SCREEN AFRICA EXCLUSIVE: Ian Dormer reports from IBC in Amsterdam: As the doors open to IBC 2013 in Amsterdam, there is an air of excitement and anticipation as 50,000 delegates gather to find out what the world of broadcasting has up its sleeve.
For an industry used to change, driven by technological progress, the move to file-based digital production has been a tumultuous one, and a major focus at IBC this year is smoothing out the collision between IT and broadcast on digital workflows and the many challenges that need to be overcome.
While 4K is definitely on the agenda, there is a lot of focus this year on the Big Screen, the increasing impact of laser projection, higher frame rates, colour management, and the very latest advances in cinema audio are areas of interest as the gap between television and cinema gets smaller and smaller.
The conference sessions are bound to deliver compelling content yet again. Carefully curated into four distinct streams – Content Creation and Innovation, Advances in Technology, The Business of Broadcasting and Media, and the Industry Insights session. Seven key themes are threaded through the conference and will help drive this year’s agenda.
From Broadcast to Multicast: Collision, Casualties and Challenges looks at the global impact of convergence on the industry and the challenges for all involved as it adapts to the connected world, while Converging Industries: Telcos Flirting with Broadcasters examines the significant strategic shift as the increasing number of telcos entering the broadcast market becomes disruptive. The New Language of Digital Spaces will look at how they are changing the established order, and will cover everything from multiplatform commissioning, through technological innovation in creating content across platforms and advertising on new devices, to the economics of multiplatform. Creating a More Engaging Entertainment Experience will investigate craft skills and the latest theory behind the audience experience, and Production – Innovation in Techniques will see the latest production technologies and techniques investigated and assessed.
Perhaps one of the more interesting conference sessions with a tantalising glimpse of the future comes with Digitisation, Disruption and Growth: Spotlight on India’s Booming Media and Entertainment Market’ on Saturday 14 September. The Indian media and entertainment industry is estimated to achieve growth of 11.8% in 2013, making it one of the most explosive media territories in the world. The numbers associated with the world’s largest democracy tend to be staggering: this year sees India complete the analogue to digital conversion of its cable industry, a move which will require an additional 75 million set-top boxes. The equipment manufacturers are already queuing at the door!
Exciting things to come over the next five days and IBC will provide the best seats in the house for seeing exactly what that future will hold.
