Broadcast Engineering is shooting video from the NAB Show floor and uploading it to our Web site this week. Let me tell you a little about what I saw yesterday.
I started my morning bright and early at the Open Mobile Video Coalition’s breakfast. NBC News’ Dan Abrams moderated a panel, which discussed the future of mobile video. In NAB president David Rehr’s own words, live television could be on 345 million devices in just a couple years, and “that would be awesome!” The audience had plenty of questions, including, “should the FCC mandate that all devices have a mobile receiver?” The OMVC thinks there won’t be a need for that because consumer demand will make it so manufacturers have to include it. A mobile standard still needs to be established, so there is work to be done, but based on the amount of people attending the breakfast and the questions, it’s evident that there is interest in mobile video.
The rest of the morning consisted of video technology demos, which you’ll soon be able to watch from our Web site. Let me just touch base on a couple of the technology demos I watched.
At Baron Weather Services, CEO and president Bob Baron demonstrated the BTI (Baron Tornado Index), which delivers enhanced situational awareness during potential tornadic outbreaks. This is especially prevalent, as there have been a rash of deadly storms lately. WMC-TV's coverage of the Feb. 5 tornado outbreak in Memphis, TN, is one example of how this technology can be used to save lives.
Another demo we shot was the Ensemble Designs BrightPak. This field kit can be used in broadcast, sports and mobile applications. The tool offers rugged housing for BrightEye video converters, sync pulse generators and fiber transmitters.
Lastly, I’d like to mention Harris’ NewsForce HD/SD news workflow. The solution offers transparent HD/SD operations from ingest through production and editing to air. The company’s ADC-1000 playout automation can drive a Snell & Wilcox Kahuna production switcher.
To view these videos and others, check out the Broadcast Engineering TV page at http://broadcastengineering.com/video/.
Update: Baron won a Pick Hit award!
