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Hoffmann named SMPTE board officer

With his recent appointment, the EBU’s Dr. Hans Hoffmann is the first European in nearly 40 years to hold the office of engineering VP on the SMPTE board of governors.

With his recent appointment, the EBU’s Dr. Hans Hoffmann is the first European in nearly 40 years to hold the office of engineering VP on the SMPTE board of governors.

Following recent elections, Peter Lude, senior VP, solutions engineering at Sony, has been named board president, succeeding Ken Fuller of Azcar Technologies who remains on the board as past president. Senior VP of Technology at Warner Bros Technical Operations, Wendy Aylsworth assumes the role of executive VP.

Hoffmann will serve the one year remaining on Aylsworth’s engineering VP term, and as a result, relinquished his position as SMPTE Governor.

Filling his Governor role for Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Central & South America is Richard Welsh, director of digital cinema services at Dolby, who is responsible for running digital cinema mastering and distribution. His team is also involved in the research and development of new products for digital cinema. Welsh joined Dolby in 1999, and since then has held posts at the company including applications engineer, sound consultant, and digital cinema mastering manager.

Dr. Hoffmann is head of media fundamentals and production technologies in the technology and development department of the EBU. He is also leading numerous EBU activities in HDTV, IT-based production, 3D and future media production technologies. Until his new appointment he chaired the SMPTE technology committee on time labeling and synchronisation.

Hoffmann told TVB Europe that there would be continued collaboration between SMPTE and the EBU. “We have a long history between EBU and SMPTE, starting with recommendations on the digitization of TV itself,” he said. “This kind of cooperation is ongoing and both organisations can benefit.”

Hoffmann pointed out that key topics need to be addressed at this time of digital change. “We’re moving toward utilisation of technology that comes from the traditional suppliers industry as well as addressing IT-based production,” he said.

For Hoffman, focus points include: Media information management with digital workflows, the convergence of broadband and TV, the consequences of convergence on the professional industry, and complex interchange applications in a file-based production environment.

In related news, SMPTE will again hold its annual Digital Cinema Summit at the upcoming NAB Show, 9-11 April at the Las Vegas Convention Centre. The conference theme is ‘Advances in Images and Sound: 3D, 4k, and Beyond’, and will address topics in cinema, broadcast, and broadband—including 3D motion and sound as well as ultra-high definition.
SMPTE’s second International Conference on Stereoscopic 3D for Entertainment and Media is slated for 21-22 June in New York. The organisation is accepting scientific, academic, and technical papers for the event through 28 February.

www.smpte.org