Archive notice: This article was originally published on September 13, 2005. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
On the final day of the trade fair, the IBC organizers were very satisfied with how it had gone. After visitor numbers stagnated somewhat in the last year, they rose again this year: 41,300 visitors were counted.
In total, more than 1,000 companies with 895 stands took part in the trade fair, and IBC is already almost fully booked again for 2006. One fly in the ointment, however, is Panasonic’s cancellation, because until now the company had always been represented with a very large stand as one of the most important broadcast providers.
There had already been discussions about the trade fair remaining in the Dutch metropolis. During the final press conference, however, the organizers tried to calm the waters. It was also noted in passing that hotel prices in Amsterdam would be frozen for the next three years, which in future might also ensure further increases in acceptance and visitor numbers.
IBC has now become a trade fair where everything from content creation to distribution can be seen. Just a few years ago, the offering was limited solely to terrestrial television; by now there are several established specialist areas such as the Mobile Zone, which shows how to bring television to mobile phones and other mobile devices.
On the other side is the conference, whose program this year was perfectly tailored to visitors and met with a great response. At some sessions, interested parties even had to be turned away because the rooms were overcrowded. Here, too, there were more registrations than ever before, especially from students, who increasingly use IBC to obtain information in the areas of DCC and broadcasting.
D-Cinema enjoyed particular popularity this year. The latest projectors from Sony and Christie were demonstrated here. Among other things, there were also presentations of HD 3D footage, a screening of Madagascar and an excellently restored 2K version of “The Wizard of Oz.” Almost all events were attended by at least 500 conference participants who did not want to miss this feast for the eyes.
D-Cinema also symbolically represents the basic tenor of the trade fair, which Sony sums up in its advertising slogan: “HD for everyone.” HD has been a constant theme at IBC for several years, but progress with it in Europe is slow. At this year’s IBC, however, visitors were conveyed the feeling that the time might finally have come for HD to become suitable for the mass market. Almost every company at the trade fair now offers HD solutions (some have already reached 4K or 8K), and the solutions are also becoming affordable. In Germany, Premiere will go on air with its first HD channels in the autumn, while Pro7 and Sat.1 will launch a freely receivable HD channel as the first private broadcasters. The first HD channels are also launching at BSkyB and Canal+ in England and France. “HD for everyone” is drawing closer.
