SVG Europe Sit-Down: VIDI’s Karsten Winterberg and Jürgen Jahn on the outlook for HDR and network management

Karsten Winterberg, owner and technical director (left), and Jürgen Jahn, managing director, VIDI

VIDI’s mission is to support clients in meeting the toughest challenges in the field of converging broadcast and tele-communication technologies. The company combines technical consultancy, project planning and turnkey fulfilment, as well as comprehensive additional services, all under one roof. Its integrated approach to projects allows Vidi to offer clients all the support they require from just one provider.

Our conversation with Karsten Winterberg, owner and technical director, and Jürgen Jahn, managing director, began with some thoughts about IBC…

What would IBC visitors have seen on your stand?

We showcased solutions in in the field of converging broadcast and telecommunication technologies, both for contribution and distribution. This year’s highlights [included a] sneak preview of our VIDI Network-Management-System and the brand new VIDI CP, our solution for centralised production. 

How do you assess the upcoming needs of your clients?

The complexity in broadcasting is driven by new technologies, new contribution and distribution channels, but the challenge always keeps the same – creating reliable solutions at high quality and utmost efficiency. Therefore, we’ve started a new programme at VIDI that involves our customers’ needs at a very early stage: We are developing solutions together with our clients. Using methods like Spinnovation and Design Thinking keeps us ahead of the market and enables individual solutions with perfect fit.

The BBC streamed the World Cup in HDR. Will that accelerate the push to implementing that technology on a wider scale?

Big events like the World Cup are always pushing innovations. Being one of the key vendors at this event shows that VIDI has the competence for new technologies and its safe implementation. Consumers are demanding and, yes, we see that technologies like HDR and 4K will be implemented more and more and have a broader acceptance. 

What do you see as the next innovation when it comes to IP technology?

It’s not the innovation in IP technology itself, it’s the change of workflows and processing. We think this will be a much greater challenge or even innovation.

Can you tell us about the benefits of VIDI Plus for sports broadcasters and production companies?

As VIDI is partnering with the major manufacturers we are enabled to fulfil every need. Be it graphic systems, augmented reality, time-shifted or remote playout. No matter what’s the challenge – our equipment is built for transparent networking at campus, studios, theatres, public authorities, OB vehicles, and for mobile use. VIDI uses the most flexible and sophisticated CAM-CCU solutions — taking your signal anywhere.

Any future plans you can discuss?

We are constantly screening the market for new and innovative technologies and methods. In the next step we will be boosting our own, independent Network Management System (NMS) to another level. Co-created together with our clients, we are building new workflows, applications and solution packages around the NMS. Be part of the next generation and join our development circle at the IBC. 

Your website states: ‘Our mission is to support clients in meeting the toughest challenges in the field of converging broadcast and telecommunication technologies.’ Can you give us an example of how you met one such challenge?

Of course. Events, independent of its nature, are more and more being broadcast [in a] “centralised” [way], meaning that all produced signals are being transmitted from one or more venues to a single centralised point. Normally it requires a large bandwidth to ensure quantity and quality because every camera needs its own channel. We’ve changed that using Multi-View-Signal as selection criteria from a central point. Centralised production and switching can now easily be done on a touchscreen – [remotely located] at the venue. The result is that you can have ‘multiple pictures’ in your hand, all for the price of one.