Just arrived in Amsterdam for this year’s IBC. Doors open in a couple of hours and then it’s straight into press conferences and company briefings. Key themes this year will obviously be 3D. After the hype generated at IFA in Berlin last week for consumer 3D devices it will be interesting to see whether the broadcasters and service providers are gearing up to support the desperate need for 3D content. One thing seems clear – Disney movies alone will not be enough to sustain a home 3D market. We expect to see many examples of 3D user interfaces and guides – this is one of the major challenges if the TV industry is to transition even partially to 3D delivery over the coming years. Other technology trends in the professional space will be the continued penetration of HD in the production and distribution chain; the related trend towards 3Gig capability in the workflow, which is required to support future moves towards 1080p broadcasting; and trends in camcorder formats, or the decline of the format as it could be described. In general it will be good to test the mood of the industry after a period of severe downturn. During the last IBC http://www.strategyanalytics.com/blogs/326/ a year ago the financial world was entering crisis mode as Lehman Brothers collapsed, and shortly after the show many purchase orders were put on hold or abandoned. While the worst may now be over, the industry is still reeling from this blow and will take some time to recover. It will be surprising if the show floors are not easier to negotiate this year. Join Strategy Analytics and D. I. S. Consulting at IBC: Complimentary Analyst Presentations Client Reading: US IPTV Market Sizing: 15.5 Million Subscribers by 2013