International Broadcast Conference(IBC) News: Segment 1

IBC2008 proved to be one of the biggest and most successful electronic media shows yet in welcoming 49,250 visitors from all over the world. Visitors interacted with new technology, experienced world first demonstrations and learnt about some of the most profound topics to be raised within the industry. Each video in the series covers one day at the conference.

According to IBC conference chairman David Crawford, "It has given us a really super global vision of technology across the world. There have been two success factors. Number one has been the huge advances in technology, and this goes right across from mobile platforms, Super Hi-Vision and the development of DVB-T2, to stereoscopic 3D," he added. The second big success has been the ability for IBC to make our sessions truly global in value."

Much attention was focused on content access via the web ? quality of delivery, selection of content, evolution of services discussed now that convergence is here the consumer is in charge. However, convergence has turned out to be software, not hardware, and the key to convergence is the creation and consumption of content across multiple devices. Consumers have become directors and content providers while gaming consoles and mobile phones are used to watch TV.

To be able to deliver premium content over IP, robust delivery mechanisms with quality of service guarantees is required to ensure consumers are prepared to pay to watch. Experts questioned the steps required to ensure that new delivery and consumption alternatives achieve consumers' expectations? And if commercials - targeted or otherwise - subsidize content such that consumption is free of charge?

In the future, multiple screens give access to personal, shared, archived and live material, across a range of display sizes and capabilities. And how the consumer can access, select and enjoy the range of content on offer, and how content providers' business models support the huge range of devices.