United Kingdom

The UK Section holds monthly evening meetings, where we get together to socialise and discuss topics impacting our industry. Take a look at the meetings listed below, sign up and come along! Priority is given to SMPTE members, but newcomers are very welcome. At every event, there will be an interesting technically-oriented presentation, plenty of time to network with industry peers, and ample refreshments courtesy of our sponsors and supporters.

Next Meeting

SMPTE UK visits… BBC Research & Development

All SMPTE members globally are welcome to join us!

Date: Tuesday 19^th October. Event starts at 18:00 BST. Ends at 19:30 BST.

Location: Our visit to BBC R&D will be virtual, accessed over Zoom.

BBC engineers have been at the forefront of developments in broadcast technology since the founding of public service broadcasting in the UK.

We’re thrilled to be invited by our friends at BBC Research & Development to a virtual visit. Come with us and see first-hand the innovative work the BBC is doing, including:

• Euro 2020 UHD production, encoding and streaming
• Empowering the next generation of makers
• Decentralised digital economy and the public-service Internet
• Protecting trusted media
• Cloud sustainability
• Introducing the BBC graduates

Attendance is free of charge. BYO beer!

November meeting

Bill Lovell Memorial Lecture 2021: Prinyar Boon

Date: Thursday 11^th November. Doors open 18:30. Talk starts at 19:30. Event ends at 21:30.

Location: DTG, 5th Floor, 89 Albert Embankment Vauxhall, London, SE1 7TP.

The Bill Lovell Lecture is an annual event celebrating the life and work of a SMPTE member. The 2021 lecture is given by Prinyar Boon. Join us as we hear Prin’s personal perspective on a career in the broadcast, production, vendor and standards industry.

Attendance is free of charge. Ample refreshments will be provided.

This event will be recorded and made available online afterwards for those unable to attend in-person.

NOTE: Please visit this page on 11^th November 2021 after 12:00 to get the latest entry requirements and instructions.

Currently it is recommended all attendees are either double vaccinated or have a negative COVID-19 test within 72 hours of the event.

You should also be aware the DTG and/or the building entry requirements may differ from the recommended practices that apply to the day. Please consider others who may be more at risk than yourself so we can all relax and enjoy being together as a group after such a long time.

Previous meetings

On Weds 22^nd September we held our first meeting of 2021:

SMPTE UK – back together again after lockdown! So…what’s been going on in our industry over the past 18 months?

50 SMPTE members and friends gathered together in the iconic ‘Crown and Two Chairmen’ pub in London’s Soho for a wonderful evening of discussion and networking. We had an energetic and opinionated panel session featuring the following industry personalities:

• Chris Johns, Chief Engineer, Sky
• Bruce Devlin, Mr MXF
• Carys Hughes, Design Engineer, Sky
• Andy Quested, Chair ITU-R Working Party 6C
• Andy Beale, Head of Engineering and Innovation, BT Sport

The panel covered a lot of ground - bringing young people into the industry (and convincing their parents!), Rise, remote production, standards bodies and filibustering, Low Earth Orbit satellites, business models, 4K HDR versus HD HDR, iPhone Outside Broadcasts, and the next Big Thing: Object Based broadcasting.

Lots of discussion followed, but the big topic of the evening was clearly bringing young people into our industry. We all agreed there is a problem with attracting students to study broadcast engineering and to apply for jobs in our industry.

SMPTE UK has big plans for reinforcing links with universities and encouraging graduates. But as individuals we all have an opportunity to invest in inspiring young people to join our industry. Have a look at the Rise Up Academy, and help out!

Thanks to our sponsors for this evening: pixitmedia for the ample refreshments!

SMPTE is a members’ organisation - we gather together for community, to educate one another, and to set standards, and we'd really like you to play a part.

Become a SMPTE member and receive these benefits:

• Meeting others working in our industries - through section meetings
• Receiving 10 copies of Motion Imaging Journal a year
  - full of the latest techniques and news from SMPTE sections around the world (instructions)
• Regular SMPTE Webinars
• Access our archive - Look back over SMPTE's work over the past 102 years
• Attending events, conferences and courses at discounted rates
  – you can easily save your subscription and it can be offset against tax
• Discounts on conference papers, proceedings and Standards in the SMPTE Digital Library
• Preferential booking for our meetings 
• Take part in standards work ensuring interoperability and directing the way our industries move
• Be an active member of the world’s largest Members society dedicated to those working with the moving image, its audio and metadata on any platform.

At only $165 – about £125 tax deductible - you get so much and an opportunity
to enhance your career putting you in touch with others working across the creative
and video industries of the UK and around the world.

(Student members free then just $15 about £11 a year and recent Graduates get a discount on full membership!) 

We look forward to welcoming you at our next meeting.

We really want to hear your ideas and suggestions as we build up SMPTE UK. Feel free to get in touch if you have topics for talks you think people would be interested to hear; or a venue we could use for one of our evening meetings. We're always on the hunt for a new broadcast or media facility to tour!

Add your name to our mailing list — scroll down to "Local sections" then tick "United Kingdom" or contact us.

Meet the UK Board of Managers

John Ellerton, BT Media & Broadcast (Chair)

Prinyar Boon, PHABRIX Ltd

Carys Hughes, Sky UK

Polly Hickling, Solent University

Paul Gardiner, Sony

Andy Rayner, Nevion

Phil Tudor, BBC

Marina Kalkanis, M2A Media (Governor)

Mark Harrison, DPP (Governor)

Legal Information

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