IBC 2016 – Get Ready for the Biggest Media Show of the Year

IBC 2016 takes next week in the RAI, Amsterdam. Some 55,000 visitors are expected to attend the show and have the opportunity to meet more than 1600 exhibitors. So what can you expect at this year’s show?

Amongst the hot topics this year are advances in digital cinema, Ultra HD and the transition to IP. The result is an exciting conference program and halls dedicated to new and future technology. Our team has put together a list of must-see conference sessions and zones.

If you are going to the show we would love to hear what you considered to be the highlights.

Fraunhofer IIS Department Moving Picture Technologies Introduces New Tools for IMF Workflows and New Developments for Light-Field Technology at IBC 2016

The Fraunhofer IIS Department Moving Picture Technologies, the leading provider of future-oriented solutions for enhanced digital media workflows, will introduce and demonstrate its latest innovations for production professionals across digital cinema, broadcast and multimedia workflows to stay competitive in the evolving media landscape.

Fraunhofer IIS Department Moving Picture Technologies will showcase the latest advances for cost-efficient, future-proof, secure and standards compliant solutions. These solutions free any workflow to bring new, creative possibilities and immersive viewing experiences that today’s consumers demand and expect.

 IBC 2016 highlights include:

IMF Workflows with easyDCP Software Suite

With more than 1,500 licensees worldwide, Fraunhofer IIS’ easyDCP Software Suite is the leading solution for creation, playback and quality control of Digital Cinema Packages (DCP) and Interoperable Master Format Packages (IMP), both based on ISO and SMPTE standards.  

At IBC 2016, Fraunhofer IIS will unveil:

  • Timeline-based user interface: Users can now arrange and edit input materials in a timeline-based user interface to compose an IMP or DCP. Unlike other industry solutions, no separate editing tool is necessary to conform the material before importing it into easyDCP. This enables a streamlined workflow that saves time and money.
  • Support for markers: easyDCP will support markers that indicate certain events along the editing timeline. For example, inside an IMF workflow for broadcast and streaming, the editor can mark commercial blacks or credits for automated processing down the line. In a DCP workflow, markers in a DCP can indicate intermissions or automatically trigger a change in lighting within the theater management system at the first frame of the end credits.
  • High Dynamic Range (HDR) support for IMF: easyDCP now brings support for HDR and Wide Color Gamut (WCG) workflows. HDR/WCG is the future of UHDTV, with a growing number of adopters including consumer electronics manufacturers and OTT services. easyDCP is ready to process high-end content for the future of television.
  • Automatic quality assurance: A new set of quality control features, integrated in easyDCP, will be shown, in order to ensure accuracy of input materials and encoded IMPs and DCPs. An automatically generated report contains information about image quality, as well as results of a variety of other quality control checks, such as subtitles and audio, that can be applied during media processing. A red or green light gives the user a quick indication on whether or not issues were detected.

Fraunhofer’s easyDCP optimizes IMF workflows, providing the tools and functionalities professionals need to take advantage of this universal exchange format. The IMF provides flexibility in handling multiple versions of content. Little to no redundancy is created when adding dubbed or subtitled versions. This significantly reduces storage space and encoding time. Well-defined metadata in IMPs, along with transcoding rules from Output Profile Lists (OPL), allow for automatic creation of distribution formats like H.264 or Quicktime, to fit the specific device or screen. This is key for cost and time-efficient distribution workflows.

Lici® Codec to Transfer Visually Lossless 4k/60Hz as a Mezzanine Codec

The implementation of Fraunhofer IIS’ Lici® codec within keyboard/video/mouse (KVM) solutions will be showcased with partner IHSE GmbH. Lici® offers a cost-effective transmission solution for remotely used monitors in professional image and movie production environments so a lower cost wire or fiber infrastructure can be used. Ideal also for use in cameras and other multimedia applications, Lici® reduces image data streams bandwidth while maintaining resolution and dynamic range enhancements. The result is visually lossless transfer of 2K, 4K and 8K content for 30 Hz and 60 Hz. Additionally, Lici® is perfect for use with HDR monitors due to its 12 bit color depth capability. Lici® can be easily implemented into existing or new systems.

New to this year’s show, Fraunhofer IIS will provide a new demo showcasing the lossless transfer of video data in 4k/60 Hz for remote monitors.

Trends on Light-Field Technology

Fraunhofer IIS will discuss the latest traction and current creative possibilities for its Light-Field Technology. This includes the considerations and future for virtual reality (VR).

Light-Field Technology enables special effects previously only possible with CGI and multiple reshoots, such as the Matrix bullet effect, refocusing or virtual camera movements. For next-generation cinematic movies and VR, 3D and depth processing via Light-Field Technology enables a more immersive viewing experience. This can be realized in a single shot through a multi-camera array similar to those used for VR, by subsequent image analysis and processing. Fraunhofer will also discuss audio-wave field processing and its role for VR.

Conference Session Light Field Cameras: Technology that is Indistinguishable from Magic?

Dr. Siegfried Foessel, head of the Department Moving Picture Technologies at Fraunhofer IIS, SMPTE governor and president of the FKTG, will hold a tutorial on the subject of Light-Field Technology, including its implications for workflows and post production, at the Big Screen Experience Theater.  The session, Light Field Cameras: Technology that is Indistinguishable from Magic?, will be held September 10 from 9:30AM to 10:30AM.

Cortado: Secure Virtual Data Rooms for External Workers

The on-premises file sharing solution Cortado Corporate Server now enables collaboration with external workers in firewall-protected data rooms

(Denver, 29 August 2016) Cortado Mobile Solutions, manufacturer of the enterprise mobility solution Cortado Corporate Server, announces the availability of a new version. Cortado Corporate Server 8.3 expands its productivity features to include secure virtual data rooms for external workers and subcontractors. In these firewall-protected virtual rooms, these employees can use the solution to access shared files and edit them in collaboration with internal employees.

Companies constantly face the challenge of providing external workers with access to certain documents and the ability to edit files jointly. Previously, companies had to share files by sending documents via email or making them available on public cloud solutions.

Cortado Corporate Server 8.3 overcomes these challenges. Its new virtual data room feature enables employees to set up project spaces for exchanging documents on a separate physical or virtual server. Here, internal and external workers can access files and work on joint projects securely.

The rights to set up virtual data rooms and to invite internal and external workers are held by the project owner. He or she also decides on the allocation of rights of individual users. The virtual data rooms can be accessed from mobile devices or a desktop computer. The user interface is like a file manager with options to move, rename, upload or download the files. If files are edited, Cortado Corporate Server provides fully trackable versioning.

“Customers are always telling us they wish they were able to share files with their subcontractors or freelancers – and without having to use the unsecured public cloud,” said Armin Lungwitz, CIO of Cortado Mobile Solutions GmbH. “We’ve fulfilled their wish. Users can use Cortado Corporate Server intuitively, without switching between different applications. With this, we provide another productivity feature in addition to file access and mobile printing, for all the companies that expect more from enterprise mobility than just the management of devices.”

Further information about Cortado Corporate Server 8.3, as well as a free demo version and a video which highlights the new virtual data room feature, is available at: https://dataroom.cortado.com

This press release and photos can be found at: https://press.cortado.com

Cortado Mobile Solutions

Cortado Mobile Solutions GmbH is a wholly owned subsidiary of Cortado Holding AG, and is responsible for all operations relating to the enterprise mobility solution Cortado Corporate Server. The unique enterprise mobility solution offers the perfect balance between security for the organization, easy manageability for the IT department and maximum flexibility for users.

The on-premises software includes all the tools required for successful enterprise mobility; mobile device management, mobile application management and mobile content management, and can be fully integrated into the Windows backend. IT administrators continue to work with their known systems, Active Directory groups and Windows privileges, and users can access network drives, SharePoint and intranet pages directly from their mobile devices.

Cortado Mobile Solutions follows the philosophy that working natively delivers the highest levels of user acceptance. So Cortado’s enterprise mobility solution fully supports native app management and instead of focusing on separate storage when it comes to file sharing, enables a direct connection to the corporate network. The result is a significant increase in productivity for mobile employees, improved collaboration among teams as well as convenient management for the IT department. Cortado’s enterprise mobility solution is developed and tested at its headquarters in Berlin, Germany. Also experts in offices in the United States, UK, Australia, Japan, and Brazil, highly qualified consultants at our Berlin location as well as a trained, worldwide network of channel partners provide presence and support to local customers throughout the world.

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SET Expo 2016 to Discuss VR and Connected TVs in LATAM

SET Expo, one of LATAM’s biggest media shows, kicks off next week welcoming more than 16,000 visitors expected to view products and applications from over 400 exhibitors. In its 28th year, the show has an extensive Conference Program aiming to discuss key innovation and trends in the region.

Among key topics at the Conference, expect to see:

 

 

  • Virtual reality: a panel discussion in which industry palyers will comment on how to accelerate this technology throughout the industry, including content production, distribution and consumption =
  • Connected TVs: a panel debate that will explore the use of social media and other apps with digital TV broadcasts
  • News and Sports Production: a pannel  debate that discusses the delivery and consumption models for live digital news and sports broadcasting

Are you attending SET Expo this year? Let us know the topics you don’t want to miss.

Pay-TV Innovation Forum’s North American Report Explores the State of Innovation in the Industry and Future Growth Opportunities

NAGRA, a Kudelski Group (SIX:KUD.S) company and the world’s leading independent provider of content protection and multiscreen television solutions, in partnership with MTM, a leading international research and strategy consultancy, today announced the availability of “The Pay-TV Innovation Landscape in North America” research report.  This is the third white paper in a series from the Pay-TV Innovation Forum, a global research programme exploring the innovations and strategies that will drive the next phase of growth for pay-TV operators.

These latest findings outline the current state of innovation and the challenges and opportunities of the highly developed North American pay-TV industry. The U.S. pay-TV industry is the largest in the world, accounting for just under half of $200 billion in global pay-TV revenues. The region is also one of the most advanced with all major service providers offering IP-connected set-top-boxes and 70 percent enabling access to third-party OTT services.

North American service providers are leading the way in introducing next-generation features, including 4K (offered by 25 percent), content recommendations (35 percent), and voice control (10 percent). Diversification into adjacent business areas is another big factor emphasizing the region’s global leadership, with 50 percent of service providers offering home security and automation bundles to customers, mainly leveraging their own broadband infrastructure.

But this advanced market maturity comes with new challenges that require a redoubled emphasis on innovation to adapt to intensifying competition for content and evolving consumer preferences and behaviors. Service providers are adapting to a new on-demand and multi-screen environment, where the line between the core pay-TV offer and paid OTT TV proposition is blurring, while the need to generate new forms of revenues increases. In this context, app-based OTT pay-TV services and Smart Home solutions were stated as the top-two opportunities to drive growth over the next five years.  Providers also taking steps to expand their content  offerings, including through adding standalone OTT service and new forms of content, and further monetize their services through advanced advertising and data services – an area that has already seen strong growth with 35 percent of providers in the marketplace offering these solutions.

The report also delivers executive insights on the critical factors that will drive future success and the key hurdles that pay-TV providers must navigate in order to retain a future-proof trajectory, including balancing investment in innovation and their core business;  shifting business models away from one-size-fits all pay-TV subscriptions to more nimble offerings while maintaining revenues; and clearing the path to pay-TV and OTT co-existence to provide a personalized, high quality and seamless user experience across multiple content services and screens.

“It’s great to see that in a time of unprecedented changes in consumer behavior the North American pay-TV market is consolidating its strength, while also targeting new key areas for further growth,” said Simon Trudelle, Senior Product Marketing Director for NAGRA. “However, service providers mustn’t rest on their laurels. As TV-product competition from new entrants intensifies, pay-TV service providers will have to accelerate innovation and time-to-market to create more value for their customers, with partnerships with vendors and multi-company collaborations set to become increasingly important.”

“The research into the North American pay-TV industry has not only underlined its place as the global leader in innovation, but also its determination to maintain its leadership by actively continuing to innovate and pursuing new opportunities,” said Jon Watts, Managing Partner at MTM. “It has also brought to light key issues, such as adapting more proactively to new technology and market conditions, which, once addressed, could potentially unlock significant value and help drive the next wave of innovation in the industry.”

The paper provides in depth analysis of the product and service portfolios of 20 leading pay-TV providers in the USA and Canada, accounting for around 115 million pay-TV households. A Latin American edition will be available in the next few weeks in addition to the already published Asia Pacific and European editions. Final conclusions will be presented at the 2016 IBC Conference.

To access the report in its entirety and to download a copy of the white paper, please visit https://dtv.nagra.com/paytvif.

Myth Dispelled! The Internet Can be Used for Live TV Broadcasts

Live transport of broadcast quality video over the Internet has long been considered impossible. However, to handle the demands of broadcast services, new solutions have emerged that bridges the gap between the best-effort nature of the Internet and the high reliability and quality requirements for broadcasting.

Recently Sky News Arabia announced it is building a new global content contribution platform connecting 10 global news bureaus with its main hub in Abu Dhabi, UAE. The company has selected Net Insight’s Nimbra VA series to connect the news bureaus globally.

You can find more information about this announcement here.

Sky News Arabia Selects Net Insight for Global News Bureau Network

 Net Insight, the leading provider of live, interactive and on-demand media transport, today announces that the Arabic news and current affairs channel broadcaster Sky News Arabia has selected the company’s award winning media over Internet solution to connect news bureaus globally.

Sky News Arabia is building a new global content contribution platform connecting 10 global news bureaus with its main hub in Abu Dhabi, UAE, and turned to Net Insight for the company’s cost-effective media contribution over Internet solution, the Nimbra VA series with MPEG-4 encoding. The Arabic news and current affairs channel broadcaster will also use Net Insight’s service-centric network management system, Nimbra Vision, for easy at-a-glance overview of the network, service health and performance.

Live transport of broadcast quality video over the Internet has long been considered impossible. And while the Internet was never designed to handle the demands of broadcast services, new solutions have emerged that bridges the gap between the best-effort nature of the Internet and the high reliability and quality requirements of high quality broadcasting. Now broadcasters have the ability to enjoy the same benefits offered by the Internet, such as vast reach and cost-effective price models, as the consumer market has done for years. The Nimbra VA enables broadcasters to use Internet grade transport while maintaining the same strict broadcast quality standards they have become accustomed to.

“By selecting Net Insight we are improving the availability and quality of our global bureau production,” said Suresh Kumar, CTO at Sky News Arabia. “One of of our reasons for choosing Net Insight’s solution is a flexible and dynamic tool to interconnect our wide spread international sites.”

“This Middle East is an important territory for Net Insight and we are steadily growing in this market,” said Fredrik Tumegård, CEO of Net Insight. “Our increased attention and efforts in the Middle East will continue to strengthen our local position and this project represents a significant step forward for our award-winning Nimbra VA platform in this region.”

Net Insight delivered the equipment during the first quarter and the installation is now in its final stage.

DestinationCRM: PipelineDeals Launches Home Dashboard

PipelineDeals Unveils New Home Dashboard to Efficiently Prioritize Business Opportunities

Increased usability and first-of-its-kind features offer a quick, comprehensive snapshot into the real-time sales status and prioritized sales opportunities to drive business forward

SEATTLE – August 16, 2016 – PipelineDeals, the sales and account management CRM provider for SMBs, today launched its new Home tab. The one-stop snapshot includes enhanced usability and new unique features that deliver all information needed to optimize the sales process and increase revenues. The Home tab is mission control for sales teams and management teams to get a clear view to quickly answer two important questions: “How am I doing?” and “What do I need to do next?”

“With the new Home tab, users will see exactly what their priorities and focus needs to be at that moment to quickly achieve their business goals,” said PipelineDeals’ CEO and founder JP Werlin. “Not knowing, or guessing, what the next best action should be is a primary reason that only 27 percent of sales leads are ever contacted. Without the insight and focus the Home tab provides, businesses are leaving money on the table.”

In addition to prioritized metrics to focus on potential revenue and dynamically track sales performance, the new Home tab features two innovative features to address key sales challenges:

Timeliness of Lead Follow-up: The “Latest Email Interactions” feature displays the most recent email interactions from existing leads. This flags the moment a lead opens an email, downloads an attachment, or clicks through a link. This prompts immediate required action as the odds of reaching a lead if called within 5 minutes of an interaction, versus 30 minutes, drops 100 times. This real-time follow-up is essential to increasing sales success.

Deals at Risk of Being Lost: The “Deals Slipping Away” feature assure sales staff and managers don’t lose out on future business. Integrated within the system, it analyzes all prospects based on the monetary value of the deal, the time elapsed since the last touch point, and whether any future action has been scheduled, all with no cumbersome technology add-on required. The feature then ranks these prospects in order of importance and automatically suggests what a salesperson should focus on next.

The Home tab also offers a number of other highly useful sales insights including:

  • A current pipeline component that puts pipeline dollars and deals front and center. The pipeline allows team members to view their current pipeline with all active deals and all expected to close.
  • A simple-to-follow, restyled agenda, outlining tasks due to be completed either on that day, tomorrow or that week.
  • A new pulse stats component, which delivers sales reps and teams with essential performance metrics, such as the amount of revenue won, number of deals won and sales cycle time.

For additional details on the new dashboard, visit here.

About PipelineDeals

Founded in 2006, PipelineDeals (www.pipelinedeals.com) provides small- to medium-sized businesses with the only sales and account management platform capable of delivering certainty in every action necessary to start, develop and grow customer relationships. With a focus on service, PipelineDeals grows revenues by changing the way businesses manage their sales pipeline. PipelineDeals boasts more than 4,000 customers in more than 60 countries and has garnered numerous awards for its work. It was recently named an Inc. 5000 fastest growing company, awarded a top customer satisfaction award by G2 Crowd and selected as one of Washington’s Best Places to Work by the Puget Sound Business Journal.

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