IBC 2016 - Top-Teks Preview

Our Phil Lane gives us a sneak preview of what to expect at IBC 2016. With NAB seeming like it was only last week IBC 2016 is almost upon us, so once again we’ll be packing up to make our annual pilgrimage to Amsterdam for another round of stand tours, meetings, overpriced hotel rooms and beer. So what will IBC 2016 bring us, probably more of the same but I’m sure some of the following will feature…….. Over the last few years the number of drones available to the market has increased and technology has played a big part in this. Drones have become easier to handle, 3DR originally offered us the "Smart Drone" with the arrival of the SOLO but the type of GPS guided programmable shots that they show cased are now common place. So where do they go now, more tech is the answer. DJI showed us VR headsets at NAB this year that allow you to pre-program or test fly shots, I’m sure more of this type of technology will follow but for this year expect to hear the buzzing sound of drones drifting like an swarm of angry bee’s across the hall’s. So as I mentioned VR above let’s think about that, this is another massive new area of expansion, with YouTube and Facebook supporting 360 video and with a host of mobile phone providers shipping headsets who knows where this will end, will it be a flash in the pan or here to stay. I think it will be here to stay, the number of markets this could filter into is huge. HD is now common place at home for viewing with people like Sky recently up-dating there movie channel’s to HD as well as swapping domestic BBC, ITV channels around on their platform to be HD as the first option. The domestic screen market has moved on from HD & thankfully 3D seems to be a thing of the past, now it’s all about UHD /4K. As a result the requirement for content is increasing and a significant amount is being created, people like Netflix are only commissioning 4K for their "Netflix Originals" features which can be viewed now if you have the broadband speed available at home. Sky, Virgin and BT Sport are beginning to offer set top boxes that can deliver 4K to the home as well. So this year expect more 4K in the form of Studio cameras, lenses and peripheral kit. Another area that will be feature will be 8K, the big question though is do we need 8K, there is no argument that 8K looks better than 4K but only when you compare them side by side and how many people have the opportunity to do that. With the cost of the infrastructure to do this are we pushing forward to quickly when we should we may be concentrate on HDR in the home instead. I’m sure there will be further screenings at IBC from NHK and it would be worth a look if you have the time and your aching feet need a rest. Gimbals like drones have exploded onto the market over the last few years with DJI being the front runners in terms of fixed camera units with new firmware and units like the new OSMO OMNI arriving imminently. The Ronin & Ronin-M have also been hugely popular for use with cameras ranging from small DSLR units up to        PMW-F55’s etc. There are however lots more options for those wanting to use this type of gimbal on a slightly smaller budget. Zhiyun do a range of units that include the Smooth for iPhones, Ryder & Evolution for use with GoPro Hero 3’s and 4’s and new to the range now comes the Crane which will take a camera weight up to 1.2kg, so something like an A7S with a reasonable size lens would happily be accommodated. I’ve also just recently stumbled on the Pilotfly H2, similar to the Crane but has the neat feature of being able to remove the gimbal from the hand held unit to mount on to a handle bar system similar to the Ronin/Ronin-M. Shape also show cased a 2-Axis system at NAB, it look like it worked well but will a 2-Axis system cut it against all of the 3-Axis systems that are out there? As with all shows the rumour mills have started up with various manufacturers’ names in the mix for new products to be show cased at IBC, I’m sure there will be a few but wouldn’t want to mention any names myself, keep an eye out for the IBC Daily and our website for more information if you’re not taking the short trip across the water, if you are enjoy the trip J