2 EDITORIAL

January-February 2018 ( volume 35 issue 1 )

EDITORIAL managing editor Shawn Liew , shawn @ editecintl . com contributing editor ( technology ) Karl K Rossiter , karl @ editecintl . com contributing editor Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk senior reporter Josephine Tan , josephine @ editecintl . com

Sports has the inherent ability to inspire , unite and heal society . For broadcasters , live sports not only allows them to draw in record number of viewers , but also acts as a test-bed for key technology trials .

At the Winter Olympics taking place from Feb 9-25 in Pyeongchang , South Korea , NBC is presenting more than 50 hours of live VR coverage . World football governing body FIFA has also confirmed that all 64 matches of the 2018 FIFA World Cup will be shot in 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) + high dynamic range ( HDR ).

These technologies , and others such as AR , AI , IP and 5G , will continue to be demonstrated and discussed this year , but will this really translate into widespread adoption of new technologies across the broadcast chain ?

In terms of innovation in broadcast , expect 2018 to be a year of steady but slow evolution , rather than one of revolution , assessed Dr Peter Siebert , executive director of the DVB Project , who pointed out that historically , the broadcast industry does not assimilate new technologies overnight .

And in any event , the onus is on broadcasters to pay due diligence in understanding these technologies and how best to utilise them . Or , as Graham Stephens , CTO of Media City Development , Malaysia , described : Technology for technology ’ s sake in broadcasting is now very much a thing of the past .

While this may sound backward-thinking , one of the key priorities for many Asian broadcasters this year is to make a successful transition to digital terrestrial television . Within this framework , which emerging technologies will truly benefit them in embracing the digital domain , and perhaps

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Find us on Facebook n www . facebook . com / APBnews more crucially , cultivate a lasting relationship with today ’ s viewers ?

If there is to be a definitive forecast to be made this year , it will probably be this : The consumer ’ s romance with streaming video over connected mobile screens is not going to be over in a hurry . Video streaming services provided by global behemoths like Netflix , Amazon , YouTube and Facebook will continue to proliferate , while more modest regionalised offerings will attempt to find a niche for themselves through the appeal of localised content .

Despite these developments , it is worth reiterating that linear TV is not going to be thrown on the scrapheap . However , there is also no denying that the concept of consuming content anytime , anywhere and on any device has already been deeply ingrained into the lifestyles of many consumers .

2018 then , may well be a year of contemplation for broadcasters — not only in terms of which technologies to adopt , but also how they can continue to stay relevant to audiences with increasingly disparate requirements .

As you continue to ponder your strategic plans in a new era where broadcast is being redefined , the APB team would like to wish all our readers Gong Xi Fa Cai and a progressive and prosperous 2018 .

SHAWN LIEW MANAGING EDITOR

CORRESPONDENTS

■ India Shirish Nadkarni , shinads @ yahoo . co . uk

■ USA Mike Feazel , mfeazel @ gmail . com

PRODUCTION production editor Zuraini Ridzwan , zuraini @ editecintl . com junior sub-editor Eva Meango , eva @ editecintl . com senior multimedia designer Raymund Jaudian , raymund @ editecintl . com multimedia designer Waldomar Zuniga , waldomar @ editecintl . com ad / office administrator Irene Lok , irene @ editecintl . com accounts manager Tan Hui Min , huimin @ editecintl . com

MARKETING director - sales & marketing Jessie Tan , jessie @ editecintl . com manager - sales & marketing Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

CIRCULATION & PROMOTIONS Lynn Chee , lynn @ editecintl . com

PUBLISHING publisher / editorial director Andrew Yeo , andrew @ editecintl . com

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■ Japan Mikio Tsuchiya

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■ USA & Canada Gary L Rhodes

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