theibcdaily executive summary 43 The technology advancers
Lieven Vermaele Director of EBU Technology
& Development Region: Europe
Immersive, impressive and more intelligent
I
n the few years that Lieven Vermaele has been Director of EBU Technology & Development, IT technology and IP networks have been the rage, and software has become so all-powerful that he expects, “IBC to be an app store within ten years. “We will have a full production system in a single smart mobile device, with everything running on software,” says Vermaele. “It is no longer radio and TV, but multi-channel, and this leads to new thinking about programmes and products, and reaching the user via broadband internet.” He adds: “With the increases in devices, audiences, and networks, interoperability is the vital factor.” With the EBU’s fundamental membership responsibilities for
cost, reach and quality in mind, Vermaele was tasked with telling broadcasters how to prepare today for prospering tomorrow. Can public service broadcasters be future proofed? “Preparation is focussed on three key topics – going integrated, going IT and IP based, and going over the top using hybrid systems,” he says. “If broadcasters don’t do that today, they will not be here tomorrow. Taking the tapeless route is vital. “For prospering tomorrow they must work on another three elements – being more immersive, more impressive, and more intelligent,” he added. The first is about 4k, 8k and higher frame rates. The second is about reach – creating better experiences,
By George Jarrett
enhancing reality, and being on more devices. Intelligence in devices yields so much data about the users.” Vermaele expected “less 3D and more 4k” at IBC, and much
more IT-based production. Are there any frustrations or unknowns? “We still have problems with HD in the file-based environment, so
We will soon have a full production system in a single smart mobile device
how are we going to move to 4k easily,” he said. “We all know more or less what can come, and in the long term it will be a total software environment.”
The EBU has done some tests on 4k. “It is part of our more immersive history that we create our own test materials for our own programmes with codecs and other systems, and we have looked at the impact of 4k and 3D on new technology,” Vermaele said. “With higher frame rate 3D the limitation should not be the storage. HFR has value in terms of better pictures, and it does not need much more coding. The issue is that the pipeline is not ready.” With full IP networks on everyone’s agenda and the passing of SDI on the horizon, streaming is surely what broadcasters have to master best.
“Everything that will happen will be understood, and broadcasters should focus on internet streaming. But it is far from perfect,” Vermaele emphasised. “We need content delivery networks and a neutral internet ready to distribute media. We need better caching, and there is a lot of work to be done on interoperability.”