Broadcast Asia 2001

The Broadcast Asia 2001 conference was held in Singapore from June 19 to 22. This is the largest broadcasting-related event in Asia and consists of broadcasting equipment exhibitions and a conference. This year, the event had more than 200 exhibiting companies and 90 conference presentations.
STRL's Director General Dr. Osamu Yamada gave the conference's keynote address, titled "Broadcasting Technologies in the 21st Century." He reviewed the current state of digital broadcasting in Japan (ISDB), as well as technological developments such as the ultra-high-definition video system and 3D TV. Following the address, many questions were raised in relation to digital terrestrial broadcasting and HDTV in Japan, indicating a keen interest from neighboring Asian countries in Japan's digital broadcasting technology.



IBC 2001

IBC*12001, one of the biggest broadcast technology conventions in the world, was held in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, from September 13 to 18. Several members from STRL attended the convention to give presentations and demonstrations.
In the conference's "Cutting Edge Technology" session, Dr. Kenkichi Tanioka, the director of STRL's Advanced Imaging Devices Division, gave a presentation on an ultra-high- sensitivity Super-HARP*2 HDTV hand-held camera that can obtain sharp images even in the dark. A demonstration of the camera at the exhibition accompanying the conference attracted many visitors.
In the "Interactive Services" session, Dr. Masaki Hayashi, a senior research engineer in STRL's Multimedia Services Division, gave a presentation on a new man-machine interface for TVML*3 program production ("TVML Author"). This new interface will open the way to full-scale TVML implementation. The session was chaired by Dr. Osamu Yamada, the Director General of STRL.
In the "End to End Home Platform Technologies" session, Mr. Tatsuya Kurioka, a senior research engineer in STRL's Recording Technology and Mechanical Engineering Division, gave a presentation about the standardization work at ARIB*4 on broadcasting systems based on home servers, which are receivers equipped hard disk recording functions.

*1: IBC (International Broadcasting Convention)
*2: HARP (High-gain Avalanche-Rushing amorphous Photoconductor)
*3: TVML (TV program Making Language)
*4: ARIB (Association of Radio Industries and Business)



Exchange program with Stanford CSLI

Mr. Scott Brave
Mr. Scott Brave, a Ph.D. candidate in Communication at Stanford University, recently spent one month as an exchange researcher at STRL. His visit was part of a joint research program between NHK and Stanford's Center for the Study of Language and Information (CSLI). At Stanford, Mr. Scott works with Professor Cliff Nass in the Social Responses to Communication Technology (SRCT) group. His research there focuses on the experimental study of new technologies (including virtual worlds, stereoscopic displays, and force-feedback devices) for the telecommunication of non-verbal information. During his visit at STRL, Mr. Scott studied on TVML (TV program Making Language). He plans to make this technology available as a tool for social-psychological experiments, for members of his research group and for other students studying communications at Stanford. Plans for an experiment to be run early next year using TVML are already underway. Mr. Scott described his time at STRL as both enjoyable and inspiring, and was very pleased to have been part of the NHK-Stanford exchange program.



New ABU Researchers at STRL

Mr. Norinpil (left) and
Mr. Chowdhury (right)
Two new researchers from Bangladesh and Mongolia have started work at the NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories. In 2000, STRL, with the goal of being a more internationally open laboratory, established a program to invite researchers from organizations participating in ABU (Asia Broadcasting Union). Three researchers, who made up the first year's program award winners, completed their research this June. The new researchers (the second year's program award winners) are Mr. Md. Foezur Rahman Chowdhury from Bangladesh Betar (former Radio Bangladesh) and Mr. Erdenekhuu Norinpil from Mongolian National Radio. Mr. Chowdury has been doing research on mobile multimedia services since his arrival in August. Mr. Norinpil arrived on September 3 to do research on the ISDB-S digital satellite broadcasting system. Both researchers are scheduled to stay at STRL for one year.
Erdenekhuu Norinpil Md. Foezur Rahman Chowdhury
(Mongolian National Radio and Television)
Visiting Researcher, Digital Satellite Broadcasting Systems Research Division
National Broadcasting Authority (Betar), Bangladesh Visiting Researcher, Multimedia Services Research Division
This is my first month in Japan and I'm very happy to work in NHK STRL as visiting researcher from one of the ABU countries under NHK's research award.
I am now working in the Digital Satellite Broadcasting Systems Research Division for Advanced Satellite Broadcasting System and studying the ISDB-S system, currently focusing on the link budget calculation. ISDB-S is a new broadcasting technology that was developed in Japan.
The satellite broadcasting service is one important means of providing people with broadcasting services and is especially important in case of Mongolia, a country with a huge territory and low population density. During my research period, I have to expand my knowledge of digital broadcasting technology. My research work here will be helpful to develop a digital satellite broadcasting system in my country.
When I arrived in Japan, everything was new for me, but my colleagues have helped me with everything. Now I have got used to life in Japan very well. I hope that my colleagues, Japanese people, and Japan give me unforgettable happy memories.
It is my great pleasure to be working at NHK's world renowned research laboratory as a visiting researcher from Bangladesh.
I am working in the Multimedia Services Research Division on multimedia data services for the ISDB-T system. My plan is to research new services and coding of multimedia data considering internationalization of multimedia data broadcasting and transmission characteristics for portable and mobile reception. I have been at STRL for about two months. During this time, I've tried to understand the ISDB system developed in Japan. I believe that my research experience on the ISDB-T system will be a valuable asset for my future research work and that it will also be helpful for my country's adopting and implementing digital broadcasting technologies.
All the people in the MMS Division, my friends, have helped me a great deal. They helped me find a suitable accommodation at a convenient location near STRL. The social environment of Japan is very secure and safe.
I am very grateful to NHK for offering such a good research opportunity.



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