From our correspondent BOB AUGER.Day three at IBC 2014 and weekend visitors throng the aisles as they try to understand where the media hardware and software business is going over the next 12 months. Some of the answers are here to find, although scattered over hundreds of stands in 14 Halls. The event gets bigger every year and yet there is still no real alternative to carrying paper maps and guides around with you.

As you might expect, Rovi is here again this year, pushing ever-more sophisticated content discovery tools to ensure that TV viewers can find what they are after. This year's high spot is Voice Discovery, which not only finds the specific content you are after, but also offers related content and suggestions. Others have attempted voice control of content, but this really does what it says on the tin. Even in the noisy exhibition environment, it produced both the 'right' answer to a search request and a selection of interesting alternatives. Can't wait to try this at home.

This week, Rovi published the results of a survey of the attitudes and expectations of pay-TV subscribers in the UK, France, Germany and the US. Researchers looked at the awareness of current content discovery options and how they are used by consumers. One in five respondents didn't know that such a thing existed and almost a third of those questioned could not say whether or not their current provider offered recommendations. Of those who did use what is on offer, almost a quarter were unhappy with the results. Although clearly timed to coincide with IBC, it does reflect how poorly most TV owners are served, when compared to users of Google or Bing on the web.

The SMPTE-sponsored session "Go with UHD-1 or wait for UHD-2?" - produced in association with SMPTE - delivered some noteworthy insights from senior industry execs to an almost full house. With the informed guidance of EBU Senior Manager Hans Hoffmann and a strict 'one question per speaker' policy, the two-hour technical session flew by, but we were left with the strong impression that the rush to market is driven more by the desires of South-East Asian manufacturers to sell more flat panels than by retail demand. Apparently, it is very easy to make 4K panels using existing components - 8K presents more of a challenge!

DisplaySearch Director of European Research Paul Gray opened proceedings, with a detailed look at the current state of the market. China is the largest producer by volume, although the six brands ship most products to the domestic market. Japan, once top of the league of upmarket TV screen makers, has lost its crown in the digital revolution. However, manufacturers there take the long-term view that the technical stand taken by NHK in the 8K market will pay dividends. Despite the great reputation and volume shipments from Korea, it is a loss-making business and suppliers are concerned about the shipments of surplus product from China. In Taiwan, the imminent arrival of 4K is seen as an opportunity to move away from a commodity product and to compete in earnest with the market leaders.

Remarkably, Chinese consumers are avid for new technology, and 80% of flat panel shipments are in 4K, with more than half going to the home market, at a10-20% premium over HDTVs. Clearly, the screens are out there, all that has to be done is to create content to fill them.

So, the scene was set for representatives of Sky Deutschland, BBC, Movielabs, Netflix and others to tell us mere mortals what to do. Jump now with UHD-1? Wait for major enhancements (and smaller files/lower bandwidth) with UHD-2? Ignore the whole debate and concentrate on the all-bells-and-whistles 8K system, which produced such amazing pictures from Brazil?

At the start of the discussion, EBU's Hoffman took a straw poll of the delegates, with "go for UHD-1 now" by far the largest response. After two hours of facts, figures and informed debate, just two people had changed their minds, voting with the majority. Looks as if we are going to get UHD-1 "real soon now."

Whether the consumer market is ready or not, Ultra HD acquisition hardware is moving off the shelves, with the announcement Hitachi is to supply the entire production run of their new UHD4000 camera to equipment supplier Gearhouse. It is rumoured that many of the units will fly direct to Australia in time for January'?s Asian Football Championships.

Over on the Panasonic stand Bernie Mitchell - well known to many for his leading role in the DVD Association - was demonstrating the Ultra HD version of the new Varicam, which ships next month. Apart from the astonishing picture quality, one of the advantages of the Varicam is the ability to record in four formats at the same time, from UHD down to 960x540. Ready to roll, it will set you back around $50,000, but there is a junior brother with many of the same features and equivalent image quality, which sells for almost a tenth of the price. Perhaps that's the answer to the technical experts? dilemma: offer every UHD format and let the market decide.

Meantime, one big question remains: Will Rovi release a content discovery package that will guide visitors around next year's IBC?

Story filed 15.09.14