16 Monday 16.09.13 theibcdaily RDK: the world software
Last year, Comcast introduced the Reference Design Kit (RDK) to the world. Alticast quickly became one of the first licensees, embracing the RDK as an answer to the question of which technology should underlie product. We see the future of the RDK ‘everywhere’ and the basis for DVB, IP and hybrid solutions across the globe. The RDK is a new
philosophy and approach that enables operators to separate the choice of technology from the choice of supplier. To make this possible, Alticast is adding true DVB capability to the RDK including user agent components creating a total solution for operators. It might be tempting to take
a ‘wait and see’ approach to see if this new technology lives up to its promise but we don’t think you should. The RDK is different from the software of today, engaging sooner means a thorough understanding in time to decide if this technology is right for future projects.
Alticast has created an RDK
proof of concept package that requires very little upfront involvement. It enables operators to evaluate the RDK in detail, its structure, performance and benefits. Importantly, it also enables an operator to evaluate the end user performance and potential experience and features. End users and consumers
are technically savvy. Consumers enjoy the PlayStation, X-Box and the iPad. This has raised expectations and demand for quality, simplicity and new features. At ECTA in London and The
Cable Show in Washington this year, the message was clear. The user interface experience, which today handles a host of complex functionality, must be simplified. The winners will merge OTT, broadcast, local media and social TV into an elegant, fast, easy to use experience ready for the demands of 4K resolution interfaces. Whereas the interfaces of today often feel
like a technology toolbox of options, tomorrow’s interfaces must be coherent designer experiences. Alticast began our Windmill product with this in mind. Windmill fits neatly with the RDK and embraces the simplicity design philosophy. In addition more and more of
the product features are evolving to reside in the
operator’s network and the cloud. HTML5 is a good fit for this evolution and is the main application technology of RDK v2.0, which leaves behind its OCAP components from previous versions. HTML5 presents us with a whole new set of optimisation challenges both in performance and memory areas. We must embrace the cloud
Opinion
Chris Thornborrow, chief technical officer Alticast EMEA makes the case for the Reference Design Kit as the basis for DVB, IP and hybrid solutions across the globe
Chris Thornborrow: ‘Tomorrow’s
interfaces must be coherent designer experiences’
and the RDK revolution, all while matching the user expectations, this means facing and overcoming the challenges of HTML5. The question is often asked: ‘When should we start RDK and HTML?’ IBC2013 is an ideal time to assess this and talk to those who have already made the decision. 1F36
Which technology makes cinema sense? Conference Today
By Adrian Pennington Digital cinema rollout is nearing completion
worldwide, but as the home entertainment experience gets ever closer to what was once considered state of the art theatrical, where does cinema
go from here? More specifically, which technology options should the industry place most value in in order to entice punters back to the box-office.
Given that technologies like higher pixel count, greater temporal resolution and brightness range are being pushed to market without the universal standards of the
original digital deployment, hard questions are being asked about who should pay for it when many exhibitors can see a better return on investment in more
comfortable seating than in new screen tech. Wendy Aylsworth, SVP
Technology at Warner Bros leads a panel of stakeholders including vital contributions
from RealD, Texas Instruments and Sony Digital Cinema, to ask whether new audiovisual technology will ‘Sell More Popcorn’ (09:00-12:30, Auditorium).
If, as George Lucas would have it, audio is at least 50% of the cinema experience, then the competition among companies bidding for their technology to become the
successor format to 5.1 and 7.1 surround sound is critical. Can studios or exhibitors afford to mix or install one format over another or is an industry standard called for or even possible? Scrutinise the future of Immersive Audio for yourself later today at the IBC Big Screen (13:30-15:00) with presentations from Dolby, NHK and Barco.
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