment is what effect streaming services like Netflix and Amazon have on traditional cable bundles. To try and shine a light on that subject, the American Cable Association has announced that it will host a panel of industry experts to discuss the shifting video landscape for both the independent cable community and its consumers at the 23rd ACA Summit.

Panelist will include Alexander “Sandy” Brown, president and CEO of One World Sports Network; Rich Greenfield, managing director, media and technology analyst at BTIG; Gene Kimmelman, president and CEO of Public Knowledge; Michael Morrison, director of fioptics services for Cincinnati Bell; and Shalini Ramachandra of the Wall Street Journal, who will serve as the panel’s moderator.

“With Netflix and YouTube accounting for nearly half of all downstream Internet traffic at peak times, the panel will take on an issue that is constantly making headlines across the country,” said Matthew M. Polka, president and CEO of ACA.

The ACA Summit connects small and mid-sized cable operators with leading lawmakers and regulators, as well as media representatives. In addition to the panel, expected speakers include Rep. Mike Pompeo (R-KAN) and Rep. Mike Doyle (D-PA).

The 23rd ACA Summit will take place from March 1-3 in Washington. For more information, visit www.acasummit.org.

PORTLAND, ORE.—Runners, get ready to take your mark once again for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run at the 2016 NAB Show. Elemental Technologies has announced that for the second year in a row NAB Show attendees can take part in a 4km (2.49 miles) fun run that commemorates advancements in video technology by global media and entertainment industry leaders and technology vendors that support them, while also supporting local and international charities. Registration for participation and sponsorship is now open.

The run will take place on Tuesday, April 19 at 7:30 a.m. through Sunset Park in Las Vegas. Free transportation will be provided both to and from the race from major NAB Show hotels.

All proceeds raised by the event will go to Mercy Corps, a global charity that helps people around the world survive and thrive after conflict, crisis and natural disasters, as well as Las Vegas-based charity The Shaded Tree, which is a shelter for women, children and pets that are victims of domestic abuse. This will be the fourth event in the 4K 4Charity series that has made stops at other conventions, and to date has raised more than $200,000.

Current sponsors for the 4K 4Charity Fun Run at the 2016 NAB Show include Aspera, Brightcove, Verimatrix, NAB and media partners NewBay Media and Rapid TV News. The deadline for sponsorship commitments is Feb. 29. For more information, contact Laura Barber at laurab@elementaltechnologies.com.

For more information on the run, or to register, please visit www.4K4Charity.com. 

WASHGINTON—The man behind hit sitcoms like “The Big Bang Theory,” “Mom” and “Two and a Half Men,” executive producer/writer Chuck Lorre has been announced as the latest inductee into the NAB Broadcasting Hall of Fame.

Chuck Lorre

Other credits for Lorre include serving as an executive producer for “Mike and Molly,” and as the creator of past TV shows “Cybill,” “Dharma & Greg” and “Grace Under Fire.” He also served as a co-executive producer for “Roseanne.”

Outside of TV, Lorre helped create “The Big Bang Theory” Scholarship of Endowment at UCLA to support undergraduate students in need of financial aid who are pursuing education in the fields of science, technology, engineer and math.

“An artist in the prime of his career, Chuck Lorre is a legendary television writer and producer,” said Marcellus Alexander, NAB executive vice president of television. “His biting wit and memorable characters have become part of our culture and defined an era of scripted comedies for Warner Bros. Television and CBS—comedies that remind us on a weekly basis, of the scale and power of broadcast television.”

Lorre will be inducted during the 2016 NAB Show Luncheon on April 18, during the 2016 NAB Show, which takes place in Las Vegas from April 16-21.

LAS VEGAS—As if the alphabet soup of TV technology isn’t confusing enough, CES (no longer called the “Consumer Electronics Show”) dished up an expanding menu of familiar acronyms—HDR, UHD, VR, OTT—as well as new ingredients, including ULED, UAV (aka “drones”), Wi-Fi HaLow and SON, along with LG’s rollable OLED screen. Even the show’s organizer has substituted “Technology" for "Electronics” and is now CTA, the Consumer Technology Association.

Curved TVs on display at CES (Photo courtesy CTA)

CTA’s electronics extravaganza in early January was spiced with pronouncements and demonstrations that ATSC 3.0 is nearly ready for the market plus exhibits and speeches that often generated contradictory outlooks about what mobile TV will become and how the upcoming broadcast spectrum incentive auctions will reshape the industries involved. FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler promised that the upcoming spectrum auction will be “transformational,” and a “huge opportunity” for broadcasters, although he offered few details.

CES exhibitors showcased the predictable huge-screen prototypes, such as LG’s 98-inch 8K/High Dynamic Range screen and TablerTV’s 200-inch (16x8-feet) 8K LCD "TTV Wall." There were drones galore and thousands of media executives with almost as many perspectives on how traditional linear TV will fit into the new "ecosystem," a continually popular term bandied around CES.

BETTER & SMARTER PIXELS
Merely calling CES “overwhelming” has become an understatement. “Perplexing” may be a better term, although that description has applied for many years. The unceasing avalanche of hardware vendors—and now software and systems providers—who represent expanding categories makes it harder to gauge which technologies will survive, let alone thrive.

For example, in the video category—which now includes online/broadband and mobile delivery as well as broadcasting—the long-anticipated High Dynamic Range video display format was ubiquitous throughout CES, with its message of "better pixels." But the primary high-profile HDR supporters showed two variant approaches. The new Ultra HD Alliance protocol for HDR authorizes slightly different versions for OLED and LCD to qualify for the new “Ultra HD Premium” designation.

Pat Griffis of Dolby Labs, a longtime HDR advocate, said during a panel discussion that the formats are not a barrier. “They are not mutually exclusive,” said Griffis, executive director of technology strategy in Dolby’s Office of the CTO and SMPTE committee chair. “We’re on the same page. HDR 10 and Dolby Vision are complementary.” He emphasized the objective: “to reproduce every color we can see as human beings.”

UHD Alliance spec options for HDR displays allow a combination of either more than 1,000 nits peak brightness and less than 0.05 nits black level, or more than 540 nits peak brightness and less than 0.0005 nits black level. Devices also must display more than 90 percent of P3 colors to meet the requirements for the UHD Alliance logo.

The reigning TV set kingpins—LG Electronics and Samsung—used different HDR versions—and different Las Vegas TV stations—for their live broadcast demonstrations of UHD in their CES exhibit booths and hotel suites. Samsung’s demo came via Sinclair Broadcasting’s KVCW channel 29, while LG used KHMP channel 18, owned and operated by DNV Spectrum Holdings.

Adding to the name game confusion, the UHD Alliance established guidelines for use of the term “Ultra HD Premium.” But LG introduced three levels of sets with the tags “HDR Pro,” “HDR Plus” (for high-end 4K screens with expanded color capabilities and advanced sound and picture-enhancing features)and simply “HDR” for basic sets. LG expects its entire OLED line will be among the industry’s first to be certified as “Ultra HD Premium.” LG also introduced a unique picture-on-glass design using OLED technology to build an ultra-thin screen about one-tenth of an inch thick.

Tim Alessi, LG’s director of new product development for home entertainment, acknowledges the challenge: "We definitely need to do a good job on educating the consumer on what HDR is all about.’’

"Supporting this industry-wide push for HDR are important industry elements like CTA’s own guideline for HDR compatible displays and the UHD Alliance’s new specification for Ultra HD Premium," said LG Vice President John Taylor in a CTA video interview. "In the past we talked about more pixels; this year we’re talking about better pixels, smarter pixels [and]... the addition of HDR and wider color gamuts."

ONE Media CTO Kevin Gage introduces the company’s ATSC 3.0 demo from Wynn's hotel suite

The Samsung/Sinclair demonstration also involved ONE Media, (a Sinclair/Coherent Logix joint investment focused on building a next generation broadcast platform), Pearl TV (a partnership of nine large broadcast groups) and TeamCast, a French-based technology provider. Sinclair CEO David Smith attended some of the briefings for broadcasters and analysts attending CES. (See James O’Neal’s in-depth report on the technology behind the demos

here

).

“We are only just beginning to scratch the surface of new B2B and B2C services that the next-gen broadcast platform will enable," said Kevin Gage, ONE Media’s chief technology officer and executive vice president for development, about the ATSC 3.0 demo, calling it an opportunity "to transform the broadcast landscape.”

Indeed, with countless broadcasting executives walking the Las Vegas hallways and aisles, ATSC 3.0’s rollout was part of many discussions. "We are on target to finalize the entire suite of ATSC 3.0 standards for next-gen TV broadcasting this year," said ATSC President Mark Richer.

“A lot of broadcasters seemed surprised that there were two Las Vegas stations broadcasting UHD-TV including HDR,” said Dave Arland, executive director of the Indiana Broadcasters Association and a long-time electronics marketing/publicity executive. The Samsung/Sinclair hotel demo included a custom-built gateway device—a digital pass-through box that showed how the IP signals of ATSC 3.0 can be retransmitted to devices throughout the house.

The goal of the gateway demonstration was to show that an ATSC 3.0 signal with Wi-Fi retransmission could let broadcasters deliver UHD-TV and other services simultaneously, Arland said. The all-IP technology avoids slow channel changes (an unwanted artifact of the early digital TV days) and enables quick transitions between in-channel features such as the local, sports or business segments of a newscast, he said.

During these real-time presentations to broadcasters, "light bulbs went off in their minds" as they envisioned the things they could do with it, Arland added.

BIG, THIN, LOUD & FULLY LOADED
Among other TV makers entering the HDR arena are Chinese manufacturers such as TCL. It calls its system "QUHD" to convey the "quality" of its technology, which features Dolby Vision’s quantum dots approach. Chinese set maker Hisense is labeling its lower-end 4K TV sets as having "HDR processing,’’ starting at $400 for a 43-inch version. Higher-level models will have enhanced "ultra smart peaking’’ to provide a brighter picture. Hisense also pushed its proprietary ULED (Ultra LED) technology, which it claims is "up to three times brighter than OLED with better dynamic range and perception of black and white."

Other TV makers are jumping on the HDR bandwagon, sometimes to supplement their new lines of smart TVs focused on broadband access.

CES saw the shrinking presence of stalwart TV makers such as Sharp and Panasonic and the continuing rise of Chinese brands. Panasonic is cutting back its TV and entire consumer electronics line of business to focus on enterprise systems. Hisense now owns Sharp.

”We plan on dramatically growing our business with both Hisense and Sharp brands this year,” said Mark Viken, a former Sharp executive who is now vice president of marketing for Hisense USA. “We plan aggressive moves to make our brand more visible to consumers.”

Hisense will flood the market, with dozens of new models, many featuring 720p displays.

On the audio side, Fraunhofer IIS, Technicolor and Qualcomm demonstrated a proposed audio standard developed by the MPEG-H Audio Alliance for use with ATSC 3.0. The companies said the standard is intended to let broadcasters and streaming services deliver next generation audio “at comparably low bit rates and in a cost-effective manner.” The standard is competing with Dolby’s AC-4 as the audio standard for ATSC 3.0.

LG’s rollable 18-inch/1-millimeter-thick OLED display prototype grabbed a lot of attention. LG said it expects to bring the technology to large-screen TV displays in a few years. Lenovo also showed a screen that can be rearranged; in this case an OLED screen for its Yoga ThinkPad laptop computer. The screen can be folded back into itself creating a hybrid laptop/tablet that may compete with Microsoft’s Surface devices.

Lenovo also introduced a $279 video projector accessory that can throw a 60-inch image onto a wall.

LG introduced a new line of OLED displays

LG’s OLED lineup included the new iteration of the company’s webOS 3.0 content management platform, which enables viewers of smart TVs to navigate many features. Samsung’s SmartThings platform offers similar Internet of Things control opportunities. There was considerable speculation about whether such proprietary systems will attract public interest, and indeed whether the TV set (rather than a tablet or smart phone) will be a preferred device for the range of functions.

CONTRADICTORY FORECASTS

TV makers expanded their content alliances, ramping up the trend of recent years to embed streaming video providers such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube and an upgraded Android TV offering into smart TV sets. LG said its newest smart TV will have more than 50 new Internet streaming channels, including services from Wired, BuzzFeed and Vogue.

The issue became yet another contradictory ingredient as speakers at various CES events and conferences offered their appraisals of the video future. In a keynote describing non-broadcast video, YouTube’s Chief Business officer Robert Kyncl described a bullish outlook.

”I don’t think digital video will grow linearly,” Kyncl said. “It will grow exponentially.”

He predicted that online/wireless viewing will constitute 75 percent of total viewing by 2020.

On the other hand, financial analyst Laura Martin, managing director at Needham & Co., pointed out that one of her media clients had seven billion digital views last year but earned only $7 million for those views.

“There’s no money in digital,” she said, “Unless you have the powerful economic machine of television, you’re losing money today.”

Curiously, NBCUniversal CEO Steve Burke offered a different perspective during his keynote at the “C Space” content and marketing track of conferences.

”We need to start getting better at distributing our product on the Internet, getting better at creating new Internet businesses,” Burke said, as he explained his company’s investments in digital publishers such as BuzzFeed and Vox Media. He said that the biggest challenge facing companies like NBCU is the “increasing impact of the Internet on our businesses.”

”One of the reasons we invested in Vox and BuzzFeed was to learn from them,” Burke said.

Such differing viewpoints were underscored by countless data points throughout the CES conference about preferred viewing options. Many speakers cited data about the growing trend toward watching video—including TV content—on mobile devices. Paywizard CMO Bhavesh Vaghela described a study which found that young U.S. audiences (ages 18-34) are using almost three times as many devices to watch video compared to viewers over the age of 55.

He said that based on audiences’ varied device preferences, providers should “employ sophisticated customer retention tactics that target specific persona profiles—from marketing to billing to personalizing the user experience.”

‘SPECTRUM EXTRAVAGANZA

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler, in his third annual on-stage sit-down conversation with CTA President Gary Shapiro, called the upcoming broadcasting incentive auction “transformational,” adding, “It’s safe to say that you’ll see a ‘spectrum extravaganza.’”

Describing the range of connected devices he saw during his tour of the CES exhibit hall, Wheeler focused on the services those products will deliver.

FCC Chairman Tom Wheeler and John Taylor in the LG booth

“It’s going to be essential to the kinds of things that are going on,” he said. “This is the marketplace deciding what it is the highest and best use for spectrum and in the process creating opportunities not just for wireless carriers but also for broadcasters.”

”There’s a huge opportunity” for broadcasters, Wheeler said, contending that broadcasters have changed their perceptions about the auction, citing channel- sharing opportunities.

Wheeler insisted that the prices and revenue aspects of the auction are secondary. “I am more interested in the spectrum transferred than in the dollars,” he said with a straight face.

Wheeler’s comments came a week before the deadline for broadcasters to sign up for auction participation. Wheeler said that he had seen considerable interest “from broadcasters, the name brand folks, the networks” and also “great interest in this reverse auction.”

He did not cite companies that had yet expressed interest by that date. He called unlicensed spectrum “the innovation band.”

“We want to make sure that there continues to be opportunity in the innovation band.”

During a discussion of the pending appeals court review of the FCC’s controversial “net neutrality” decision, Wheeler asserted that “the process will be sustained.”

Wheeler also addressed privacy issues, especially those triggered by net neutrality enforcement. Asked about smart TVs that can monitor viewers’ activities, Wheeler said it would be no problem if consumers opted in to such data collection. He cited an exhibit he saw on the show floor of a TV that captured information to be sold to advertisers, which he called a “responsible approach” if viewers approve.

IoT SPECTRUM AND NEW WI-FI VENTURES

Augmenting Wheeler’s enthusiasm for fresh uses of the airwaves, two new Wi-Fi flavors emerged during CES. The Wi-Fi Alliance introduced “HaLow” (pronounced “halo” and designated as IEEE 802.11ah), a low-power, long-range wireless system that operates in the 900 MHz band. With a range nearly twice that of standard Wi-Fi connections, HaLow will be aimed at smart home, connected car and digital health applications. It will be able to operate in “challenging environments where physical and electronic impediments such as walls and other electronics are obstacles,” according to the Wi-Fi Alliance.

Separately, Qualcomm unveiled Wi-Fi SON (Self Organizing Networks), a platform designed to enable customers to integrate and manage devices from multiple manufacturers that use various technologies. Qualcomm CEO Steve Mollenkopf characterized W-iFi SON as "unique" because it is the result of his company’s “many years of experience on the cellular side and applying it to Wi-Fi.”

Both HaLow and SON are envisioned as part of the Internet of Things juggernaut, which was a widespread theme of CES. Most IoT applications rely on wireless connectivity, raising the stakes in the spectrum deal-making ahead.

Elsewhere in CES’ airwaves—or air space—dozens of drones plied the skies. Demonstrations were intended to show that it was safe to fly unmanned aerial vehicles in crowded places. Federal inspectors were on hand to explain the restrictions on drones and actually handle registration of UAVs.

VIRTUALLY REAL
Beyond the new Virtual Reality Marketplace—a cluster of nearly two dozen developers of VR equipment—the opportunities for immersive video permeated CES. At the show, CTA issued results of a study it conducted with the National Association of TV Program Executives that hinted of the myriad content opportunities ahead.

CES 2016 attendees testing a VR headset in the Sands Expo Center (Photo courtesy CTA).

”Virtual reality is the latest platform of immersive entertainment, with massive experimentation in content development,” said Steve Koenig, CTA’s senior director of market research. “The VR ecosystem will continue to advance and expand in 2016.”

The CTA/NATPE study found that beyond gaming—which has been the first widely used VR application—horror programs are likely to be the next genre, with sports events, concerts and other live events to be produced in VR “to create a 360-degree view of the action.” On one of several VR panel discussions, Sony Pictures Chief Technology Officer Spencer Stephens called VR “a rich tool with so many possibilities.” Citing the challenge to the creative community in the multiplatform era, he said, “it’s up to the storyteller to learn to tell compelling stories. We make a movie shown on a really big screen with multichannel audio, and yet it’ll still work on my phone.”To create this new kind of video, several companies debuted consumer cameras, such as GoPro’s new 360-degree video camera for about $500. There were also numerous approaches to TV navigation and program discovery. For example, NAGRA introduced an all-in-one TV experience called“intuiTV,” an interface that provides an intuitive, immersive viewing experience. IntuiTV features gesture and voice commands to simplify navigation and search for content: viewers“swipe-to-tune,”left or right, up or down to access recent channels, viewing history, trending programs and new content. It will be offered to pay TV operators as a managed cloud-based platform that can be used to configure a full line-up of premium content and advanced TV services. OVER-THE-TOP
In addition to Netflix’s announcements that it will go global (at least 130 countries) this year and Dish Networks’ introduction of HopperGo, a flash drive about half the size of an iPhone 6, CES was loaded with products and plans for expanding the over-the-top marketplace. Dish’s HopperGo is a portable DVR that allows shows to stream to any display using its own Wi-Fi network. The $99 device can store up to 100 hours of content. Android TV, Google’s video streaming and apps platform for smart TVs and other connected devices, escalated its plans to emerge as an alternative to Roku, Apple and Amazon, announcing a wider range of access relationships this year. It is already supported on some TVs from Sony, Sharp and Philips and will expand to TVs from several other suppliers, including Arcelik, Vestel, RCA, Bang & Olufsen, and two current Roku TV partners, TCL and Hisense. Sony Electronics President and Chief Operating Officer Mike Fasulo announced “Ultra,” the company’s new video app that enables users to purchase and stream 4K movies on Sony’s Android TVs. And in the post-Aereo era, several ventures are seeking to launch similar broadcast-centric online video services. For example, Vidgo, an Atlanta start-up, “combines the best of existing online streaming services with live television and VoD,” according to Robert Kostensky, the company’s president and co-founder. It will offer “the lowest cost solution to deliver the most expansive catalog of live linear television and VoD to all devices and connected televisions,” he said.

Vidgo expects to launch in 15 U.S. markets by June, offering three levels of service. TV IS HERE TO STAY
Although CES’s early life served as a marketplace for stereo equipment and TV sets, this year’s show continued the trend of the past decade to push TV sets into the background of the consumer technology industry. Nonetheless, CTA emphasized that U.S. TV set and display sales are predicted to hit $19 billion this year, about equal to last year’s level. But with the growing electronics/technology marketplace—which CTA expects to reach $287 billion in U.S. retail sales this year—TV sets now represent a relatively small portion. CTA expects that the number of LCD TV shipments will be about 39 million units, with 13 million of those sets being 4K UHD displays, up 83 percent from last year.Gary Arlen is president of Arlen Communications LLC, a research and consulting firm. He can be reached atwww.ArlenCom.com.

FAREHAM, ENGLAND—After it takes part in SMPTE 2015, which is currently underway in Los Angeles, SGL will be making a stop at CCW 2015 to demo a number of new and updated products. Among its goodies, SGL will highlight the new FlashPack system and new version of FlashWeb, as well as cloud and Avid services.

Asset migration services will be a key of SGL’s presentations, with the FlashNet Migration Service on full display. The service enables a whole migration to be set as a single background task that optimizes available archiving equipment and speeds up processes to reduce migration times.

The new entry level FlashPack is a content storage management ‘in-a-box’ system that provides all elements of an integrated Hierarchical Storage Management archive, allowing broadcasters and content owners a fully expandable archive. Meanwhile, the new version of FlashWeb includes enhanced search capabilities and simplified navigation for the ability to archive and restore material to any configured FlashNet disk or tape group.

SGL will also showcase a recent collaboration with Aspera and Data Expedition that allows broadcasters and content owners to transfer media to AWS cloud service. Another integration offer from SGL that will be on display is the support for Avid Web Services, allowing users to employ Avid Integrated Archive at any time in the future.

LAS VEGAS—It’s last call for anyone interested to submit their proposals to become a speaker at the 2016 NAB Show, as the deadline for submission is Saturday, Oct. 31.

Proposals must feature original content/research and are reviewed on relevant topic and target audience. A proposed session can be done as a keynote/lecture, panel discussion, round table discussion, workshop, or case study. Technical papers are exclusively for the Broadcast Engineering Conference.

For more information on how to register, or to submit your proposal, click here.

The 2016 NAB Show will take place April 16-21 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

LOS ANGELES—Proposals for the 2016 HPA Tech Retreat are still being accepted, but the cutoff date of Oct. 30 is fast approaching. Scheduled to take place Feb. 15-19, the retreat is a gathering of professional who support the creation, management and dissemination of content for distribution environments.

This year’s conference will feature seminars, a super session and a curated technology room. The call for proposals seeks presentations for the main program and breakfast roundtables, which will run Feb. 17-19. Topics can include “anything from scene-to-seen and gear-to-ear,” according to Mark Schubin, who organizes the retreat. For more information on how to submit a presentation proposal go to www.hpaonline.com.

The 2016 HPA Tech Retreat will take place at the Hyatt Regency Indian Wells in Indian Wells, Calif., from Feb. 15-19. Registration and application to the technology demo area will open in November.

WASHINGTON—Kicking off a four-state, five-city tour on Friday, Oct. 16, TVfreedom.org and Antennas Direct’s “Broadcast TV Liberation Tour” will make its first stop in Aluquerque, N.M. As part of a public awareness and educational outreach campaign to inform consumers of the ability to access local TV broadcast channels via an advanced digital antenna, the two organizations will give away 2,000 broadcast television antennas over its two-week tour.

Here are the details for each of the stops on the “Broadcast TV Liberation Tour”:

• Albuquerque, N.M.
  7 a.m., Friday, Oct. 16
  Broadcast Partner: KOB-TV
  American Home Furniture Parking Lot, 3535 Menaul Blvd. NE, 87107
• Denver
  12 p.m., Monday, Oct. 19
  Broadcast Partner: KUSA-TV
  Pepsi Center, 1000 Chopper Circle, 80204
• Rapid City, S.D.
  
  

  7 a.m., Wednesday, Oct. 21
  Broadcast Partner: KOTA-TV
  Main Street Square, 512 Main Street, 57701

• Sioux Falls, S.D.
  
  

  6:45 a.m., Friday, Oct. 23
  Broadcast Partner: KELOLAND TV
  KELO News Station, 501 South Phillips Ave., 57104

• Oklahoma City
  
  

  10 a.m., Saturday, Oct. 31
  Broadcast Partner: KWTV
  National Weather Center, 120 David L Boren Blvd., Norman, Okla. 73072

The National Association of Broadcasters is also partnering in the antenna giveaway. For more information, click here.

Also Read:

San Francisco to Host Free Antenna Giveaway

Thousand TV Antennas Given Away in Washington D.C.

FULLERTON, CALIF.—The Society of Motion Picture & Television Engineers’ 2015 Annual Technical Conference is scheduled to take place later this month in Los Angeles. Leader will be on hand to demonstrate a number of its products, including 4K production-support technology and its VC7 video standards converter.

LV 5490

Among the Leader technologies to be displayed is the Leader LV 5490 4K/HD/SD waveform monitor. This waveform monitor supports the full range of standard video production and transmission resolutions from 525 to 625 SD up to 3840x2160 and 4096x2160 4K UHD. Features for the LV 5490 include a 1920x1080 9-inch LCD monitor; eight input connectors that can accept up to two 4K signals simultaneously, or four signals in SDI mode; Cinelite and Cinezone features to measure and detect luminance levels; audio monitoring and analysis tools; as well as video frame capture, instrumentation screen capture, timecode display, ID display and a 4K pattern generator with embedded audio.

Leader will also have its LV 7390 4-channel 4K/3G/HD/SD-SDI rasterizer. The LV 7390 can be used to measure up to four source channels simultaneously while occupying 1U with the ability to be deployed for desktop or rack-mounted operation. The system incorporates full-resolution 3G/HD-SDI and DVI-I rasterized outputs, which allow video and audio parameters to be checked on a separate monitor in full 1920x1080 HD resolution. Measurements can be displayed as waveform, vector, picture, audio and SDI status.

In addition, Leader’s ShibaSoku VC7 multi-format standards converter will also be on display. The unit calculates multiple intermediate fields to provide a natural motion playback without video stuttering. The VC7 can convert up to 10 video signal formats, including 1080/59.94i, 1080/50i, 1080/29.97PsF, 1080/25PsF, 1080/24PsF, 1080/23.98PsF, 720/59.94p, 720/50p, 625i/50 and 525i/59.94. Operational features include automatic input/output selection, ancillary timecode, linear timecode and vertical interval timecode conversion, and an ancillary data transfer function. It also comes standard with AES/EBU 24-bit multichannel input and output, plus audio channel mapping.

For more information, visit Leader’s booth, 304, during SMPTE 2015, which runs from Oct. 26-29 in Los Angeles.

LAS VEGAS—Registration for the 2016 NAB Show in Las Vegas is now open. The annual conference for the broadcast industry is now offering its free exhibits pass as well as a 50 percent discount on a Session-3 Pack from now until Oct. 31. The 2016 NAB Show will run from April 16-21, with exhibits open from April 18-21, at the Lasa Vegas Convention Center. To register, or to find out more information, click here

The Best of Show Awards returned to IBC this year, and were presented to winning companies during the event by TVBEurope and TV Technology Europe publisher NewBay Media.

TVBEurope and TV Technology Europe received a significant number of nominations before IBC, and it was the task of an independent panel of judges to examine each nominated product throughout the course of the show. The judging criteria assessed nominations for their design, features, cost efficiency, and performance in serving industry professionals.

The Awards were distributed across NewBay Media’s titles, and the full list of winners can be found below. Among the winning entries was travel entertainment app Piksel Voyage. Neil Berry, EVP commercial, EMEA at Piksel commented: “We are thrilled to have Piksel Voyage recognized as Best of Show at IBC 2015, and believe that this service will quickly become the preferred model across the travel industry.”

The NewBay Media Best of Show winners in the TVBEurope category are as follows:

• ADB for Connected Solutions
• Aspera for Aspera Files
• Blackmagic for DaVinci Resolve 12
• BLT for Sport Touch
• Bridge Technologies for Gold TS
• Brother Brother and Sons for Pipeline
• Cobalt Digital for +TTS
• ENENSYS for AdsEdge
• EVS for C-Cast
• Grass Valley for LD86/K2 Dyno and the GV Node
• LiveU for LiveU Solo
• LSB Technologies for theWALL
• Omnitek for the Ultra 4K Toolbox
• Phabrix for Qx Series
• Piksel for Piksel Voyage
• Quickplay for the Next Generation Managed Video Platform
• SAM for Media Biometrics
• ScheduALL for the ScheduALL Portal
• SmallHD for its 702-Bright 7-inch Monitor
• Sony for the Media Navigator
• Sound Devices for the Video Devices PIX-E5
• Tedial for Tedial Evolution
• TVU Networks for TVU ONE
• VidiGo for Remote Production
• Vislink for its Ultracoder
• Vitec for MGW ACE Codec
• V-Nova for PERSEUS
• x-art ProDivision GmbH for x.news

Here is the list of winners for the TV Technology Europe category:

• Evertz: Magnum SDVN orchestration and control software
• Aveco: Astra Studio 3 Production Resource Manager
• Make.TV Live Video Cloud
• Aspera Files
• Envivo Cloud DVR Solution
• Cobham SOLO8 Software-Defined Radio
• TMD: Paragon
• Arvato Systems: EditMate
• Miller Fluid Heads: Compass 23 Fluid Head
• Cineo HS2 light
• ARRI: SkyPanel light
• Brother Brother & Sons: Pipeline light
• SmallHD 7-inch monitor
• Imagine: end-to-end live production
• Quantum Q-Cloud storage
• SAM: Media Biometrics
• Blackmagic ATEM 2 M/E Broadcast Studio 4K production switcher
• Avid: ISIS I 1000
• Wheatstone: Gibraltar IP Mix Engine
• GatesAir Maxiva XTE Exciter
• ONEtastic OneCompact P transmitter
• Sennheiser AVX mic
• Ross Video Ultrix Connectivity Platform 

All of this year’s nominees will feature in a digital Best of Show program guide, which will be distributed across NewBay Media’s extensive readership in October.

AMSTERDAM—IBC2015 wrapped up on Sept. 15, with the organizers announcing that it attracted over 1,800 vendors, a record, and that visitors totaled 55,128, exceeding the previous high set in 2014.

With the event producing significant discussion about the need for rapid and radical changes in broadcast technologies, IBC CEO Michael Crimp noted in a statement that “the media industry today is radically different from where we were even five years ago. We have gone from an industry that was defined by technology to one where we demand new functionality from our vendors; from an industry where broadcasters told us what we were going to watch to one where consumers call for content wherever and whenever they want.”

Read the full story on B&C. 

AMSTERDAM—Ross Video is certainly taking advantage of its time at IBC 2015, announcing a bevy of new products and other news to attendees.

Ultrix

Ross Video is debuting the Ultrix, a compact routing switcher that features audio processing and multi-viewers while supporting the new SMPTE 12G standard that gets 4K/UHD video on a single coaxial cable. Ultrix handles all SDI data rates from 270Mbps to 12Gbps and offers BNC I/O and SFP slots. The system also features the Ultricore Control, a control system companion to Ultrix that provides control, configuration and monitoring over Ultrix and NK series routers.

The latest entry in the Carbonite series of production switchers also made the trip to IBC 2015, the Carbonite Black. After premiering at NAB 2015, Ross is relaunching the entire Carbonite line with the Carbonite Black, which offers more I/O choices , production power, and six new panels in one, two and three ME row layouts with 16, 24, and 32 source buttons in a 2RU frame with 36x22 I/O standard. Carbonite Black is compatible with all of Ross’ new slate of products.

In collaboration with SolidAnim, Ross Video has announced the SolidTrack universal camera tracking system. Ross will focus on the broadcast and live production applications for this real-time camera tracking and pre-visualization product. Able to be used in studio or outside, the SolidTrack is designed to work on any camera mounting system to support visual effect shots, green screen compositing, 3D rendering and complex camera moves. SolidTrack is able to integrate into existing workflows.

Ross also has another collaboration with Evertz to add 10GE IP interfaces with ASPEN support to Ross’ Acuity production switchers. The collaboration helps create an IP-based production facility. With the addition of 10GE interfaces, broadcasters can combine traditional SDI infrastructure with IT centric hardware and software to produce programming. The Acuity production switchers can then be connected to Evertz’s 3080IPX and EVE-VSR Software Defined Video Networking switching cores, removing the need for external gateway modules and simplifying the installation and signal management in production.

The latest version, version 4.0, of the Acuity production switcher is also on display. New operational features for the Acuity include Split ME, DVE Warps, Lighting Engine, and supports the new MultiProcessing Inputs card option.

Trackless Studio, a virtual set software that works without camera tracking, also is among the new Ross products at IBC 2015. Built on top of the XPression Real-Time Motion Graphics System, Trackless Studio allows users to perform camera moves, utilize multiple cameras, perform transitions, add live inputs, trigger real-time 3D graphics, recall clips or still images, and create macros for complex events. It can also use stationary cameras with all movement handled by virtual cameras inside of the XPression scene.

Ross is also showing its new production clip server, XPression Clips. Based on the XPression real-time graphics engine, XPression Clips eliminates pre-rolls with instant recalls, features an intuitive interface, and supports multiple forms of automation control. With an XPression Studio upgrade, XPression Clips can add CG functionality to combine 3D graphics with video and graphic clips in the same device. The system also features a ClipStore database to keep track of metadata and has the ability to synchronize with other ClipStore databases in a facility.

In addition, a new partnership with SportsVision will have Ross aiding in the production of rendering specialty graphics for NASCAR broadcasts. The XPression 3D graphics system acts as a rendering engine to update the position and behavior of graphics n every frame of video, in sync with on-air programming.

Lastly, Ross has announced that it will resell CueScript teleprompters and software in conjunction with Ross Robotics and Inception product lines.

Ross has all of its products displayed at booth 9.C10 during IBC 2015.

AMSTERDAM—IABM was on hand at IBC 2015 to announce the winners of its 2015 Design & Innovation Awards, which honor outstanding broadcast and media industry talent. This year, IABM recognized products that offer solutions or new opportunities to the broadcast and media industry in nine categories.

The winners are:

• Acquisition and Production: Suitcase TV – Iphrame Remote
• Post Production: Marquis Broadcast – Edit Bridge
• Content and Communication Infrastructure: EVS – SEA Games TV App
• Audio: AATON – Digital – CantarX3 on location audio recorder
• Storage: Ericsson – Video Storage and Processing Platform
• System Automation and Control: Net Insight AB – Customer Provisioned Networks
• Playout and Delivery Systems: Harmonic – Harmonic Spectrum X Media Server System
• Test, Quality Control and Monitoring: Volicon – Observer OTT Service Monitoring Solution
• Services: Conax – Conax GO Live

In addition, the judges gave a Special Recognition Award to VRT and the collaborators for the Live IP Project.

The winners were honored at a special ceremony held at the Emerald Lounge at the RAI Convention Center.

ALAMEDA, CALIF.—As part of its presentation at IBC 2015, Clear-Com unveiled the DX410 Wireless Intercom system, a two-channel 2.4GHz digital wireless system. Among the features for the product are 7KHz wide band audio, all-in-one wireless headsets and lightweight beltpacks.

DX410 with BP410 and WH410

The latest in the DX series, in addition to 7KHz wide band audio, the DX410 also comes with an upgraded radio and a lost packet concealment capability. The DX410 features two-wire and four-wire bridging and two-wire auto-nulling. The bridging capability allows the option for combining the two-wire and four-wire ports together on channel A or B, allowing operators to use a four-wire to send all audio to a mixer, matrix intercom, or other audio source. Two-wire auto-nulling enables fast and accurate integration with Clear-Com or TW wired partyline systems.

Each DX410 base station can support up to 15 BP410 beltpacks and/or WH410 all-in-one headsets. In a single-channel operation, four beltpack users can engaging in simultaneous, full-duplex communication; it allows three users in dual-channel operation. In addition, the BP410 and WH410 offer extended battery life for up to 12 hours.

By operating in a 2.4GHz band, the DX410 does not require radio licensing for use. DX410 is a frequency hopping system and offers spectrum-friendly and Adaptive Frequency Hopping modes.

See the DX410 and all other Clear-Com products on display at booth 10.D29 at IBC 2015.

AMSTERDAM-Audio over IP connectivity and signal transport in radio is commonplace, but TV broadcasters have been slow to catch up – until now, says Martin Dyster, VP, business development/TV, Linear Acoustic, part of Telos Alliance

Anybody involved in broadcast technology will have noticed the subject of media-over-IP emerge as the ‘next big thing’. IBC2015 looks set to be dominated by IP and while the video side of the business wrestles with formats and protocols, standards based audio-over-IP is already here. Mature, proven and in the case of radio, AoIP has been around since the early 00’s.

TVB Europe has the rest of the story. 

AMSTERDAM—The new RX Post Production Suite and RX 5 Audio Editor are among the new products that iZotope is set to unveil at IBC 2015. The RX Post Production Suite contains tools to allow professionals to edit, mix and deliver their audio, while the RX 5 Audio Editor serves as a new update to the RX platform.

RX Post Production Suite

Aimed at every stage of the audio post production workflow, the RX Post Production Suite includes RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor, RX Final Mix, RX Loudness Control, Groove3, and 50 free sound effects from Pro Sound Effects.

Both the RX 5 Audio Editor and RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor repair and enhance common audio production issues, while also speeding up workflows that require either multiple manual editing passes, or a non-intuitive collection of tools from different vendors. Each system can also be used as a standalone audio editor, standalone audio editor connected to a host, or as a plug-in.

Among the RX 5’s set of tools includes the Instant Process, which lets editors “paint out” unwanted sonic elements directly on the spectral display. It also includes the Module Chain, which allows users to define a custom chain of processing and then save the chain as a preset. RX Connect now supports individual clips and crossfades. The new De-plosive module, to minimize plosives from letters that create pressure change at the microphone element, and Ambiance Match module, which improves accuracy for creating noise profiles when matching background noise to mask edit points, are also available as part of the RX 5.

The RX Post Production Suite is now available at $1,299 for new customers. The RX 5 Audio Editor and RX 5 Advanced Audio Editor will become available in October.

IBC 2015 is currently underway in Amsterdam. Attendees can visit the iZotope booth at stand 8.D70.

AMSTERDAM—AJA helped kick off IBC 2015 with the announcement of five new products, including a new 4K multi-channel HEVC encoding card and the FS3 4K upconverter.

Corvid HEVC

The Corvid HEVC is a 4K mutli-channel encoding card that will be included in AJA’s Developer Program. Corvid HEVC is a PCIe 2.0 eight-lane video encoder card that provides real-time, low-latency HEVC encoding at 4K, 1080p HD and lower resolutions. The Corvid HEVC can be integrated into Windows and Linux applications with AJA’s SDK. Audio and metadata are also capture and included in the encoded file. Corvid HEVC is now available to AJA developer partners.

The FS3 is the latest in AJA’s line of FS professional frame synchronizers. The system combines frame synchronization with high-quality 4K up-conversion technology to integrate SD and HD signals into 4K workflows. Users also have the ability to input SD or HD resolution SDI via BNC or Fiber and send up-converted 4K/UHD to multiple BNC and Fiber outputs simultaneously. It can also up-convert HD or SD inputs to 4K/UHD up to 60p. The FS3 can also operate as an SD or HD frame synchronizer. FS3 will become available in October at a starting price of $2,995.

AJA also debuted multiple new mini-converters, including the HB-T-SDI, HB-R-SDI, ROI-HDMI and HD10MD4. The HB-T-SDI and HB-R-SDI extend 3G-SDI signals over Ethernet cable, utilizing the industry standard HDBaseT protocol, and supporting bi-directional IR and RS-232 for device control. The ROI-HDMI offers real-time region-of-interest scaling and SDI video output from HDMI computer outputs. The HD10MD4, meanwhile, is a miniature digital downconverter designed to convert HD-SDI video to SD-SDI and analog component/composite video. AJA also introduced a new firmware for the HA5-4K Mini-Converter. All converts and the HA5 firmware will be released in October.

A new range of openGear rack cards and frames were introduced as well. The new cards include OG-1x9-SDI-DA, a 1x9 SDI re-clocking distribution amplifier; the OG-FIBER-2R, a two-channel fiber to SDI converter; and the OG-FIBER-2T, a two-channel SDI to fiver converter. There is also the OG-3-FR, a 2RU, 20-slot openGear frame able to support any openGear compatible card. In addition, AJA unveiled the new version 12.3 for the KONA, T-TAP and lo line video and audio input/output devices.

For more information, visit www.aja.com.

AMSTERDAM—After introducing the aNorm loudness processor for its DB6 Broadcast Audio Processor at IBC 2014, TC Electronic has introduced an aNorm optional license for Loudness Pilot, the stereo version of DB6, at IBC 2015.

aNorm with Loudness Pilot

The aNorm system keeps dynamics processing at a minimum by normalizing the signal intelligently. The system only applies dynamic processing if normalization is not enough to hit the Loudness and LRA targets. Also, aNorm is able to adapt what tools it uses in dynamic processing so not to squash the audio.

Included with the aNorm is the Butterfly Meter, which displays pre and post loudness normalization and is an integrated part of the aNorm algorithm. The graph provides an overview of how and why incoming audio is adjusted.

The aNorm license for Loudness Pilot will be available starting in October for $650.

IROQUIS, ONTARIO—Ross Video will arrive in Amsterdam for IBC 2015 ready to showcase its new production clip server, XPression Clips. Based on the XPression real-time graphics engine, XPression Clips eliminates pre-rolls with instant recalls, features an intuitive interface, and supports multiple forms of automation control, including integration with Ross switchers.

XPression Clips

CG functionality can also be added to the XPresion Clips server with the XPression Studio upgrade, which combines real-time 3D graphics with video and graphic clips in the same device. XPression clips also plays back video inside XPression materials, making it possible to recall clips into virtual monitors in VS/AR implementations on the fly.

The ClipStore database keeps track of all metadata and can synchronize with other ClipStores in a facility. Multiple XPression Clips can also run off a single ClipStore on a NAS or SAN. In addition, the XPression INcoder application can be used as a companion application that transcodes files from popular file formats into XPression codec. After the transcode process, Incoder delivers the clip to a network location or registers it in one or more ClipStore databases for immediate recall.

XPression Clips will be supported in the next release of the XPression MOS Plug-In. Journalists will be able to select a Clips tab from the plug-in window, browse for content, and add clips directly into their stores. Ross is also underway on integration Clips with Ross Streamline.

Ross Video will be located at booths 9.B08, 9.C23 and 9.C10 during IBC 2015.

AMSTERDAM—IBC 2015 is just getting underway and among the exhibitors attending is RTW, a provider of visual audio meters and monitoring devices for professional broadcast, production, post production and quality control. RTW comes to IBC 2015 with its latest product, the TM3 USB Connect Tool, which is designed to enhance the company’s Masterclass plug-ins.

TM3 USB Connect

The TM3 USB Connect software provides a direct connection between a TM3-Primus as a plug-in within a DAW environment. It offers a remote control within the DAW for start, stop and reset on the TM3-Primus. The new software allows the TM3-Primus to be connected to any channel or group in the DAW project by inserting the plug-in into the desired channel. TM3 USB Connect can also be used as a standalone remote control for the TM3-Primus, if the Primus is operated as an output device. The TM3 USB Connect can be operated with both Mac and PC products.

RTW will be located at booth 8.D89. IBC 2015 runs from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam.

MELVILLE, N.Y.—IEEE has reached to the stars for its keynote speaker for the 2015 IEEE Broadcast Symposium, tapping former shuttle engineer and current partner manager for NASA’s Commercial Crew Program, in partnership with SpaceX, Jon N. Cowart. Cowart will talk about his role with the CCP and SpaceX, as well as his experiences as the leader of several space shuttle missions and the redesign of the International Space Station.

Jon N. Cowart, Partner Manager for NASA's Commercial Crew Program

Cowart is working with SpaceX on the agency’s Commercial Crew Integrated Capability Initiative and will serve as the mission manager for the first flight with a crew during SpaceX’s Commercial Crew Transportation Capability contract. SpaceX looks to demonstrate its ability to safely transport astronauts to and from the International Space Station.

Joining NASA in 1987, Coward worked as a project engineer on the space shuttle Atlantis and has led a number of teams, including the International Space Station flight 2A and 3A processing teams and the shuttle Discovery engineering team. Prior to joining NASA, Cowart was a second lieutenant in the U.S. Air Force.

Cowart’s presentation will take place during the BTS/AFCEE Luncheon on Thursday, Oct. 15.

The 2015 IEEE Broadcast Symposium will take place from Oct. 13-16 in Orlando, Fla.

NEW BERN, N.C.—Wheatstone, the provider of audio products for the TV and radio industries, has announced two new products that it will premiere at IBC 2015. Set to debut are the IP Mix Engine, a AES67 compatible IP audio network interface, and a new touchscreen for the Dimension Three audio console.

The Gibraltar IP Mix Engine provides Wheatstone audio consoles with direct connectivity into WheatNet-IP, an AES67 compatible IP audio network. The new engine can handle 1,024 channels of audio, allowing IP audio consoles to handle live and post-production. The Gibraltar IP Mix Engine will be available for the Dimension Three, Series Four, D8-EX, Series Two and IP-64 digital mixing console.

Dimension Three

Wheatstone will also showcase its updated Dimension Three TV audio consoles, now featuring a touchscreen option. Eliminating the “sea of knobs,” as Wheatstone describes, the touchscreen option features a tabbed menu for basic functions like talkback, configuring bus matrices, muting mic groups, and managing sources. It also utilizes smartphone-like gestures, including pinching. In addition, a new interrogation feature is available for drilling down into function settings.

To find out more about these products you can visit Wheatstone’s booth, 8.A86, at IBC 2015, which runs from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam.

AMSTERDAM—Blue Lucy has announced that it will unveil new enhancements to its Blue Lucy Asset Management (BLAM) system at the upcoming 2015 IBC Show. Updates to the system include improvements to its media management and video processing workflow capabilities, as well as a new workflow builder tool that offers operational efficiency through automation and user driven workflows.

Blue Lucy

Using a web-browser interface, BLAM users can build complex operational workflow that access all of BLAM’s core features and multiple plug-ins. The workflows can combine standard automated video processing and content delivery as well as operational user tasks.

BLAM is offered in two implementation strategies. The ‘commercial off-the-shelf’ model is for small to medium operations and is provided with the ‘out of the box’ web-based user experience. For larger operations, Blue Lucy helps define the operational structure and customize the software on the BLAM core and its plug-ins.

IBC attendees will be able to check out Blue Lacy’s BLAM and other products at booth 7.G07. IBC 2015 takes place in Amsterdam from Sept. 11-15.

GILZE, NETHERLANDS—A new tide is rolling in at Axon Digital Design, as the company has announced that it will launch its new multi-codec, multi-format modular processing platform TIDE at the upcoming IBC 2015 show. The system is designed to handle the contribution and distribution of live video.

TIDE

TIDE can process live broadcast quality signals, perform HD and SD video encoding and decoding, Conditional Access or BISS scrambling and descrambling, and transport stream (re)multiplexing from contribution to channel back-up, including over satellite, microwave, 3G/4G/5G mobile networks, managed IP networks and the open Internet. The platform also features the Reliable Real-Time Transport Protocol, which manages and improves bandwidth usage ratio to deliver reliable streaming over the open Internet and public networks.

TIDE offers a range of 15 modules that include satellite and terrestrial reception modules; multi-channel encoder and decoder modules; MPEG Transport Stream I/O modules via IP and ASI; and a descrambling unit with space for four Common Interface Conditional Access descrambling units. In addition, the system offers low-latency encoding, faster than real-time file transfer and modular high density.

Also at IBC 2015, Axon will demonstrate the TIDE LiveCastPro, a mobile video uplink system that can be mounted on any ENG camera. The LiveCastPro utilizes the R2TP protocol to deliver high quality images and fast transfer of video files using any IP network.

All TIDE elements come with a built-in web-based control user interface, as well as the ability to be monitored and controlled by Axon’s Cerebrum software platform for larger deployments.

IBC 2015 runs from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam. Axon will demonstrate TIDE and its other products at booth 10.A21 and 10.B21.

SURREY, ENGLAND—CueScript has announced that it will bring a pair of its latest prompter related products to IBC 2015, the Mole Foot Control and the CueScript Collapsible Hood.

Mole Foot Control

The Mole Foot Control is an Ethernet-based unit with CAN Bus connectivity that enables to use the Mole Foot Control anywhere without no specialized cabling required. The system is designed to sit under a desk or at the presenter’s feet.

The CueScript Collapsible Hood, which premiere back at NAB 2015, is a full-sized hood that is able to fold flat without removing the glass. This allows the prompter to be fully protected and quick to set-up.

CueScript will also display the CueB, a USB Ethernet-based external prompting hub that connects to PC or Mac, enabling activation of the CueiT software and allowing additional desktop, foot and wireless controls to be added to the CueScript system. CueScript’s prompting units, including the CSM LED prompters and CSTM talent monitors, will also be on hand.

IBC 2015 takes place from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam. CueScript will be located at booth 11.F45.

SAN JOSE, CALIF.—Video delivery infrastructure provider Harmonic has announced that it is expanding its support of IP video transport protocols. Harmonic’s Spectrum X advanced media server system, Electra X advanced media processor and Electra XVM virtualized media processor will support the SMPTE ST 2022-6 standard for encapsulating high-performance uncompressed (SDI) video signals for transport over IP networks.

Spectrum X

The SMPTE ST 2022-6 standard enables products from different manufacturers to send and receive high bit-rate video signals over IP networks, with the capability to support both HD-SDI and 3G-SDI video signal formats. Harmonic’s support of ST 2022-6 looks to ease the migration toward IP-based infrastructure for broadcasters and production companies.

Harmonic will showcase this support at the upcoming IBC 2015 show, specifically demonstrating CAPEX and OPEX gains from Harmonic-enabled IP-based workflows.

IBC 2015 takes place from Sept. 11-15 in Amsterdam.