Expected tech trends:I think that 4k and 8k will take the forefront at this year’s show. High resolution capture makes sense for subject matter with long (and re-purposeable) life-spans. High-end and "evergreen" content will benefit from the higher resolution in the future, so I expect to see more discussion about long-term archive strategy. This is something that must be considered now, and there are no clear answers. There is really no efficient way to integrate these high-end acquisition formats into a reliable, reproducible workflow as of today, so it does not make sense for "transient" content. I also foresee more talk of the "cloud"... although from our perspective, the cloud is only one component in an overall archive and sharing infrastructure.
What’s new that you will show:We are adding a logging application to our software platform. This gives content creators the ability to begin organizing their assets at the acquisition phase, and provides an easy entry point to a more complete system. Our experience has shown us time and time again, that users should log content while they are acquiring, or at least as early in the process as possible. If you can put it off, you will...and if you don’t do it RIGHT NOW, it is likely to never get done.
Initial thoughts on 4K and even 8K: Everyone is interested, but no one in broadcast is ready to make any large investment yet, as the rest of the tools are still catching up. For Pronology, we remain agnostic to the resolution and format of the content we are managing, so we are fully prepared for high resolution workflows. Additionally, the archive of these high resolution formats becomes even more significant, as presumably the content acquired in these formats will have a long lifecycle, so producers must begin to deal with archive strategies now.
Favourite bar, pub or restaurant in Amsterdam:We are too busy working on new features and solutions. We don't have time to eat or drink!
How many IBCs for you, and what’s your best trade show tip:This will be my seventh IBC. Good walking shoes are a must! Although it may not look as large as NAB, you will spend just as much time on your feet as you did in Las Vegas. Also, try to turn off your phone for a while, and pay attention to what is in front of you.
