AMSTERDAM—Virtual reality and achieving interoperability among the newest TV broadcast/production IP technologies will dominate sessions and the exhibition show floor at IBC 2016, Sept. 8–13 at the Amsterdam RAI Exhibition and Convention Centre.
This year’s IBC “will look at the technical and business aspects of working with VR, and harmonizing IP products and platforms so that they can work together,” said IBC CEO Mike Crimp. “In both instances, IBC 2016 will focus on the technical aspects of these areas, and also consider how their implementation will disrupt and change the broadcasters who adopt them.”
A VIRTUAL FUTURE ZONE
By far the biggest IBC VR event will be in the IBC exhibition floor’s Future Zone. There delegates can see Argon360 demonstrate how to shoot and “video-stitch” to create 360 degree VR wraparound videos in real-time within the cameras themselves; rather than having to do the work afterwards in post-production.
Meanwhile, LiveLike will demo its VR social media app that allows its users to “see an avatar of a person and talk to them as if they were next to you,” said LiveLike founder and CEO Andre Lorenceau. At last year’s IBC Future Zone, LiveLike demonstrated how using wide angle lenses to shoot sporting events in 170 degrees allows TV broadcasters to create live VR streams for viewers. LiveLike has since done VR test shoots at 2016 French Open tennis tournament to prove its approach.
In addition to allowing delegates to get up-close to VR, the Future Zone will also feature cutting-edge technology to test Motion Impossible’s 360° Evo remotely-controlled 360-degree camera motion and stabilization control system. Also on hand will be high-brightness HDR displays, a prototype technology for converting standard dynamic range video to HDR, and BBC R&D’s Cook-Along-Kitchen-Experience (CAKE) interactive cooking show that adjusts the content shown in real-time, in response to the viewer’s cook-along efforts.
IP INTEROPERABILITY ZONE
The transition to IP is one of the biggest challenges facing broadcasters and media companies today, with fears over limited interoperability between vendor IP systems and a lack of recognized standards being front-and center among their concerns. To address these issues, IBC will demonstrate practical and proven interoperability with an exciting new demonstration area launching at this year’s show. Located in Hall 8, the IP interoperability zone will feature dedicated demonstrations showcasing interoperability and will provide space for IBC 2016 delegates to discuss the pros and cons of IP workflows with a large number of exhibitors.
This zone also will focus on the work of the JT-NM (Joint Task Force on Networked Media: a combined initiative of AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF) and the AES on a common roadmap for IP interoperability, presented in cooperation with the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) and the IABM. Central to the IBC IP zone will be a live TV production studio that will be built using technologies from the JT-NM roadmap that Belgian broadcaster VRT has been using daily on-air all this summer as part of the LiveIP Project, a collaboration between VRT, the European Broadcasting Union and LiveIP’s 12 technology partners.
“By creating a dedicated zone at this year’s IBC, we are delighted to show what has been achieved and the standards around which everyone can group,” said Crimp. “I look forward to seeing what has been achieved.”
DISTINGUISHED SPEAKERS
Speakers at IBC 2016 will include a keynote address by Lord David Puttnam, film producer whose credits include “The Mission,” “The Killing Fields,” “Local Hero,” “Chariots of Fire,” “Midnight Express,” “Bugsy,” and “Memphis Belle” and which have collectively garnered 10 Oscars, 25 BAFTAs and the Palme D’Or at Cannes.
Keynotes at the 2016 IBC Show include noted filmmakers Lord David Puttnam and Ang Lee (above).
Now chair of the Irish online company Atticus Education, Lord Puttnam will provide his insights on the growth of Facebook and YouTube; how cutting-edge technology is affecting creativity, and the impact of the U.K. Brexit vote on Europe’s creative sector. “Meanwhile, we are very much looking forward to a keynote address by ‘Life of Pi’ filmmaker Ang Lee, as part of our IBC Big Screen Experience sessions,” Crimp said.
The “IBC Hackfest,” will return, with 100 developers brainstorming for 36 hours nonstop to tackle topics such as how VR will change classroom education, and what home entertainment will look like in the future. This year’s Leaders’ Summit will feature 150 media and electronic entertainment executives looking at “Transformational Leadership in the Digital Age,” and the annual IBC Awards will also be presented on Sunday, Sept. 11.
The myriad technical sessions, zones and keynotes are major highlights for the annual IBC Show, but Crimp says the personal networking opportunities make the show stand out.
“Helping business connections happen is where IBC really shines,” he said. “It is the reason people come here from around the world every year, after being exposed to the latest technology at NAB a few months earlier. Most of all, delegates will be able to meet together here to do business; whether on the convention or show floor, or afterwards at the many parties and social events that occur at IBC. After all, we are in Amsterdam, one of the world’s great cities!”
For more details on IBC 2016, visit www.ibc.org.
