SVG Europe announces full programme for Next Generation Audio Summit with Dolby

Next Generation Audio technologies, including immersive and personalised audio, as well as AoIP networking and loudness regulations will be among the topics under discussion at SVG Europe’s inaugural audio summit, which is a collaboration with Dolby and will take place at the company’s Soho Square facility in central London on November 10.

As well as a packed programme of panel sessions and presentations, the Next Generation Audio Summit will feature a networking lunch and drinks, as well as a series of special demos prepared by Dolby. There will also be a special evening screening of a major movie mixed in Dolby Atmos, details of which will be announced closer to the time.

The full programme can be found below, and details of speakers will be released in the weeks ahead. For now the Next Generation Audio Summit is invite-only, although enquiries about content or attendance can be directed to SVG Europe Managing Editor David Davies ([email protected]).

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12.00-12.30   Registration & Coffee

12.30-13.30   Lunch, Networking & Demos

13.30-13.35   Welcome Remarks

13.35-14.00   Keynote: TBA

14.00-14.40   Preparing for Total Immersion: Next Generation Audio and its Sports Broadcasting Potential
An emerging generation of immersive and personalised audio technologies will enable broadcasters to deliver more powerful sound experiences for sports broadcasters – and make it possible for viewers at home to customise playback to satisfy their own preferences. A panel featuring leading vendors and industry observers will consider the extent to which these Next Generation Audio technologies are set to transform sports audio for broadcast, as well as some of the challenges they will entail in terms of workflow optimisation. There will also be an update on some of the current related standards activity.

14.45-15.00   Case Study: Dolby and Immersive Audio at the EURO 2016 Championships
Summer 2016 saw Dolby and a number of other leading audio vendors participate in immersive audio technology trials during the EURO 2016 Championships. In this bespoke case study, Rob France, Dolby’s Senior Product Marketing Manager, reflects on the challenges involved and the lessons learned, and considers how they might be applied to major sports tournament coverage in the future.

15.00-15.30   Coffee, Networking & Dolby Demos

15.30-16.15   Sound Engineers and Systems Integrators on the Real World Impact of NGA
There is no doubt that NGA is set to deliver an audio experience for viewers that is every bit as compelling as the 4K one will be for the visual. But for those at the ‘sharp end’ of production, it will mean some new challenges – revised methodologies for sound engineers and additional integration issues for broadcasters and SI/OB providers among them. This session will examine some of these challenges and consider how much of a ‘skills shortage’ remains to be addressed.

16.15-16.45   Audio Networking for Broadcast: Where Are We Now?
Whilst the broadcast community as a whole is slowly moving towards IP-based workflows, the pro-audio sector can be claimed to be significantly more advanced, with significant adoption recorded in applications including live and fixed install. In this session we will examine the challenges involved in delivering reliable audio networking as part of fully integrated broadcast infrastructures, the rise of specific networking solutions such as Dante and Ravenna, and the role that the AES67 and AES70 standards will play in taking AoIP to the next level.

16.45-17.10   Paradigm Shift: RF, Intercom and the State of Broadcast Audio Education
The future of broadcast audio won’t be defined by IP workflows and immersive technologies alone – more powerful intercoms and control infrastructures, increased pressure on RF availability, and comprehensive loudness regulations will also provide important pieces of the puzzle. In this final session, we will examine the challenges with regard to investment and planning that lie ahead in this increasingly integrated future – as well as the pressing need to educate a new generation of broadcast professionals whose expertise in IT is every bit as comprehensive as their understanding of audio.

17.10-17.15   Closing Remarks: Rob France, Dolby, Senior Product Marketing Manager

17.15-18.00   Networking & Drinks

18.00-20.00   Dolby Atmos Film Screening