“This is the first in-person IBC since 2019, so perhaps it’s no surprise the industry is keen to show how it’s responded to the huge changes in how and where content is created and consumed.
“While vendors have been forced to find more creative ways to market themselves during the pandemic and many have done a great job doing so, the return of live events has shown that there really is no comparable substitute for face-to-face business engagement on the scale IBC can deliver.
“Technology has been greatly accelerated across the industry and exhibitors are keen to demonstrate these advancements to customers and prospects whom they haven’t seen face to face for three years in some cases. Virtual networking cannot compete with the physical networking opportunities that IBC provides and, of course, our industry has always been one that relies on social interaction and is built on strong relationships – you cannot recreate the beach atmosphere via Zoom drinks, for example.”
In terms of the technology presented, solutions that enable remote production, those that use the cloud and 5G and that facilitate the transition to IP, as well as virtualized tools and much more will be just some of the points. highlights of the living room.
Connolly added: “All key players are returning, such as Avid, Adobe, AWS, Blackmagic, Comcast, EVS, Google, Grass Valley, Lawo, Microsoft, RedBee, Riedel, Sony, Synamedia, Arri, Broadcast Solutions, Bridge Technologies , Canon, Mediakind, Rohde & Schwarz and Ross, but we are also delighted to see a number of companies making their IBC debuts this year, such as XRoadMedia, Castr, Ai-Media, Igalia and many more. .
EVS, for example, is about to introduce a new software content exchange as a MediaHub service to IBC, which is supposed to make content distribution to rightsholders more efficient. Cloud-based sharing and distribution service will allow rightsholder production teams to instantly browse, capture, select and deliver content from multiple camera angles and multiple locations using one user interface Intuitive web. Also new will be MediaInfra, which offers advanced real-time control, monitoring, conversion and processing for SDI, IP and hybrid broadcast infrastructures.
New features via software upgrades are introduced for almost all Lawo radio products at IBC. Examples include v7.1 software for the new Diamond Broadcast mixing console, which adds computing and usability features such as monitor section PPM counters and media type icons, PPM counters in the upper center displays , extended source selection and access logic options. In addition, version 4.4 of the RƎLAY virtual radio software for Windows will make its debut at the show.
Avid, meanwhile, will focus on its storage solutions, with the latest line of Avid Nexis F-series storage engines offering performance of up to over 30 GB per second. Avid Nexis VFS virtualizes storage into a single pool of shared resources and has built-in intelligence to automate administrative tasks.
Visitors to IBC will be among the first to get their hands on the new Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K G2, the latest model from the imager that features an adjustable touchscreen and larger battery for longer shots, as well as support for an optional electronic viewfinder.
Additionally, Sony will be bringing its recently introduced HDC-F5500 system camera to IBC. Featuring a Super 35mm frame and 4K CMOS global shutter image sensor, it is designed to provide a cinematic look with easy integration into live production systems.
For Grass Valley, areas of interest include its Kula IP switches, with the Kombine licensed option introducing a new architecture, and the agile production and distribution platform AMPP, which now supports NDI v5.0. AMPP’s NDI Discovery Service allows operators to automatically find and list all NDI sources running on the network, including sources not loaded on an AMPP fabric. Sources can be quickly added to an AMPP dashboard and treated like any other source. To reduce I/O requirements for graphics, a single NDI stream supports alpha channel for keying and padding.
The open source consulting firm Igalia will present version 1.0 of the Wolvic XR browser. The company said it was working on releasing APKs for select systems and making Wolvic available on Oculus Quest through the App Lab.
Ai-Media, meanwhile, will introduce attendees to a one-stop-shop for captioning that it created following its acquisition of EEG Enterprises in 2021. By integrating EEG’s cutting-edge technology, Ai-Media claims to be the only provider capable of offering an end-to-end solution. subtitling and translation solution to meet any customer requirement or price.
Elsewhere, 8K and cloud-optimized solutions will be on the menu at the Cinegy booth, with visitors treated to demonstrations backed by the newly optimized Daniel2 codec. For example, there will be demonstrations of how Cinegy Air Pro simplifies multi-channel streaming, allowing customers to operate multiple channels with flexibly configurable functionality from a single unit. A demonstration of Cinegy Capture will show how operators can work “with a rich client interface” running anywhere on the network, simultaneously generating all the versions needed for archiving, editing and remote work.
With advancements in virtual production technology on the agenda of many IBC attendees, Roe Visual is releasing the Ruby 1.9BV2, described as a high-performance, broadcast-grade HD-LED panel, while the software provider Caton IP network transport introduces a new application for collaborative and remote workflows called Caton NDI Gateway.
Globecast outlines some key strategic growth initiatives as it seeks to drive the digital transformation of its customers. For example, it has built an ecosystem of partners to deliver end-to-end OTT video services through the cloud. The objective is to enable customers to better monetize their multi-screen offers via secure, robust and flexible technologies with optimized business and technical solutions.
Away from the tech on the show floor, there are also other highlights to watch out for, according to Connolly. “The Accelerator program has a phenomenal array of brands working together on projects focused on 5G, blockchain, remote production, volumetric video and XR, among others. The Acceleration Zone will be in Hall 2 next to our new Innovation Stage,” he said.
Connolly concluded: “In 2020 we had hoped to unveil the new home of Content Everywhere in the newly expanded Hall 5, so we are very proud to finally be able to reveal it and it will be bigger than ever. We also have the CE Stage in Hall 5 and the brand new Showcase Theater in Hall 12 – all offering free content to attendees on the showfloor.