Connections

Several MESA members took part in CES 2022 this week, in Las Vegas and/or virtually as the COVID Omicron variant led several companies to opt against attending or exhibiting in person this year.

Here are some of the highlights:

Azure

Although Azure and parent Microsoft weren’t exhibiting at CES 2022, Azure had a presence at the show anyway.

At CES, Qualcomm Technologies announced its collaboration with Microsoft to expand and accelerate the adoption of augmented reality (AR) in both the consumer and enterprise sector.

“Both companies are believers in the metaverse, and Qualcomm Technologies is working with Microsoft across several initiatives to drive the ecosystem, including developing custom AR chips to enable a new wave of power efficient, lightweight AR glasses to deliver rich and immersive experiences, and plans to integrate software like Microsoft Mesh and Snapdragon Spaces XR Developer Platform,” Qualcomm said.

Microsoft Mesh is Microsoft’s new mixed reality platform powered by Azure that enables people in different physical locations to “join collaborative and shared holographic experiences on many kinds of devices,” according to Microsoft.

Dolby

Dolby is spotlighting its Dolby Atmos, Dolby Vision, Dolby Cinema and Dolby.io at CES. But the “Dolby CES Experience” was being shown at the Wynn Las Vegas by invitation only, it said.

Other companies touted Dolby’s technology at CES also, including Samsung, who said its 2022 Neo QLED TVs provide a “truly remarkable Dolby Atmos experience thanks to the addition of Samsung’s new top channel speakers.” Multi-channel speakers are placed throughout the TV, Samsung said.

Gracenote

Although Nielsen’s Gracenote division opted, at the last minute, to not take part in CES over healthy and safety concerns, the company still planned to meet with clients and members of the media virtually this month to demo its newest offerings.

“With the safety and health of our employees and clients as our top priority, Nielsen has decided to no longer have an in-person participation at CES in January 2022,” Gracenote’s parent company says at its website.

“We still have exciting products, demos and sessions to share with you! If you’re interested in meeting virtually, we’d love to meet with you to demo our latest products and talk through our 2022 roadmap,” it added.

Gracenote’s big pre-CES news was announced in December, when it debuted a new content analytics tool that forecasts potential future entertainment programming performance using a combination of content metadata, syndicated Nielsen audience measurement data and advanced machine learning technology.

That new offering, Audience Predict, is geared toward content owners and distributors, providing them with predictive insights to make strategic decisions for maximizing return on programming investments.

Nielsen also announced on Jan. 5 that Gracenote and Lucid Group collaborated to bring innovative and intuitive audio features to the Lucid Air luxury electric vehicle. By integrating Gracenote’s Smart Radio data and technology solutions, Lucid’s entertainment interface will seamlessly connect drivers and passengers to audio content from a range of sources to optimize the in-car entertainment experience, Nielsen aid.

NAGRA

NAGRA’s CES showcase included:

The Future of Home Network Security: With its experience across cybersecurity, Internet of Things (IoT) and pay-TV, NAGRA combined multiple innovations across parent Kudelski Group segments to introduce NAGRA Scout, a consumer- and broadband service operator-friendly intelligent home network security solution, NAGRA said.

Game Over for Gaming Pirates: “With the shift to online streaming platforms and pre-release short-form content, the gaming industry is being threatened by content pirates. As a partner to some of the world’s largest media providers, NAGRA’s trusted, proven and comprehensive anti-piracy approach, solutions and services can address the emerging gaming piracy threat,” NAGRA said.

Empowering Video Operators to Drive Value with New Audiences: “Video service providers are looking for innovative, easy and proven ways [to] offer targeted content and advanced features and functions that meets consumers’ growing expectations. With an increasing need for aggregated solutions that migrate their services from pay-TV offering to digital entertainment hub, NAGRA is working with several customers worldwide to help them realize new opportunities, attract new audiences and deliver value-added propositions,” it said. “In the U.S., NAGRA is delivering a turn-key solution for regional providers that delivers all the features and benefits of a Tier-1 service – without the hefty price tag and with the option to incorporate hyper-local content. Recent examples include NAGRA’s work with Jackson Energy Authority, 1Tennessee and IPVconnect,” NAGRA added.
 
The Cost of Piracy is Adding Up: “The pandemic has accelerated the shift to streaming services – and in parallel has also increased the risk of piracy,” according to NAGRA. Although “some in the industry believe complying with content owner requirements is sufficient, the evidence suggests that having a clear anti-piracy strategy ahead of releasing content in a multi-channel distribution model is a smart approach,” it said.  NAGRA’s recent publication “Piracy has no Boundaries: Protecting Revenue in the Era of PVOD” focuses specifically on how this affects the PVOD market” and the company’s showcased solutions offer various “pragmatic solutions to fit all requirements,” it pointed out.

Leadership, Vision and Insights: André Kudelski, CEO and chairman of Kudelski Group, planned to share his expertise on the media technologies that will impact the future of the entertainment industry at this year’s Variety Entertainment Summit at CES, during the panel discussion, “Planting the First Flag – The Future of Entertainment Exploration and Innovation,” Jan. 6 at the Aria at 3:55 p.m. PT.

Sony

As MESA reported, Sony put the spotlight on its latest production and virtual reality (VR) offerings at CES.

Under the theme “Co-create the Future of Entertainment,” Sony introduced various technologies and initiatives that support creators and get closer to users at its booth in Las Vegas and the online platform “Sony Square.”

During a press briefing, Kenichiro Yoshida, CEO, president and chairman of Sony Group Corporation, introduced the company’s latest technologies and initiatives to support creators, including virtual production that removes restrictions on video production.

“Sony Innovation Studios has evolved its virtual production solution to create a streamlined workflow,” he said, adding: “We have advanced asset capturing, creation and real-time rendering technologies. However, one of the most important elements in virtual production is the LED screen” such as those from Sony Electronics, he said.

“Virtual production frees creators from various restrictions in shooting, such as location, weather, and time, by implementing a production environment that integrates the background image with the subject in real time,” Sony said in a news release. “The combination of Crystal LED, which projects high-definition background images with high contrast and rich color reproduction, and the cinema camera “VENICE,” which achieves high resolution and delicate depictions, stimulates creators’ creativity and increases the freedom of expression.”

An exhibit at CES featured Sony Innovation Studios’ virtual demo of the technology used to make its film Ghostbusters: Afterlife, Yoshida noted.

Taking the stage next was Tom Rothman, CEO and chairman of Sony Pictures Entertainment Motion Picture Group, who turned the spotlight on PlayStation Productions, a collaboration between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Interactive Entertainment (SIE) to produce movies and TV content based on PlayStation video game intellectual property.

Next up, Jim Ryan, SIE CEO and president, unveiled the next-generation VR system “PlayStation VR2” and new PlayStation VR2 Sense controllers that he said will provide an unprecedented experience and immersive feeling for video games. He also announced the latest in the company’s Horizon game series, Horizon Call of the Mountain, saying it’s a title exclusively for PlayStation VR2.

Yoshida then returned to the stage to highlight the tracking technology of Sony Group company Hawk-Eye Innovations and Sony’s partnership with Manchester City Football Club for the realization of next-generation fan communities in the virtual space.