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.”)
Susan Ashworth, former editor, TV Technology, contributor, NewBay Media Broadcast/Video Group: Q1. How many NAB Shows have you attended?
S.A. 18 years. Don’t tell anyone, since I’m 25.
Q2. What, in your opinion, were the main themes of the show this year?
S.A. Playing nice together (interoperability), looking pretty (4k/8k), looking skyward for answers (the cloud), next-generation offerings (ATSC 3.0).
Q3. What were some examples of these themes?
S.A. New options that allow broadcasters and OTT operators to have their entire operations monitored from a remote location (the cloud, via Akamai’s Broadcast Operations Control Center), Canon’s 8K prototypes (4k/8k), ONE Media’s ATSC demos.
Q4. Do you foresee any or all of these technologies or initiatives taking hold?
S.A. The cloud has already begun to prove its worth in a number of different ways, and as security issues and bandwidth issues continue to be addressed, the technology should continue to be deployed on a massive scale. While much is still to be determined as far as ATSC 3.0, it’s a technology that much of the industry is uniting around, in that it offers new a vastly expanded means for bringing content and services to consumers.
Q5. What technology that impressed you most at a past show didn't see the light of day?
S.A. 3D had so much potential and was such a rallying point for so many people. And then, not. But fear not, it’ll be back.
