Sony Pixel Power calrec Sony

SVG Sit-Down: New FOR-A America President Satoshi Kanemura on Company's Role in Sports Production

21/04/2021

SVG Sit-Down: New FOR-A America President Satoshi Kanemura on Company's Role in Sports Production He looks to build strong relationships with U.S. broadcasters By Ken Kerschbaumer, Editorial Director

Wednesday, April 21, 2021 - 8:52 am

Print This Story | Subscribe

Story Highlights

Earlier this month, FOR-A America appointed Satoshi Kanemura president of the company. In 35 years at Sony, Kanemura was a key part of the advance of technologies like 1080p, 4K/8K, and cloud-based production both within Sony and among its customer base. SVG's Ken Kerschbaumer caught up with Kanemura via Zoom to discuss his new role and FOR-A's position in the U.S. sports-production landscape.

FOR-A America's Satoshi Kanemura: Our current priority is providing [broadcasters] IP-based solutions for a step-by-step migration and even hybrid workflows.

What attracted you to the position?

Even during my Sony days, we cooperated a lot with FOR-A as the two companies complement each other well. FOR-A has unique technology and is very much a technology-oriented company. And FOR-A also has the same philosophy as Sony, which is to grow their business alongside their customers. By the way, FOR-A is a Japanese name for the company, but FOR-A is also a Chinese character that stands for grow a business together.

FOR-A is not simply a manufacturer that produces a product, gives it to the customer, and says, Please use it. At FOR-A, they listen to the customer directly and then try to understand their workflow. From there, they determine the customer's pain points so that the technology provides a true solution. Often, that pain point is cost reduction. As long as we can provide a solution that grows their business, they will come back to us. Also, by developing our relationships in this way, we receive candid opinions from our customers that enable us to produce a unique solution.

I had the pleasure of attending and speaking at Interbee, the Japanese version of the NAB Show, the past couple of years. The FOR-A stand was very big, and the company has a strong reputation in Japan. Can you explain how that came to be?

FOR-A has a very good connection to Japanese broadcasters, such as NHK. NHK is a long-time customer of FOR-A's and has been an invaluable partner, providing feedback as we develop new technology and new market initiatives. They describe to us, in detail, the main challenges that exist for live broadcasters and for sports producers in particular. In my new role at FOR-A, my challenge is to translate this progressive technology born in Japan to meet the current and future needs of our American clientele and also to build strong relationships with U.S. customers as we've done with NHK in Japan.

FOR-A is also very forward thinking, getting involved with things like 8K and UHD. What do you see as the opportunities those formats can create for FOR-A?

We haven't yet defined where 8K technology will fit and contribute to our customers. We have the technology ready to go, but, currently, a bigger priority for us are things like IP, cloud APIs, and IP-based remote production. The SMPTE ST-2110 is a good standard, but there are still many other areas to be defined. And broadcasters need to be prepared for not only video and audio but need a working knowledge of networking, how to avoid hacking, and how to do things like software upgrades and patches. Our current priority is providing IP-based solutions for a step-by-step migration and even hybrid workflows.

How does the move to IP give you a chance to re-energize FOR-A here in the U.S.?

Major broadcasters like CBS, NBC, ABC, or Fox are starting to adopt IP. We're well-known for our frame synchronizers and the type of technology that can be used to convert IP signals. So that is a good opportunity for us to get involved with major broadcasters and support their productions by solving the issues they face in terms of whole conversion and synchronization, as a first step.

What are some of the key technologies that you think people should know about?

We have an unbelievable camera that I saw in Japan, which is a 4K 1,000-fps ultra-slow-motion camera. I need to bring it to the U.S. and start doing evaluations with several customers to verify the application and any necessary fine-tuning. It has tremendous potential for creating a new look for creators. Another is the FA-9600 multipurpose signal processor that can do all the conversions, color corrections, and formats, so it combines everything into one unit.

And for college or high school sports, our switcher lineup is very cost-effective and easy to use: the operator can have the control panel at home and connect via IP to the processor located elsewhere. The switchers are also available with a web-browser panel that is easy to access and use. We also have an instant-replay system, which will be a good gateway for social-media streaming directly into Facebook or Twitter.
LINK: https://www.sportsvideo.org/2021/04/21/svg-sit-down-for-a-america-pres...
See more stories from svg

Most recent headlines

03/06/2024

Dalet and Veritone Reach Agreement to Distribute, Transact and Monetize Media Archives

Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...

19/03/2024

Barco announces collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity to add AI and data analytics applications to the operating room

Mar 18, 2024 Barco announces collaboration with NVIDIA and SoftAcuity to a...

19/03/2024

Hear from New Bulls Manager Morgan Ensberg on latest The Durham Bulls Podcast

Meet the Bulls' new manager, hear from 2 former managers, a former player and a person with a very special connection to Wool E. Bull. Tune in to The Durham...

19/03/2024

What Is Dembow? Tracing the Roots of a Global Phenomenon

What Is Dembow? Tracing the Roots of a Global Phenomenon The story of the dembow beat, which can be found in reggaeton, hip-hop, pop, and far beyond, speaks t...

19/03/2024

Berklee's Roger H. Brown Jr. Building Honored by Boston Society for Architecture

Berklee's Roger H. Brown Jr. Building Honored by Boston Society for Architec...

19/03/2024

Applications Open for 2024 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics

Applications Open for 2024 Berklee at Umbria Jazz Clinics The 39th edition of the program will be held from July 9-21. By Callista Chan March 21, 2024 Ima...

19/03/2024

Smoke and Mirrors: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Smoke and Mirrors: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Afric...

19/03/2024

Umkhokha: The Curse - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Umkhokha: The Curse - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South Af...

19/03/2024

Gqeberha: The Empire - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Gqeberha: The Empire - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South A...

19/03/2024

Muvhango: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Muvhango: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African websit...

19/03/2024

Uzalo: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [video]

Uzalo: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [video]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The South African website. ...

19/03/2024

Generations: The Legacy - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Generations: The Legacy - Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Stay up to date with the latest episodes of your favourite South African soapie on The Sout...

19/03/2024

Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]

Skeem Saam: Monday's episode, 18 March 2024 [VIDEO]Missed an episode of Skeem Saam? No problem! Watch the latest episode of your favourite South African soa...

18/03/2024

USC Basketball Star Juju Watkins on Fashion, Film, Friendship Bracelets, and More

Listeners turn to Spotify to connect with their favorites-from artists and album...

18/03/2024

Young professionals successfully complete vocational training at SGL's Meitingen site

Seven young professionals completed their vocational training at SGL Carbon in M...

18/03/2024

Vintage Allure

Released this past January, the music video for Ariana Grande's yes, and? brings a modern approach to vintage allure. The video was directed by Christian ...

18/03/2024

ST Engineering iDirect Unveils Intuition at SATELLITE 2024 Conference and Exhibition

Global satellite communications leader gives market a first look at its next-gen...

18/03/2024

Box to Box Films shares with MediaSilo

Box to Box Films Shares with MediaSilo Amy and Drive to Survive producer updates collaborators simply and securely Boston, MA, March 18, 2024 - Box to Box Fi...

18/03/2024

Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 2024

Telestream Introduces AI-Powered Tools for Rapid Content Delivery at NAB Show 20...

18/03/2024

Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio

Docufiction Film Bringing Down a Mountain Edited with DaVinci Resolve Studio Brie Clayton March 18, 2024 0 Comments Blackmagic Design today announced ...

18/03/2024

FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking Software at NAB 2024

FingerWorks Telestrators Releases Enhancements to Computer Vision Live Tracking ...

18/03/2024

DirecTV to Allow Subscribers to Opt Out of Local Stations

DirecTV announced a new feature over the weekend that will allow its subscribers to opt out of their local stations in return for a discount. Customers who ch...

18/03/2024

Logging and reviewing: Moving towards a sustainable workflow

Jane Sung, COO at Cinedeck, explains how broadcasters and content production companies can achieve the goal of moving towards creating a more sustainable, effic...

18/03/2024

Altice Media sold to French shipping tycoon for 1.55 billion

The deal includes BFM TV, one of the country's largest 24-hour news channels, as well as documentary channel RMC D couverte, and RMC Story By Jenny Priestl...

18/03/2024

Meet the CEO and founder

By TVBEurope Staff Published: March 18, 2024 Nick Franco tells TVBEurope how he went from being a master plasterer and refurbishing the ornate plasterwork ...

18/03/2024

Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects

Master the Avatar State: Glowing Eyes in Adobe After Effects Levi Borland March 18, 2024 0 Comments In this step-by-step tutorial, learn how to recrea...

18/03/2024

Next Season of Doctor Who' on Disney Plus May 10

The next season of Doctor Who, with Ncuti Gatwa as the 15th Doctor, premieres on Disney Plus and around the world May 10. It is the first season to launch on Di...

18/03/2024

Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative

18 03 2024 - Media release Screen Australia and VicScreen launch new Screen Careers initiative LTR Denise Eriksen, Esther Coleman Hawkins, Caroline Pitcher, K...

18/03/2024

CBC/WRAL Night Helps Bring in Over $26k for PBS NC

Capitol Broadcasting and WRAL-TV continued a decades-long tradition of supporting PBS North Carolina, our state's public television station, to good result ...

18/03/2024

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Nomusa leaves Moketsi's house in a rush

Tonight on My Brother's Keeper: Nomusa leaves Moketsi's house in a rushDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie My...

18/03/2024

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zola discovers she's pregnant

Tonight on House of Zwide: Zola discovers she's pregnantDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie House of Zwide on e.t...

18/03/2024

Big Brother Mzansi 4: Papa Ghost secures back-to-back Head of House wins

Big Brother Mzansi 4: Papa Ghost secures back-to-back Head of House winsPapa Ghost has clinched consecutive victories as Head of the House in the latest edition...

18/03/2024

NVIDIA Edify Unlocks 3D Generative AI, New Image Controls for Visual Content Providers

NVIDIA Edify, a multimodal architecture for visual generative AI, is entering a ...

18/03/2024

From Atoms to Supercomputers: NVIDIA, Partners Scale Quantum Computing

The latest advances in quantum computing include investigating molecules, deploying giant supercomputers and building the quantum workforce with a new academic ...

18/03/2024

New NVIDIA Storage Partner Validation Program Streamlines Enterprise AI Deployments

A sharp increase in generative AI deployments is driving business innovation for...

18/03/2024

NVIDIA Unveils Digital Blueprint for Building Next-Gen Data Centers

Designing, simulating and bringing up modern data centers is incredibly complex, involving multiple considerations like performance, energy efficiency and scala...

18/03/2024

Generative AI Developers Harness NVIDIA Technologies to Transform In-Vehicle Experiences

Cars of the future will be more than just modes of transportation; they'll b...

18/03/2024

All Eyes on AI: Automotive Tech on Full Display at GTC 2024

All eyes across the auto industry are on GTC - the global AI conference running in San Jose, Calif., and online through Thursday, March 21 - as the world's ...

18/03/2024

All Aboard: NVIDIA Scores 23 World Records for Route Optimization

With nearly two dozen world records to its name, NVIDIA cuOpt now holds the top spot for 100% of the largest routing benchmarks in the last three years. And thi...

18/03/2024

We Created a Processor for the Generative AI Era,' NVIDIA CEO Says

Generative AI promises to revolutionize every industry it touches - all that's been needed is the technology to meet the challenge. NVIDIA founder and CEO ...

18/03/2024

Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Services in Bangladesh

18 Mar 2024 Banglalink Gets Unified Licence to Deliver Superior Digital Service...

18/03/2024

Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its network

Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...

18/03/2024

Thuraya partners with Niflink to deliver telemedicine and eLearning to users across its ne...

Abu Dhabi, 18 March, 2024 : Abu Dhabi, 18 March 2024: Thuraya Telecommunication...

18/03/2024

Major League Soccer: IMG on Capturing Fan Rituals and Delivering Consistent Coverage

Major League Soccer: IMG on capturing fan rituals and delivering consistent cove...

18/03/2024

Smashing Padel: Inside Aurora's Innovative Production of the Inaugural Hexagon Cup

Smashing padel: Inside Aurora's innovative production of the inaugural Hexag...

18/03/2024

Airspeeder Teams Up With EMG for World's First Live Broadcast of Flying Car Series

Airspeeder teams up with EMG for world's first live broadcast of flying car ...

18/03/2024

Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Including 12 Brand New Titles

Back to All News Netflix Announces News About 26 Upcoming Nordic Titles - Inclu...

18/03/2024

Final sprint in the AS4 market communication

Final Sprint in the AS4 Market Communication: All Arvato Systems Customers Are Ready to Go Customers for market communication AS4-ready Arvato Systems is now...

18/03/2024

Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decision

Tonight on Uzalo: Nkunzi takes a drastic decisionDon't miss Monday, 18 March's riveting episode of South African soapie Uzalo on SABC 1 on DStv channel ...

18/03/2024

Thales to modernize Montreal Mtro blue Line,improving passengers' punctuality and train reliability

Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Following a call for tenders, the Soci t de tra...