SMPTE and Insight Media to Add Business Track and 4K/UHD Demonstrations to SMPTE Symposium

"Next-Gen Image Formats: More, Better, or Faster Pixels?" Symposium Will Address Technical, Business, and Practical Aspects of 4K/UHD Roll Out

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. -- July 23, 2013 -- The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), the worldwide leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, today announced that it is partnering with Insight Media, a leading display-oriented market research and publishing company, to produce the business track within the SMPTE Symposium, which is titled "Next-Gen Image Formats: More, Better, or Faster Pixels?"

The one-day SMPTE Symposium will be held Oct. 21 in Hollywood, Calif., in conjunction with the SMPTE 2013 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition. The symposium will feature separate technical and business tracks, as well as a 4K/UHD display demonstration area that gives visitors a unique opportunity to view the same content on side-by-side 4K/UHD displays and to compare the quality of different manufacturers' scaling/upconversion engines.

During the technical track, led by Program Chair Skip Pizzi, director of digital strategies for the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), industry experts will address topics such as higher frame rates, wider color gamut, increased dynamic range, and 4K (UHD-1) and 8K (UHD-2) resolutions. Offering a clear picture of the current technology landscape, the symposium will be valuable to anyone responsible for delivering high-quality imaging in broadcast, Internet, cinema, and broadband applications.

The business track will be led by Chris Chinnock, president and founder of Insight Media, who will focus on the business, investment, and ROI issues associated with broader adoption of 4K/UHD equipment and content in consumer and professional markets. Serving as a complement to the technical track, this parallel event will aid senior business executives, decision makers, product planners, and investors in understanding the complex issues involving the roll out of 4K. A series of panel discussions will examine fundamental questions around the timing, positioning, and monetization of investments in the 4K/UHD ecosystem.

A 4K/UHD demonstration area will showcase image processing and scaling engines and their ability to produce 4K/UHD content from lower-resolution sources. By highlighting the exceptional quality of these images, especially when compared with their native 4K/UHD versions, the demonstration will illustrate that content needn't be a hurdle to adoption of 4K/UHD.

"The business track and the new 4K/UHD demonstration area bring a new business dimension to our already strong technical focus at the SMPTE Symposium," said SMPTE Executive Director Barbara Lange. "A very timely addition to our education efforts, the business track will provide valuable insight into the challenges and opportunities offered by ultra-high definition formats and services."

Industry experts are invited to submit their opinions on the key business, investment, and monetization issues and their perspective on how to address challenges and take advantage of opportunities. These ideas will be synthesized to create a series of moderator-led panels for the SMPTE Symposium business track. Those interested may submit proposals to Chinnock by email: chris@insightmedia.info.

"The 4K/UHD market is coming, but there are many technical, business, and value issues that remain to be addressed," said Chinnock. "This event is designed to address all of these issues with a well-crafted mix of presentations, panel discussions, and demos."

The Symposium will be held in conjunction with the SMPTE 2013 Annual Conference & Exhibition at the Loews Hollywood Hotel, in Hollywood, Calif. Registration information is available at www.smpte2013.org.

Further information about SMPTE and its many educational programs is available online at www.smpte.org.

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/InsightMedia.zip

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About Insight Media

Insight Media is a display-focused market research, publishing, consulting and event management firm. Staffed by world class display experts, the company offers in-depth news (free and subscription-based) at www.display-central.com, and strategic consulting and advanced display-based market/technology reports at www.insightmedia.info. The company also organizes industry events like the recent Projection Summit, where a special demonstration of side-by-side hybrid projectors was a big hit with attendees. The Megapixel Summit, which focuses on the generation, distribution and display of large pixel pallets, will take place at the next ISE show in Amsterdam in early February.

About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers

The Oscar(R) and Emmy(R) Award-winning Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), a professional membership association, is the worldwide leader in developing and providing motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. An internationally recognized and accredited organization, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the broadband, broadcast, cinema, and IT disciplines. Since its founding in 1916, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 600 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines. SMPTE members include motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students from around the world. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.

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