UHD

Carl is off to the International Broadcast Convention (IBC) again!

The 2017 International Broadcast Convention (IBC 2017) is on again in Amsterdam and Carl will be once more jetting off to attend (much to Mark and Marks envy). IBC provides an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their latest offerings in acquisition, post, storage, and broadcast media platforms.

From an production perspective, we have been creating and delivering UHD/4K content for nearly 4 years. In that time we built new 4k edit suites, acquired new 4k cameras, and a new 4k drone. We are not going to stop there we have our eyes on even more 4k cameras, and Carl will be looking at all the latest offerings from Sony, Panasonic, Canon, and Blackmagic Design.

New areas we are expanding into are 360video and Virtual Reality acquisition and continuing our push in delivering custom LMS content. Carl will be keeping a close eye out for IBC vendors in these fields and both the Marks are keen to see what 360 gear he looks at.

Stay tuned when Carl returns we will find out what he learned at IBC 2017!

IBC floor

The CB to IBC 2015!

The 2015 International Broadcast Convention, or IBC, is on again in Amsterdam and this year I (Carl) am making the trip for the first time. The convention provides an opportunity for manufacturers to showcase their latest offerings in technology – from acquisition, post, storage, and broadcast media platforms – anything to do with content really!

So what is it all about? The last 5 years has seen an explosion in the way content is delivered and viewed, as well as the roll out of new formats, including the never ending cycle of increasing resolution! With UHD/4K a reality for end users, talk is now of higher resolutions still and the compression techniques and formats to deliver them. I will be attending seminars and workshops across a spectrum of topics that involve our work now, and where we see it in the future.

From an production perspective, we have been creating and delivering UHD/4K content for nearly 2 years. This process saw us build and commission a new 4k edit suite in the form of an Avid Media Composer workstation that was equally capable of cutting as well as compositing. But this year it is the camera department’s turn and I will be getting hands on with Sony, Panasonic, Arri, Canon and Blackmagic’s 4k production camera lineup prior to purchase. Much to the envy of the two Marks.

In the software areas I’ll be visiting Avid (of course), Adobe, Lightworks and Blackmagic. Blackmagic’s “Resolve” software is rapidly gaining a reputation for editing as well as its more traditional colour correction role. This could see it join Avid as our #1 long form edit platform.

Then of course there are all the other manufactures and “toys” I’ll be looking at. Drones are big news right now, and our current 4K test platform will get superseded by a monster rig with production 4K acquisition in the next 12 months – with my own personal CASA certification.

So stay tuned – on my return I plan to write a series of articles on what I learn at IBC 2015!