Seeing the future of TV and Digital Media at IBC Conference in Amsterdam

The International Broadcasting Conference (IBC) which I attended last week was an exciting show. You can see my video review (interview) on the show at the link below:
Access at this event is special, and I had an opportunity to meet and interview industry leaders such as Steve Canepa, IBM VP Global Media and Entertainment, Cisco CTO Ken Morse, and former Murdoch NewsCorp executive Marty Pompadur.

Though attendance was down 7% from last year (45,547 this year), I agree with the conference press release that "the show continues to exhibit a positive image for the future of the electronic media and broadcast technology industry." The event was covered well in the follow-on report from the crack team at TVB-Europe that included the likes of industry expert Chris Forrester from RapidTV.

The themes included cross-platform delivery, IPTV, new HD developments, and 3D platforms. They showed several movies in new 3D (some which required special glasses at $100 a pop). A 15' reel from James Cameron's new Avatar (also in 3D) wowed the crowds at the big screen.

According to Google's Patrick Walker who I spoke with, 1.6B people are now online, the cost of storage has fallen 3.6M times since 1982, and YouTube gets over 350M unique visitors a month, with 20 hours of new content uploaded every minute.

As Harry Shearer (Spinal Tap star and Simpons voice actor) put it during one conference session as Spinal Tap makes its 2009 acoustic comeback - “I’ve always felt the most exciting time to be working in video is when nobody knows what the rules are. So, I’m very excited.”

Coming Soon! IPTV and Internet Video SECOND EDITION Available Sept. 2009 (Foreword by Mark Cuban)

Book Acclaim: What They're Saying

“Broadcast is dying. Viewer choice is the future. Read this book by Greenfield and Simpson, two industry insiders, and get a jump-start on the technologies and business trends that will be mainstream before you know it.”
–Patrick Barry, VP Connected TV, Yahoo!

“Greenfield and Simpson’s new version of IPTV and Internet Video is a must-read for anyone working in online video services to get an understanding of the subject from Viewer, Advertiser & Publisher perspectives.”
–Keval Desai, Director, Product Management, Google TV

“Every television executive needs to have a strategy for dealing with the growth of the Internet for media delivery. Greenfield and Simpson will not only help you get your plan started, they will help you truly understand the seismic shifts that are going on today.”
–Shelly Palmer, President, National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences, NY

“This book is an outstanding resource for convergence professionals who are racing to further monetize the ever-expanding world of broadband internet media.”
–Greg Douglass, Accenture Global Managing Director, Media and Entertainment Practice

“Taking your content to the Web? It’s Broadcasting, but not as we know it. If you’re having trouble keeping up with the changing world, relax! In this book, Howard and Wes take us through all we need to know, plainly and simply.”
–John Varney, former BBC CTO

“This is the right book at the right time. Greenfield and Simpson offer a clear and compelling overview of the emerging IPTV space that is at once an accessible introduction to the basics and a guide to thinking through issues of implementation and strategy.”
–Paul Saffo, Silicon Valley Forecaster and Consulting Associate Professor of Engineering, Stanford University

“Like DBS before it, IPTV is coming, like it or not. It’s proliferating globally, thus
broadcasters must understand the impact of this technology. IPTV & Internet Video provides a comprehensive view to this critical, emerging industry development in a single, well-conceived volume. Technology and media professionals beware: this will change your business. Authors Greenfield and Simpson get it done here, from micro to macro.”
–Jimmy Schaeffler, Chairman, Senior Research Analyst,
The Carmel Group

“From video content creators, aggregators, and distributors to IT professionals and media executives, everyone can take something from this book. The straightforward yet detailed approach arms you with the information you need to make highly informed technology and business decisions on IPTV and Internet video. A valuable tool for making sense of this rapidly evolving industry.”
–Sandy Malcolm, Executive Producer, CNN.com

“Driven by advances in digital technology, the media industry is experiencing a transformative shift in IPTV and Internet video that will change our business models, delivery platforms, and the consumer experience. It is imperative that those of us working in this rapidly evolving field have a variety of resources to help educate and guide us as we forge ahead.”
–Albert Cheng, Executive Vice President, Digital Media, Disney-ABC Television Group

“This new edition of IPTV and Internet Video brings the reader up to speed on what he needs to know. It is destined to inform and influence those responsible for navigating the next generation of video services to financial growth. It reveals the keys to how a new personalized, socialized medium will grow beyond recognition.

“The insight this book provides will be very useful to any executive who needs to oversee an IPTV network upgrade. In this single volume, all of the key terminology is defined, and the key economic drivers and pitfalls are identified and clearly explained.”
–Matt Bross, Group Chief Technology Officer, BT (British Telecom)