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Bits by the Bay 2025

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Bits-by-the-Bay is Back!

May 21-22, 2025

Rod 'n Reel Resort, Chesapeake Beach, MD

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After a long hiatus, Bits By The Bay, the Washington area’s own technical conference for media professionals, is returning in full form!

SMPTE-DC’s Bits by the Bay 2025 is returning for a full two-day agenda at a freshly renovated venue on May 21-22, 2025, in scenic Chesapeake Beach, MD. Known for its high-quality presentations and its limited, high-value attendance of 200 professionals—including key decision-makers from major East Coast media companies—this event offers a unique opportunity to engage directly with influential thought leaders in broadcasting and media technology.

Jointly organized by the SMPTE Washington, DC Section and SBE Chapter 37 and hosted by at the Rod 'n Reel Hotel and Convention Center in Chesapeake Beach, MD.

Members and friends are invited to join SMPTE DC at Bits By The Bay 2025, a conference that gathers industry leaders, innovators, and thinkers to explore the latest trends and technologies shaping the future of media. This year's program will delve into key areas that are transforming the industry: AI, IP Video, and the Business of Media.

Keynote Speakers and Panel Discussions:

  • Engage with visionary keynote speakers and participate in thought-provoking panel discussions featuring experts from across the media landscape.

  • Explore the cutting-edge advancements in AI and its applications in media production, distribution, and consumption.

  • Learn about the latest developments in IP video technologies, including SMPTE 2110, and their impact on broadcast and streaming.

  • Gain insights into the evolving business models that are driving the media industry forward.

Networking Opportunities:

  • Connect with fellow professionals, expand your network, and forge valuable partnerships.

  • Discover new products and services from leading technology providers.

We look forward to welcoming you to scenic Chesapeake Beach for Bits By The Bay 2025, an inspiring and informative event!

Location and lodging

Bits By the Bay will return to the newly renovated Rod 'n Reel Resort.  To reserve a room, book through the hotel website (link) or call the hotel.

Government employees and others needing a GSA lodging rate, please book your hotel via phone and request the GSA rate.  ☎️866-312-5596

Additional rate discounts maybe available for Military, AARP, and advanced purchase. Details on the website.

If you are coming from out of town, Rod 'N Reel is 45 miles (1h25m drive) from BWI Airport, and 40 miles (1h20m) drive from Reagan National Airport.

Rod 'n Reel Resort
https://www.rnrresortmd.com/ 
4160 Mears Avenue
Chesapeake Beach, MD 20732
Toll Free: 866-312-5596

Attendee Tickets

Join us for Bits by the Bay 2025! Secure your spot at this premier event by purchasing your tickets today. Early bird discounts are available for a until April 15, so don't miss out on this opportunity to save.

Tickets can be purchased online through the links provided below. Please note that prices increase after April 15.  A new window for stripe.com will open. Continue your purchase through Stripe.

Ticket Type Price Purchase Link
Bits by the Bay - Member Attendee Ticket $150 Buy Now
Bits by the Bay - Non-Member Attendee Ticket $200 Buy Now
Bits by the Bay - Day of Attendee Ticket $250 Buy Now
Bits by the Bay - Dinner $35 Buy Now

 

Sponsorship opportunities available at all levels. Please contact dcbbtb2025 (at) smptedc.org.

Anticipated Schedule (subject to change without notice)

  Day 1   | Jump to Day 2
Start End Title Description Presenter
7:30 AM 8:00 AM Registration Open 7:30 AM Get your pass, WireCAD Registration table in the hotel lobby  
8:00 AM 9:00 AM Breakfast 8-9AM Continental Breakfast and Networking  
8:45 AM 8:50 AM Sponsor Speaking #1: SDVI A few words from our sponsors  
8:50 AM 8:55 AM Sponsor Speaking #2: CHESA A few words from our sponsors  
9:00 AM 9:15 AM Welcoming Remarks Karl will give welcoming remarks based on the 25+ year history of DC SMPTE providing high value events for the industry. Peter Wharton was the unselfish driving force that took ownership of producing these events. His infinite energy made Bits By the Bay a much anticipated annual event. We are all here today because of what he left us. This event is all about learning, sharing and mentoring. If you are looking to grow- you came to the right place! Additional remarks by Chesapeake Beach Mayor Bruce Wahl. Karl Kuhh, Maciej Ochman, Bruce Wahl
9:15 AM 9:20 AM Session 1: Fractional Frame Rates: How To End Them? Fractional Frame Rates James Snyder
9:20 AM 9:49.97 Fractional Frame Rates Presentation - Fractional Frame Rates ‚ history, relevance and value to Web, Broadcast and Cinema Merrill Weiss, SMW Group
9:50 AM 10:19.97 Fractional Frame Rates In the U.S. we have been living with the 29.97fps video frame rate since the advent of color in 1953. This legacy of NTSC analog television is so deeply ingrained in all aspects of broadcast and production that it's often forgotten or taken for granted. Some equipment and production software may not even provide an option to use integer (30/60) rates for recording or display.

 Dan White, Florentine Films
10:20 AM 10:49.97 Fractional Frame Rates Fractional Frame Rates for Media Preservation and Archival Film Scanning




James Snyder
10:50 AM 11:09.97 Fractional Frame Rates Panel Q&A moderated by James Snyder Merrill Weiss, Dan White, James Snyder
11:10 AM 11:25 AM Coffee Tea Snacks Networking  
11:25 AM 11:55 AM ATSC 3.0 Next Gen TV Update The presentation will provide an update on domestic and international deployments of ATSC 3.0 standards, and how broadcasters intend to utilize them to provide enhanced service to consumers and new business opportunities for the industry. Skip Pizzi, Media Consultant, LLC
11:55 AM 12:35 PM The Ins and Outs of Today’s Signal Transports Whether it’s baseband, IP or a combination of both, M&E companies planning for tomorrow have much to consider. The proliferation of IP transport standards continues, with broadcasters now looking at Professional AV technologies as viable solutions to support their production needs. What are some of the key technologies making a move from the AV space into the professional broadcast arena? How do they work? Are they good enough to meet the demands of today’s sophisticated broadcast facilities? We’ll try and unravel the mysteries of some of these transports, highlighting their differences, and how they may fit into a modern broadcast installation. Alun Fryer, Ross Video Group
12:35 PM 1:35 PM Lunch Break with NAB Wrap Up Food, Fellowship, and Learning  
1:05 PM 1:10 PM   Sponsor Speaking #1 Telestream  
1:10 PM 1:15 PM   Sponsor Speaking #2 CHESA  
1:15 PM 1:35 PM NAB Wrap Up "Best of Show" TV Technology Editor Tom Butts shares his NAB 2025 wrap up and TV Technology Best of Show Tom Butts, TV Technology
1:35 PM 1:45 PM Break Catch up on emails, phone calls, or take a stroll on the beach  
1:45 PM 1:50 PM Session 2: AI & Media Introduction to the session Jonathan Solomon
1:50 PM 2:20 PM Town Hall: The Long-Term Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Content Production and Consumption This session will follow a "Town Hall" format, inviting participation and comments from attendees. After a brief presentation discussing the implications of AI on the democratization of production and distribution, there will be an opportunity for attendees to share their thoughts on the future. John Footen, Deloitte
2:20 PM 2:55 PM The Dark Side Of AI Imagery Deceptions: Deepfakes are not the only problem but they sure make it easier for the deceiver. Ed Grogan, Motion Imagery Researcher
2:55 PM 3:30 PM As The Media Industry Rapidly Adopts Content Authenticity Initiative (CAI) And C2PA Standards, Sophisticated Actors Are Already Finding Ways To Circumvent These Protections. Fast moving area of study. Up to the minute additions and discoveries based on work with the Sinclair Broadcast Group. Matt Galek, Deloitte
3:30 PM 3:50 PM Session 2 Panel Panel Q&A moderated by Jonathan Solomon John Footen, Ed Grogan, Matt Galek, Jonathan Solomon
3:50 PM 4:05 PM Afternoon Break Snack, Networking, and fresh air  
4:05 PM 4:45 PM Greenfield 2110 Facility Buildout Including Network Topology Insight into the design, configuration and building of a Greenfield complete IP/2110-based television station from bare walls. It will cover the lessons learned, show the progression, provide a model to follow on best practices, and showcase a tangible implementation. Jim Beahn, Fox O and O
4:45 PM 5:25 PM 2110 Lessons Learned Greenfield Buildout 2 The broadcast industry continues its rapid evolution toward IP-based facilities, but making the leap to a fully functional, future-proof system is no small feat. In this session, Brendan Cline of BeckTV and Vince Forcier of WETA share the five-year journey behind the new ST 2110 IP production facility for PBS NewsHour at WETA’s headquarters in Arlington, Virginia.
This case study dives into the early design decisions that shaped the project’s direction, including the bold choice to implement SMPTE ST 2110 while the technology was still maturing. The presenters will explore how the team balanced technology risks, staffing considerations, and evolving product landscapes to deliver a highly resilient and scalable system. Attendees will hear firsthand how WETA and BeckTV overcame architectural challenges of renovating an existing facility, devised a redundancy strategy without relying on ST 2022-7 hitless switching, and ensured the final design met both technical and operational needs.
From vendor selection to final commissioning and staff training, this session provides practical insights into the real-world challenges of large-scale IP facility design. Whether you’re planning your own transition to IP or looking to learn from a complex, high-stakes implementation, this presentation will deliver valuable lessons for engineers and technology leaders alike.		 Vince Forcier, WETA
Brendan Cline, BeckTV
5:25 PM 6:05 PM Review of SMPTE 2110 Suite of Standards and Recent Accomplishments SMPTE 2110 is a suite of open standards to converge audio/video and IP network technology with improved flexibility, scalability, and agility. The standard specifies the carriage, synchronization, and description of separate elementary essence streams over IP for real-time production and playout. We highlight the integration of 2110’s compatibility with industrial, prosumer, and audio production and broadcast formats. John Mailhot, Imagine Video
6:05 PM 6:10 PM SMPTE Headquarters Introduction Words from SMPTE Headquarters Sally D'Amato, Executive Director SMPTE
6:10 PM 6:15 PM SBE Certification, Education, Membership Words from SBE National Ted Hand, President, SBE
6:15 PM 6:20 PM Quiet Break Catch up on emails, phone calls, return to room  
6:20 PM 7:30 PM Cocktail Party On Deck Enjoy networking and drinks outside the venue  
6:45 PM 6:50 PM Sponsor Speaking Cocktail-Evertz A few words from our sponsors  
7:20 PM 7:25 PM Sponsor Speaking Cocktail- Spectra A few words from our sponsors  
7:35 PM 9:30 AM Dinner (requires ticket purchase) Buffet Dinner  
8:00 PM 8:05 PM Sponsor Speaker Dinner #1 A few words from our sponsors  
8:05 PM 8:10 PM Sponsor Speaker Dinner #2 A few words from our sponsors  
8:30 PM 8:35 PM Sponsor Speaker Dinner #3 A few words from our sponsors  
8:35 PM 8:40 PM Sponsor Speaker Dinner #4 A few words from our sponsors  
9:00 PM 9:05 PM Sponsor Speaker Wine #1 A few words from our sponsors  
9:05 PM 9:10 PM Sponsor Speaker Wine #2 A few words from our sponsors  

 

Day 2

 

Start End Tittle Description
Get your pass, WireCAD Registration table in the hotel lobby		 Presenter
7:30 AM 8:00 AM Registration Open 7:30 AM  
8:00 AM 9:00 AM Breakfast 8-9 AM Continental Breakfast and Networking  
8:45 AM 8:50 AM Sponsor Speaking #1: DVG A few words from our sponsors  
8:50 AM 8:55 AM Sponsor Speaking #2: CHESA A few words from our sponsors  
9:00 AM 9:05 AM Second Day Welcoming Remarks Salutations, What Are We Going To Cover Jonathan Solomon, TVU Networks
9:05 AM 9:10 AM Comments From SBE Headquarters Value of SBE and upcoming events (Remote) Mike Downs, SBE Executive Director
9:10 AM 9:50 AM 2110 Lessons Learned Greenfield Buildout 3 Buildout experiences from Deloitte:
Over the past 10 years many media facilities around the world have shifted from SDI to ST 2110 media networks. However, the architects of each of these systems have made many different decisions when designing their SMPTE 2110 networks. Some have selected customized network cores that only support multicast traffic, others have embraced standard network approaches to multicast routing using IGMP and PIM. Deloitte has designed and built media facilities for many clients including production control rooms, studios, and distribution centers. This session will focus on the architecture decisions of a leading Esports company that creates and distributes live competitive gaming events to millions of fans around the world. We will cover the mixture of WAN connectivity, cloud infrastructure, and remote broadcast centers that make this possible with a focus on the specifics of the ST 2110 network architecture. Foundational infrastructure decisions will be outlined and compared to alternate approaches taken on other projects. The tradeoffs involved in each of these fundamental decisions will both determine the functionality of individual system and also help to shape the future direction of media over IP standards.		 Lukas Odhner, Deloitte
9:50 AM 10:30 AM 2110 Lessons Learned Greenfield Buildout 4 Brian Reitmeyer, Principal Consultant at Diversified, shares insights from real-world SMPTE ST2110 deployments, highlighting the local WRC NBC4 and WZDC Telemundo 44 retrofit project. Leveraging Diversified’s extensive experience in IP infrastructure across the media industry, this session examines both the opportunities and complexities of 2110 implementation—from physical infrastructure and signal routing to PTP synchronization, audio flow strategies, and the critical need for skilled personnel. Attendees will gain actionable guidance on system design, network integration, and fostering effective collaboration between Broadcast Engineering and Corporate IT. Tailored for engineering professionals and strategic stakeholders alike, the presentation offers valuable lessons to support effective planning, investment, and execution in the evolving IP landscape. Brian Reitmeyer, Diversified
10:30 AM 10:45 AM Coffee Tea Snacks Networking  
10:45 AM 11:25 AM 2110 Lessons Learned Panel And Q And A Panel Q&A moderated by John Mailhot, Imagine Video Vince Forcier, WETA
Brendan Cline, BeckTV
Lukas Odhner, Deloitte
Brian Reitmeyer, Diversified
John Mailhot, Imagine Video
11:30 AM 12:05 PM TV Updates at the FCC With the new administration comes a significant flurry of activity at the FCC, which includes aggressive efforts to deregulate industries and reduce burdens through the reduction and streamlining of rules across all of the agency’s regulated services. This includes the recent “In re: Delete Delete Delete” proceeding, headed by Chairman Brendan Carr.
In addition, the National Association of Broadcasters has been laying out plans to accelerate the transition to ATSC 3.0 and to increase its utility. We will discuss some key proposals currently being considered that would impact TV broadcasters.		 Michelle Bradley, CBT, National FCC Broadcast Policy Advocate, REC Networks
12:05 PM 12:40 PM The Cyber Imperative: Securing Media in an Era of Evolving Threats In an era where content is currency and IP is king, the media and entertainment industry faces an unprecedented wave of cyber threats targeting everything from pre-release film assets to live broadcast infrastructure and post-production workflows. As digital transformation accelerates, so too does the complexity of the attack surface—from cloud-based collaboration tools to global distribution networks.
In The Cyber Imperative, Yong-Gon Chon, a leading voice in cybersecurity for media, takes a deep dive into the current threat landscape and the critical importance of a proactive security posture. Attendees will gain insights into real-world breach scenarios, lessons learned from major industry incidents, and the evolving tactics of threat actors—including nation-state interference, deepfake-driven misinformation, and ransomware targeting high-value content.
This session will outline building cyber resilience, including:
Current threat landscape
Breach case study
Best practices for secure design
Third party risk management
Available resources
Whether you're a studio exec, IT leader, or independent content creator, this session will arm you with the knowledge and urgency to make cybersecurity a creative enabler—not a roadblock.		 Yong-Gon Chon, Diversified
12:40 PM 12:45 PM SBE Chapter 37 Update Planned events for SBE DC this year William Harrison, Chair, SBE37 DC
12:50 PM 2:05 PM Lunch Break Food, Fellowship, and emails  
12:55 PM 1:00 PM   Sponsor Speaking #1 Telestream  
1:00 PM 1:05 PM   Sponsor Speaking #2 CHESA  
1:05 PM 1:50 PM      
2:05 PM 2:35 PM HDR Applications For News And Sports Panel on HDR for news & sports with Telestream Brad Hughes
2:35 PM 3:10 PM CAD For Documentation And Direction: An Organized Mindset – New Topics And Strategies Christian Holbrook Rants! Or - a Documentation Primer by Example.

Let’s discuss some of the challenges of documenting our systems and view concrete “real-life” example of how it’s done. We will discuss some over-arching rules and when to break them. As well as some tips and tricks.		 Christian Holbrook, CEO; WireCAD
3:10 PM 2:50 PM Open Software Interfaces for Live and Near-Live Production Software media function adoption is accelerated via vendor-neutral, open source interfaces, such as the EBU Dynamic Media Facility Media eXchange Layer (MXL) and the BBC-led Time-Addressable Media Store (TAMS)
Matt Wildes, Sr. Solutions Architect, AWS
3:50 PM 4:05 PM Afternoon Break Optional Q And A Snack, Networking, and fresh air  
4:05 PM 4:45 PM

Bridge to and From the Cloud

 With software-based media processing tools becoming more prevalent, this presentation focuses on emerging standards and practices that create solutions from multiple software solutions to be stitched together into functional, hybrid, on-premise and cloud-based media workflows. Robert Erickson, TAG Video
4:45 PM 5:25 PM Career Development In Media Technology Karl will provide his professional insights to on how to survive and thrive in today’s extremely fast paced ever changing industry we have chosen to make our life’s work. He will share case study examples of the pitfalls and fast tracks to success that he has observed from his clients over the years of mentoring and coaching early, middle, late and retired professionals. An introspective holistic approach to ones realizing their own perceived roadblocks and overcoming them is the best approach to achieving a new level of life satisfaction. Karl Kuhn, Sherwood Insights
5:25 PM 6:25 PM State Of Industry And How To Adapt To Changes Panel discussion with audience participation. George Beneman, CTO, MPT
Heather Harris, Director Distribution Operations, PBS
Felicia Kuhnreich, Deloitte
Kwame Uva, Montgomery College SMPTE
Molli Chang, Founder, MAI PT
Moderated by Karl Kuhn
6:25 PM 6:30 PM Wrap And Thank You Don't leave yet! SMPTE DC Managers

 

Presentations