At the recent 2018 IBC Show, two different, yet similar, technology showcases were hosted that addressed the increasing need for interoperability of third-party companies around a common set of specifications that leverage the internet protocol (IP). As more broadcasters seek to embrace IP, these live demonstrations and industry “plug-fests” serve as important proofs of concept.

Boston first hosted Macworld in August of 1993 and it was there I bought a $2,500 Radius VideoVision I/O board that worked with Adobe Premiere v2.0. The year was a pivot point for the low-end NLE market as it transitioned from “barely workable” as I describe in this VideoVision review, to “quite practical.”

For editors, production and post technology will be the focus of their interests at 2017 NAB.

Veteran production company NEP UK successfully supported the 4K (UHD) HDR live production of the 2018 Wimbledon Tennis Championship, using IP infrastructure and IP gateway cards as well as live production gear from Grass Valley on board the all-IP (SMPTE ST 2110) trucks, "Venus" and "Ceres."

Despite the fact that most broadcasters have been slow to embrace 4K production in their news studios, there are a few that have installed the latest cameras in an effort to produce a master file for archiving. They include non-traditional media organizations like Facebook Live, Netflix and YouTube, which all maintain 4K production studios that are made available to users with significant online followers.

While they displayed a wide range of new technology and systems for broadcasters and content distributors, many established broadcast equipment suppliers exhibiting at the 2017 IBC Show in Amsterdam, groused publicly (and privately) about the state of the industry in terms of new revenue and profitability. Many see customer confusion regarding the exact technology strategy to take going forward (IP?, 4K? 1080p60 HD with HDR?) and a crowded field of competitive products as the two main culprits.

The EBU (European Broadcasting Union) has published a guide to help members understand Augmented Reality and the associated opportunities for developing more immersive content.

There is much talk of 8K ranging from film studios to broadcasters looking to shoot world-class sports events. The Winter Olympics was covered at 8K resolution – proving it's no longer a lab experiment. But is there an advantage in ever increasing resolutions, and what is the business case?

Since the beginning of motion pictures and of television, directors and engineers have been on a quest for better pictures in order to convey artistic intent, or greater realism. This quest includes a move to more pixels, higher frame rates, higher dynamic range, and wider color volume. These together can deliver subtler and more realistic scene rendition and reduced motion artifacts. However, there are constraints, some from the laws of physics, and some from the cost of producing, distributing and delivering higher data rates.

The 4K (UHD) HDR live production of the 2018 Wimbledon Tennis Championship relied on IP infrastructure and IP gateway cards as well as live production gear from Grass Valley on board NEP's all-IP (SMPTE ST 2110) trucks, "Venus" and "Ceres."

Production Control Room Tools At NAB 2024