January 28, 2020
The SBE will bring two premier educational broadcasting events to Las Vegas in April at the 2020 NAB Show and the 2020 PBS TechCon. Both events provide opportunities for SBE broadcast and media engineers to expand their knowledge on a world-class stage.
Ennes Workshop
For the 26th consecutive year, the SBE is a conference partner with the NAB Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference, the longest running and largest of the NAB Show conferences. Kicking off the BEITC on Saturday morning, April 18, is the Ennes Workshop, presented in conjunction with the SBE. Industry veterans Tom Mikkelsen and Stan Moote co-chair a cutting edge lineup, called “Multiplatform SuperSession.”
The Ennes program begins with Madeleine Noland, president of ATSC, who will provide an update on the progress of ATSC 3.0 and various market transition activities. Next up is a panel of experts in a supersession called Multiplatform is Key. It will include tangible examples and finish up with a panel moderated by IABM CTO Stan Moote to debate the various opportunities to simplify workflows.
Next Generation Audio is the next session, continuing on the multiplatform theme. The session focuses on Next Generation Audio (NGA) and how consumers will experience audio content in optimized quality, lining up with whatever platform they are using. The promise of NGA is to free producers from having to create multiple audio mixes by producing a multi-purpose audio package.
Then comes Understanding Internet for Video Transport, with Malik Kahn, former chairman of LTN Global. The Internet has become key for multiple platform delivery, backhauls and net distribution feeds. Malik explains how, where and why redundancy is essential.
IP/SMPTE ST 2110 Update and Implementations comes next with Karl Paulsen, CTO at Diversified. IP is vital for multiplatform operations. Karl will review some of the installs and how ST 2110 and SDI work in harmony.
BXF and TAXI Standards for Multi-Platform Distribution will be presented by Chris Lennon, president of MediAnswers. With recent developments in the fields of content delivery specifications, HDR, AFD, Proxies, Captioning/Subtitling and Automated QC have broadened the relevance of BXF (Broadcast Exchange Format). Chris will give an update on BXF and explain how the TAXI (Trackable Asset Cross-Platform Identification) initiative will provide an open, standardized means of tracking content across all forms of distribution. It will address many use cases, including audience measurement, ad insertion, second screen apps and a wide array of others.
The SBE @ PBS TechCon
After a successful partnership in 2019, the SBE is again providing a program for the PBS TechCon. Held at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, the SBE program will be presented on Saturday, April 18.
The morning of the day-long session focuses on audio quality. Most have a fair grasp of the basics of microphones and how to capture sound, but there are nuances in capturing the best possible sound. Steve Savanyu, director of education services at Audio Technica, has a penchant for clear and precise explanation of the most esoteric and technical aspects of transducer physics and technology. He is also an adjunct professor of audio for video at Kent State University. Audio Technica will facilitate and support the program with the equipment necessary to demonstrate and teach miking and mixing.
The afternoon topic is “Managing Modulation for NextGen Broadcast.” The program will focus on the decision points of ATSC 3.0 implementation. Experts will discuss the modulation/workflow profiles that are most realistic for various uses: datacasting, mobile file downloads, low and high resolution content, emergency communication and potential other uses of NextGen transmission.
How to attend
To participate in the Ennes Workshop at the 2020 NAB Show, register for the full BEIT Conference through the NAB Show website. BEITC registration includes all BEITC sessions (Saturday through Wednesday) and admission to the largest broadcast/media exhibition in the world. SBE members are eligible for a $100 discount off the non-NAB member registration fee by using the registration code SBE20.
To attend the SBE sessions as part of the 2020 PBS TechCon and Beyond, register through the SBE website. SBE members and employees of PBS and NPR member stations get discounted prices. Register for just the morning session, the afternoon session or register for both at a further discount.
