TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show? TVT: What will be your most important product news? TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market? TVT: What is it about NAB Show that brings you back every year?
SPIRO PLAGAKIS: The most significant trend at the 2024 NAB Show will be the acceleration of the industry’s shift to IT- and IP-enabled technologies. As we’ve seen with the recent adoption of ST 2110 by TV 2 Denmark and several of our customers, the ratification of IP video standards continues apace. With a groundswell of interest around IPMX, traditional broadcast manufacturers are offering IPMX-enabled products not just for broadcasters, but for any organization looking to find the best tools for working with audio and video. In fact, that signals another trend we’ll see at NAB Show: the ongoing convergence of different industries and a blurring of the lines between broadcast and AV. Corporations are becoming broadcasters; broadcasters are becoming streamers; streamers are becoming studios; and so on. We’ll see evidence of this trend in media technologies crossing over from both domains.
TVT: What will be your most important product news?
PLAGAKIS: As media technologies move toward IP and cloud-based workflows, Matrox Video is well positioned to deliver solutions. At the 2024 NAB Show, we will demonstrate products for IP video (ST 2110 and IPMX), live production, remote production and contribution, and infrastructure and control. Show attendees will have the chance to see our ConvertIP standards-based transmitters and receivers, which enable interoperable, cost-efficient and scalable networks across broadcast and Pro AV/IT environments.
We’ll also showcase Monarch EDGE high-quality, low-latency 4K/multi-HD H.264 video encoders and decoders, which were designed for remote production and now feature additional capabilities tailored to contribution and distribution workflows requiring ancillary data and other elements. Monarch EDGE will be on the Matrox Video booth and demonstrated on workflows with partners such as Net Insight, GlobalM, The Switch, TechEx, and Panasonic. With Matrox ORIGIN, we are leading the industry’s shift to the cloud, ushering in event-driven production, and laying the foundation for the infrastructure of the future. We’ll highlight this cloud-native architecture for live production in the cloud and its value to both developers and broadcasters.
TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?
PLAGAKIS: Our Monarch EDGE Series of encoders and decoders is coming into its own, gaining popularity and acceptance as customers begin to take full advantage of its capabilities. The series’ support for 10-bit, 4:2:2, low-latency feeds sets it apart, and is critical for more demanding applications. We continue to augment this vital capability with further features that make Monarch EDGE ideal for contribution, and the choice of platforms like the Switch, Techex, Net Insight, and GlobalM. As a result, the series is evolving into a versatile, tool that can be used in a variety of applications, serving as a best-of-breed solution for any encoding/decoding work.
TVT: What is it about NAB Show that brings you back every year?
PLAGAKIS: Our customers! We want to connect and get feedback. There is nothing better than real-time, real-life exchanges with our customers, partners and stakeholders. Going to NAB Show gives us the opportunity to tap the industry for insight, but we also value seeing all our old friends and being part of the community that gathers in Las Vegas.