The NAB showroom is providing a sneak peek into future opportunities and technology, which the satellite industry aims to leverage as the broadcast sector makes new leaps in mobile and HD technology.
    One of the most advanced and talked-about developments is 3D HD video capability. In NAB’s  opening events, Panasonic said it is making significant progress on Blu-ray 3D HD standards and that its extension to HDMI digital networking interfaces, could come as soon as this year. However, the company also mentioned that 3D HD for cable and satellite systems would naturally evolve after Blu-ray discs for games and movies and that broadcasting sports events will be the likely driver. The company also mentioned that 3D developments will move much faster because of the broadcast industry’s move to digital TV and the vast number of HD displays now available.
    Web-based satellite video networking systems were also on display. Wegener revealed its new CompelConnect web-based network control system at its NAB booth. The system provides an IP-based solution for small and mid-sized video networks requiring localization on a site-by-site or regional basis.
    "This represents a dramatic business shift for Wegener. During these challenging economic times, Wegener is responding with scalable ways to launch small or medium-sized private networks while fulfilling our commitment to help clients distribute relevant content to each site in their networks," said Ned L. Mountain, president and COO of Wegener.
    The concern over satellite bandwidth efficiency has also made an impact on the show room floor. Dolby is using NAB 2009 to debut its Dolby Pulse professional development kit, designed for bandwidth-critical services such as next-generation HDTV, IPTV, cable, and satellite, while aiming to  maintain compatibility with existing Dolby Digital home theater systems.
    "Dolby is excited to have integrated an HE AAC-based technology into its portfolio of very successful and widely adopted technologies … Now, broadcasters and operators need only choose which solution best suits their needs and Dolby will help ensure that they will have a reliable implementation," said Tom Daily, executive director of broadcast for Dolby Laboratories.
    Dolby Pulse, along with its its Dolby E real-time encoding, are expected to be available this summer.
    Innovative delivery systems also have a strong presence at this year’s show. Harmonic, a provider of video delivery solutions for broadcast, cable, internet, satellite and telecom operators globally, in an effort to capitalize off of the interest in anything mobile, is unveiling its latest solutions for multi-screen content preparation, streaming and delivery.
    Harmonic said it’s solutions aim to allow operators to simplify and enhance their existing networks while also adding new revenue-generating services. These services are streamed to a variety of devices such as PCs and video-enabled smartphones.
    The company is also showcasing a  universal broadcast encoder, next-generation 1080p, scalable video coding (SVC) and ATSC M/H encoding technology, all gained from its recent acquisition of Scopus Video Networks.
    NAB 2009 is also bringing out the big names, as Microsoft, a leader in the IPTV middleware market, is showcasing a new, service-oriented-architecture approach for supporting digital content workflows and collaboration. Microsoft has been extremely aggressive in the interactive IPTV market, a development which looks to rival satellite on-demand services.