If social media is to have any value for the programme then it must be immediate. No-one is interested in what someone things about an event ten minutes ago. 

At the risk of being accused of donning my rose-tinted glasses, I think we can safely say that the role of broadcast manufacturers in the sales and installation process has changed. Once upon a time, a manufacturer sold a box, provided a bit of advice and support during installation, and then was expected to leave. Well, in truth, I’m not sure that for broadcast playout equipment things were ever quite so black and white, but there’s no doubt that recent years have seen our role change.

At the risk of sounding negative, it seems that 4K isn’t going to go away. It’s moved beyond development and is already being deployed for key applications like super slo-mo sports replays. So as a manufacturer, how do we know when there is enough momentum for us to fully commit?

Spend a few days at an event like IBC and it is hard to not be dazzled by all the new and shiny tech. 1500 vendors are packed into one place, all vying for the attention of attendees, journalists, award voters and, of course, buyers.