Michael Ritchie

💡 The cloud is here – but the media industry is stuck. Devoncroft Partners Big Broadcast Survey 2025 makes it clear: Cloud adoption has stalled. The reason? Lack of transparency around costs. Technically, we could move forward, but without a clear view of effort, ROI, and budgets, decision-makers can’t justify further investment. We’re still in a classic “lift & shift” phase: systems are manually deployed, left running, and consuming resources regardless of actual usage. Efficiency? Hardly. That’s why I believe the industry needs a platform that lets production teams define budgets and automatically aligns technology and infrastructure within those budgets – ensuring resources are used efficiently and cost-effectively. This is how cloud can truly deliver: flexible, scalable, and transparent. 🚀 I’m currently working on such a concept and would love to discuss it at the upcoming IBC. If you’re interested in efficient cloud workflows, let’s connect! https://lnkd.in/dKmhgVZ5

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Jenny Priestley calls MXL a major topic at #IBC2025—that’s great fun! Why? Because it brings people together. Let me explain. Many have called it a chance to “jump on the train,” while some are still asking who’s coming along for the ride. Are you in or out? It can sound a bit risky. I, however, prefer Willem Vermost’s description: he called it “rails for an ecosystem.” “An open framework for real-time, in-memory media exchange that allows seamless integration across compute nodes, production clusters, and broadcast platforms. In essence, it is the rails for an ecosystem, and their use is free of charge.” One thing I’m sure of: working on this through open source is the right way. Beyond the freedom, transparency, and community-driven innovation that open source offers, it brings something more. Here’s my point: instead of saying we should avoid vendor lock-in, we're all calling for increased vendor collaboration. And as a bonus, the field opens up for more companies to join in—companies that didn’t start in hardware but step in and understand our challenge faster than we realized we had one. Let’s build the best possible railway, with the biggest brain possible, and once we’re all on board, we can compete and push each other forward much easier. #opensource #rethinkproduction

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It’s been a few weeks since Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) , but a few conversations from across Broadcast AV in Barcelona have stayed with me, with many of them coming back to what happens after deployment. Not just what systems can do at launch, but how they adapt once they’re live and under pressure - how they fit within existing workflows and whether they enable or start to constrain teams over time. Most teams don’t hit limits at launch, but they do 6 months later, usually when expectations have already moved on. With #NAB2026 kicking off this time next month, it will be interesting to see how much of that carries through and whether the same questions continue to show up across Broadcast AV as a whole. I’ve pulled together a few reflections on where those constraints show up and how teams are navigating them: https://lnkd.in/ep-C9aCz Grass Valley #BroadcastAV #Enterprisemedia

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🌐 Cloud Orchestration at IBC 2025 The media industry is shifting away from rigid infrastructures – towards flexible, scalable cloud workflows. Orchestrators are the key drivers of this change, but true efficiency only emerges with shared standards. That’s where the EBU’s DMF framework comes in: enabling interoperability across vendors, whether on-premises, hybrid, or fully cloud-based. At IBC 2025, we look forward to exploring how orchestration and DMF work together – from AI-driven control systems to hybrid scenarios and open interfaces. And we’ll also bring along an exciting new concept that we can’t wait to discuss with you. 💬 Let’s connect in Amsterdam – we’re eager to exchange ideas, hear new perspectives, and spark inspiring conversations! LOGIC media solutions GmbH #IBC2025 #CloudOrchestration #MediaTech #Innovation

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With this article, BCi Digital continue to provide thought leadership and insight in the addressable advertising space. Next week, I’ll be at Connected TV World Summit in London, focussing on advertising solutions in a hybrid Broadcast/Broadband (HbbTv) world. The following week, John Bartlett and I will be at DVB World in Amsterdam, delivering a session on Addressable advertising using open standards, DVB-TA, HbbTV-TA for DAI. If you’d like to meet up for a chat about how BCi are innovating with our Ocelot and Opportune Ad management and decision systems, coupled with our Otter HbbTv client for connected TVs, or if you just fancy a coffee to discuss the Industry trends, please do reach out.

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The biggest obstacle to Private 5G has pivoted. Finally, a shorter lead time for spectrum makes it less prohibitive to use on events. Haivision devices supporting the n40 band such as the #Pro460 or #FalkonX2 will enable Ultra Low Latency (80ms E2E!) workflows.

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In taking a look at the excellent DPP IBC 2025 Demand vs Supply Report today a few things stood out: Content Explosion – Streaming platforms and broadcasters face accelerating demand for fresh, localised, multi-format content. Resource Crunch – Shortage of skilled post-production, localisation, and cloud infrastructure capacity is widening the demand–supply gap. Rising Costs – Inflation in rights, production, and delivery costs is squeezing margins across the industry. Tech Acceleration – AI-driven localisation, workflow automation, and cloud-native platforms are seen as critical to bridging the gap. Strategic Priority – Media companies must optimise workflows, integrate smarter tools, and leverage partnerships to remain competitive. So content demand is surging but resources aren’t keeping up. At Flomenco, we believe this is exactly where AI-driven orchestration and intelligent workflow automation can make the difference — bridging the gap by streamlining processes, scaling localisation, and optimising delivery pipelines. How is your team tackling the demand vs supply crunch? Let’s talk.”#IBC2025 #DPP #ContentDemand #WorkflowAutomation #AIinMedia #FutureOfMedia

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Broadcast Tech's #Archive and #Restoration Forum last week brought together some insightful and forward-thinking industry leaders to discuss the urgent challenges and opportunities facing content preservation. ⏰ The Clock is Ticking Perhaps the most sobering revelation: we have approximately 18 months left for video head availability. The message from the panel was clear – restore now, not later. UNESCO's 2025 targets may have passed, but the work is far from complete. 🟰 The Cultural Equity Challenge Heidi Shakespeare from MEMNON raised a critical concern that deserves more attention: cultural preservation is becoming a privilege of wealthy nations. As third-world countries struggle to afford digitisation, we risk what she called "cultural genocide" – the loss of entire cultural narratives simply because they lack the resources to preserve them. Tim Forrest from ITN emphasised that not everything could be restored. There are multiple libraries with content in very different states of repair, and it had to be done sooner rather than later. 💡 AI: Tool, Not Replacement The AI discussion was refreshingly pragmatic. Deep Fusion Films Benjamin Field pointed out AI can compress a 5-6 week production timeline to 5 days with the help of Weavr.ai Yes, it can help identify duplicate content and assess audience appropriateness. The consistent message: AI assists, it doesn't replace. Creative judgment and human oversight remain essential. Ad Signal Tom Dunning highlighted we have to be strategic about what we digitise and restore. Technologies like #match can help de-duplicate content and ensure only the best version is restored. 🧑‍🎓 The Skills Gap Crisis British Film Institute (BFI) Kieron Webb highlighted a concerning reality: there's no structured education pathway in the UK for the next generation of film archivists. As we race against technological obsolescence, we're also racing against a skills shortage. 👍 Looking Forward The BFI National Archive's new RICHes (Moving Image Conservation Research Lab) opening next year offers hope, but we need more investment in both technology and talent development. Iron Mountain's Andrea Kalas took us through early technologies, the fears and concerns about early colourisation of black and white classics - the key point being to LEARN from history and drive AI rather than be driven by AI. 🤔 What struck me most: this isn't just about preserving the past – it's about ensuring diverse stories remain accessible for future generations and cultures. AI enables more content to be created that otherwise would be cost-prohibitive and not available. But then the question of quality and regulation springs to mind. Discuss! 🌟 This was SUCH an insightful event and great to see familiar faces and old friends. Well done Charlotte Wheeler and team! There was much to take in and not enough time to write it all.

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As someone who thrives on in-person interaction, I always enjoy IBC - International Broadcasting Convention. I also love Amsterdam, so I never need an excuse to come 🇳🇱 The key takeaways for me: 1️⃣ The squeeze on linear ad and subscription revenue continues apace, it continues to have a material impact across the industry. 2️⃣ AI fatigue x AI excitement, people want real world use cases that provide value. It’s tough to cut through the noise at a show of this size. 3️⃣ Live sports, no matter the platform, are key. 4️⃣ There are too many suppliers, I see it in the MSP space, but I hear complaints about it in other areas as well, we’re in a consolidating market where global/regional scale is key. 5️⃣ There’s opportunity out there… but you have to hunt it out. 6️⃣ FinOps are providing value to those that have them, especially if they went all-in on cloud early on. 7️⃣ The public cloud space for media clients is a). ripe for disruption and b). not necessarily the ‘must have’ it was previously, in some instances on-prem is back in vogue. 8️⃣ The C-band reduction in the US is real and coming, migration planning needs to start now. 9️⃣ The Encompass Digital Media, Inc. team who attended are exceptional. They’re passionate about the industry, our clients and our business, I’m thankful to work with such a talented bunch of people that are entertaining to hangout with... 1️⃣0️⃣ While M&E is full of lovely people, we’re a collectively aging industry, we need young blood… depressing that one. Until next year… #Encompass #NavigateWhatsNext #IBC #Amsterdam #Cloud #IP #Media #Entertainment #FinOps

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I am not in Amsterdam this week but even from a distance the momentum of IBC - International Broadcasting Convention ’s second day is hard to miss. Emerging themes are loud and clear. AI powered personalization and metadata enrichment are reshaping broadcast workflows. Cloud native gateways and smarter delivery networks are pushing IP production and distribution into new territory. Dynamic HDR conversion and 5G over broadcast experiments hint at more flexible higher quality viewing experiences. Studio robotics and automation are showing how leaner teams can do more without sacrificing quality. Beyond the show floor real time voice technology and advanced dubbing platforms are maturing quickly. Captions to dubbing pipelines accent nuance controls and fair compensation frameworks for talent are changing how localization will be done at scale. Behind the scenes asset intelligence tools are quietly making inventory licensing and maintenance smarter which are critical foundations for any studio or integrator preparing to scale. For broadcasters and dubbing studios in Africa these are not distant curiosities. They are signals pointing to where audiences workflows and cost structures are heading. What signals are you watching most closely as IBC continues? #IBC2025 #BroadcastTech #MediaInnovation #AIInMedia #Dubbing #WorkflowEngineering #AfricanMedia

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Why GPU‑Accelerated DVNR Is a Game Changer for Broadcasters In today’s fast-paced broadcast environment, delivering crystal-clear video is non-negotiable. Noise not only compromises visual quality, but also hinders compression efficiency—driving up distribution costs. That’s why Wavelet Beam’s GPU‑based DVNR solution, powered by CUDA and scalable HPC architecture, is so vital. It effectively removes noise without sacrificing detail, ensuring both live feeds and archived footage look their best. * Sharper picture quality * More efficient encoding = lower bitrates & costs * Scales to high‑volume workflows with ease For broadcasters and post-production teams operating at scale, this tech offers a tangible boost to output quality and system performance. Ready to optimize your workflow? Learn more at waveletbeam.com. #Broadcast #DVNR #GPU #CUDA #VideoQuality #BitrateOptimization #UHD #HDR #PostProduction

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The C-band satellite reclamation is coming and will be here sooner than you know it!! Great blog article outlining some of the nuances we should all be aware of and steps to making a migration to various distribution paths a reality. Please feel free to DM and would be happy to discuss all the options.

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Did you know? Ateme’s encoding platform has proven consistent bitrate savings of up to 20% across a range of formats and codecs, including SDR and HDR content in H.264 and HEVC. These gains are critical in live sports during fast-paced sequences where encoding stress is highest. See the results and savings at https://lnkd.in/dpCmJDcg

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I am feeling very proud of the team today. We’ve spent time refining how we support broadcasters and a wider range of customers with playout - listening, adapting and making sure what we offer genuinely reflects how modern operations work. Many of us have worked as broadcasters and media owners, and therefore we are committed to tailor our product precisely for the people that use it. In this video, Alaina and I talk through what flexible playout looks like in real, day‑to‑day use. Nothing theoretical. Just the practical capabilities that broadcasters rely on us for: • Channels that scale up or down in real time • A hybrid model that fits the way your teams operate • Meaningful cost efficiencies compared with traditional setups • The resilience live broadcast demands. This approach to cloud playout at Arqiva has been shaped by our customers, our engineers and countless live events over the years. I’m incredibly proud of how the team keeps pushing to make it even more flexible. If you’re interested in how we support live content and multi‑platform delivery, Alaina and I break it all down in the video. Feel free to reach out if you want to know more. #playout #Arqiva Andrew Ioannou Vikie Bennion Ben Moon Alaina Hall Helen Knight Gaurav Jandwani Stuart Boorn Celia Varet Nathan Dixon Kenny Skillen James Lelyveld Keith F. Martin Richards Martin Gunn Bob Hannent Luke Williams

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The transition from satellite to IP is no longer a future vision—it’s happening now. Delighted to support Reuters in this transformation, driving greater flexibility, reliability, and speed in live news workflows. #ipdistribution #tvunetwoks

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If you are into Asian drama, action, fantasy, anime, or TV shows all in one place, on a single channel, backed by premium production quality… this one is for you. Here’s another “FIRST.” Following our strategic partnership with iQIYI.com International, we welcome the Asian community and its fans to the OSNtv platform with a dedicated co-branded channel, fully supported with Arabic subtitling. Personally? Fantasy and anime are my favorites. 👍 Shout out to the OSNtv and iQIYI.com partnerships and programming teams for bringing this to life. 🙌 #OSN #OSNtv #iQIYI #AsianEntertainment #Entertainment #Partnerships #Content #MENA #Fantasy #AsianDrama

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Does #MXL replace SMPTE ST 2110? NO!! During one IABM Technology & Trends Roadmap working group calls, it was clear that many of us kept hearing incorrectly that MXL (Media eXchange Layer) is a replacement for ST 2110.  While at the North American Broadcasters Association (NABA) event this week in New York, I asked Felix Poulin from CBC/Radio-Canada and Vincent Trussart from Grass Valley to help clear this up. Thanks to Felix for providing a clear drawing! Help to get this detail out by reposting and sharing with your peer groups. For additional detail, figure 15 of this European Broadcasting Union (EBU) #DMF document shows the difference between streaming and exchange layer https://lnkd.in/eqsgAnxq

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"EMLAB MULTI-COVERAGE: Precision Broadcast Network Planning." EMLAB MULTI-COVERAGE delivers advanced tools for accurate design and optimization of MFN and SFN broadcast networks—both analog and digital. Key Capabilities: + Real-time analysis of coverage and interference + Detection of synchronization issues in SFN deployments + Centralized management of grouped antenna systems + Easy configuration of SFN parameters including synchronization, modulation, code rate, guard interval, and TX delay + Full compliance with ITU and ETSI standards + Comprehensive reporting features, including Google Earth/Maps export and detailed population coverage analysis + Drive smarter broadcast decisions with powerful planning tools and clear, data-backed visualizations. A marvel from: ALDENA Telecomunicazioni SRL #8btsicorp #broadcasting #broadcastsales #broadcastengineering #broadcastsolutions

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With Live Broadcast technologies and systems in what seems to be a constant state of evolution, the advent of MXL seems to be another case in point. From SDI connectivity through to SMPTE 2110 interfacing - leveraging the flexibility of IP connectivity, it now seems that we are moving on to a new phase where media content can be shared between infrastructure and applications through shared memory. 🌐 It offers the promise of reducing operational barriers and complexities to building out broadcast workflows - Especially as these workflows become more reliant on software-based solutions. 🚀 This is a Really Good introduction from Russell Trafford-Jones in TVBEurope discussing how MXL has been evolving and how it could help reshape broadcast infrastructure for the better. 💡 Worth a read! 📖

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