Held in Singapore, 14-17 June, BroadcastAsia2005 attracted more than 12,000 attendees.
Emerging trends
BroadcastAsia is the primary international broadcasting show for the Asia-Pacific region. Held in Singapore, 14-17 June, the show attracted more than 12,000 attendees. The Singapore Expo also hosted CommunicAsia2005 and EnterpriseIT2005 alongside the broadcast show, attracting a total of 35,000 visitors. As an attendee, the show provided the opportunity to visit all the major vendors without the marathon walks necessary to cover the vast show floors of NAB and IBC.
Broadcasting to mobile and handheld devices emerged as key trends amid the growing convergence between IT, communications and broadcasting. Peter MacAvock, executive director of DVB, led a packed seminar into the international development of mobile broadcasting at the associated BroadcastAsia International Conference.
In the show hall, there were stands demonstrating both the DVB-H and digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB) standards. DMB, originally developed in Korea and now ETSI-approved, is based on the DAB standard but can deliver video, pictures and data alongside audio. Both DVB-H and DMB formats are undergoing extensive trials in several countries.
New events
Another key technology evident in both the conference and the exhibition was HD technology. According to local industry players, HD and digital terrestrial television are going to be the big drivers in broadcasting this year, although digital multicasting — rather than HD — is the focus in much of the region. Analog services still predominate in the less-developed countries, where five channels — rather than 500 — are the norm.
Held in conjunction with BroadcastAsia this year were two new events: the RadioAsia Conference and X|Media|Lab Professional Day Conference and Masterclass. The X|Media|Lab Professional Day Conference and Masterclass cover TV, film, animation, graphics, gaming and 3G technologies.
BroadcastAsia returns next year at the Singapore Expo from 20-23 June, along with CommunicAsia and EnterpriseIT.
