SMPTE Reveals Forum '15 Programme

The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has announced the programme for the SMPTE Forum 2015: 'Entertainment Technology in the Internet Age: A European Perspective'.

Produced in partnership with the Fernseh- und Kinotechnische Gesellschaft (FKTG), with collaboration from the EBU's Technology and Innovation department, the SMPTE Forum 2015 will feature keynotes from industry leaders, including Thomas Staneker of Deutsche Telekom and Chris Fetner of Netflix.

The event takes place 7-8 May at the Fraunhofer-Forum in Berlin.

"With its unique European focus on the creation and consumption of Internet-delivered content, the SMPTE Forum 2015 offers the region's content producers and distributors a valuable opportunity to better understand where the industry is headed and the factors shaping its evolution," said Dr. Hans Hoffmann, head of media fundamentals and production technology at the EBU and conference program chair of the SMPTE Forum 2015. "Experts from around the world will be sharing business and technical insights throughout the conference, and we're particularly pleased to confirm that Thomas Staneker and Chris Fetner will be giving keynote presentations."

Thomas Staneker, head of the international TV technical service centre at Deutsche Telekom, will present 'Impact of Internet Entertainment on Broadcasting'. Chris Fetner, director of global content partners operations at Netflix, will speak on the supply-chain impact of Internet distribution in his keynote 'The State of Internet Entertainment in Europe'.

Picking up the question of Internet traffic management and content regulation, the session 'EU and U.S. Regulatory Environment: A Boost or Bust for Internet Entertainment?' will examine different approaches and their potential impact on the rollout of entertainment services. Jim Burger, partner at Thompson Coburn LLP, USA, will moderate the session. Joining him for a panel discussion will be Anne-Catherine Berg, EBU legal advisor, Switzerland; Peter Pitsch, executive director of communications policy and associate general counsel at Intel Corporation, USA; J. Scott Marcus, an independent consultant based in Brussels; and Peter Eberl, deputy head of unit, electronic communications, European Commission, DG CONNECT, Brussels.

Various sessions will explore different approaches to engaging audience members, whether through content on a second or third screen, via virtual reality headsets, or through use of enhanced audio. 'Delivering Sport to the Fan, by the Fan' will look at how Internet and mobile delivery, combined with the personalisation of content, are changing the shape of live sport broadcasting. Simon Gauntlett, CEO at Digital TV Group in London, will moderate a panel discussion including Stephan Heimbecher, head of innovations and standards in technology at Sky Deutschland; Carlo De Marchis, chief product officer at Deltatre, Italy; and Christy King, chief operating officer at Levels Beyond and chief technology officer at VidLasso, USA.

'Social Media as Entertainment Media?' will examine how changing technology is enabling new trends in content creation, as well as new business models, and look at the new capabilities and services on the near horizon. Deborah Mattatia, head of development and marketing at EPFL Social Media Lab in Switzerland, will moderate. She will be joined by speakers including Leonardo Chiariglione, MPEG chairman and CEO of CEDEO.net, Social TV Value Chain, Italy; Mark Kornfilt, Livestream general manager, U.K.; and Daniel Scuka, senior editor at Spacecraft Operations, ESA, in Germany.

www.smpte.org/forum2015

(IT/JP)