SVG Japan Sports TV Forum Focuses on IP, Cloud, and the Future of Production

More than 95 industry professionals attended the inaugural event on June 9

SVG held its inaugural Japan Sports TV Forum at Sony headquarters in Tokyo on Friday, partnering with Japanese broadcast magazine NewMedia and Sony on an event that brought together 85 sports-production professionals and related manufacturers for an afternoon of presentations, panel discussions, and networking.

More than 85 people attended the inaugural SVG Japan Forum last week in Tokyo.

“Our discussions for this event began with Sony last September at IBC in Amsterdam, and it was great to see it become a reality,” says Ken Kerschbaumer, co-executive director, editorial services, SVG. “Over the years, we have worked closely with Interbee, the Japanese equivalent of the NAB Show. Adding this event helps us serve the important Japanese marketplace twice a year.”

SVG’s Ken Kerschbaumer (left) and SVG Japan’s Naoki Koyama discussed current accomplishments in sports broadcasting.

The event began with Kerschbaumer discussing some of the recent accomplishments around the globe in sports production with SVG Japan’s Naoki Koyama, with an emphasis on IP, cloud, and HDR workflows.

Sony’s Hajime Kogai offered an update on the company’s Networked Live ecosystem and Creators’ Cloud platform.

In a presentation on Sony IP and cloud-related offerings, Hajime Kogai, GM, B2B Products & Solution Dept., B2B Business Division, Sony Marketing Inc., provided an update on Networked Live and Creators’ Cloud as means to expand efficiencies. A presentation by Mitsuharu Katsuta, senior director, business development, LiveU Japan, explained how real sports-production projects are deploying LiveU technology for new benefits in remote production.

A panel discussion on the current state of sports production in Japan was moderated by Yoshio Nakamura, professor of sports science, Waseda University, and featured Takashi Kuroda, Club Support Division, J-League; Takashi Asai, deputy director/technical manager, Cross Media Group, Nara TV; Hidenori Fujiwara, Global Business Solution Business Group, Fujitsu Co.; and Takahiro Ogaki, system development, NCV.

The event closed with an update on SMPTE ST 2110 and other standards. Kazuyuki Arai, System Solution Center, Production Group, Engineering Department, Japan Broadcasting, discussed some of the recent ST 2110–reliant projects undertaken by NHK.

Says Kerschbaumer, “This event, along with our upcoming SVG Australia Summit on Aug. 9 in Sydney, continues our commitment to serving sports-production professionals around the world.”