With IBC2013 setting new records for numbers of exhibitors and attendees alike, it's clear that the global media industry is beginning to regain its momentum. This year's show was big for SMPTE as well, placing the organization in a prominent and active role for many aspects of the conference and exhibition. More than 100 sustaining SMPTE members participated on the show floor, and 15 percent of the conference speakers were SMPTE members. As always, IBC2013 was a tremendous opportunity for SMPTE to bring together international industry associations in its ongoing pursuit of collaboration. One example is the meeting hosted by SMPTE's vice president for standards, Dr. Hans Hoffman, which brought together more than 20 attendees from EBU, NABA, AMWA, VSF, WBU, IEEE, and other important industry groups.
Release of UHDTV Study Group Report Spurs Overflow Conference Session
As UHDTV begins to come online, its potential impact on the broadcast ecosystem is of keen interest to the broadcast industry. For that reason, SMPTE commissioned a study group to explore the issues, opportunities, and industry implications of UHDTV. The study group's report was released and posted to the SMPTE website just before IBC2013, and to date has been downloaded more than 700 times by members and nonmembers alike. At IBC, Dr. Hoffman led a standing-room-only conference session on the topic that included an overview of issues, case studies of organizations that have completed experiments with UHDTV, and a panel of leading broadcasters and studio executives who discussed their UHDTV plans and anticipated issues. This well organized, well timed session raised SMPTE's profile significantly among IBC attendees.
Photo Link:www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/HansHoffmann.zip
Photo Caption: Dr. Hans Hoffman, SMPTE Vice President for Standards
SMPTE Member Mike Knee is Two-Time Best Paper Winner; Ujwal Nirgudkar Presents 100 Years of Indian Cinema Award
SMPTE congratulates Mike Knee, a consultant engineer in research and development at sustaining member Snell, for receiving the IBC2013 Best Conference Paper award. With this win, Knee is now the first person ever to win the award twice. (The first time was in 2008.) For Knee's paper not only to be accepted, but for him to be awarded the best for the second time, is strong recognition of his technical expertise and ability to articulate Snell's vision clearly for the next generation of motion processing technology. He presented his technical paper, "New-Generation Scalable Motion Processing From Mobile to 4K and Beyond," to an appreciative and engaged crowd at the conference.
Also in the spotlight was Ujwal Nirgudkar, SMPTE Fellow and India Section chair. As part of the IBC 100 Years of Cinema session, Nirgudkar presented the IBC Judges' Prize for 100 years of Indian Cinema, with a retrospective going back to the release of "Raja Harishchandra" in 1913. On hand to receive the prize on behalf of the Indian cinema industry was Amitabh Bachchan, one of India's film superstars.
Photo Link:www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/MembersatIBC2013.zip
Photo Caption: SMPTE Sustaining Member Mike Knee and SMPTE India Section Chair Ujwal Nirgudkar
William Miller Extends Membership Offer, Matched by Peter Weitzel
As founding patrons of the SMPTE Student Membership Challenge, member William Miller and his wife Ellen recently renewed their support with a generous $5,000 gift and a request for matching funds from other SMPTE members. At IBC2013, Peter Weitzel, secretary and treasurer of the SMPTE U.K. section, became the first matching donor by making a significant contribution.
SMPTE Luminaries Strongly Represented on EDCF Panel
SMPTE members will always play a prominent role in any IBC program on digital cinema, and this year's European Digital Cinema Forum (EDCF) was no exception. In fact, in one photo of the session on the front of IBC Daily, almost every panelist is a prominent SMPTE member. Pete Ludé, SMPTE past president, participated in another EDCF session along with more than 60 other SMPTE members who were on the broader IBC2013 program.
Spotlight on Rising Stars
IBC's Rising Stars program is designed to help foster the successful rise and advance of young creative, business, and technology professionals working within the industry. At IBC2013, Rising Stars were able to meet top industry experts in a series of specially staged sessions and events, including a session led by Andy Foster, SMPTE member. Members such as Peter Weitzel, secretary and treasurer of the SMPTE U.K. section, volunteered their time and expertise to provide guided tours of the show floor and other activities for Rising Stars participants.
Company Quote:
"IBC2013 was one of the most successful ever for SMPTE. We had high visibility in virtually every aspect of the show, from the standing-room-only attendance at the UHDTV session to the award-winning efforts of members and the high SMPTE representation on the EDCF panel. On the show floor, the SMPTE booth was buzzing with activity, as were the numerous booths of SMPTE member companies. The energy was more palpable and stimulating than ever before."
-- Barbara H. Lange, Executive Director, SMPTE
Company Overview
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 650 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines. More than 6,000 members -- motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students -- who meet in Sections throughout the world, sustain the Society. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.
