The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE) has announced its 2015 Section Seminar series. The 2015 series, Navigating the Ultra High Definition (UHD) Ecosystem, will kick off with the SMPTE UK Section in London and Salford.
The seminar will touch on the potential impact of new and emerging UHD standards from SMPTE and other organisations. Attendees will learn about UHD related technologies and the impact they are beginning to have on professional content creation facilities, on the broadcasting and cinema industries, and the potential impact on viewer engagement.
“SMPTE is looking at the entire UHD ecosystem including higher frame rates, wide colour gamut, pixel density, high dynamic range, peak brightness and immersive audio. Our standards group recently published its second Study Group Report on the UHD ecosystem,” said Richard Welsh (pictured), SMPTE governor for the EMEA and Central and South America Region and CEO at Sundog Media Toolkit. “Confirming that SMPTE is leading the way in practical implementation of UHD throughout the production and distribution chain, its first HDR standard, ST 2084, was published in September 2014 and works toward standards that address colour gamut and distribution is underway.”
Key elements of the seminar include the basic definitions of and challenges surrounding UHD; audio and UHD; HEVC compression standard; UHD interface standards; and how UHD related technology might be shaped into workflows. The seminar will conclude with a case study on practical experience in live UHD production and a section on possible timescales for solving implementation challenges.
The London seminar takes place on 9 February at EEF’s Broadway House in Westminster. The Salford event will be held on 11 February at BBC MediaCity Quay House and is offered free to SMPTE members courtesy of the BBC Academy.
“Since the section was reformed in 2012 we have brought the Seminar to the UK,” said Peter Weitzel, SMPTE UK section hon secretary and treasurer. “We are proud to be the first section to present this year’s topic, helping to shape the content for the rest of the Society.”
Further details and registration can be found on the SMPTE website.