IBC Daily Executive Summary 2017

theibcdaily Executive Summary 51

Business Transformation - Tech Talks

Surfing the
VR web

Leen Segers

Co-Founder & CEO, LucidWeb
Region: Belgium

Interviewed by: Neal Romanek

After years of working for online applications for iOS, Android, “WebVR brings audiences in a more accessible increasingly using VR for health
video platforms, Leen Segers Google Daydream, the Oculus the power of and convenient way. We just care purposes or rehabilitation.
branched out on her own last Rift. Or, on the other end, they’d know this is going to happen All these organisations now
year, and started LucidWeb, a just publish it to a YouTube VR to the web, and we’re building a platform.” stepping into VR will need
software development company player. We believe that there is a which hasn’t a platform to manage this
focused on virtual reality over solution between that makes the been possible So, is Segers proposing a directory of valuable content.”
the internet. LucidWeb has distribution more premium than before” Netflix for VR?
established itself as a consultant just a YouTube or Facebook At the IBC conference,
in the VR space and has been player, but it is more cost “That’s not the right Segers presented about
involved in some large-scale effective to publish your content comparison,” she says. “Netflix LucidWeb’s large scale VR
Europe-wide research projects. via webVR. WebVR brings the is B2C, and we are offering research project carried out
power of VR to the web, which this platform to broadcasters, with help from the Silicon
WebVR is an open API that hasn’t been possible before. which is why IBC is so important Valley-based VR Fund. They
has been developed to deliver for us. Right now we’re looking published a landscape of the
VR entirely within a browser. It is “WebVR leverages the power at large broadcasters and TV VR industry in Europe – one in
currently available on a variety of the browser, which allows channels, but you also see February and one this summer.
of platforms and development you to watch content via the large sports teams now that The report showed strong
continues to expand. browser on every platform have a large potential audience growth in user input, tool
– on a desktop or a mobile for VR content.” development and enterprise
LucidWeb is currently and also on a VR headset,” applications.
fielding funding to build an she continues. “You only Segers’ roots are in
online publishing platform for need to develop once, and media and broadcast, but “The reason we did it is it’s
WebVR experiences. But your distribution is a lot more LucidWeb’s platform isn’t very difficult in Europe – in
what does advantages does effective. WebVR also enables exclusive to broadcasters. VR, but also in other young,
WebVR have over other VR a greater degree of analytics The LucidWeb platform has booming technologies – to
distribution methods? and statistics, even the ability to potential for any organisation have an overview of who
record where a user is looking. with a big VR library. is doing what,” she says.
“The way that content in VR “It’s much more clear in the
used to be distributed was by “We believe our platform will “It could also be for US. We’re really focused on
native applications,” explains allow broadcasters and content universities or for enterprises companies that have made big
Segers. “Companies creating owners to bring their content to with a large directory of steps forward.”
high quality VR had to develop educational VR content,” she
explains. “Or hospitals that are

52 Executive Summary theibcdaily

Platform Futures - Sport

David Shield

Senior Vice President and Global Director of
Engineering and Technology, IMG Media
Region: UK

Interviewed by: Will Strauss

“AI should democratise the
amount of coverage we get and
help to bring down the cost of

high-quality production”

Championship
point

Wandering the halls of the RAI English Premier League heart rate. Coaches are Interesting rallies were packaged in as the ball travels away from
during IBC you’d be forgiven for football, the Rugby World Cup, now making substitution up based entirely on the say so the camera and zooming out
assuming that sports production and the Wimbledon tennis decisions based on this data. of a computer – no producer as the ball comes towards it.
and televised sport in general championships, and worked on I think that the audience would was involved. The computer had
was about to be transformed both the Commonwealth Games be very interested to know learnt what made a good rally.” “That is how we’re used
by either virtual reality (VR) or a and the Paralympic Games. some of that.” to seeing it done,” he says,
step-change in picture or sound Logging is another area that “But with AI a computer
quality. VR and the likes of high At the IBC Conference he Shield also highlights tennis, could benefit from AI. decides, not a human. This
dynamic range (HDR), higher was on a discussion panel in the where the players’ rackets have whole science opens up
frame rates (HFR) and object- Platform Futures: Sport strand accelerometers built-in. “TV highlights are simple huge possibilities.”
based audio permeate through called ‘Beyond Live: New Tech enough but for digital clips,
almost every stand. Pushing the Boundaries’. “You can learn something the logging could become fully So, should camera operators
about just every shot in the automated,” suggests Shield. be worried for their livelihoods?
But while these headline- Shield sees the strengths rally,” he continues. “That kind “For archive logging, there is a Shield doesn’t think so.
making advances in technology and weaknesses of VR, HDR, of data is ripe to be harvested. need for more detail. It’s quite
will doubtless have some HFR et al, but when it comes to The key for producers is finding time-consuming for a logger to “We will probably always
impact on sports production, having a major impact on sports interesting and meaningful ways capture every occasion that a have 25 cameramen around
there are others that may be production, he believes data to display it on-screen.” player kicks a ball or plays a shot a Premier League football
more influential. and artificial intelligence (AI) are during a match. A computer match but at League 2 level,
the star players. Adopting AI could be equally could do that instead.” for example, we could have
That is certainly the view influential, he says, and not just automated remote coverage
of David Shield, senior vice “There is lots of data out there in terms of line calls in tennis or Shield is also convinced that with fixed cameras that would
president and global director of that we haven’t got access to goal-line technology in football. computers can learn some of be difficult to distinguish from
engineering and technology for yet, which sports coaches are the techniques used by camera a fully produced game. Rather
IMG’s sports production division. using, that could make a huge “With video recognition people. By using data gathered than put anyone out of a job,
difference,” he says. “GPS software, you can analyse from tracking a football across AI should democratise the
During an illustrious career, receivers on rugby players, for pictures and determine a the full length of a pitch, a amount of coverage we get
Shield has overseen coverage example, provide speed to the huge amount from them. At computer can start to emulate and help to bring down the
of, among other things, breakdown and a player’s Wimbledon this year, IBM was certain camera moves: zooming cost of high-quality production.”
doing automated clip creation.

theibcdaily Executive Summary 53

Business Transformation

Bill Baggelaar

Senior Vice President of Technology,
Sony Pictures Entertainment
Region: USA

Interviewed by: Chris Forrester

Preparing for the
HDR avalanche

Bill Baggelaar is passionate show like The Blacklist [on “We see HDR a consideration, but they are to be increasingly important
about Ultra HD, and in particular NBC], might not be required as a growing not so great if the workflow is wherever we think there will be
the visible difference High in 4K/HDR but ancillary sales area, and there designed to be efficient from future demand. It might not be
Dynamic Range (HDR) can make [to Netflix] might require the are benefits all the start. It is more a question needed for today’s broadcast
to a production. We spoke to improved quality. I don’t want to of getting everyone on board for outlet, but down the line it has
him ahead of the ‘UHD from just focus on The Blacklist, but around” this new workflow. Of course, to be available.”
Lens to Screen: Who is Calling you don’t want a situation where if you can’t accommodate
the Shots?’ panel at IBC, where you have a wonderful hit show creating HDR versions up front Baggelaar, not unnaturally,
he did not hold back on the where Season 5 is in UHD with due to the schedule, and have didn’t want to suggest that
commitment Sony is making HDR, but not Seasons 1-4! It to go back to remaster when movies and high-end drama
towards 4K/UHD, and was the same with Breaking Bad the time is right, then everyone were not important in driving
especially HDR. [for AMC], where the series was needs to understand the added consumers into the stores to
shot on 35mm film, so we had costs and constraints.” buy HDR-equipped TV displays.
“We look at UHD right the opportunity to go back and “Consumers do that for sport,”
across the board, on all of our remaster all of the episodes in “But I want to make it clear he admitted. “But we add to
productions. Not all of our UHD. The entire series just looks that we see HDR as a growing the drive, the demand, for 4K.
broadcast clients want us to wonderful on a 4K set.” area, and there are benefits all On the broadcasting side, it is a
finish a show in UHD/HDR around, not least from Netflix fact that the networks love the
but as far as episodic TV is Asked to what extent UHD/ and Amazon in terms of ancillary benefits, and would transmit
concerned the technology is ex- HDR added to the costs, and sales. Of course, all of our [in HDR] if they could. They just
tremely important,” he explains. impacted workflow routines, theatrical titles are created with need to figure out how to do it
Baggelaar agreed there was streaming and BluRay disc, and in a reliable and cost-effective
“It is also important an impact. “However, I don’t now UHD BluRay in mind. For way. Then you’ll see an HDR
to remember that a first want to say costs are less of TV, I know that HDR is going avalanche happen!”
transmission, perhaps of a

54 Executive Summary theibcdaily

Leaders’ Summit “There’s an
opportunity to
Bringing Gen Z be everything to
into focus someone, and
not something for
Tom Pickett
everyone”
CEO, Ellation
Region: USA

Interviewed by: Monica Heck

When the audience is YouTube, following a stint in where over time you get the
Generation Z (also known to the US Navy as an F/A-18 pilot economic return from them.
marketers as post-millennials), and ‘Top Gun’ alumnus, he’s It’s a two-way process across
following the audience now in charge of Crunchyroll, a multiple dimensions.”
becomes a major challenge, premium video service focused
particularly for linear TV on Japanese animé with over 20 To target particular audiences,
channels and production million registered users and one there are interesting ways to
businesses. Engaging with Gen million paying subscribers. His go beyond video, according
Z and adapting strategies and remit also includes VRV, a new to Pickett, including fostering
products to attract them and audience-focused subscription communities to enable fans
make money is difficult when platform built for fans of animé, to connect on a deeper level,
their eyeballs are split across animation, gaming, comedy through merchandise and
multiple fragmented channels, and geek culture. events. “The idea is to serve
including YouTube, Twitter, particular audience segments in
Snapchat, Netflix and Amazon, “Gen Z’s whole world is a way that differentiates against
in a seemingly fickle manner. shaped by distribution over the big mainstream services, like
mobile devices,” says Pickett. Amazon and Netflix and Hulu.”
Despite talk of world “They’re not native to the
domination by the likes of Netflix traditional TV bundle; they are While these services are
and its creation of a whole new going to piece together several doing a great job at targeting
content distribution world, there digital services that have brands massive subscriber bases
exists a real opportunity for they have grown up with.” by offering a little content for
audience-focused aggregators everybody, Pickett believes
to emerge, according to Tom To reach this elusive there’s a big opportunity to
Pickett, CEO of Ellation. And demographic, Pickett urges focus on more particular
this could be an opportunity broadcasters to engage with passion areas or audience
for branded distributors and fans on their turf. That means segments. “There’s an
channels who are looking a hefty social media presence, opportunity to be everything to
for new ways to package some patience and the someone, and not something for
their content. acceptance that a YouTube and everyone, by serving audiences
Facebook presence may not be in a way that’s different from the
“This is the next wave,” he major money-making efforts. mass services.”
explains. “There will be a new
set of distributors that emerge “It’s a new concept for a Aggregation and bundling will
and become best in class lot of the traditional folk, that also matter increasingly in the
audience aggregators that a presence and investment future, concludes Pickett. “We
can really super-serve in social media won’t pay are going through a phase of
particular segments.” off immediately in terms of service fragmentation but as we
economics, but will become the move forward, we will see new
Pickett speaks from source of their audience funnel bundles packaged in interesting
experience. Having graduated of the future, such that you can combinations in the video
from the ranks of Google and upsell and drive them to a place distribution world.”

IP
Delivered.

Making the Complex Simple

SAM is at the forefront of
developments in IP with products
that work today in the SDI domain
and allow expansion into the
IP world without excessive risk
or substantial upgrades. Our
switchers, routers, infrastructure
and playout systems are all
available with IP interfaces
supporting both uncompressed
(SMPTE 2022-6 and VSF TR-03) and
a range of compression formats,
including VC-2. Familiar control
interfaces provide hybrid SDI/IP
operation.

Discover more all-round innovation,
visit: www.s-a-m.com