Well, it’s a Mediatech time once again and this years’ show looks to be the biggest one yet. Following on the success of previous years, Mediatech maintains its spot as the continent’s premiere technology trade show; conceived as a nucleus of interface and networking for the advanced technology, broadcasting, pro-AV and entertainment industries.
With over 6 395 attending Mediatech in 2011 including 270 from 40 foreign countries, 2013 aims to break all previous records with over 7 000 expected visitors from the continent and around the globe. Over 120 exhibitors and thousands of products across multiple verticals will be the central focus of the expo, as well as peripheral happenings where the industry is encouraged to participate.
Speaking of happenings, Mediatech 2013 is chock full of events and things to do and see. The first-of-its-kind Africa Loudness Summit is set to make an impact on the broadcast industry in a profound way, addressing the problem of fluctuating loudness between programmes, ads and channels. This has proven to be a huge problem not only for viewers but for content producers, production houses and broadcasters due to a lack of standards being followed in the industry as a whole. Presented by EBU PLOUD Chairman and leading loudness expert, Florian Camerer and hosted by sector training leaders Asikhule, the EBU R128 loudness standard will be the central issue of discussion. So if you want to know what R128 is all about, come along to the seminar.
As usual, the outdoor sound demos look to be as big a hit as they have been in past years. Eight major distributors will be showcasing their latest, biggest and baddest loudspeaker systems in a barrage of A/B madness. The demos will be running throughout each day of the expo so expect BIG sound.
SABA, the Southern African Broadcasting Association, will be presenting the Digital Broadcasting Infrastructure and Platforms Seminar aimed to arm broadcasters across a wide range of media with the industry knowledge on how to successfully build and manage an effective digital broadcasting infrastructure. Points of interest in the seminar include DTT (Digital Terrestrial Television), IPTV, DTH satellite broadcasting and a host of other topics related to digital broadcasting.
Of course, it doesn’t end there as there are many other events to attend such as the Tadco Technology seminars; the Designing AV Systems for the Digital System seminar by Extron; the Internet Protocol & Network Essentials for Broadcast Engineers conference by Sacia; the Art of Followspotting by Philip Kruger Consulting; and the Mediatech Exhibitor Networking party, which is always a big hit when it comes to meeting and greeting because, after all, Mediatech is about making connections and getting in touch with the right people in your field.
The African Loudness Summit
This industry-wide overview of “all things loudness’ offers a unique opportunity to benefit from global experience in solving the loudness problem and in dealing with loudness regulation.
Florian Camerer will share Africa-relevant know-how and what R128 means in practice – the real implications, the real costs, gearing up (and down) and practically developing and implementing necessary new procedures associated with compliance.
Whether you’re in broadcast, production, live or post – whether you’re a financial decision maker, an engineer or an operator – this one-stop, learn-it-all conference is for you!
Day 1: An Introduction to Loudness: what is the problem? What is loudness? The international standard ITU-R BS. 1770-3; EBU R128 in detail; loudness in television, radio, film and music.
Practical Guidelines – The African regulatory framework; what we need to do to stop the loudness wars in Africa; EBU mode metering and its practical application.
Day 2: A Broadcaster Perspective – Challenges, opportunities and best practice; EBU R128 in a broadcast workflow; live and packaged content; ingest, normalisation and asset management; the time and money implications of EBU R128.
A Production Perspective – Challenges, opportunities and best practice; EBU R128 in a production workflow; production guidelines for live and post production; the time and money implications of EBU R128.
Day 3: Vendor Offerings – Commercial overview and demonstrations of metering; normalisation, media management, loudness workflow and related technologies; training and consulting opportunities.
Open Forum Discussion – Regulators, broadcasters, production and post-production professionals, vendors talking loudness; next step?
Live outdoor sound demos
The outdoor sound demos have to comply with noise and environmental bylaws. Therefore all structures may not exceed six metres in height nor 85dBSPL long term in sound pressure level.
SABA Digital Broadcasting Infrastructure and Platforms Seminar
The SABA seminar will disseminate their course in the following schedule:
Day 1: Platforms for sustainable digital broadcasting infrastructure
Session 1 – This workshop session will highlight some of the key issues that broadcasters may encounter as they engage in the process of implementing and rolling out their digital broadcasting services. Real-life case study scenarios will be employed to highlight the issues and challenges as well as the practical solutions that can be implemented by broadcasters and other industry stakeholders.
Session 2 – As satellite broadcasting technology is to be considered by many industry experts as playing a major role in the push to the DTT platform in Africa, many broadcasters and regulators are reviewing and scrutinising the role of this technology and associated services. This workshop session will turn the spotlight on satellite-enabled broadcasting. It will showcase the benefits of this platform and examine what, if any, synergies there might be with the DTT platform. Issues and solutions—on the technical and commercial sides—will be addressed to give a comprehensive and informed understanding of what can be accomplished with the technology.
Day 2: Delivering DTT: Innovative Solutions and Platforms
Session 3 – The consumer-side equipment, ie. the digital set-top box (STB) and integrated digital TV (IDTV) devices, will ultimately determine the success, or otherwise, of migration to Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) in Africa. This workshop session examines the crucial issues and factors that broadcasters, regulators and other members of the industry need to be aware of and act upon to offer effective consumer equipment and support to their viewers. Technologies, platforms and solutions will be examined from the technical and commercial perspective providing a 360-degree view to attendees.
Session 4 – One of the key benefits of digital broadcasting is that it allows for the creation and provisioning of services in a way not previously possible with analogue infrastructure. This workshop session will assess the new and innovative platform that broadcasters and service providers can take advantage of to bring additional services and applications to their markets. It will fully examine how platforms such as IPTV and VoD as well as triple-play services can be effectively and profitably deployed. The session will examine how the various stakeholder relationships are structured and how these can be fully leveraged.
Day 3: Digital Radio and DTT Implementation Checklist
Session 5 – Radio has been determined as the killer application of broadcasting. The access and reach of radio put the platform in a crucial position, especially as jurisdictions aim for the universality of digital broadcasting services. This workshop examines the various technologies, platforms and evolving solutions available for digital broadcasting and how broadcasters and regulators can rapidly implement the applicable platform that suits their respective needs.
Session 6 – The session will produce a broadcaster-based “checklist’ for the digital switchover. Under guidance from session leaders, participants will break off into focus groups to discuss the issues under the following headings:
– Technology
– Content
– Spectrum and licensing
– Regulatory issues
– Business case for broadcasters
– Transition management
– Funding and financing
Relevant feedback from the group discussions will be compiled and condensed to create a practical checklist that will serve as a resource for African broadcasters as they navigate their way through the process of DTT deployment and implementation.
