BBC R&D at IBC 2016

Published: 8 September 2016

Scott Cawley
Technology Engagement Advisor

Our stand is nearly built and the exhibition opens tomorrow - but IBC is underway today as the conference gets into gear! We take a look at IBC Highlights on Day 1.

Today is all about the conference which is now underway and you can see the sessions when we'll be presenting our papers there on our BBC R&D at IBC listing page. Our first session is tomorrow lunchtime - but there is a lot to check out if you’re interested in some of the work that BBC R&D is doing.

It's that time of year again! Join @BBCRD @IBCShow 2016. Come talk IP Studio with me: https://t.co/UDM4NZdCeD pic.twitter.com/zHwFcuzTSh
— Alex Rawcliffe (@alexrawcliffe) September 8, 2016

You can see our IP Studio project on our stand from tomorrow, but before then you can whet your appetite with an interesting looking set of sessions at conference this morning in the Platform Futures stream looking at Internet TV networks. “The New Broadcasters" includes a look at NBCUniversal’s launch of reality TV network HayU as a personalisable multiscreen app rather than a channel and Google's plans for television.

We knew David Attenborough was a fan of new formats after watching him check out his Attenborough and the Giant Dinosaur 360 Degree experience on BBC Taster - but there’s a discussion this afternoon asking Has Technology Reinvented the Documentary Format? It features a discussion of VR and 3D from with the director of David’s series on the Great Barrier Reef earlier this year.

@BBCRD @IBCShow stand set up coming along nicely #BBCIBC @cnorthwood @propernounrich pic.twitter.com/AxbNKEtJ2U
— Ian Wagdin (@wagger) September 8, 2016

With the Olympics just finished and the Paralympics now underway, it’s a perfect time to look at the future of sports broadcasting technology - which is handy because that’s also one of the sessions at IBC today. The discussion will look at innovative recent projects from Euro 2016 to Rio, and includes contributions from the CTO from Major League Baseball. You can look at how we’re imagining the future of sports coverage with our Venue Explorer project, which we happened to present last year at IBC.

This afternoon there is a paper session in the Advances In Technology stream titled Enhancing the Multi-screen Experience through Synchronisation & Personalisation. The session looks at how media consumption is becoming more sociable and interactive through the simultaneous use of multiple connected devices - and how the synchronization of content across those devices is hugely important. If you can’t make it to the session, you can read about our similar work in this area with our Companion Screens project.

Setting up our cook along kitchen experience demo in the Future Zone at #IBCShow #BBCIBC pic.twitter.com/iy4haEM8Vg
— Chris Northwood (@cnorthwood) September 8, 2016

Our final tip for today is to check out the New Technology Better Shows session - showcasing new innovative TV programmes - we’re hoping that next year our Multiplayer Broadcasting project and work on Visual Perceptive Media (which you can see on our stand at IBC this year...) will feature!

If you come to visit us or see something you think we should know about, send us a tweet @BBCRD (#BBCIBC) or post about it on Facebook!