Liquid Media Group is acquiring Digital Cinema United (DCU), which manages film distribution DCP services across North America, Latin America, Australia, New Zealand, Europe, the Middle East, and Africa, providing content supply chain technology and services to movie theatres, airplanes and broadcast television all the way through to streaming and other VOD platforms, including the creation of file formats, QC, mastering, and metadata management. Under the terms of the agreement, Liquid will acquire DCU for US$11.25M payable in common shares of Liquid, which are scheduled to be paid out to DCU investors across specific performance milestones in three tranches.
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has named Alun Fryer of Ross Video as chair of the new AIMS Education Working Group (EWG) and AIMS board member Andrew Starks of Macnica as the chair of the AIMS Marketing Working Group (MWG). Reena Mathews-Rutherford of Imagine Communications will continue in her role as MWG deputy chair. Fryer is technical marketing lead for HyperConverged Solutions at Ross Video, where he provides leadership across product roadmaps, customer insights, industry, and tech trends. As the new EWG chair, he will oversee work to define what is needed to improve training and expand educational opportunities. The AIMS group also will collaborate with other industry organizations to develop programs and certifications to rapidly expand the base of qualified engineers and operators to meet the growing demand for IP expertise.
The 2022 NAB Show, April 23–27 in Las Vegas, will explore the ongoing deployment of Next Gen TV in broadcast television markets and how broadcasters are utilizing the cutting-edge transmission standard to develop consumer-friendly features, capitalize on new content opportunities and unlock new revenue streams. Next Gen TV, also known as ATSC 3.0, provides local TV stations with the capability to offer innovative features like 4K ultra high-definition video quality, theatre-like sound and mobile reception. The standard is now available in more than 40 TV markets covering 45% of U.S. households. NextGen Now, presented by Heartland Video Systems (HVS) will provide a “how-to” overview of Next Gen TV workflows. Featured within the CONNECT Implementation Zone in the West Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, NextGen Now will help broadcasters understand the challenges in implementing the standard in local markets. The Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) will be showcasing the latest generation of Next Gen TV receivers at its booth in the Future of Delivery section of the West Hall. On Sunday, April 24, the Broadcast Engineering & Information Technology (BEIT) Conference will also feature presentations on technical papers regarding NextGen TV, in addition to related panels in the Connect Inspiration theatre in the West Hall.
