With the media world more open and connected than ever, there’s never been a better time for AV professionals to visit IBC this month. Here’s a selection of what you can see there.
The convergence of all media industries is what makes IBC hugely important for AV professionals; that’s the view of IBC CEO Mike Crimp. “There is no difference, for example, between a broadcast monitor wall and a large-scale digital signage system or an industrial control centre,” he says. “They all depend upon IP connectivity and intelligent processing to put multiple virtual screens on a single high-resolution display. That same IP connectivity might connect a broadcast facility or an AV centre.”
This means that non-showfloor content has also become more pertinent, he argues: “Whereas once there might be specialist sessions, or even a separate event, for the presentation industry, or digital signage, or local television infrastructures, now they have all become part of one open, connected media world.”
The IBC2017 Conference runs over five days and features more than 400 speakers and 90 sessions. Taking the theme ‘Truth, Trust and Transformation’, the sessions will explore new strategies, interpret business disruptors, chart future technological progress and help to plot the roadmap of the media industry. It is organised into five tracks: sports, business transformation, content and production, platform futures, and audiences and advertising.
There will also be a number of keynote presentations. Thursday 16 September sees the ‘Technology Forward Keynote: What’s happening in VR, AR and Mixed Reality?’ This session will look at the current status of VR and associated technologies and the road ahead for VR on consumer devices emerging, as well as showcasing successful VR experiences that highlight the opportunities in areas from entertainment to sports.
The IBC Future Zone brings together new and exciting technologies and innovations in a single specially curated showcase area. The technologies being showcased this year include mixed reality, 3D audio, holographic projections and ‘mind-blowing’ video displays.
Smart AV will create a 6m x 2.5m LED ‘time tunnel’ with a 3.9mm pixel pitch, which will take visitors from night to day and display exciting and innovative content.
VR, AR and mixed reality will also be key topics in the Future Reality Theatre, which is located within the Future Zone. From 16 to 18 September it will present a programme of creative, business and technology sessions on the impact of these technologies.
In ‘Exploring Cinematic VR Experiences’, Guido Voltolina, head of presence capture at Nokia OZO, will talk about how 360 VR technology can bring storytelling to life. Meanwhile, a wholly different application area for the technology will be discussed by Christina Heller, founder of VR Playhouse, in ‘Digital Medicine: Creating great healthcare VR content’.
IBC Big Screen returns to the RAI Auditorium once again this year, showcasing developments in digital cinema and related technologies in a setting equipped with high-end projectors and a superior sound system. The session ‘Laser: The creatives’ voice’ is billed as an ‘art-meets-science exposé’ that will discuss how the appearance of cinema content shown using laser projection compares with other technologies. The panel will consist of the head of cinema technologies at the Odeon chain, a cinematographer, and representatives of Christie, NEC and Sony.
A future without projection will be discussed in ‘Direct View Displays: Is this the end of projectors?’ Panellists from NanoLumens, Samsung and Sony and a chairman from RealD will review how technology evolution is making giant LED displays a feasible option for cinema exhibition.
On the Monday evening, The Big Screen will also host a screening of the recent hit movie Baby Driver in Dolby Vision HDR with Dolby Atmos immersive audio.
Following the success of 2016’s IP Interoperability Zone, IBC 2017 will feature the IP Showcase – designed to demonstrate that real-time IP production is a practical reality that is rapidly being adopted by the mainstream. More than 40 vendors will work together to demonstrate real-world IP interoperability.
And, providing the latest show news and exhibitor information, online and in print, will be the IBC Daily – produced and published on behalf of IBC by NewBay Media, working from an office in the RAI.
IBC’s Mike Crimp sums up the appeal of the event: “There is not just something for everyone: there is a lot for everyone.”
