TV Tech is delighted to reveal the winners of the 2024 Media & Entertainment: Best in Market Awards.

The awards recognize standout products and solutions that have been brought to market over the last 12 months and are comprised of three Future-brand categories: TV Tech, TVBEurope, and Radio World.

Congratulations to this year’s winners in the TV Tech category:

• MCP-FLEX Channels—Akta
• Ateliere Live—Ateliere Creative Technologies
• X4 Ultra—BirdDog Technology Ltd
• Blackmagic PYXIS 6K—Blackmagic Design
• BG-8K-88MA | 8x8 8K UHD HDMI 2.1 Matrix Switcher with Audio De-embedder—BZBGEAR
• Canon EOS C80—Canon
• Gen-IC—Clear-Com
• Dejero GateWay 3220 Network Aggregation Solution—Dejero
• AxisCtrl—Electric Friends
• JKD Solar Powered Marquee—Jungle Power
• Maxon One—Maxon
• MK.IO Beam—MediaKind
• QuickLink StudioEdge—QuickLink
• Artimo—Ross Video
• BRC-AM7 Flagship PTZ Camera—Sony Electronics
• A20-SuperNexus—Sound Devices, LLC
• TAG Operator Console—TAG Video Systems
• tx darwin—Techex
• Zixi Market Switching—Zixi

LONDON—TVBEurope’s content director, Jenny Priestley, was honored at the 2024 Rise Awards.

The ceremony, which took place at London’s Troxy Tuesday night (Nov. 19), recognized women and companies whose achievements have stood out in the media and entertainment industry.

Taking first place in the Influencer Award, sponsored by Disguise, Priestley’s work as content director of the magazine was recognized by her peers as instrumental in creating influence across the community and bringing people together.

Joining her on the list of winners were:

Technical Operations Award, sponsored by Vizrt
Gina McClifty, DoubleTake Sports
Product Innovation Award, sponsored by Clear-Com
Melissa Davanzo, Paramount Global
Business Operations Award
Kahleah Webb, EMG/Gravity Media
Student of the Year Award, sponsored by SMPTE
Amy Woods
Marketing Award
Carlie Bonavia & Gisele Santos, Moments Lab
R&D Engineer Award, sponsored by Red Bee Media
Dagmar Driesnack, Rohde & Schwarz
Advocate of the Year Award
Thomas Pearson, Bitmovin
Project Management or Delivery Award, sponsored by Iron Mountain Media and Archive Services
Bobby Warner, BT Media & Broadcast
Sales Award, sponsored by Perifery
Radhika Vora, Prime Focus Technologies
Production Support Engineer Award, sponsored by Riedel Communications
Lucy Moore, HOTCAM
Rising Star Award, sponsored by Harmonic
Zoe Zropf, DoubleTake Sports
Business Leader Award, sponsored by IBC
Dara Urquhart, Red Bee Media
Company Award for Investment in Women, sponsored by Ross Video
BT Media & Broadcast
Rise Special Recognition Award
Lesley McGilp, Red Bee Media
Woman of the Year Award, sponsored by Zixi
Megan Mauck, NBCUniversal

Commenting on the accolade, Priestley said: “It’s an honor to have received this award from Rise, and my peers within the industry. Congratulations to all my fellow nominees and winners. Also, thank you to the TVBEurope and wider Future team for all their support, as well as all of the PR and marketing teams we work with.”

This article originally appeared in TV Tech sister brand TVB Europe.

The rise of digital platforms is fundamentally changing the broadcast newsroom and its investment in technology according to Jon Roberts, director of technology, production and innovation at ITN.

During TVBEurope’s webinar looking at the evolution of technology in the newsroom, Roberts said broadcasters are living in a state of ‘perma-change’.

“The old investment cycles of broadcast tech are being run over by this sense of constantly innovating and changing,” explained Roberts.

He added that this need for change is proving a huge challenge on a number of levels as broadcasters’ equipment models and relationships with suppliers continue to change. It also impacts staff, said Roberts.

“Managing people through those changes is a huge challenge, particularly in a newsroom. What we’re trying to do at ITN is move from a project-based approach to a culture of continuous development. We’re identifying the unicorns in newsrooms who are technically savvy enough but editorially strong to help us bridge the gap. We’re trying to narrow the gap between operations and technology.”

Roberts said broadcasters can no longer ‘helicopter in’ a new system but need to have conversations with journalists and production teams who will be using the tech. “It’s not been unusual for us to discover our teams are using something that we didn’t install or know about. That’s very different to where we were 10 years ago in a broadcast environment. It’s changing the nature of the technology department’s relationship with the business. We want to be part of the team rather than a service division.”

Jonny McGuigan, news streaming editor at the BBC, agreed with Roberts about changing the mindset of staff to adopt new technology. “We’ve often worried about digital technology being ‘scary’ and across the BBC, and across the sector more generally, there’s a constant lurch to ‘digital is going to change the way we make television’. It’s become a thing that’s kind of hung over people’s head and they become scared of.

McGuigan added that broadcasters need to find a way to use technology in a ‘smarter way’.One such idea is around ‘eventicising’ news.

“We have a real habit in news of covering the moment and then we’re done,” explained McGuihan. “The question is. how do we build up to that moment, build anticipation? If you watch Match of the Day or any football coverage, the game ends and they give you analysis afterwards. What we’re trying to transition much more to in news is a model of being there before, during the main event, and afterwards too. I think that’s a really exciting space for video on demand.”

Other topics under discussion during the webinar included how newsroom technology has changed in recent years, including the advent of mobile journalism.

“Two or three years ago we’d have laughed somebody out of the technology centre for saying they’d put an iPhone to air,” said McGuigan. “Now it’s become part of the norm, particularly for those live moments. You can’t beat being in that space, however technology gets you there.”

The full webinar, produced in association with Ross Video, is available to watch on-demand here.

This article originally appeared on TV Tech sister brand TVBEurope.

TVT Tech sister brand TVBEurope and InterDigital are joining forces to host a free webinar to discuss how existing and new forms of audiovisual projects can harness the advances in 5G networking technology.

The webinartakes place at 3pm BST (10 am ET) on Tuesday, July 19 and is free to join.

A recent report by Futuresource Consulting and commissioned by InterDigital, examines the roll out of 5G networks worldwide and considers the potential intersect between 5G and new video coding standards.

The higher bandwidth available over 5G is expected to unlock higher resolution video services and new forms of media, such as volumetric content and enable new audiovisual experiences for audiences at live events and for virtual participants.

Speakers include the report’s author, Simon Forrest, principal technology analyst at Futuresource Consulting, with more tba.

Don’t miss out on this webinar with leading experts sharing their knowledge of how 5G will impact video and TV transmission, create opportunities in extended reality (XR), and lead the transition to new video standards.

Register for free here.

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

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

The winners in the TVBEurope categories are:

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Content Management:

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

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Delivery

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

TVBEurope Best of Show Award at IBC2018: Production & Post

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

AMSTERDAM—The shortlist for the NewBay Best of Show Awards at IBC 2017 has been announced.

Our Best Of Show awards honor the best new products on display at the IBC trade show in Amsterdam.

The shortlist for the TVBEurope category is as follows:

– Amino ENABLE, Amino Communications

– Aspera FASPStream in conjunction with Telestream Vantage and Lightspeed Live Capture, Aspera

– Avid Media Composer | First, Avid

– AIR320, AVIWEST

– Context Aware Encoding, Brightcove

– Dejero Cellsat, Dejero

– SNAPBOX, DoPChoice

– Suggested TV, Easel TV

– MediaFirst Video Processing Encoding Live mixing SDR content with HDR content in live broadcasting, Ericsson Media Solutions

– Product under embargo, EVS

– GV Matrix, Grass Valley

– LU600 with 4K HEVC Pro Card, LiveU

– Mistika VR, Mistika

– NewTek NDI PTZ Camera, NewTek

– Network ID, NexGuard

– OnFrame, OnFrame

– Paywizard Agile and Massive AXIS, Paywizard

– Ross Graphite All-in-One Production System, Ross Video

– All-New flowtech Tripod Technology, Sachtler and Vinten

–Selenio Network Processor, Imagine Communications

– Product under embargo, SmallHD

– FormatFusion4, Snell Advanced Media

– Timed Text Speech, Telestream

– Product under embargo, The Telos Alliance: Television Solutions Group

– Timeline’s triple-expanding IP 4K HDR outside broadcast truck, UHD2, Timeline Television

– TVU Router, TVU Networks

– Verspective RT, Verimatrix

– PERSEUS-powered Universal Media Player, by V-Nova Ltd and THEO Technologies, V-Nova

– Wedit, VSN

– x.news, x.news information technology

The Best of Show Awards at IBC are supported by six NewBay brands—TVBEurope, our sister publication TV Tech Global, PSNEurope, Audio Media International, Radio World and Installation. For the full NewBay shortlist, click here.

Congratulations to those who have made the list with their new products and services. The NewBay Best of Show judges look forward to visiting your stands and awarding some worthy winners in Amsterdam.

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

AMSTERDAM—IBC has posted record attendance figures as the 49th annual event drew to a close yesterday.

Some 55,796 people attended throughout the six-day conference and exhibition in Amsterdam, arriving from over 160 different countries.

In the opening keynote session, Dominique Delport of Havas Media warned the audience that “the 50-year party is over”, but underlying IBC’s global theme of transformation, he – and every delegate and visitor – found much to be optimistic about.

“IBC really is the only forum that attracts a global audience, the most comprehensive exhibition, and the best thought-leaders to spark the debate,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC.

“This year they included Sir Martin Sorrell on the global future for advertising, Erik Huggers on online broadcasting, and Mr Ang Lee on the new realism that the latest technology brings movie-makers.”

“But IBC, above all else, is about bringing people together to share knowledge and to do business. It is clear, from the buzz around the whole show, that this has been a great year.”

The exhibition featured over 1,800 exhibitors, including 249 companies at their first IBC. Across the five days, 435 speakers took part in more than 100 sessions.

One important addition to the feature areas in the exhibition was the IBC IP Interoperability Zone, an initiative to push forward open standards in new connectivity. Supported by AIMS and the IABM and working with AES, AMWA, the EBU, SMPTE and VSF, IBC created a dedicated exhibit which demonstrated verified technical progress in IP interoperability and featured the award-winning VRT-EBU LiveIP studio which was used for IBCTV’s production at this year’s show.

“The continuing success of IBC is down to the hard work of a lot of people, staging an event that is relevant and engaging across the whole of our transforming industry,” concluded Crimp.

“We continue to evolve, and I am confident that next year’s IBC – our 50th anniversary edition – will be even better. I look forward to welcoming you back to Amsterdam, 14 to 19 September 2017.”

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

AMSTERDAM—TVBEurope is delighted to announce its Best of Show winners for IBC2016.

The awards returned to Amsterdam to honour innovation and outstanding product development, with an independent panel of judges examining each nominated product throughout the course of the show.

Products were judged according to a wide range of criteria, including ease of use/maintenance, performance against category standard, richness/relevance of the feature set, value/ROI, versatility, anticipated reliability and originality.

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

Accedo - Accedo Cream

ADB Global - graphyne2

AppearTV - ABR Server

Aspera - FASPstream software

Axon - Synview 4K and IP multiviewer

Cobalt Digital - SCTE 104 Insertion and Processing Options

Elemental Technologies - HDR Video Processing

Ericsson - Virtualised Live Playout

EVS - XT4K

GatesAir - Maxiva UAXTE UHF transmitter

Grass Valley - GV Korona K-Frame S-series production switcher

Grass Valley - iTX On-Demand

Guntermann & Drunck - DP-Vision-IP

Harmonic - VOS 360

Litepanels - Astra Soft Bi-Color 1×1

Lynx Technik - GreenMachine

Make.tv - Streaming Media Technologies

Paywizard - Paywizard Agile

Rotolight - Anova Pro

SAM - Live Touch 4K

SoftAtHome - Livebox for Orange

Sony Media - Backbone Hive

Stream Circle - Stream Circle cloud-based playout

Telestream - Telestream Cloud

Telestream - Wirecast Gear

Timecode Systems - SyncBac Pro

V-Nova - Perseus

Verimatrix - Verspective

Vinten - Vantage Compact Robotic Head

All entrants will also be featured in a Best of Show Digital Edition sent out after the show.

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

AMSTERDAM—To confuse a Scottish folk song; “You take the ‘High’ road, and you’ll be a commercial success before me!” High Dynamic Range – HDR – is seen by many as the key to success for UHD-1. It will improve the image quality as much again as the jump from HDTV to 2160p resolution, and will shine out at all screen-to-viewer distances. The specification for HDR should be out later this year, ready for UHD-1 broadcasts from 2017. But the path to get here has not been, as a Scots might say, a ‘walk in the Glen’.

DVB has been working on the specification for UHD-1 broadcasting and broadband delivery for several years. The work done in the ITU five years ago brought forth a specification for the parameter values for UHDTV production – Rec. 2020. Just as the specification was leaving the door of the ITU in 2012, came the cry that, in order to cope with the TV sets of the future with higher peak screen brightnesses, a better ‘transfer curve’ was also needed to take advantage of the higher peak brightness.

This would mean images with more detail in the ‘blacks’ and in the ‘whites’ – giving images more ‘sparkle’. Many were the documents and meetings before agreement could finally be reached in the ITU.

There was white smoke for ITU-R BT. 2100 in July 2016. It recommends not one but two HDR systems, termed HLG (Hybrid Log Gamma) and PQ (Perceptual Quantizer). This applies to programme production and exchange, but the DVB delivery standard needs to have a relationship to this.

The DVB discussion on the requirements for broadcasting UHD-1 also took time, but these were agreed in autumn 2015. Now the stage was set for the discussion about which parameter values would fulfil
the requirements.

UHD-1 delivery is relatively complex because different broadcasters and manufacturers have different constraints on the timescale for services, and the time to develop the consumer decoders depends on their complexity. DVB needed to find formulae that would allow the different service timescales and the decoder availability to tie up.

A ‘Phased’ approach was necessary: a Phase 1 for those who needed to start in 2015, Phase 2 CPA (Conformance Point A) for those who wish to start in 2017, and Phase 2 CPB (Conformance Point B) for those who plan to start in 2019. With each new Phase, the option of new features would be available. Phase 1 was essentially just the 2160p system.

Phase 2 CPA would also add HDR. Phase 2 CPB would add the option of High Frame Rate as well. For the moment, let’s focus on CPA.

Phase 2 CPA would be used in two environments. In one, the broadcast would need to be receivable on TV sets without HDR capability as well as sets with it – the HDR system needs to be ‘backwards compatible’ (BC). In the other environment, the service would only be
for sets with HDR – (Non BC or NBC). The spec wanted should include both BC and NBC options.

This has precipitated five proposals for the HDR system. One is the (directly BC) HLG system. The other four make use of the PQ curve, with variations on the way the signal is carried – allowing options of backwards compatibility. The task now for the DVB is to examine the proposals and decide which should be included in the DVB specification. This should be agreed later in the year. It is by no means an easy decision.

Stand by, because IBC will be the forum for many a debate on HDR. The addition of HDR will be a vital step for UHD-1 – we just need that critical decision on the HDR system to be taken. The next few months will be exciting. Would a large Scotch help?

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