The IABM Technology and Trends Roadmap isn’t just for industry technologists to use as a reference. IABM has discovered industry execs using it as a starting point for their keynote speeches: product line managers are using it to plot their own products; and corporate board members get a better understanding of where the company’s products sit on the adoption curve, hence a better grasp or risks vs gross margins. This also assists marketing activities by giving an indication of how best to promote products within M&E and adjacent/vertical market areas.
Quickplay – Immersive Entertainment’s Next Frontier: The Convergence of AR, VR, and OTT
The media and entertainment landscape is evolving rapidly, driven by technological innovation and shifting consumer expectations. Among the most transformative developments is the convergence of Augmented Reality (AR), Virtual Reality (VR), and Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms. This fusion is not just enhancing how content is consumed, but it is redefining the economics of the industry by creating new revenue streams and business models while democratizing access to immersive, interactive entertainment experiences.
For content creators, MediaTech providers, and direct-to-consumer platforms, the opportunities are immense. But so are the challenges. Understanding this convergence is key to unlocking future growth and delivering the engaging consumer experiences demanded by today’s digital audiences.
DEMOCRATIZING VIRTUAL PRODUCTION
Virtual production has long been associated with high-budget Hollywood blockbusters and major broadcast studios, as many assumed it requires significant resources, not to mention the knowledge to make it work. However, companies like Brainstorm, with decades of experience in creating real-time graphics and virtual studio solutions, have been expanding its product line with technological advancements that are helping democratize this field, making it accessible to a wider range of creators, from small studios and independent filmmakers to educational institutions and corporate content creators.
MainConcept – Will Multiview HEVC pave the way for Extended Reality and the Metaverse?
The next frontier of entertainment lies in interactive and immersive experiences, where traditional TV and device screens give way to rich, 3D environments that surround the viewer. And while video compression technology might not grab the headlines, it’s the backbone of 3D video content creation and delivery, enabling the seamless, high-quality experiences that extended reality (XR) and metaverse applications demand. Interestingly, the codec, Multiview HEVC (MV-HEVC), which is designed to enable 3D video experiences, is currently enjoying a surge in market adoption. This increase is largely driven by Apple’s launch of the Apple Vision Pro headset, which uses the MV-HEVC codec. Since then, many more OEMs are adding in support for the codec to their devices. What impact will this have on the industry, and might it help facilitate widespread adoption of extended reality and acceleration of the metaverse? For clarity, extended reality and XR are used throughout as a catch-all term for virtual, augmented and mixed reality.
Cartoni’s cutting-edge advancements in camera support solutions
With the rapidly evolving technology, camera supports must stay in step with the market’s evolution. Traditional tripods with fluid action heads – one of the pillars in shooting – will gradually give way to a diverse array of supports, handheld gimbals, drones, additional axes, remote control, etc.
Brainstorm – The flexibility of virtual production
Virtual production is already a mature technology that not only allows for high-quality results, but also reduces costs and contributes to increase the industry’s sustainability. The introduction of advanced rendering technologies such as game engines or real-time ray tracing significantly boosted the quality of the real-time renderings, allowing content creators of any size and kind to produce photo realistic content, meaning high-end results no longer restricted for high-budget filmmakers, but available to a wider range of creators.
Pixotope: BaM Shortlist – Produce
Pixotope is at the forefront of democratizing virtual production and empowering content creators with accessible solutions for boundary-pushing immersive storytelling. Our XR Edition, based on our award-winning virtual production graphics software, was developed in response to the growing use of LED volumes in virtual production and the resulting need for hardware optimization as well as simplified, efficient, and resilient workflows. XR Edition removes the need for bespoke set ups and proprietary hardware to power extended reality (XR) workflows and environments. The result is an off-the-shelf software solution featuring a range of purpose-built tools that simplify setup and operation.
Creating XR content
XR is one of the trendiest and most recent flavours of Virtual Reality, and many understand it as the usage of virtual backgrounds, displayed on large LED video walls, for movies, drama, or live events. However, the concept of XR (Extended Reality) goes far beyond these applications, which are often spectacular, but also do not take advantage of the many possibilities this technology can provide.
How VR Experience Platform, Thrive360, Is Using Data to Change the Landscape of Mental Health
Streaming platform for mental and emotional healthcare, Thrive360, explains how science-driven, medically-proven immersive VR and data enhances well-being and improves diagnostic efficacy. DevOps team, StratusGrid, provides insight into the technical approach. Thrive360 details statistical success and discusses with IABM member, Vimond, why managing metadata within an OTT CMS enables repeatable outcomes and informs evolving content strategy.
Brompton Technology: Making LED play nicely for in-camera visual effects
In-camera visual effects using LED screens have moved very rapidly from a pioneering specialty to a mainstream technique being widely used across film and television production.