For me, this year’s IBC was the most optimistic show I’ve been to for some time. I wouldn’t go as far as saying the corridors were awash with cash, but I certainly detected an air of confidence I hadn’t experienced for many years.

As more broadcasters move to IP the thorny issue of video compression is once again raising its head. But could the implementation of compression be a positive change?

As IP becomes a way of life and COTS is no longer a buzz word but instead a reality, the subject of security is raising its head once again, if it ever went away. But where do we start when we need to make systems secure?

Real-time live sporting events stretch broadcast technical systems to their limits. Our constant fight with latency further amplifies our challenges along with increased bandwidth and maintaining accurate timing. As well as these usual culprits, the unexpected implications of social media are heavily influencing how we address latency.

I would be the first to support the assertion that SDI is incredibly secure. However, my view only extends to true SDI infrastructures, similar to those I worked on before IP became the ubiquitous communications medium of choice for monitoring and control.

When discussing IP, I often hear pundits advising that networks must be “zero packet loss”. This is more of an aspiration than a reality and I would ask why so many accept this contradictory assertion without question.

Accurate timing continues to be central to video, audio and metadata delivery. But as we progress to IP, do we need to be so obsessed with nanosecond tolerances?

With the massive increase in OTT viewing, how will traditional broadcasting using RF transmissions continue? OTT has the benefits of being bi-directional and available to any hand-held device, but are we relying too much on the internet as a method of live streaming?

As more copyright owners are using litigation to take on the might of the machine learning commercialization, what will be the future for ML?

The impending clearance of the 700MHz spectrum band will bring about a significant change not only in what frequencies will be available for wireless microphone operations but also how equipment is designed and used. This contentious topic was discussed at AES New York 2018 during a conference panel featuring product specialists from leading radio mic manufacturers, RF technicians and audio engineers.