The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) today opened registration for the SMPTE Forum 2015, “Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age: A European Perspective.” Produced in partnership with the Fernseh- und Kinotechnische Gesellschaft (FKTG), with collaboration from the EBU’s Technology and Innovation department, the SMPTE Forum 2015 will take place May 7-8 at the Fraunhofer Forum in Berlin.
“The SMPTE Forum 2015 will explore the extensive impact of broadband media delivery on Europe’s studios, post houses, broadcast facilities, media service providers, and solution vendors,” said Dr. Hans Hoffmann, head of media fundamentals and production at the EBU, former SMPTE standards VP, and conference program chair of the SMPTE Forum 2015. “As larger audiences consume Internet-delivered media on screens ranging from the home theater to computers, tablets, and other mobile devices, new creative tools and new media technologies will be needed to create appealing content that addresses these new viewing platforms and devices. We are delighted to join with FKTG in examining the technical opportunities and challenges that this monumental shift in media consumption habits presents to the industry.”
Factors as far-ranging as EU policy, net neutrality, copyright, and mining “big data” are shaping the possibilities in the complex European market and redefining how the industry engages its audience. The SMPTE Forum 2015 will examine these topics and how connectivity, bandwidth, and media technology improvements will influence media production and distribution across all platforms, from cinema and broadcast to mobile and interactive new media technologies.
The SMPTE Forum 2015 program highlights include a keynote presentation by Chris Fetner, director of global content partners operations at Netflix, who will speak on the supply chain impact of Internet distribution. Discussion on the vision of the European Commission for Internet streaming and on the EU regulatory environment will follow. The SMPTE Forum will also include a keynote on the state of Internet entertainment in Europe and continue with sessions that examine creation and distribution of entertainment content for the Web, the potential normalization of over-the-top (OTT) services as premium content providers, the future of hybrid broadcast broadband TV (HbbTV), second screen in the home and beyond, and social media as entertainment media.
“Chris delivered the opening keynote at the SMPTE 2014 Annual Technical Conference & Exhibition to a standing-room-only crowd and earned rave reviews, and we expect no less at the SMPTE Forum 2015,” said Pat Griffis, SMPTE education VP and executive director of technology strategy in the office of the CTO at Dolby Laboratories. “With its expansion into Europe and other new markets over the past several years, Netflix has become an industry disrupter on an international scale. Chris is positioned to shed light on Netflix’s activities in Europe, as well as the factors shaping the company’s technology decision-making.”
SMPTE Forum 2015 conference sessions are designed for engineers, creatives, and researchers focused on and interested in the future of media over the Internet. Nearly a dozen sessions are on the program schedule. Among these, “Second Screen in the Home and Beyond: US Versus EU Perspective” will discuss the use of PCs, tablets, and other handheld devices to control or complement the main-screen home viewing experience and then move forward to explore recent developments and to compare technologies and consumer acceptance across different markets.
“EU and U.S. Regulatory Environment: A Boost or Bust for Internet Entertainment?” will look at the European approach to regulating Internet traffic management and content and how this approach will affect the rollout of entertainment services. The focus will shift toward sports with “Sport in your Pocket. Delivering to Fans, Anywhere, Anytime Over the Web” This session will look at the anytime, anywhere delivery of sports content to consumers via the Internet.
“Tools of the Trade: Translating Traditional Content for the Web” will discuss the importance of efficient compression techniques and evolving infrastructures in enabling the Internet to support video delivery. “Virtual Reality Entertainment via Web: An Idea Whose Time Is Here?” will look at new possibilities for creating highly immersive virtual and augmented realities, as well as the opportunities and challenges involved in immersive as well as “fragmented storytelling” (or “transmedia storytelling”), in which a story is scattered across different media and devices.
The SMPTE Forum 2015 reception will take place on an evening cruise following the first day of conference sessions. In addition to giving delegates ample networking opportunities, this three-hour guided excursion on the Spree River will provide an extraordinary view of many of Berlin’s most famous sites. The cruise is included with conference registration. Delegates may purchase additional tickets for their guests.
The registration and preliminary program information for the SMPTE Forum 2015 are available here.
