IBC

RTS London looks at the key trends from IBC 2022

The first in-person IBC since before Covid demonstrated two big themes. First, the industry’s post-pandemic recovery was threatened by the worldwide cost-of-living and energy crises. Second, Covid had accelerated the adoption of Cloud-based working practices such as remote production – with perhaps five years of technical advances squeezed into two years.

RTS London and IET focus on the IBC Accelerator Programme

Normally at this time of year, RTS London partners with the IET to review the International Broadcast Convention in Amsterdam. However, IBC was yet another victim of Covid-19, with events moving online.

Accelerators are fast-track, collaborative innovation projects that address complex media and entertainment industry business and technology challenges. There were eight IBC projects this year, running for around five months.

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IBC technology advisor Mark Smith predicted that 5G would boost the power of mobile networks to distribute media and entertainment content.

Deloitte media consultant Khalid Hayat forecast a future of cloud-based multi-platform, high-speed networks, feeding a wide range of platforms and devices, with not just subscription video on demand (SVoD) but cheaper, ad-sup- ported VoD at perhaps half the subscription rates.

IBC 2019 examines the rise of 8K

IBC keynote speaker Andy Serkis performing in Dawn of the Planet of the Apes (Credit: 20th Century Fox)

Ask attendees of this year’s IBC about what caught their eye at the giant Amsterdam tech fest, and only a few will cite new product launches.

Instead, they’ll talk about the technology trends that were evident at the trade show, and about how they left the event with a far better understanding of the future direction of travel in the complex and ever-evolving world of broadcast technology.

Lawrence Card named RTS Young Technologist of the Year 2019

Lawrence Card (Credit: BBC Academy)

Card has spent the last two years on the BBC Broadcast Engineer Trainee graduate scheme, working towards his MSc in Broadcast Engineering.

During this time, Card has worked with the Radio Projects, World Service Distribution and Research and Development’s Immersive and Interactive content team.

Card is currently investigating how AI and machine learning can assist programme teams who require vision monitoring for his final project.

RTS London: IBC Review

The International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) drew almost 56,000 people to Amsterdam in September, a small decrease on the year before. However, the number of conference delegates increased by 14% on the year before.

Channel 4 chief operating officer Keith Underwood, who chaired the IBC content steering group this year, argued that the annual media entertainment and technology show had been a success.

Gareth Reid named RTS/Atos Young Technologist of the Year

Gareth Reid (Credit: Richard Kendal)

Reid, who graduated from the BBC Broadcast Engineering scheme after joining as an apprentice in 2013, receives an all-expenses paid trip to the broadcasting trade show, IBC, in Amsterdam this September.  

The young engineer was chosen to receive the award, which is sponsored by digital technology giant Atos, by a panel of industry judges, chaired by digital media consultant Terry Marsh. “It was a very strong field this year, however Gareth stood out immediately,” said Marsh.

IBC Review, joint Southern/Thames Valley event

Despite the prevalence of artificial intelligence and machine learning at the Amsterdam broadcasting technology show – which some fear could see people replaced by machines in the industry – the panellists were optimistic about what they saw.

Peter Owen, a part-time consultant for IBC, offered a brief history of the trade fair, from humble beginnings at London’s Royal Lancaster Hotel in 1967 with just 32 exhibitors and 500 delegates, to today’s behemoth of 1,600 exhibitors with 55,000 delegates from 170 countries.

How TV can keep up with technology: IBC review

This was the key message from the London Centre’s review of this September’s IBC, which was held jointly with the Institution of Engineering and Technology at the latter’s sumptuously refurbished HQ on the banks of the Thames.

Amsterdam’s annual media technology event welcomed more than 1,600 exhibitors and 55,000 visitors to its exhibition halls and conference sessions. The RTS and IET are two of the six partners behind IBC.