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Sacramento

Welcome to the Sacramento Section of SMPTE. We’re glad you stopped by our home page.

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Much of the Sacramento Section’s interest and activities lie within the region of Grass Valley, CA.

Nestled in the Sierra Nevada foothills, Grass Valley’s roots as a hub for video and broadcast equipment technology  were planted when Dr. Donald Hare founded a tiny research and development company in 1959 called Grass Valley Group. Today, the quaint communities of Grass Valley and Nevada City provide a technological refuge from the hustle bustle of the bay area. The video and broadcast companies who call this area home are always looking to bring in new talent. Many offer intern programs to expose and inspire college students into the exciting world of broadcast. For those people looking to relocate to this area, they will appreciate the benefits of competitive compensation packages as well as an amazing quality of life.

Current Events:

A Practical Introduction to Machine Learning with TensorFlow

Attendees are encouraged (but not required) to bring a laptop so they can access Google 
Colab (via browser) and follow the training.
Curious about machine learning (AI) but not sure where to start? This one-hour hands-on session offers an accessible, practical introduction to the world of machine learning using TensorFlow and Google Colab. 

Whether you're an engineer, technologist, or simply someone interested in how modern AI works, this session is designed for participants with little to no prior experience in ML.

We'll explore core concepts like linear regression, convolutional neural networks (CNNs), sentiment analysis (a key building block of modern AI), and reward-based learning. Using an interactive Colab notebook, participants will follow along step-by-step to build and run simple models—gaining a clear understanding of how these algorithms function and how easy it can be to get started.
By the end of the session, you’ll have written and executed your first ML code and leave with a solid foundation for applying machine learning tools in your own projects. 

Speaker: Matt Connolly, Sr. Embedded Systems Engineer at AJA Video

Matthew James Connolly is a Sr. Embedded Systems Engineer at AJA Video Systems, where he develops high-performance video & audio hardware for professional media applications. His career spans military, aerospace, & startups, with a focus on systems-level design & real-time embedded computing. He began his professional path in U.S. Army Special Operations as a Reconnaissance & Technical Surveillance 
Specialist with the 3rd Ranger Battalion. After completing his engineering education, he spent several years working in the aerospace sector in Southern CA, contributing to engineering projects for organizations including NASA, Disney Imagineering, the US Navy, & Mooney Aircraft. Matthew moved into early-stage technology companies in Austin, Texas, where he worked on underwater robotics, human-computer interaction, and machine learning applications in embedded systems. His work has consistently bridged the gap between hardware, software, and algorithm design. He brings a multidisciplinary perspective to embedded engineering and has a particular interest in making advanced tools like machine learning accessible and practical for engineers working close to the metal Non-members and guests are welcome to attend.


We hope you will join us!

Date: Wednesday, May 21, 2025 
Time: 6:00 – 8:00 pm (Social will start at 6:00 pm; Presentation will start at 6:30 pm)
Location: Nevada County Media, 355 Crown Point Circle Suite D, Grass Valley, CA 
Contact: Bob Hudelson, 530-648-8117 RSVP to msmothers@ewingfoley.com by May 19th.


Past Event: MARCH 2025 SECTION MEETING

A Discussion on Artificial Intelligence

Please join Karl Paulsen, CPBE and SMPTE Fellow while he discusses in ‘human’ terms Artificial Intelligence. Karl’s presentation will include some history of AI, upcoming future concepts and infrastructure as well as how gen AI is possible for applications to media.

Description

Please join Karl Paulsen, CPBE and SMPTE Fellow while he discusses in ‘human’ terms Artificial Intelligence. Karl’s presentation will include some history of AI, upcoming future concepts and infrastructure as well as how gen AI is possible for applications to media.

About the speaker:

Karl Paulsen recently retired after 50+ years in the industry and more recently as CTO for leading broadcast systems integrations firms in North America.  Karl is an industry recognized subject matter expert (“SME”) in many facets of the media and entertainment technology industry where he consulted, designed, and led engineering teams in the development and implementation of mobile, studio, and production high definition television, including ATSC digital broadcasting, system automation, advanced media production systems including the managing of computer generated imaging (CGI) and special effects video production systems.  He has contributed to The Walt Disney Company (TWDC) at various entities and levels including Walt Disney World® EPCOT, ESPN, Disney Cruise Line®, ABC Television Network, ABC News and ABC O&O stations for over 35 years.  He was the creator and purveyor of Diversified’s “IP Roadshow”, a $1.7M transportable teaching and training laboratory that educated hundreds of broadcast engineers, organizations and sales teams worldwide in the newest SMPTE ST 2110 networking technologies for Media over IP.

Mr. Paulsen is a SMPTE Fellow, SBE Life Member, SBE Certified Professional Broadcast Engineer, and a member of the AES and IEEE.  Throughout his career, Karl held positions of CTO, VP and Director of Engineering for leading systems integration firms in the US & Canada.   As its Chief Engineer, he engineered and constructed the facilities & launched KTZZ-TV Channel 22, Seattle in 1985; later becoming VP Engineering and General Manager for CGI/VXF firm Digital Post & Graphics in 1989. His leadership and management of projects & consulting activities as a systems integrator include CNN, HBO, Turner, TNT, Discovery, IMF, Al Jazeera & TV stations including Sinclair Broadcast, ACME Television, & Nexstar.

Karl is an award-winning author having published articles for SMPTE’s Motion Imaging Journal, and his TV Tech magazine series ‘Media Servers and Storage Technologies’ dating back to 1992 which has yielded over 300 articles on the state & future of media technologies for the digital age. He latest series now include ‘a CloudSpotter’s Journal’ and “AI Outlook”.

 



Board of Managers:

CHAIR: Bob Hudelson
SECRETARY/TREASURER: Mona Smothers, Ewing-Foley, Inc.
PAST CHAIR: Paul Turner, AJA Video

Term Ending 6/30/26:
Jed Deame
John Henkel
Viktor Rzensanke

Term Ending 6/30/25:
John Liron
Robert Erickson


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Past Events

October 16, 2024

IPMX Demystified