A half-day program on IPTV focused on business opportunities, as well as issues of management, deployment and systemization.

John Delay of Toronto-based Harris Corp. began the session with an overview of the market and potential opportunities. "IP networks are changing social behavior through new media experiences … we are moving from a mass market to really many avenues with the same content. Historically, new distribution models took 10-15 years to achieve a mass adoption. I think we will see accelerated time to market for these new services."

Delay reported projections that by '09, mobile video services would be a $4.6 billion industry, and mobile audio services a $2.2 billion industry. "We are also seeing new forms of advertising evolve," Delay said. "IP networks allow us to track consumers and reach audiences with the desired targeted content."

Following this address, the session moved to engineering-related quandaries, such as the challenge of moving content around the home and connectivity to multiple IP and non-IP based technologies.

Another session focused on the challenges of HD in the consumer marketplace. Charles Crawford of Washington, D.C.-based Television Production Services offered an opening address. "What is the state of HD? Confusion," he began. "For the consumer, it's a buyer beware marketplace with incompatible formats and a risk of obsolescence.

He noted that the market currently contains technologies that support incompatible formats including the new HD DVD and Blue-Ray Disc high definition DVD technologies, and in devices including new PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 consoles. Crawford questioned, "How compelling are the next generation formats? Is it enough to get consumers to buy new players and update their collections to HD."

During the event, Ed Hobson completed his final SMPTE conference as the organization's president. In January, Paramount's VP of engineering and technical services Bob Kisor will begin his term as president. Last week, Kisor took some time to talk with SHOOT .

"The broadcast industry has been going through the analog to digital transition for the last 10 years. Now the film industry is going from film-based to a data-based transition, It's a watershed change; it's a whole new workflow."

On SMPTE's agenda is the completion of the digital cinema standards the organization has started and development of new ones to reflect evolving technologies and workflows. Kisor related that another key item is to "make sure those standards are understood worldwide so that distribution of digital content can be accommodated in all territories." As part of the Digital Cinema portion of the SMPTE program, Warner Bros. hosted a 2k digital cinema screening of The Departed on its Burbank lot.

In this time of rapid change, SMPTE also welcomed a new executive director, Kimberly Maki, who comes from the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) where she served as VP of marketing, membership and business development. SHOOT caught up with Maki on the first day of the conference, which was her third day in her new role. She said that she was looking forward to implementing the board's agenda, and that communication would be a part of the mix.

"SMPTE has a really good story to tell," she said. "I see a really good quality organization that needs to be seen and heard more than they are." She explained that to this end, she would look to expand availability of SMPTE content on its web site, and in general have a larger presence in the industry.

Awards

An event highlight was the honors and awards reception. Recently-retired Entertainment Technology Center president/CEO Charles Swartz received a lengthy and heartfelt standing ovation as he was awarded the Society Citation. Similarly, the group came to its feet to warmly recognize outgoing SMPTE president Hobson, who in a surprise announcement was inducted as a new Fellow in the British Kinematograph Sound and Television Society (BKSTS). Another special moment was a standing ovation for Snell & Wilcox's Roderick Snell as he was awarded the SMPTE Process Medal.

Among the evening's additional honorees were Cannon's Laurence Thorpe, who received the Society Citation, and Fuji's Sadayuki Sam Yamaryo, who was bestowed the Technicolor/Herbert Kalmus Gold Medal.

The Society also inducted numerous members as Fellows, including Jim DeFlippis, Fox; Patrick Griffis, Microsoft; Howard Lukk, Walt Disney Studios; Andrew Maltz, AMPAS; Jerry Pierce, Universal; and Marc Walker, Thomson Grass Valley.

By Carolyn Giardina - Reported in Shoot Magazine October 27, 2006