Three new videos covering Big Data and Analytics comprise the final release of ETC@USC’s vNAB Cloud Conference, recorded at the YouTube Space LA in March. A total to 37 unique videos, encompassing the essential topics of media management in the cloud, are now posted to the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel. Brian Campanotti, CTO of Oracle/Front Porch Digital discusses trends in “Premises and Cloud: Effective Big Data Solutions and Services for Content Owners.” Pedro Szekely, project leader at The Information Sciences Institute (ISI) at USC, presents “Big Data/DIG: Domain Specific Insight Graphs,” a technology that harvests and harmonizes millions of Web pages to extract key elements of knowledge. Pivotal, represented by Noelle Sio, Srivatsan Ramanujam, and Jarrod Vawdrey, explore a framework and next generation applications that used Machine Learning and statistical modeling to answer “why?” things happen and “what will happen next?” in their presentation, “Open Source Framework for Deploying Data Science and Cloud Based Applications.” The vNAB Cloud Conference is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference that ETC@USC leads next week at the NAB Show in Las Vegas, April 14-15.

New playlists on Open Source Tools and Storage join the 30+ videos now live on the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel from the vNAB Cloud Conference. The early March event was an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference that ETC is organizing at NAB on April 14-15. Joshua Kolden, CEO of Studio Pyxis and leader of the ETC Cloud Framework offers a comprehensive introduction to the Cinema Content Creation Cloud, otherwise known as the C4 Framework, endorsed by ETC and its member organizations to orchestrate connections between services, software and people for better digital production pipelines and to facilitate the future of production in the cloud. The revolutionary ability of OpenStack to transform video delivery is the subject of “OpenStack Meets TV Everywhere: Peanut Butter and Chocolate” presented by Yuval Fisher, CTO, MVPD of Imagine Communications. The Storage playlist features talks by Signiant CTO Ian Hamilton, “This is Not Your Parent’s Storage: Transitioning to Cloud Object Storage,” and John Tkaczewski, president and co-founder of FileCatalyst, “An Introduction to Data Gravity.”

The Second Screen and Over-the-Top (OTT) are the topics covered in today’s set of new videos released from ETC’s vNAB Cloud Conference. Can traditional, live, linear content distribution models effectively evolve from existing satellite communication networks to pure IP-based cloud-centric transit? Amazon Web Services (AWS) explores answers in its “Shoot the Bird” presentation. In “Managing the New Content Supply Chain,” Worldnow discusses the next evolution of powerful, cost-effective media management and workflows to efficiently reach and monetize audiences on all screens. Vubiquity’s presentation, “Cloud Atlas: A Movie or A Distribution Movement”shows how the cloud enables the transition from classic transactional VOD to Electronic Sell-Through for MVPDs and OTT players alike. The session concludes with HITS/MESA’s panel discussion, “Leveraging Cloud to Build Your OTT Channel,”featuring Akami, Optimity and ContentBridge. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

Release of ETC’s vNAB Cloud Conference continues today with the launch of 6 new videos that focus on hybrid cloud technology, ecosystems and ROI/cost savings. PrimeFocus showed how Hybrid Cloud technology manages content across multiple locations, Encoding.com explored its software-based approach to an on-premise/cloud hybrid media processing platform, and Sony/MCS projected what platforms may look like in the next 5 years. Cloud Economics were the topic of presentations by 5th Kind on ROI and how studios increase efficiency, reduce costs and improve quality; Envivio’s presentation on the cost advantages of cloud video; and FilmTrack’s look at future proofing digital revenue streams with Metadata in the Cloud. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

Miramax opened Day 2 of the ETC vNAB Cloud Conference with a keynote presentation on the 4-fold revenue increase and other lessons realized from their implementation of a robust SaaS media asset management system (MAMS). The video is now available on the ETCenterVideos Channel on YouTube along with today’s other releases: a presentation from Aframe on the use of cloud-based, self-service workflows for broadcast MAMS and a detailed case study by Digital Film Tree on “Luna,” a short film produced by Universal and ETC designed to examine current cloud workflows and prototype benefits of cloud centralization. vNAB, recorded at YouTube Space LA on March 2, 3 & 4, is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference scheduled for NAB April 14-15.

All of the Day 1 sessions and keynote presentations from ETC’s Virtual NAB Cloud Conference are now online and ready for viewing on the ETCenterVideos YouTube channel. The vNab Cloud Conference is an extension of the Media Management in the Cloud Conference produced by ETC@USC at the upcoming NAB Show April 14-15 in Las Vegas. The Virtual Conference, recorded at YouTube Space LA in early March, featured 35 presenters and provided a forum for a deeper discussion of Media & Entertainment and the Cloud.

The 2015 NAB Show is right around the corner, scheduled for April 11-16 in Las Vegas, and we’re looking forward to seeing many of you at the Media Management in the Cloud Conference. ETC@USC is pleased to provide a discount code for anyone interested in attending NAB and Media Management in the Cloud. Register before Friday, 3/27 and get Free Exhibits-only Pass or $100 off a SMART or Conference Flex Pass! Use code SD25 when you register online.

VRSC (USC’s Virtual Reality Club) — a new organization with a mission “to help students explore VR and unleash their creativity” — is hosting its first event on March 25, 5:00-7:00 pm, in the Annenberg West Lobby. The event will feature a presentation by virtual reality pioneer and MxR Lab Director Mark Bolas, followed by several VR demonstrations. VRSC’s launch event is open to students, faculty, and friends interested in joining USC’s VR community. For more information, visit the group’s Facebook page.

According to Wired, one of the most talked about demos during CES involved four men playing a game with AscTec Firefly drones in which the hovering aircraft would move whenever a body approached. This would enable players to essentially “pass” a drone to another player, which was not the result of a remote control operator, but rather the drones’ ability to “see” someone coming. The ability is enabled by “an autopilot system built by German company Ascending Technologies based in part on Intel’s RealSense 3D cameras… The AscTec Firefly pong drones are a real product from Ascending Technologies, and they will ship with the new autopilot technology later this year. Intel likes them so much, the chipmaker has bought a minority stake in Ascending.”

The 2015 CES saw some interesting high-end audio products, one of which may be a surprise to those who remember playing cassettes in the 1970s-1980s. Sony has revived its iconic Walkman, but this time in digital form delivering high-quality sound. The $1,200 portable Walkman NW-ZX2 (an update to the $700 NW-ZX1) supports high-resolution audio files. “High-resolution audio isn’t new,” The Wall Street Journal reports. “However, earlier formats including DVD-Audio or Super-Audio CD, both of which were delivered on physical discs, failed to gain popularity. High-resolution audio in the form of digital files has a better chance of market success, analysts say, since they can be uploaded and downloaded over the Internet.”

This year in Las Vegas, our reporting team posted a collection of images that help paint a vivid picture of the overall CES experience. From keynotes, panel discussions and supersessions to press events, booth visits, and CES Unveiled, you won’t want to miss it. The collection features great shots of UHD TVs from Samsung, Sony, TCL, LG and Panasonic; 4K camcorders; an array of wearables; a fleet of connected cars; the latest in VR and AR; drones that took flight from the show floor, and some of their camera rigs; and much more. Many of the photos are accompanied by informative captions, so be sure to click on an image of interest to learn more. You can access our collection via the ETCentric homepage (lower right hand side) or directly via our Flickr photostream.

A few weeks prior to CES, we reported that Samsung was expected to unveil a 34-inch, 21:9 curved monitor with Ultra-WQHD+ resolution (3,440 x 1,440) that offers “a more immersive visual experience.” Samsung delivered — and its $1,200 display got rave reviews in Las Vegas. “We were in love with Samsung’s SE790C Curved Monitor from the moment we laid eyes on its sleek contours,” reports Mashable. “The wide screen gives you tons of real estate — it really feels like you have two monitors when you’re looking at it. Colors looked excellent on a few still photos that Samsung cued up as well as on a few media websites.” LG also announced a 34-inch, 21:9 UltraWide curved monitor designed specifically for gamers, while Philips introduced its own 34-inch, curved IPS display with MultiView technology.

Osterhout Design Group, maker of military smart goggles, brought a pair of smart glasses to CES that look more fashionable than Google Glass and other competitors. Fashioned after the iconic Wayfarer sunglasses, ODG’s smart specs weigh in at four ounces and offer a virtual 720p screen floating a few feet in front of the user’s face. Controls are operated via a Bluetooth ring controller, a tiny touchpad and buttons. “Remember, though, that ODG’s Android specs are intended for a different purpose than Google Glass,” explains Mashable. “Where Glass brings you glanceable information to enhance the moment you’re in, augmented reality offers near-full immersion. Of course, it all depends on the app you’re running, but right now Android proper isn’t exactly a glance-oriented OS.”

In The New York Times today, David Carr writes of a different CES than what has generally been reported during the recent week. Carr describes an event that is no longer just about new tech, gadgets and services, but is growing into a major meeting place for deal-making between Hollywood, Madison Avenue, the tech community, and additional industries — an event that has become “a kind of Woodstock for marketers, brands, agencies and media companies.” According to Michael Kassan, founder of MediaLink: “There’s been a mash-up between chief technology officers and chief marketing officers as what they do becomes more interrelated. Now it has taken off, and it’s the place where Google talks with Unilever and Facebook gets together with Kraft.” (Thanks to community member Lee Lanselle for bringing this interesting article to our attention.)