LONDON--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dramatic advances in media technology bring new opportunities to engage with audiences and to extend the reach of an event around the world. At IBC2014, two very different projects will be recognised with prestigious awards. Innovations in coverage of the 2014 FIFA World Cup will receive the Judges’ Prize, and a Special Award will go the one of the world’s greatest opera houses, the Wiener Staatsoper – Vienna State Opera.

The 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil was hailed as both a sporting and a media success, with close to a billion people worldwide watching the final between Argentina and Germany. They watched in on air and online, in formats from 4k and 8k Ultra HD to mobile phones and tablets.

The IBC2014 Judges’ Prize will be received on stage by Niclas Ericson, FIFA’s director of television. He said “The global football audience is always hungry for more – for more cameras, for more detail, for more replays and for more analysis. In Brazil this year we worked together with our partners to provide more engaging multi-platform content and to develop the language to cover football in high resolution formats. It was an exhilarating team effort, and I am proud to recognise all those who contributed.”

Ericson will be joined on stage by representatives of 14 partner organisations, led by HBS, the host broadcast organisation. Alongside them will be Sony (4k capture and production), NHK (4k and 8k), Telegenic (4k outside broadcast production), EVS (multimedia and 4k), Deltatre (multimedia and 4k), Eutelsat (4k), Globosat (4k), Eurovision (4k), Netco (multimedia), Fraunhofer Heinrich Hertz Institute (360˚ ultra HD capture), Boxframe (4k), Dolby (4k) and Fujinon (4k lenses).

The Wiener Staatsoper has embraced multi-platform delivery, with as many as 45 broadcasts of operas and ballets a year. As well as HD origination,www.staatsoperlive.com offered a 4k Ultra-HD broadcast of Verdi’s ‘Nabucco’ on 10 May 2014, the first such broadcast to Samsung smart TVs worldwide.

Its regular broadcasts offer two streams of HD: a live cut and a static view of the stage. Additional content including a synchronised score as well as subtitles adds to the viewer’s understanding. Extra video and multimedia content, tailored to specialist audiences, include a discussion of the opera, live rehearsals and backstage views, and more.

“For us as an opera house with 150 years of tradition, presenting an art form that looks back on 500 years of history, to be rewarded with one of the most renowned awards in this highly innovative industry is a wonderful acknowledgement,” said Dominique Meyer, director of the Vienna State Opera. “It shows how vivid we are, looking from a glorious past into a promising future.”

Michael Lumley, Chair of the IBC Awards judging panel, said “At first glance there is little in common between the football World Cup and opera. Yet each engender huge passion in their fans, and those fan bases are far larger than can attend a live event. Both FIFA and the Vienna State Opera have built strong, innovative, creative in-house teams to take control of their content, and have worked with leaders in the industry to be on the leading edge of emerging technologies.

“IBC is the place where content, commerce and technology come together,” he added. “These two organisations are clear winners with their audiences, and we are delighted to be able to recognise them with these very special awards.”

The awards will be presented during the IBC Awards Ceremony, and clips from both the World Cup and recent productions in the Vienna Opera House will be shown on the state of the art digital cinema and audio installation in the RAI Auditorium – the IBC Big Screen. The Awards Ceremony takes place on Sunday 14 September at 18:30: all IBC attendees are welcome to attend this free event.

About IBC

IBC is the premier annual event for professionals engaged in the creation, management and delivery of entertainment and news content worldwide. Attracting 52,000+ attendees from more than 170 countries, IBC combines a highly respected and peer-reviewed conference with an exhibition that exhibits more than 1,500 leading suppliers of state of the art electronic media technology and provides unrivalled networking opportunities.

For more information visit http://www.ibc.org/awards

To register for IBC2014 visit www.ibc.org/register

Find out more about the IBC Conference – www.ibc.org/conference

Find out more about the IBC Exhibition – www.ibc.org/discovermore

Find out more about IBC Content Everywhere Europe – www.ibcCE.org/europe

IBC2014 Dates:

Conference: 11 - 15 September 2014

Exhibition: 12 - 16 September 2014

Contacts

IBC
Kelly Hyde
Head of Marketing
marketing@ibc.org
+44 (0) 207 832 4104