NAB 2016 is in the books and, for the 103,000 people in attendance, it’s time to pull together notes taken from across the show floor and hopefully be able to answer a simple question from management: what was the big trend at the show this year? As is often the case with simple questions, there is a not-so-simple answer.
The FCC can take several more steps to expedite the TV spectrum repack and increase the likelihood of achieving its aggressive timeline, including authorizing the use of temporary side-mount antennas, says Dan Fallon, senior RF engineer at antenna vendor Dielectric.
Encouraging Words For A Repack Summit
During an NAB Show panel, it became apparent that both broadcast and wireless interests see value in sitting down together to plan the post-auction spectrum reorganization, with both sides saying a region-by-region approach looks most efficient. T-Mobile’s Steve Sharkey: “Any chance to get together and try to figure out what the right process is is a positive step forward.” I agree; a summit would get further faster than any other method in bridging the gap between broadcasters and carriers.
The CBS tech exec says he has two big questions over plans to move to the next-gen standard: will viewers lose programming now available on subchannels and what is the business plan?
Exclusives
As the push to move TV broadcasting to the more powerful and versatile ATSC 3.0 transmission standard picks up steam almost daily, this week’s NAB Show let attendees get up close and personal with the new tech. The show featured two 3.0 pavilions (one with broadcast gear, the other with consumer tech); more than 15 vendors, universities, researchers and the NAB’s own initiative demoing different pieces of the 3.0 ecosystem. At the opening of the ATSC 3.0 Consumer Experience were: ATSC President Mark Richer (center), flanked by Richard Friedel of Fox Networks (left) and Glenn Reitmeier of NBCUniversal.
The FCC Chairman tells an NAB Show audience: “Hooray for the creative thinking of the broadcast community that brought ATSC 3.0 from an idea into reality. We need to move with dispatch to get that in the public debate.” He says the proposal will be put out for comment by the end of the month. He also says the FCC will announce how much spectrum it wants by the end of the month and reassures broadcasters that he will lead the push to get more money for the post-auction repack if that proves necessary.
Nugen Add-on Eases Stereo Upmixing
At the NAB Show this week, Nugen is introducing a $199 add-on for its Halo upmix software that makes it possible to sleep a bit more soundly for video and […]
FOR-A | Booth C5117 | Website: www.for-a.com FOR-A demonstrated a number of products at the NAB Show. They include: 4K Multi-Viewer Technology The new MV-1200 4K multi-viewer and MFR-16MV multi-viewer […]
Digital Nirvana | Booth SU10410 | Website: www.digital-nirvana.com Digital Nirvana was demonstrating a number of products at the NAB Show. They include: CARTS (for Capture, Analyze, Replay Transport Stream), a […]
Even though the German research institute came out on the losing side of the battle between it and Dolby to be the audio standard for the ATSC 3.0 in the U.S., it’s won over South Korea and is pushing hard elsewhere around the globe.
Wheeler aide Jessica Almond says that it’s possible minority and LPTV owners may sell their spectrum in the upcoming auction, but there are other means available to promote diversity in ownership and programming.
Equipment vendors say that the recent FCC ruling that clears up whether the commission will reimburse TV station owners for relocation expenses before or during the two-part spectrum auction process should mean broadcasters can move forward with engineering studies in advance of the spectrum repack. And those studies can also aid broadcasters in making ATSC 3.0 business decisions.
The station group’s executives spell out how they are bucking the syndication system with their five-year-old strategy to develop home-grown programming like The List and Right This Minute. “Many in the industry thought we were nuts … and five years later, all of our peers are starting their own programming divisions based on the success that we’re having,” said Brian Lawlor, Scripps SVP, broadcast.
Cinegy | Booth SL11116 | Website: https://home.cinegy.com/ Cinegy is highlighting a number of products and services at the NAB Show. They include: “Cinegy as a Service,” a hardware-free way of […]
Vizrt | Booth SL2417 | Website: www.vizrt.com On Monday, Vizrt released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: Augmented reality graphics At NAB, Vizrt will present AR […]
Timecode Systems debuts SyncBac, a tiny timecode generator that fits on the back of GoPro HERO Black and Silver cameras.
Fujinon is displaying 4K Ultra HD camera lenses with new HTEBC coatings and a new barrel design that the company says improves the signal going through the lens.
The ATSC 3.0 Consumer Experience at the 2016 NAB Show offered a look into a future that includes reception of ATSC 3.0 TV signals in next-gen consumer televisions and powered indoor antennas that receive 3.0 signals and retransmit them via Wi-Fi to smart TVs in the home —both next-gen sets and existing HDTVs. Opening the exhibit were (l-r): Mark Richer, ATSC president; Sam Matheny, NAB CTO; and Brian Markwalter, CTA SVP of research and standards.
Sinclair’s top tech, Mark Aitken, says the next-gen TV standard will offer stations a plethora of new business opportunities. “There will come a day shortly where the kinds of services broadcasters are capable of offering” will top those consumers will be able to get anywhere else. “The business opportunities of tomorrow are totally open to the imagination.”
Pliant Technologies | Booth C12719 | Website: www.plianttechnologies.com On Monday, Pliant Technologies, the new professional products division of CoachComm, introduced a new professional wireless intercom product, CrewCom. This is the […]
On Monday, Evertz released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: Artel Video Systems, a provider of innovative IP- and fiber-based media transport solutions supporting global telecommunications, […]
Riedel Communications | Booth C7233 | Website: www.riedel.net On Monday, Riedel Communications released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: The introduction of new ESP-2324 Expansion Smartpanel […]
NAB Show’s Sprockit: A User’s Guide
Amid the massive sprawl of the NAB Show is Sprockit, a cluster of 24 cutting-edge start-ups aimed at enhancing or disrupting traditional broadcasting operations. Kim Wilson, a veteran of Sprockit herself, describes what each is bringing to the table this year.
The two main topics of discussion at the network’s meeting Monday with its Affiliate Board of Governors were addressing problems with ABC’s primetime lineup (particularly at 10 p.m.) and the continuing development of TV Everywhere and OTT plans.
Spectrum sales advocate Preston Padden predicts wireless carriers will bid up to $80 billion for TV broadcasters’ spectrum in the FCC’s incentive auction. While not dismissing Padden’s estimate, wireless attorney Michelle Farquhar thinks bids will end up around $45 billion, driven by consumer demand for mobile video. “Mobile video is getting huge and it’s going to take off,” she said.
TVB chief Steve Lanzano says among this year’s strong local categories are automotive, home furnishings, DIY and health care. On the network side, CBS’s David Poltrack says sales “are up 10% in the first quarter so it’s looking good so far.” He also predicts high advertiser demand for network inventory during the upcoming upfronts.
The veteran producer says broadcast networks are still the programming gold standard. “With broadcast, you may be taking a ton of risk going into it, but you can still potentially create something like The Office or The Biggest Loser, which has huge back-end revenue streams, not just the front-end, commercial upside,” he says.
Broadcast Pix | Booth SL7627 | Website: www.broadcastpix.com Broadcast Pix today announced it intends to acquire ioGates, a cloud-based video production firm with more than a decade’s experience in web-based […]
BroadStream Solutions & Digital Alert Systems | Booths N6315 & N3422, respectively | Websites: http://broadstream.com & http://digitalalertsystems.com On Monday, automated playout specialist, BroadStream Solutions and Digital Alert Systems (DAS) announced a partnership […]
NAB Honors ABC’s Bob Woodruff
NAB President Gordon Smith decries the commission’s push away from broadcasting to broadband, saying there is no “higher and better use of spectrum than serving diverse audiences with free and local TV programming for all citizens.” Service, availability, ubiquity are just some of what set over-the-air broadcasting apart, he says. “It seems everyone wants what we have — our content and our spectrum — but nobody wants to do what we do — live and vital localism.”
AJA Video Systems | Booth SL2505 | Website: www.aja.com On Monday, AJA Video Systems released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: The introduction of HELO, a […]
Wohler Technologies | Booth N6809 | Website: www.wohler.com On Sunday, Wohler Technologies released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: The release of two new products in […]
ChyronHego | Booth SL1210 | Website: www.chyronhego.com On Sunday, ChyronHego released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: The launch of LyricX, an all-new release of the […]
Evertz | Booth N1502 | Website: www.evertz.com On Sunday, Evertz released a number of announcements at the NAB Show. They include: The introduction of OvertureRT LIVE UHD (OVRT-LIVE-UHD), a UHD […]
Harmonic | Booth SU1210 | Website: www.harmonicinc.com Harmonic made a number of announcements Sunday at the NAB Show in Las Vegas. Among them were: Harmonic has launched two new VOS […]
Avid | Booth SU902 | Website: www.avid.com On Sunday, Avid announced a series of innovations for its Avid MediaCentral Platform and its associated modular application suites, delivering further on the key promises […]
