Here are some audio and video trends for 2018.
Buying headphones in 2018 is going to be a fragmented mess because of a silent goodbye to the 3.5mm audio plug, Majority of new headphones introduced at CES were wireless and there are several different wireless systems. Bluetooth audio has historically sacrificed sound quality for convenience relative to a wired connection. However, there are a couple of standards now that promise “better-than-CD” audio quality. For wired connections where we once had the solid reliability of a 3.5mm analog connector working with any jack shaped to receive it, there’s now a divergence of digital alternatives:Lightning, USB-C, and Sony’s 4.4mm Pentaconn connector.
Voice, connectivity and AI took center stage at the Consumer Electronics Show. Alexa Skills and the Voice Experience is really getting off. With over 15 million Amazon Echo devices shipped and 244 million projected by 2022 it is expected to take lead with Google Home Assistant and Apple Homepod with Siri following. Also Google Assistant was mentioned a lot in CES. Google Sold 6.75 Million ‘Google Home’ Devices In the Last 80 Days. ‘Language assistants were a big topic at this year’s CES. More and more manufacturers like JBL and Creative are integrating smart helpers into their WLAN speakers. Alexa support comes to 2018 TVs from Sony, Hisense and LG. Google launches smart displays with JBL, Lenovo, LG and Sony. There will be also other competitors aiming to this market, for example “China’s Google,” shouted out most loudly for voice. Microsoft’s Cortana had a crappy CES so it seems that Amazon Alexa will soon arrive on Windows PCs (HP, ASUS, Acer and others). Introducing Single-Chip Solutions for Building Alexa-Enabled Products.Sony launches a bunch of new headphones and adds Google Assistant functionality to the line.
Binaural, ambisonic, spatial, surround, 3D will be talked about. The most accessible exhibitions of this technology are in Youtube VR and Facebook 360, where users can interact with 360º videos that contain spatial audio. AR/VR was hot topic at CES 2018.
Sound bars are popular for compact home theater setups. Traditional home cinema systems with AV receivers and large speaker arsenals are only used by film and sound enthusiasts who sacrifice space in the living room for this purpose.
People listen to four hours of audio content every day. Streaming platforms like Spotify take a big bit of that. Streaming accounts for 41% of music consumption was the 2017’s most jaw dropping statistic. People will also listen a lot of music from YouTube.
Acoustics-based NFC is being pushed to market as it requires only a microphone and speaker, eliminating tags and chips. Chirp and LISNR are two emerging companies facilitating soundwave communication.
Wireless headphones and speakers become more common. Portable loudspeakers without cables are more popular than ever with music listeners. Most popular connection technology is Bluetooth.More and more manufacturers are breaking away from the cable and are showing new models and updates of completely wireless in-ear headphones at the CES 2018.
There is a bit of nostalgia involved: Several traditional technology tries to make come-back in 2018. The traditionalists among the music lovers continue to use records, so new record players keep coming. Cassette tapes making a comeback thanks to young, independent artists. Artists like Justin Bieber, Eminem and Metallica have all put out material on tape recently as a recent blockbuster film “Guardians of the Galaxy” put a hero center stage with a Sony Walkman. Tube amplifiers are back for traditionalist audiophiles that think that tubes can make your music to sound better.
4K video resolution is hot and 8K going to be pushed to market. TV has progressed to the 4K ultra-high-definition stage with its 3,840 × 2,160 pixel resolution. LG Display has made a 65-inch rollable 4K OLED TV. LG displayed 8K OLED TV at CES. Samsung has technology scales the image resolution to a 8K with AI. LG, Panasonic, and TCL put the spotlight on the chips that do the video processing: For the foreseeable future, any advances in image quality will be coming from these chips, not from the displays themselves.
Welcome ATSC 3.0 in USA: In November, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) issued new rules that will let TV broadcasters adopt the next-generation wireless TV standard designated ATSC 3.0. This new standard defines the specifications for ultra-high-definition (UHD) or 4K over-the-air (OTA) digital TV. But over-the-air is minority in USA as roughly 75% of households pay for their TV reception for cable or satellite distribution.
Home theater headsets have come a long way. AR/VR is hot. Oculus partners with Xiaomi to launch the Oculus Go and Mi VR Standalone.
Wired peripherals and electronics are still a major part of the market. Cabling for AV systems will have new features: a new HDMI standard and how active cables will provide both power and video to consumer devices.
3D cameras are hot. HP’s Z 3D Camera puts Sprout’s scanning power on your PC. Intel’s new cameras add human-like 3D vision to any machine.
When almost all AV products are pushing more and more features, it seems that almost Everything is too complicated for an average Joe.
Sources:
https://www.smartbrief.com/original/2018/01/10-audio-marketing-trends-2018
http://www.computerbild.de/artikel/avf-News-Audio-Trends-CES-2018-11264743.html
https://www.marketplace.org/2017/11/22/business/cassette-tapes-make-comeback
http://aeaaudio.com/why-tubes-are-back-and-how-to-get-in-on-it/
https://www.digitaltrends.com/home-theater/coolest-best-audio-gadgets-ces-2018/
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/18/16903516/headphones-wireless-analog-jack-future-ces-2018
https://techcrunch.com/2018/01/08/alexa-support-comes-to-2018-tvs-from-sony-and-hisense/
https://www.eetimes.com/document.asp?doc_id=1332845
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QYhgJlEn880
http://www.etn.fi/index.php/13-news/7368-tekoaly-skaalaa-televisiokuvan-8k-tarkkuuteen
https://www.theverge.com/2018/1/6/16859102/lg-display-rollable-oled-65-inch-ces-2018
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/08/eagle-wearable-home-theater/
http://www.electronicdesign.com/community-home/free-tv-keeps-getting-better-welcome-atsc-30
https://www.engadget.com/2018/01/18/intel-realsense-ready-to-use-depth-cameras/
https://arstechnica.com/gadgets/2018/01/hps-z-3d-camera-puts-sprouts-scanning-power-on-your-pc/
841 Comments
Tomi Engdahl says:
Artificial Intelligence Improves the Quality of Cell Phone Cameras
The mobile screening effected by the artificial intelligence is already in use for many tasks, even though small optics still require compromises. Artificial intelligence brings Huawei to new automation, adjustment possibilities and analysis of cellular imaging, resulting in clearly better quality images.
According to Huawei, the growing popularity of mobile photography is explained by its ease. Especially when it comes to surprising shooting conditions, the best camera is always the one that happens to be within reach.
Today, for most, it is most often a smartphone camera, which even up to 85% of all photos are recorded according to the Infotrendins report.
Even sophisticated graphic designers may benefit from the possibilities offered by artificial intelligence for new phones.
Honor 10 campaign photo shoot
“In addition to speed and good image quality, various adjustments are important for a professional, such as adjusting the aperture to provide the right depth of field,” says Öhrling.
Honor’s new 10-model artificial intelligence also helps in post-processing
Semantic image segmentation is used for separating objects and backgrounds, for example, in selfie imaging.
Source: https://www.uusiteknologia.fi/2018/06/08/tekoalylla-parempaa-laatua-kannykkakameroihin/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Vesper Technologies Aims to Amplify MEMS Microphone Production
http://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/vesper-technologies-aims-amplify-mems-microphone-production?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20180611_ED-003_293&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=17798&utm_medium=email&elq2=38abe98785b44f14a1b1d87ecbeea72e
James Morra | Jun 05, 2018
When Vesper Technologies raised $23 million in funding last month, the MEMS microphone maker’s investors included many of the major players in voice-controlled devices. Amazon’s Alexa Fund, Bose Ventures, Synaptics and Baidu poured money into the funding round, which was led by American Family Ventures, the venture capital division of insurance giant AmFam.
As voice assistants like Amazon Alexa and Google Home turn talking to smart speakers into an everyday occurrence, Boston, Massachusetts-based Vesper is trying to capitalize on the push to control everything from televisions and wearables to refrigerators and headphones with a few simple spoken commands. The startup makes microphones that consume much less power than traditional ones.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Video ad dollars shifting to OTT
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/video-ad-dollars-shifting-to-ott.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
Video advertising dollars are increasingly shifting to over-the-top (OTT) platforms. According a SteelHouse survey of both brand-side and agency marketing professionals, conducted by Advertiser Perceptions, marketers plan to dramatically increase their budget commitments to OTT, which the company dubs “connected television (CTV).” Some 78% of marketers surveyed plan to buy ad inventory on streaming TV within the next 12 months.
While only 2% of those surveyed said they never used video in their ads, 49% use video frequently, 38% use it occasionally, and 11% use it in all campaigns. An average of 30% of total advertising budgets are allocated to digital video across multiple channels, with 28% of that going to social platforms, 26% to in-stream, 20% to traditional local or national TV, and 13% to in-unit ads. But it was the newest category, CTV, also described as IPTV or OTT, that made the strongest impression, garnering 12% of planned video spend.
Tomi Engdahl says:
To combat OTT, pay TV providers turn to … OTT
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/to-combat-ott-pay-tv-providers-turn-to-ott.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to ABI Research, despite the competition from over-the-top (OTT) video services, the worldwide pay TV market has been growing at a steady pace. The research house says the global pay TV market including satellite, cable, and IPTV services is expected to generate $295 million in 2022.
Competition from OTT services is significant in developed markets where the pay TV market is mature. For example, in North America, traditional pay TV services lost more than 3 million subscribers in 2017 mainly due to customers switching from satellite, cable, or IPTV services to video streaming services, ABI says.
“OTT is becoming a preferred video viewing platform due to its low-cost and availability on multiple devices without a long-term contract requirement,” said Khin Sandi Lynn, industry analyst at ABI.
Tomi Engdahl says:
OTT video market over-saturated?
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/ott-video-market-over-saturated.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-06-11&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to research from L.E.K. Consulting, pay TV customers continue to abandon their cable boxes for over-the-top (OTT) streaming video content providers, such as Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime Video.
But as the “big three” subscription-based video on demand (VOD) services vie with each other for streaming market share, there are also value-based “skinny bundles,” premium networks and genre-focused services aiming for the same space, leading to growing signs that the streaming market has become over-saturated.
Following a record year of 34 notable streaming launches in 2015, 2017 saw the debut of only 10 such services. According to L.E.K. four out of every five consumers reported having just the right amount of video subscriptions.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T wins: Judge clears $85 billion bid for Time Warner with no conditions
https://www.cnbc.com/2018/06/12/att-time-warner-ruling.html
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon did not impose conditions on the merger’s approval.
He also urged the government not to seek a stay when issuing his decision in a closed-door room with reporters.
Shares of Time Warner jumped roughly 5 percent in extended trading. Shares of AT&T dropped as much as 2 percent
Tomi Engdahl says:
Netflix and Alphabet will need to become ISPs, fast
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/12/netflix-and-alphabet-will-need-to-become-isps-fast/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
This week completely scrambled the video landscape, and its implications are going to take months to fully understand.
First is the district court’s decision to approve the merger of AT&T and Time Warner announced just moments ago. That will create one of the largest content creation and distribution companies in the world when it closes.
It is also expected to encourage Comcast to make a similar bid for 21st Century Fox, further consolidating the market.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Comcast bids $65B for Fox assets, setting the stage for a fight with Disney
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/13/comcast-bids-65b-for-fox/?utm_source=tcfbpage&sr_share=facebook
Comcast made good on its plans to make an offer for 21st Century Fox’s film and TV assets today, with a cash bid of $65 billion, or $35 per share.
That’s 19 percent more than the $52.4 billion that Disney agreed to pay in December.
This follows yesterday’s U.S. court approval of the merger of AT&T and Time Warner, which was widely expected to lead Comcast to make a new bid for Fox and, in the long-term, set the stage for broader consolidation between ISPs and media companies.
“In light of yesterday’s decision in the AT&T/Time Warner case, the limited time prior to your shareholders’ meeting, and our strong continued interest, we are pleased to present a new, all-cash proposal that fully addresses the Board’s stated concerns with our prior proposal,” Roberts said.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AGC Asahi Glass unveils see-through LCD for commercial use
https://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2018/05/agc-asahi-glass-unveils-see-through-lcd-for-commercial-use.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2136159
AGC Asahi Glass (Tokyo, Japan), which produces glass, chemicals, and other materials, has completed development of what it calls “infoverre SEE-THROUGH,” a new product that consists of a liquid crystal display (LCD) that is directly laminated onto glass using resin and lamination technology developed by AGC. For use in commercial spaces, it overlays a transparent image in front of a display case behind it. The product is now available commercially.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cancer therapy to advance with development of world’s best video camera
https://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2018/06/cancer-therapy-to-advance-with-development-of-world-s-best-video-camera.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2018-06-12&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2136159
The Rosalind Franklin Institute (Harwell, Oxfordshire, England) is funded to develop the world’s best ultrafast video camera for imaging tissue with greater sensitivity and at higher resolution than any other instrument currently available. They say the camera will be invaluable in developing new techniques that use sound and light for both detecting and treating disease, including some of the most lethal forms of cancer such as pancreatic and brain tumors, with minimal side effects for patients.
It will be the first camera in the world able to capture up to 100 million individual frames per second (fps) at 1 megapixel resolution and operate across a wide optical spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared. This one-of-a-kind camera will enable researchers to see how ultrasound interacts with drug-loaded particles and tissue and how that enables the uptake of drugs into cancer cells. The camera will help researchers to understand the biophysical mechanisms behind drug delivery–critical to perfecting ultrasound targeted drug delivery.
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T closes Time Warner purchase
https://www.lightwaveonline.com/articles/2018/06/att-closes-time-warner-purchase.html?cmpid=enl_lightwave_lightwave_friday_5_2018-06-15&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2142064
AT&T closed its $85.4 billion purchase of Time Warner late Thursday
Tomi Engdahl says:
The court’s decision to let AT&T and Time Warner merge is ridiculously bad
Let’s read 170 pages of dunking on Professor Carl Shapiro together
https://www.theverge.com/2018/6/15/17468612/att-time-warner-acquisition-court-decision
Tomi Engdahl says:
Adobe debuts Project Rush, its new all-in-one video editor
https://techcrunch.com/2018/06/19/adobe-debuts-project-rush-its-new-all-in-one-video-editor/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
launch of Project Rush, a new video editor that takes the core features of its pro tools like Premiere Pro, After Effects and Audition and combines them into a single, more accessible tool. Don’t get too excited yet, though, the new tool will only be available later this year
https://www.adobe.com/products/project-rush.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
What do Mozart and Judas Priest have in common? Esa Lilja, a Finnish heavy metal scholar, knows the answer
https://www.helsinki.fi/en/news/language-culture/what-do-mozart-and-judas-priest-have-in-common-esa-lilja-a-finnish-heavy-metal-scholar-knows-the-answer?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social_owned
Tomi Engdahl says:
Trio of Class-D Amplifiers Addresses Today’s Home Audio Demands
http://www.electronicdesign.com/analog/trio-class-d-amplifiers-addresses-today-s-home-audio-demands?NL=ED-003&Issue=ED-003_20180625_ED-003_677&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=18105&utm_medium=email&elq2=10f7df67c5f74078a1131a21bc77d162
The new audio amplifiers support power levels from 15 W mono to 175 W stereo, and include features compatible with today’s home-audio speaker and microphone requirements.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lara O’Reilly / Wall Street Journal:
AT&T confirms it will buy AppNexus, which operates one of the largest independent ad exchanges; sources last week said the price was expected to be around $1.6B — Following acquisitions of AppNexus and Time Warner, telecom giant wants to do more than capitalize on its own content
AT&T Plots New Marketplace for TV and Digital Video Advertising
https://www.wsj.com/articles/at-t-to-acquire-digital-ad-firm-appnexus-for-1-6-billion-1529929278
Following acquisitions of AppNexus and Time Warner, telecom giant wants to do more than capitalize on its own content
Tomi Engdahl says:
Light that freezes motion – insight into a LED lighting control design for machine vision
https://e2e.ti.com/blogs_/b/industrial_strength/archive/2018/05/31/light-that-freezes-motion-insight-into-a-led-lighting-control-design-for-machine-vision?HQS=sys-ind-fa-automatedmachinery18-exah-blog-ElectronicDesign-wwe&DCM=yes
Photographers will always have the artistic license to claim that motion blur was their intention. But machine vision use cases such as imaging-based automatic inspection, quality control and code reading in factory automation and logistics require ultimate sharpness of any acquired images.
Machine vision – not a task for still life photographers
It’s not a question whether there is motion or not; there is only the question about the speed (v) of the motion and the challenge of capturing an image with the sharpness required.
A pixel blur less than or equal to one pixel is the best approach to freezing motion. You can achieve this by reducing the exposure time (tE), either by controlling the camera’s shutter, the strobe duration of a flash or both.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Automotive Applications Drive Class D Audio Amplifier Performance
http://innovation-destination.com/2018/06/22/automotive-applications-drive-class-d-audio-amplifier-performance/?NL=ED-004&Issue=ED-004_20180626_ED-004_475&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_1_b&utm_rid=CPG05000002750211&utm_campaign=18161&utm_medium=email&elq2=7f43cf94ab134381b8a7c1f8e67699f3
Advances in Class D amplifiers have opened the doors into higher-end apps, but the choice of inductor is crucial toward optimizing their performance.
Analog Class AB amplifiers have been a staple of the audio industry for decades, and their ability to deliver excellent sound quality has kept them there—despite their inherent bulk and other shortcomings. However, for automotive and battery-powered products, these limitations can no longer be accommodated. Now taking their place is the Class D audio power amplifier. Formerly relegated to low-end applications, these amplifiers, thanks to advances in technology, now can deliver performance equal to that of its Class AB counterpart.
For those not familiar with the Class D amplifier, it uses pulse width modulation (PWM) whereby transistors are operated as switches rather than delivering linear gain as in other amplifier classes. As the switches are either fully on or fully off, power losses are dramatically reduced, which makes it possible to achieve efficiency greater than 90%. This high-efficiency reduces the need for heat sinking, which in turn shrinks size, weight, and cost in comparison to lower amplifier classes.
The input audio signal modulates the PWM signal, which drives the amplifier output devices. At the very end of this signal chain, a low-pass filter removes highly undesirable high-frequency signal content
Dealing with Distortion
One of the traditional problems with Class D amplifiers is their high transient intermodulation distortion (TIM), which results in part from the characteristics of silicon MOSFETs whose switching anomalies, high on-state resistance, and very high stored charge make lowering distortion difficult to achieve. To reduce it, Class D amplifiers use large amounts of feedback to compensate for this mediocre open-loop performance. However, the feedback introduces TIM that degrades output signal to what has been described as harsh, colorless, or bland.
The primary role of the low-pass filter, and parenthetically the inductor within it, is to eliminate these high-frequency signal components above the higher threshold of hearing, which is about 20 kHz.
By eliminating distortion products, the filter effectively allows the output signal to be reconstructed to be almost identical to the original. In current Class D amplifier designs, it produces a signal that’s virtually indistinguishable from that of a Class AB amplifier.
Optimizing the performance of a Class D amplifier requires very close attention to the choice of the inductor used in the low-pass filter at the output.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Lemo’s hybrid fiber-optic connector streamlines professional video broadcast
https://www.cablinginstall.com/articles/pt/2018/06/lemo-s-hybrid-fiber-optic-connector-streamlines-professional-video-broadcast.html?cmpid=enl_cim_cim_data_center_newsletter_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2151885
Dubbed the 3K.93C.Y series, the new hybrid fiber-optic connector is fully compatible with existing SMPTE and ARIB standards and has fewer components
The connector reportedly includes a new contact called the FS fiber contact. In addition, the connector’s insulator is made in two sections; sideways insertion of the optical contacts prevents any push-back on the optical contacts.
Hybrid fiber optic connector from LEMO is designed for professional video broadcast
https://www.designworldonline.com/hybrid-fiber-optic-connector-from-lemo-is-designed-for-professional-video-broadcast/
The new hybrid connector—called 3K.93C.Y series—is fully compatible with existing SMPTE and ARIB standard.
Tomi Engdahl says:
85% of millennials subscribe to OTT
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/85-of-millennials-subscribe-to-ott.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to Parks Associates, more than 85% of millennials in U.S. broadband
households subscribe to at least one over-the-top (OTT) video service. The research comes from Parks’ “OTT Video Market Tracker,” which includes an analysis of market trends and profiles of OTT video service providers in the United States and Canada, such as Netflix, HBO, YouTube, and Amazon. The Tracker features a new way to blend company profiles with industry research data and analysis of competing players’ strengths and weaknesses in the space.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Ooyala: Mobile video stabilizing
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/06/ooyala-mobile-video-stabilizing.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
According to Ooyala’s “Q1 2018 Global Video Index Report,” mobile video
consumption continues to rise, but growth stabilized in Q1 2018; total video plays increased during the quarter just 1.8% from the prior year. The increase was one of the smallest in 14 quarters, and also marked the first quarter-over-quarter decline in mobile’s share of plays at nearly 4.6%. Mobile devices accounted for 58% of all videos watched globally.
Consumption on mobile devices of long-form video – defined as more than 20 minutes in length – continues to thrive, Ooyala says. On smartphones, for example, 20- to 40-minute videos were viewed to completion 57% of the time, while videos exceeding 40 minutes (ultra-long form) were viewed to completion more than 45% of the time.
On other devices, the report indicates that viewers watched long-form content (20-40 minutes) to completion 61% of the time on tablets and 71% on PCs. Viewers watched ultra-long form content (40+ minutes) to completion 51% of the time on tablets and 59% on PCs.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cancer therapy to advance with development of world’s best video camera
https://www.laserfocusworld.com/articles/2018/06/cancer-therapy-to-advance-with-development-of-world-s-best-video-camera.html?cmpid=enl_lfw_lfw_detectors_and_imaging_newsletter_2018-06-22&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2150733
The Rosalind Franklin Institute (Harwell, Oxfordshire, England) is funded to develop the world’s best ultrafast video camera for imaging tissue with greater sensitivity and at higher resolution than any other instrument currently available. They say the camera will be invaluable in developing new techniques that use sound and light for both detecting and treating disease, including some of the most lethal forms of cancer such as pancreatic and brain tumors, with minimal side effects for patients.
the first camera in the world able to capture up to 100 million individual frames per second (fps) at 1 megapixel resolution and operate across a wide optical spectrum from ultraviolet to infrared. This one-of-a-kind camera will enable researchers to see how ultrasound interacts with drug-loaded particles and tissue and how that enables the uptake of drugs into cancer cells. The camera will help researchers to understand the biophysical mechanisms behind drug delivery–critical to perfecting ultrasound targeted drug delivery.
Currently, the fastest long-record-duration framing camera in the world best suited for these applications are still mechanical, operating at speeds up to 25 million fps.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Researchers capture multispectral images without a lens or color filters
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/print/volume-23/issue-5/departments/technology-trends/researchers-capture-multispectral-images-without-a-lens-or-color-filters.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2151852
A team of scientists from Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU Singapore; Jurong West, Singapore, http://www.ntu.edu.sg) have developed a multispectral imaging technique using a monochrome camera that removes the need for a lens or color filters.
To obtain color images with conventional cameras requires optics made from glass or plastic lenses that capture and guide light onto color filters and the camera’s sensor. Such lenses, suggests NTU Singapore, are usually bulky in size and expensive due to the precision of the manufacturing that is required.
To create multispectral images, the team “reverse engineered,” the light scattered by the glass diffuser. In an experimental setup, the team used a common projector without a magnification lens to generate 2D multispectral objects on the plane of an iris (iris 1, the object plane), which blocks any stray light from projectors. A
This, according to the team of reasearchers, demonstrates a single-shot multispectral imaging technique that “gives flexibility to end users with a very simple optical setup,” through spatial correlation and spectral decorrelation of speckle patterns. These seemingly random speckle patterns are point spread functions (PSF) generated by light from point sources spreading through a scattering medium (a ground glass optical diffuser). The spatial correlation of PSFs, according to the team, allows image recovery with a deconvolution algorithm, while the spectral decorrelation allows them to play the role of tunable spectral filters in the deconvolution process.
While the academic paper does not specifically mention the camera that was used in this setup, a video (http://bit.ly/VSD-NTU) on Channel NewsAsia shows an Andor Neo 5.5. This camera features a 5.5 MPixel monochrome front-illuminated scientific CMOS image sensor that can deliver 30 fps sustained or 100 fps in burst mode. The camera is -40°C vacuum cooled and offers 1 e- read noise and a maximum dynamic range of 30,000:1. Using the current camera setup, the team noted that it can do single-shot multispectral imaging of any spectral band within a range of UV (250 nm) to near IR (1100 nm).
“Our technology can also reconstruct images in other multiple wavelengths invisible to the naked eye, like infrared and ultraviolet, which are used in imaging purposes for medicine, surveillance and astrophysics. It can also reconstruct images taken at the microscopic scale,”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Deep learning-enabled video camera launched by Amazon
https://www.vision-systems.com/articles/2018/06/deep-learning-enabled-video-camera-launched-by-amazon.html?cmpid=enl_vsd_vsd_newsletter_2018-06-25&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24&eid=289644432&bid=2151852
First announced by Amazon at the re:Invent conference in November, the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Deep Lens video camera—which is designed to put deep learning technology in the hands of developers—is now shipping to customers.
DeepLens runs deep learning models directly on the device and is designed to provide developers with hands-on artificial intelligence technology. The device features a 4 MPixel camera that captures 1080P video along with an Intel Atom Processor that provides more than 100 GFLOPS of computer power, which AWS says is enough to run tens of frames of incoming video through on-board deep learning models every second.
WS DeepLens runs the Ubunti 16.04 OS and is preloaded with AWS Greengrass Core, as well as a device-optimized version of MXNet, and the flexibility to use other frameworks such as TensorFlow and Caffe. Additionally, the The Intel clDNN library provides a set of deep learning primitives for computer vision and other AI workloads, according to Amazon.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Nvidia Transforms Standard Video Into Slow Motion Using AI
https://hackaday.com/2018/06/25/nvidia-transforms-standard-video-into-slow-motion-using-ai/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Sahil Patel / Digiday:
Verizon is shutting down go90; sources say it will be discontinued by July 31 and that shows and all content rights will be returned to production partners
From Kanye to bust: Verizon is shutting down Go90, ending an expensive effort at mobile video streaming
https://digiday.com/media/verizon-shutting-go90/
Verizon is finally calling it quits on its expensive mobile video bet, Go90.
The wireless communications giant is shutting down the mobile video streaming service, which it launched in October 2015, according to four sources familiar with the situation. Go90 representatives have begun informing content partners about plans to end both the Go90 brand and the video streaming app by July 31, sources said. Go90 will also return the shows and all content rights back to its production partners, which included companies ranging from AwesomenessTV to Vice Media.
The move will end an expensive endeavor for Verizon, which over the years spent a significant amount of money on both content acquisition and marketing costs on Go90.
estimated that the total cost for was roughly $1.2 billion
“Following the creation of Oath, Go90 will be discontinued,” said a Verizon spokesperson in a statement.
Tomi Engdahl says:
YouTube’s top creators are burning out and breaking down en masse
‘This is all I’ve ever wanted. Why am I so unhappy?’
https://www.polygon.com/2018/6/1/17413542/burnout-mental-health-awareness-youtube-elle-mills-el-rubius-bobby-burns-pewdiepie
YouTube networks drop thousands of creators as YouTube policy shifts
https://www.polygon.com/2018/4/23/17268436/fullscreen-socialblade-youtube-mcn-multi-channel-network-creators-monetization
Multi-channel networks hit hard by ‘Know Your Customer’ policy
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to build FM Radio Station with FM transmitter in 15 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT-dz3JUv9w
This video has only the bare necessities (read: cheap) to get an FM signal on the air and modulate it. If you want to build a SERIOUS FM station, you’ll need to drop some serious dough to accomplish it. ESPECIALLY if you’re going to shoot 350 watts into the ether like these people in the video are.
Isn’t this illegal unless you have a permit
Also, that’s a 350-watt FM transmitter. Depending on terrain and antenna height, that thing can throw a signal for a good 15-20 miles in all directions. I don’t know where this video was shot, but if you’re caught doing this in the U. S. without an FCC license, you risk a $10,000 fine for running a pirate radio station. Anything over Part 15 power without a license is illegal.
FMUSER Economic FM Radio Station Studio Package 350w FM transmitter 15-20 Kilometers
http://www.fmuser.net/content/?1068.html
Tomi Engdahl says:
Studio monitors Vs. Audiophile speakers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcbHJg5aFgQ
There’s an often quoted misconception that studio monitors are better than high-end speakers or vice versa. What are the differences?
Tomi Engdahl says:
How to build a DAB Radio Station in 5 minutes
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dW9wZqDsZuQ
built a low power small scale DAB multiplex from scratch with DAB and DAB+ stations
http://www.foreverdab.uk/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Best Buy Stops Selling Music CDs
https://m.slashdot.org/story/342892
Best Buy has stopped selling CDs at its stores as of Sunday, CBS Pittsburgh reports. The arrest of CD sales will happen nationwide. Due to digital streaming services such as Spotify, Apple Music, Pandora and others, CD sales have been falling in recent years.
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/cds-at-best-buy-are-going-the-way-of-the-dodo/
Tomi Engdahl says:
Wired headphones are having their quartz moment
The mechanical watches of personal audio
https://www.theverge.com/2018/7/7/17539420/wired-headphones-mechanical-watches-personal-audio
Film cameras. Vinyl records. Paper books. Mechanical watches. And now wired headphones.
There are some classes of personal technology that refuse to die, no matter how much more convenient, compatible, or simply cheaper their successors become. Wired headphones are under no immediate threat of extinction
Back in the 1970s, the quartz revolution transformed the entire watch industry.
And yet, mechanical watches are still very much around, garnering the majority of horology enthusiasts’ passion and attention.
People, it turns out, just really like the skill and craftsmanship required
Headphones are currently in the midst of their quartz moment. The past couple of years have seen wireless headphones advance in leaps and bounds
There’s still a sound quality delta between wired and wireless headphones, but for the broad majority of the market, it’s now too small to matter. All the data shows that the biggest growth in headphone sales is driven by the addition of wireless and other “smart” technologies.
Watchmakers figured out that the best, or perhaps only, way to sustain their mechanical watch business was to sell those wares as luxuries.
The same approach has already been deployed successfully by a few headphone companies
WIRED HEADPHONES AND MECHANICAL WATCHES DON’T NEED BATTERIES, AND SO CAN LIVE ON INDEFINITELY
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip Hall of Fame: Photobit PB-100
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-history/silicon-revolution/chip-hall-of-fame-photobit-pb100
So was born the complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) active pixel sensor: a “camera-on-a-chip” with pixels that can each do their own charge-to-voltage conversion, significantly reducing the amount of energy and supporting circuitry needed to produce the image. Plus, CMOS sensors are made using the same material and techniques as most microprocessors and memory chips, making them easier and most cost effective to manufacture.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Chip Hall of Fame: Philips TDA7000 FM Receiver
https://spectrum.ieee.org/tech-history/silicon-revolution/chip-hall-of-fame-philips-tda7000-fm-receiver
FM radio is now a standard feature in a staggering number of gadgets, including alarm clocks, wristwatches, and music players. But before the early 1980s, conventional radio functions were costly and time consuming to build.
What changed was the advent of the Philips TDA7000, a chip that made cheap, easy, and ultrasmall FM radio possible.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Never Get CAUGHT Watching Por…
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ut1LCd50skc
I just now visualize Linus walking up behind people silently and suddenly saying “ok so I can only really see what you’re watching from this angle…”
Tomi Engdahl says:
Replica Sound Cards – AdLib, Innovation SSI-2001, and SwinSID Ultimate.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TUCNDNJHItw
Tomi Engdahl says:
Impossible Active Audio Noise Cancelling by Muzo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MCW5HUkrr-o
“Today the problem is not the excitement to start a project, but to deliver what was thoughtlessly promised through a well written proposal or a well made online promotional video” Abraham Lincoln (ElectroBOOM Division)
Tomi Engdahl says:
Cassettes: EVERYTHING You Know is a LIE!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3wwaj4HvhyU
Exploring the good ol’ Cassette Tape
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H5m6zs1UIVg
If you remember the cassette as sounding awful, I have news for you. They actually sound just fine. The Compact Cassette has a unique history in the world of sound, which we explore along with their attributes in this Tech Explorations video.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Mechanical Television: Incredibly simple, yet entirely bonkers
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5OANXk-6-w
John Logie Baird is often considered to be the inventor of television, but not of television as we know it. His mechanical television is a remarkable invention for its simplicity, but as you’ll soon see, it would never have been all that practical.
Tomi Engdahl says:
Why Sony’s Beta Videotape System Failed–and failed hard (Part 1)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FyKRubB5N60
The late 1970′s and early 1980′s were a frightening time to be a video enthusiast. Two formats are duking it out and trying to assert their dominance, and although Sony was first* to market with their Betamax machine, they were caught off guard by JVC’s competing VHS system which, rather than focus on pedantic details like cassette design and technical perfection, strived to make a cheap, versatile format that worked.
Why Sony’s Beta Videotape System Failed–Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v019trxfcmg
Tomi Engdahl says:
Virtual reality stars at the World Cup
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/07/virtual-reality-stars-at-the-world-cup.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-07-09&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
With the World Cup on, the soccer teams are not the only ones competing. Cable operators, broadcasters, streaming video providers and social media platforms are also contending for the gold when it comes to fan viewership and content consumption, said Brice Clinton, senior engineer, CSG International
The stakes are high since sports is one of the last bastions of so-called appointment television, and the World Cup is globally the most widely viewed sporting event.
Telemundo is going all in with regards to virtual reality (VR). Games are being broadcast live in VR, with 180-degree viewing. The Studio shows and the opening and closing of the games are in 360-degree VR.
“VR has enormous implications on the consumption of sports from an in-home perspective and an in-venue perspective,” Clinton said. He said the NBA’s Golden State Warriors have produced a VR experience for viewers by placing the cameras in a courtside seat.
Tomi Engdahl says:
DOCOMO intros 8k VR streaming
https://www.broadbandtechreport.com/articles/2018/07/docomo-intros-8k-vr-streaming.html?cmpid=enl_btr_video_technology_2018-07-09&pwhid=6b9badc08db25d04d04ee00b499089ffc280910702f8ef99951bdbdad3175f54dcae8b7ad9fa2c1f5697ffa19d05535df56b8dc1e6f75b7b6f6f8c7461ce0b24
NTT DOCOMO in Japan has developed what it says is the world’s first 8K virtual reality (VR) live video streaming and viewing system for showing live events in 360-degree 8K VR video via a head-mounted viewing system.
Processing 4 x 4K video for real-time stitching and compression into 360-degree 8K video is difficult to achieve with software. DOCOMO’s solution was to use a field programmable gate array (FPGA) for processing and an algorithm for high-density mounting (maximizes FPGA processing) at 30 frames per second (fps).
To view video in the head-mounted display, the 360-degree 8K video is divided into multiple clipped videos (tiles) so that only the video corresponding to the user’s viewing direction needs to be displayed. In addition, a Panorama Cho Engine encoder is used for devising algorithms to enable real-time operation, thereby reducing the processing demands for live transmission.
The system comprises equipment that stitches together five 4K fisheye videos from five outward-facing cameras in real time at 30 fps, an 8K H.264 encoder for real-time compression, the real-time Panorama Cho Engine encoder
Tomi Engdahl says:
Balanced vs. Unbalanced audio
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzEmKPTb18g
Have you ever wondered what the differences are between the RCA single-ended connections and the XLR balanced connections in audio? PS Audio CEO and founder Paul McGowan shares with us the what’s, whys and wherefores of this subject.
What is fully balanced audio?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G8hoG8OOfsI
We hear of balanced and unbalanced audio inputs but what does it mean to be fully balanced? Is it something on the inside of the equipment? Paul explains how it works and why it’s important.
Tomi Engdahl says:
When did you know you were an audiophile?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BbGJVHC4-Tk
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T wants to overhaul HBO, says it isn’t profitable enough
https://arstechnica.com/information-technology/2018/07/att-wants-to-overhaul-hbo-says-it-isnt-profitable-enough/
AT&T warns HBO employees of a “tough” first year under AT&T ownership.
AT&T has been the proud owner of HBO for less than a month, and it is already considering an overhaul that would see HBO produce more video that can compete for the attention of smartphone users. AT&T wants to boost revenue both in advertising and subscriptions, even if that means upending HBO’s longtime strategy of producing a relatively small number of high-quality shows.
HBO must compete with smartphones for people’s attention
Tomi Engdahl says:
AT&T takes stake in AR company Magic Leap with exclusive distribution deal
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/11/att-takes-strategic-stake-in-ar-company-magic-leap-in-its-latest-push-into-digital-media/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
After spending the last couple of weeks closing the deal to buy TimeWarner for $85 billion and buying ad firm AppNexus for up to $2 billion, today AT&T announced a key distribution move in its new bid to be a media powerhouse: it’s taking a strategic investment into Magic Leap, the high profile augmented reality startup, which will include becoming the exclusive “wireless distributor” of Magic Leap products in the U.S.
Tomi Engdahl says:
A better design experience. A more dynamic automotive experience. ADI’s A2B® technology delivers both.
http://www.analog.com/en/landing-pages/001/a2b.html?ADICID=BNAD_NA_P51709_419663975-221363224-4286792-101665562
Taking on today’s automotive design challenges often starts with what you take out.
Take out the complexity. Take out the weight. Take out the added costs. But add in the advanced, feature-rich infotainment experience that car manufacturers, and millions of drivers, increasingly expect – along with better gas mileage.
75% less weight. 100% more innovation.
Analog Devices is helping to solve this challenge with the Automotive Audio Bus® (A2B) digital audio bus technology, which delivers high fidelity audio for automobiles while significantly reducing the weight of existing cable harnesses
Traditional implementations for high fidelity audio in automobiles required a large amount of expensive, heavy cabling. ADI set about it a better way – initially with the AD2410 and most recently with the AD242x family of enhanced A2B transceivers. All A2B transceivers are capable of distributing audio and control data together with clock and power over a single, unshielded, low cost twisted-pair wire.
Tomi Engdahl says:
End of video rental shop era:
There’s now just one Blockbuster remaining in the US
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/13/theres-now-just-one-blockbuster-remaining-in-the-u-s/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
And then there was one.
With the impending closures of Blockbuster locations in Anchorage and Fairbanks, Alaska, just one single store will remain in the country, Anchorage Daily News reported yesterday. The two locations in Alaska will officially close their respective doors on July 16, leaving just one location in Bend, Ore.
The movie rental chain opened its first store in Dallas in 1985* and swelled to a booming 9,000 locations by 2004. But, with the introduction of streaming services and a general change in consumers’ viewing habits, the company has been closing locations in the last decade and announced in 2013 the imminent closing of its remaining locations.
Tomi Engdahl says:
How do you distinguish between a HiFi-fan and a musician? According to the former, a meter of inappropriate cable spoils the whole hardware sound, the latter noticing the piuaa just looking for a composite device behind why the music does not belong.
The emphasis on the importance of cables as part of the sound system began only after the most expensive hi fi profile became high end, a decade ago.
Source: http://audiovideo.fi/testi/silent-wire-50-ag-kaapeli-testissa
Tomi Engdahl says:
Kapwing is Adobe for the meme generation
https://techcrunch.com/2018/07/16/kapwing-video-editor/?sr_share=facebook&utm_source=tcfbpage
Need to resize a video for IGTV? Add subtitles for Twitter? Throw in sound effects for YouTube? Or collage it with other clips for the Instagram feed? Kapwing lets you do all that and more for free from a mobile browser or website. This scrappy new startup is building the vertical video era’s creative suite full of editing tools for every occasion.