IBC loves 3D

This year’s IBC has been a great one for the Twofour Digital team and not only because our hotel was conveniently located on Dam Square. Sharing the Microsoft stand, alongside telling the Twofour Digital story in the form of unveiling a great new demo, (watch this space for the official launch) put us in a great position to share the benefits of our products and services for several different market sectors. Despite being in competition with 1,300 other exhibitors we didn't even notice the 7% fewer registered attendees at this year’s IBC.

I also found it to be a great opportunity to discuss key trends with industry veterans. One in particular which stole a lot of column inches in the IBC Daily Magazine was 3D Television. Ben Waggoner of Microsoft and I mused over the concept, jumping ahead in considering the challenges faced in delivering 3D online. We agreed that the technological barriers can be overcome, however the real challenge is to convince content owners that there is a worthy investment to be made in supplying a 3D version of their content online, especially when we consider that most people who currently enjoy the 3D experience the most are likely to spend a greater proportion of their time online than they do on air. Think of all the big Hollywood movies that have come out recently; Monsters vs Aliens, Bolt and the soon to be released Shrek Forever After; they all have something in common besides the occasional duck of the head when an object appears to come flying at you; they share a similar target audience. Cinema-goers of these films are growing up in a highly advanced digital era and in many cases surpass their parents in their computer aptitude because of where and how they choose to spend their time.

Only time will tell which content owner will be the first to realise this opportunity and give the end user the option to watch a 3D version of all their video content online, (akin to how you and I can select to watch a clip in high definition). Hopefully, this will be sooner rather than later and not just because I want an excuse to wear tinted shades indoors.

IBC draws to an end

The 6th day is coming to an end, and its time to reflect on IBC 2009. First of all, from our perspective, its been our best tradeshow ever. Why? Perhaps a combination of reasons:
1. Being invited to exhibit with Microsoft meant that there was a lot of high quality traffic exploring the Smooth Streaming ecosystem
2. Having clearly identified our product sets (MEDIAFREEDOM platform, Webcasting & Events and Systems & Consultancy) backed up by our brilliant new website and literature (thanks team!) meant we had a consistent and clear story to tell
3. Having a great demo (based on a soon-to-be released) client video site, using Smooth Streaming and PlayReady DRM (integrated into Inlet's Armada platform) proved the whole solution (especially as it was accompanied by our client's unsolicited testimonials)
4. The great stand team of David, Andy, James, Temi and Paul and Phil - long days and longer nights, WELL DONE all and we're sure the results will be great.

Now, MS are about to turn off the internet (!) so I'd better publish.

See you back in the UK and thanks to all who contributed.

IBC - Saturday

Beautiful sunny morning here in Amsterdam. Looking forward to a busy day at the show. 30 minutes in and there are people around already!

Heres to a good one...

IBC 2009 is open

Here we are at IBC 2009 and the show has just opened. We're in the Topaz lounge on the Microsoft stand so do come and say hello.

We've certainly got a lot to show and our live encoding to Silverlight and iPhone, PlayReady DRM, and SmoothStreaming from MEDIAFREEDOM are already generating lots of interest.

Looking forward to seeing you there.

IBC 2009

Well, we're off to IBC in Amsterdam now. Some of the team are already in the air, pathfinding for us ... aka buying some folders and a hole punch and starting the exploration of Amsterdam.

No Sony, no Apple, no Microsoft party ... its going to be a very different recessionary show this year I think.

And we're delighted to be there, in the Topaz Lounge (thanks for the invite MS!) demonstrating solutions for Smooth Streaming, Silverlight and PlayReady. And for those who aren't 100% sure what these are:

Smooth Streaming: New method to deliver TV-like experiences online with no 'buffering'
Silverlight: Microsoft's new media player that offers experiences like a high-end set top box on your Mac (!) and PC (and Linux if you are inclined that way).
PlayReady: Another new technology, this time to protect high value content on Mac and PC. Think DRM with a lot less pain than last time.

Come and see us and be surprised!