SMPTE® Details Keynotes and Program for Entertainment Technology in the Connected Age (ETCA 2016) Conference

WHITE PLAINS, N.Y. — April 7, 2016 — The Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®), a leader in motion-imaging standards and education for the communications, media, entertainment, and technology industries, revealed further details today about the Entertainment Technology in the Connected Age (ETCA) conference keynote addresses by Roy Taylor, corporate vice president of Advanced Micro Devices, Inc. (AMD), and Ron Sanders, president of Warner Bros. Worldwide Home Entertainment Distribution. Scheduled for June 27-28 at the Heritage Theatre in Campbell, California, and subtitled “The Race Is On!”, ETCA 2016 will explore the impact of emerging technologies on the delivery of a compelling connected entertainment experience.

“This year’s keynote presenters illustrate ETCA’s focus on bridging the gap between Silicon Valley and Hollywood, and on integrating the evolution of technical, creative, and business innovations to pave the way toward provision of ever-better entertainment experiences,” said Pat Griffis, SMPTE education vice president and ETCA 2016 program committee chair. “Conference sessions will examine the impact of connectivity, bandwidth, and technology advances on content creation and delivery, whether the consumer is at home, at the cinema, or even in their car.”

Drawing on his experience at AMD, a leading supplier of silicon technology for virtual reality (VR), Taylor will present “VR and the Race to Real” on the first day of the ETCA conference. He will describe how VR is progressing as a storytelling tool and discuss how performance gains in central processing unit (CPU) speeds as well as specialized architecture improvements for VR are yielding better quality and more creative options. Taylor will consider how long it will be before VR truly approximates “real reality,” by discussing key trends, expectations, bottlenecks, and breakthroughs influencing the progress of this immersive format.

Taylor’s keynote will be followed by the session “VR Storytelling in a Connected World.” While acknowledging the radical increase in computing power required for VR, as well as the necessary improvements for associated sound and display technology, this session examines what makes VR such an exciting proposition for even traditional entertainment companies. The panel will include VR experts from YouTube, Facebook, Warner Bros., and the MxR Studio at the School of Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California (USC).

Sanders will deliver his address, “The Future of Home Entertainment in a Connected World: A Warner Bros. Perspective,” on the second day of ETCA. Drawing on lessons learned while leading Warner Bros. global transactional home entertainment businesses, which includes video, digital, and games, Sanders will speak to the many opportunities for delivering content over a variety of platforms that fit with consumers ever-changing lifestyles. He will also describe the challenges associated with the emerging and rapidly changing formats in this business sector.

The subsequent session, “Solving Complexities in Connected Distribution,” will be moderated by SMPTE’s past president, Wendy Aylsworth, formerly of Warner Bros. and now CEO of Walden Pond. With top execs from Deluxe Media, Universal Studios, and Samsung Electronics America, Aylsworth will pick up on the challenges outlined by Sanders. The panel will explore current thinking on how to overcome the remaining obstacles to developing a connected marketplace.

“Although streaming media outlets have become part of the mainstream and the idea of ‘anywhere, anytime’ access to content has become a reality, we have a long way to go in realizing the full potential of the connected marketplace,” said Aylsworth. “ETCA provides an excellent opportunity to understand what industry leaders see as critical next steps for content delivery.”

Two of the other sessions on the ETCA program schedule will focus on a new target for connected content: the automobile. During “Entertainment on the Road: The Connected Car,” panelists will include the CTO of General Motors’ Global Experience/Connected Car Division and the CTO and director of motorsports at Andretti Autosport. These C-level original equipment manufacturer executives will discuss how they are reconciling the “fail-fast” California culture with the typical development cycle of the automotive industry and discuss what it will take to stay ahead both in establishing connections with audiences and in delivering the connected car technology they demand.

During “Next Generation Audio (NGA): Connected From Cinema to Couch to Car,” moderator Sunil Bharitkar of HP Labs will be joined by experts from Linear Acoustics, Amazon, Dolby, Qualcomm, and Warner Bros. to discuss new audio formats designed to enhance the subjective experience. The group will look at how the object-audio technology introduced in cinema and broadcast is being adopted for next-gen streaming experiences, as well as at how new content-creation tools are being deployed to produce, mix, and transport these audio signals through production to the consumer in cinemas, at home, and beyond.

An ideal event for engineers, creatives, and researchers focused on the future of connected entertainment, ETCA also will feature an array of additional conference sessions exploring how the convergence of connectivity, bandwidth, and technology improvements is revolutionizing entertainment. Online registration and further information about the full program schedule are online at www.etca2016.org. More information about SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org.

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About the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®)

Winner of an Oscar® and multiple Emmy® Awards, the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers® (SMPTE®) is a global leader in advancing the art, science, and craft of the image, sound, and metadata ecosystem. A professional membership association that is internationally recognized and accredited, SMPTE advances moving-imagery education and engineering across the communications, technology, media, and entertainment industries. For a century, SMPTE has published the SMPTE Motion Imaging Journal and developed more than 800 standards, recommended practices, and engineering guidelines.

Nearly 7,000 members — motion-imaging executives, engineers, creative and technology professionals, researchers, scientists, educators, and students — who meet in Sections worldwide, sustain the Society. Through the Society’s partnership with the Hollywood Professional Association (HPA®), this membership is complemented by the professional community of businesses and individuals who provide the expertise, support, tools, and infrastructure for the creation and finishing of motion pictures, television programs, commercials, digital media, and other dynamic media content. Information on joining SMPTE is available at www.smpte.org/join.

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Visit SMPTE at the 2016 NAB Show, Booth L28

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/SMPTE-Pat-Griffis.jpg

Photo Caption: Pat Griffis, SMPTE education vice president and ETCA program committee chair

Photo Link: www.wallstcom.com/SMPTE/SMPTE-Wendy-Aylsworth.jpg

Photo Caption: Wendy Aylsworth, CEO of Walden Pond

For further information: Agency Contact: Joyce Cataldo, Wall Street Communications, Tel: +1 (732) 747-0646, Email: joyce@wallstcom.com; or SMPTE Contact: Aimée Ricca, Marketing and Communication, Tel: +1 (914) 205-2381, Email: aimeericca@smpte.org, Website: www.smpte.org/media