The latest issue of our quarterly magazine tech-i revisits this summer's European Championships 2022, when a small team from the EBU's Audio Systems and Video Systems working groups joined the crowds at Munich's iconic Olympiastadion. The goal was to capture new material to help EBU Members continue testing emerging technologies like high frame rate (HFR) video and Next Generation Audio.
BR's Werner Bleisteiner, who led the audio team, was keen to return to the field after the restrictions of the previous two years: "We hadn’t yet had the chance to create some proper test files according to the UHD/NGA parameters we proposed in the EBU recommendations on contribution (R 153) and file exchange (R 154) in 2021." Simon Thompson (BBC) led the video team, which used the event as an opportunity to work not only with HFR, but also to record images with a plenoptic camera that captures light field information. Read about the exercise on pages 10–11.
In his editorial for this issue, EBU Director of Technology & Innovation Antonio Arcidiacono sets out a different vision for the metaverse, one that aligns more closely with the core strengths of public service media (PSM). The tech giants, he says, aim to isolate each user, making it easier to extract valuable data and to target advertising.
"It is not the Oculus-based individual isolation of the Facebook metaverse that PSM should pursue. Rather, it is the augmented reality of an outdoor experience where I combine my physical experience – from a simple stroll to attending a live concert or sporting event – with a common, location-dependent experience that I can share with other people enjoying the same emotions."
Read his editorial in full here.
Also in this issue
- Where did the radio button go? – ARD’s Gwen Niehues on taking a pan-European approach on connected cars
- An expanded scope for EuroVOX – The translation and trascription tool goes from strength to strength
- Defining the options for the future of the UHF band – An important preparatory study for WRC-23 has been completed
- Testing IP production equipment for spec compliance and security – A report from the latest round of the JTNM Tested programme
- Getting closer to action with high frame rate; Reaching new heights for audio capture – Simon Thompson (BBC) and Werner Bleisteiner (BR) take us to the European Championships 2022
- From data to knowledge with EBUCorePlus – Jürgen Grupp (SWR) introduces the new fully semantic standard ontology for media
- Making progress on diversity in technology teams and activities – An update on EBU T&I’s actions to improve the gender balance across its work
- Building a suite of open-source tools for 5G-based media services – Daniel Silhavy (Fraunhofer FOKUS) introduces Target 2023
- Sustainability Matters: can cloud-based IT solutions make sense? – Green data centres can do more than just optimize power usage
- In my opinion: Playing with technology is a serious business – Stijn Lehaen, Director of Technology and Infrastructure at VRT
- Partner Profiles: Institut National de l’Audiovisuel – Eléonore Alquier explains why data is a strategic asset at the heart of INA’s mission
- The car is key for radio; and radio is key for in-car audio – The latest research from the EBU Media Intelligence Service
- In the spotlight: Víctor Sánchez García, Chief Operating Officer, Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE)
Download issue 54 of tech-i now (PDF)