William T. Hayes is the current president of IEEE BTS in addition to his role as director of engineering and technology for Iowa Public Television. In this article, The Broadcast Bridge asked him for some insight into the near-term future of broadcast technology and engineering.

What would you list as the top technology trend for broadcasters in 2016?

One of the most compelling trends is the migration of professional broadcast environments from traditional, SDI-based operations and proprietary hardware models to an all-IP infrastructure. The proposed benefits are many, such as lowered OPEX and CAPEX through the use of commodity off-the-shelf technologies, reduced dependence on specialized technical staff, and the flexibility to deliver more powerful and scalable production environments.

There is no doubt that IP has demonstrated its effectiveness for content transport in B2B and B2C environments. But its potential in the real-time production world is a little less clear given IP’s lack of synchronicity, which creates challenges for even the simplest of real-time production effects such as fading between two sources. Most modern productions including live news are much more complex, so it remains to be seen if the modifications to non-synchronous IP are worth the effort. In particular, UHD productions certainly present challenges to current SDI methodologies, but there are proposed solutions in both spaces.

Any other technology trends to note?

Cloud technology was certainly a top technology trend last year, but I don’t see it gaining widespread adoption by broadcasters yet. Factors such as reliability and security are still viewed as major challenges.

Another large trend is the emergence of “smarter pixels” in display technologies. We have reached a point of diminishing returns for larger quantities of pixels; since the advantage of pixel count is a function of screen size and viewing distance, the only way for users to actually see a benefit from greater numbers of pixels is by either buying a very large screen or sitting very close. Other improvements such as high dynamic range (HDR), wide color gamut (WCG), and faster frame rates have discernible benefits regardless of viewing distance and/or screen size.

Immersive audio was a top trend in 2015 and will continue to be so throughout 2016. Since audio is delivered initially to very primitive sections of the brain, it elicits a strong connection and emotional response from the consumer. One of the advantages that movie theaters have always had over home viewing is that the environment can be configured to create an audio experience that’s incredibly lifelike – so much so that it aids in suspending disbelief. This allows the audience to engage more fully with the content and become more involved emotionally with the story being told.

Over-the-top (OTT) services are continuing to grow at a rapid pace. Services like Netflix and Amazon have been around for some time, but we’re now seeing more widespread adoption. One study has indicated that Netflix alone now accounts for almost 35 percent of the primetime consumption of Internet bandwidth. CBS has introduced its AllAccess subscription product, and while it’s not taking the world by storm yet, it’s certainly getting some traction. Others will follow.

What is the most surprising trend?

The importance of audio technologies seemed to catch many in the television broadcast industry off guard in 2015, and I see audio continuing to be a factor this year. That said, after numerous studies and much scientific evidence that clearly demonstrates the impact that audio has on the audience, it’s surprising that audio is still an afterthought to the video component. I would say audio is a secondary consideration after video, but in fact I have been involved in many discussions in which metadata takes second place and audio is relegated to third in importance.

How many of these trends do you think will come to pass?

Unfortunately, we live in a time in which the hype about the potential capabilities of technology are often far out in front of the actual implementable technology; as a result many solutions being deployed often under-deliver on their promises. That said, I do believe that all of the aforementioned trends will play a strong role in shaping the broadcast landscape throughout the year.

Determining what kind of year 2016 will be for broadcasting depends on where in the world you are looking. Take the UHF television spectrum for example. In North America, primarily driven by the United States, there is a huge drive to further shrink the UHF band and sell off the spectrum for wireless use.

However, at the World Radiocommunication Conference 2015, it was decided globally (for the most part) that broadcast spectrum is too valuable, based on its current use, to change its designation.

How would you summarize tomorrow’s broadcast technology?

“Smarter pixels” technology will continue to be a focus. I expect to finally see some real progress on services like transcoding, editing, and storage moving into the cloud-based solution space. A lot of the industry is watching and participating in the work on ATSC 3.0 as the next terrestrial television broadcast standard. Also, there will be greater focus on second-screen synchronization with broadcast content to provide the audience with a more interactive experience. The real dark horse for me is augmented and virtual reality, and whether or not the technology can be applied effectively in broadcasting to improve the audience’s experience with the content.

For the foreseeable future, I believe every year will be a transition year of some sort. After all, digital technology is all about change and disruption.