LAS VEGAS—TV Technology asked a cross-section of NAB Show-goers a series of five questions regarding what they considered the main themes, evidence of those, whether or not these initiatives will take hold, and what promising technologies from past NAB Shows did not see daylight. (A complete list of quotes from respondents and links to their full 5Qs is at “NAB 2016 in 21 Quotes.”)
Aimée Ricca, director of Marketing and Communication for SMPTE:
Q1.How many NAB Shows have you attended?
A.R. If feels like more, but I think it’s actually only four!
Q2.What, in your opinion, were the main themes of the show this year?
A.R. HDR definitely, of course also HFR and 4K… basically, anything having to do with what we like to call “better pixels.”
There was also a lot of discussion regarding ASPEN: Adaptive Sample Picture Encapsulation, which was submitted to SMPTE as a Registered Disclosure Document (RDD 37) and now published in the SMPTE digital library; as well as AIMS: Alliance for IP Media Solutions, as we begin work on additional SMPTE standards for it and are actively looking for opportunities to facilitate interoperability between both AIMS and ASPEN.
Also, adoption of the SMPTE DCP: YMAGIS has been rolling it out in Europe, and found that most of their theaters are actually already equipped to deal with it. It’s great to see the SMPTE DCP finally being adopted by major cinema chains!
Q3.What were some examples of these themes?
A.R. I’m probably biased, but I have to say the Future of Cinema Conference, which SMPTE produces with NAB. We were very fortunate to have Ang Lee keynote and also demonstrate 11 min of the upcoming feature “Billy Lynn’s Long Halftime Walk” in 120 fps, 3D, 4K. There were also panel discussions on HDR. The buzz on AIMS and ASPEN was a result of the news coverage and press conferences and there was tons of discussion on the show floor!
Q4.Do you foresee any or all of these technologies or initiatives taking hold?
A.R. Widespread use of higher frame rates, I think, is most likely a ways off, but the rest, yes, definitely!
Q5.What technology that impressed you most at a past show didn’t see the light of day?
A.R. I think we’ve been discussing HFR for many years now and that still hasn’t taken hold, unfortunately. Also, 3D in the home never really happened—despite best efforts—on a widespread scale.
