TVBEurope sits down with Imagine Communications president Steve Reynolds to discuss the rise of AI, the use of actual intelligence, JPEG XS, partnerships with other media tech vendors, and more
By Jenny Priestley
Published: May 4, 2023 Updated: May 5, 2023
TVBEurope sits down with Imagine Communications' president Steve Reynolds to discuss the rise of AI, the use of actual intelligence , JPEG XS, partnerships with other media tech vendors, and more
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
Everybody's talking about artificial intelligence, whether you work in the media tech industry or not, AI is the big talking point at the moment.
AI isn't new to the media tech industry, vendors have been employing the technology for quite some time.
But with the rise of generative AI such as chatbots and AI-driven images, more and more media tech vendors are considering what the technology could offer as we go forward.
Steve Reynolds One such company is Imagine Communications, which has been looking at how AI could enhance both its video and production products. We haven't launched any products yet that include AI, he tells TVBEurope. There's a little bit of uncertainty right now in the market as to how things like ChatGPT are going to be used, so it's a little bit speculative for us right now to build any of that technology into our products.
But, adds Reynolds, from a technology standpoint obviously, Imagine is looking very closely at what it could be doing with AI and machine learning to enhance its products. Bottom line, we want to help our customers make content more efficiently, and we want to help them monetise audiences more effectively, he adds.
There's no question [AI and ML are] going to be a big piece of the future. There'll be some growing pains that we have to go through, there'll be regulatory stuff, there'll be business model stuff that's got to get figured out, but we're definitely keeping an eye on it.
Imagine's Aviator platform One of the ways AI is already being employed is in creating metadata. Imagine's Aviator is cloud-native platform that uses metadata to enable broadcasters, MVPDs and digital-first providers to plan, make and monetise premium-quality linear and OTT content from a single, unified platform.
Currently, Aviator does not employ AI, relying instead on Imagine's product team to create algorithms that deliver repeatable and valuable results. Graham Heap our product manager says, we're still in the phase where we're getting significant gains out of actual' intelligence, explains Reynolds. Moving forward, can AI and ML improve that? Yes, of course it can. And so those are the kinds of things that we're doing research on now to understand where we can continue to improve. But as a first step, just getting the metadata built into the system is pretty dramatic. That's what this Aviator framework is all about, tying together the plan, make and monetise pieces of content delivery.
CLOUD AND JPEG XS Another big topic of conversation within the industry is the rise of the ultra-low latency codec JPEG XS. Imagine has implemented the standard into its Selenio Network Processor, its IP media processing platform.
JPEG XS is high quality with low latency, explains Reynolds, and if you're doing production in the cloud, or you're doing contribution into cloud, both of those things become critically important.
At NAB 2023, Imagine launched Magellan Connect which extends the path-routing capabilities of Magellan into the cloud. It means users can include cloud infrastructure as a part of their entire video path. The reason that we're doing that is because as customers implement these hybrid topologies, they need to be able to see the entire topology, they can't have this kind of dotted line where it says prem' on one side and cloud' on the other, explains Reynolds.
They need to be able to see across the line and into what's happening up in the cloud, because ultimately, the endpoint for JPEG XS is somewhere up in the cloud, and you need to be able to control that.
Just before NAB Show, Imagine announced a partnership with Vizrt to integrate the Viz Vectar Plus cloud live production solution with Aviator. The aim is to provide a single cloud production/playout product to enable live production workflows for sports, news, and live events to feed downstream live linear workflows.
Imagine is not in the production business, states Reynolds. We're more on the origination and monetisation side of the business and so we work with partners on the production piece, and that link with Vizrt is getting tighter.
Imagine also announced a strategic partnership with Amagi, to provide significant benefits to TV networks and broadcasters, including a better-managed path for cloud migration, hybrid operations and orchestration, improved monetisation through advertising, and extensive reach into FAST and CTV platforms.
We're working with partners that have deep expertise. Amazon's a great example. Vizrt is a great example. Amagi is a great example. IntoPIX is a great example. We're really trying to work with companies in this space who are experts at what they do, he concludes.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...
07/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
07/07/2026
Berklee College of Music Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's...
07/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Open source AI has shown how quickly developers can innovate when models, data a...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
Nations have long invested in domestic infrastructure to advance their economies, protect and use their data, and take advantage of technology opportunities in ...
06/07/2026
Every year, the International Conference on Machine Learning (ICML) reveals where thousands of AI researchers have decided to put their work.
This year's ...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
We've gone to another level of integrating the graphics into the set architecture' - Zac Fields, SVP, Graphic Technology and Integration, FOX Sports...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
When Canada qualified for the FIFA World Cup 2026, OneSoccer knew this wasn'...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
Blackmagic Design Cameras Empower Youth Broadcasting Program
Brie Clayton July 3, 2026
0 Comments
Blackmagic Pocket Cinema Camera 6K Pro and Blackmagi...
04/07/2026
iZotope Joins Boris FX
Boris Yamnitsky July 3, 2026
0 Comments
iZotope, the team behind RX and Ozone, is joining Boris FX. A letter from founder Boris...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
Caden Pearson appointed new Commissioning Editor for NITV
3 July, 2026
Media releases
National Indigenous Television (NITV) has strengthened its commitment...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
03/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
TVBEurope sits down with Imagine Communications president Steve Reynolds to discuss the rise of AI, the use of actual intelligence, JPEG XS, partnerships with other media tech vendors, and more
