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Cinema Volta
John Maxwell Hobbs
Cinema Volta
John Maxwell Hobbs
Building a worse mousetrap
Here's my latest opinion piece at IBC365 on the way "good enough" is changing in the broadcast industry: https://www.ibc.org/production/blog-building-a-worse-mousetrap/2652.article

John Maxwell Hobbs
Feb 6, 20180 min read
AI and the media industry
My latest column is up at IBC365. I give my views on the increasing hype around the potential for AI in media. https://www.ibc.org/tech-advances/i-for-one-welcome-our-robot-overlords/2625.article

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jan 22, 20180 min read
Net Neutrality
I've written an article attempting to make sense of the net neutrality debate. You can read it at IBC365 https://www.ibc.org/delivery/the-battle-for-net-neutrality/2633.article

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jan 22, 20180 min read
Outsourcing and the broadcast industry
My latest opinion piece is up at IBC365. I give my views on outsourcing and the broadcasting industry. https://www.ibc.org/content-management/focusing-on-the-core-the-importance-of-outsourcing/2582.article

John Maxwell Hobbs
Dec 8, 20170 min read
Just Because Your Cat Has Kittens in the Oven, That Don't Make 'em Biscuits
Here's my latest opinion piece for IBC 365, covering the clash of cultures between IT and broadcasting: https://www.ibc.org/delivery/technology-v-culture-the-art-of-making-and-delivering-tv/2064.article?_ga=2.228132957.138508793.1499935580-421349024.1491219481

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jul 13, 20170 min read
BBC Wales and Live IP
I've written an article for IBC365 about BBC Wales' bold move into using IP transmission for video. https://www.ibc.org/consumption/building-the-future-bbc-wales-all-ip-facility-/2044.article

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jul 6, 20170 min read
ENGINEERS AS CREATIVE PARTNERS – HOW THE FILM & TV INDUSTRY CAN LEARN FROM MUSIC PRODUCTION
A post I wrote for the National Film and Television School https://nfts.co.uk/news/engineers-creative-partners-–-how-film-tv-industry-can-learn-music-production NFTS Head of Technology, John Maxwell Hobbs, believes the film and television industry should view and work with engineers as creative partners as the music industry does and has designed the School’s new Production Technology MA to do just that. Why it is that broadcast engineers have long been viewed as boffins w

John Maxwell Hobbs
May 15, 20170 min read
WHY ARE WE FIXING WHAT ISN’T BROKEN? MOVING TO IT-BASED PRODUCTION 18th May: Free Production Technology Taster Workshop
I'll be teaching a taster workshop for the Production Technology MA I'm developing for the National Film and Television School on the 18th of May. More details here: https://www.nfts.co.uk/news/why-are-we-fixing-what-isn’t-broken-moving-digital-based-production

John Maxwell Hobbs
May 12, 20170 min read
STEAM POWERED: WHY ARTS IS KEY TO ENGAGING STUDENTS IN ENGINEERING & TECHNOLOGY
A blog post of mine for the National Film and Television School: https://www.nfts.co.uk/news/steam-powered-why-arts-key-engaging-students-engineering-technology National Film and Television School Head of Technology, John Maxwell Hobbs considers why the UK is facing a skills gap in broadcast engineering and how an increased focus on the arts could be the key: “There’s a lot of focus on what’s called the “STEM” approach to education these days. STEM stands for Science, Tech

John Maxwell Hobbs
Apr 10, 20170 min read
Why the industry needs more broadcast engineers
An interview I did for the National Film and Television School https://www.nfts.co.uk/news/why-industry-needs-more-broadcast-engineers Top technologist and former BBC Scotland Head of Technology John Maxwell Hobbs has been appointed to lead the National Film and Television School Production Technology MA. The Masters has been introduced to tackle a shortage of broadcast engineers and fill a looming skills gap in the industry. We asked John about the reasons for the skills g

John Maxwell Hobbs
Oct 3, 20160 min read
Talking about the future of traditional broadcasting
I'm really excited to be giving one of the keynotes for this year's conference of the International Associates of Broadcast Manufacturers on the 4th of December in London. I'm talking about how traditional broadcasters can adapt to a radically changing world. http://www.theiabm.org/events/iabm-2015-annual-conference/schedule.html

John Maxwell Hobbs
Nov 4, 20150 min read
Just What Exactly is Apple Up To?
Published earlier today on MediumThere are a lot of articles analysing Apple’s new music service. (James Cridland’s got a good list of them here.) The majority of them are coming from tech journalists, and unfortunately, they suffer from a major lack of knowledge of how the music business actually works. They are worth reading, but prepare yourself for a lot of confusing the tray for the meal. Where most of the current analysis falls down is by treating the three elements of

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jun 22, 20150 min read
The plot thickens - Apple launching a label?
More news on the Apple music front - Radio 1 DJ, Zane Lowe is leaving the corporation to work for Apple. Jimmy Iovine, and now Zane. Apple's lining up some heavyweight A&R talent.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Feb 15, 20150 min read
Why Audio Never Goes Viral
An article from Digg on audio vs. video on the internet. Worth a read. Why Audio Never Goes Viral.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jan 17, 20140 min read
Waiting for the Sergeant Pepper Moment
I'll be chairing one of the featured panels at IBC this year called, "Waiting for the Sergeant Pepper Moment," looking at the potential technology has to change the way we make television. You can read about the panel at the IBC website. In 1967, The Beatles released their album "Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," a watershed in modern music and the first time a mainstream band created music expressly for vinyl, as opposed to its being a mere recording of a traditi

John Maxwell Hobbs
Sep 1, 20130 min read
Netflix reaches 1.5m UK subscribers for its internet video service | Media | The Guardian
Netflix is now responsible for 30% of all internet traffic in the UK during peak viewing hours. Netflix reaches 1.5m UK subscribers for its internet video service | Media | The Guardian. Update: Either I misread the article originally, or it's been changed, but the 30% figure refers to US Internet traffic, and not the UK.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Aug 21, 20130 min read
CBS/Time Warner dispute causes sharp rise in TV piracy | Company News content from Broadcast Engineering
Pretty compelling evidence that most media piracy is driven by a search for convenience rather than a desire to get something for nothing. What we have is two giants battling over crumbs while ignoring the fact that they are standing on the deck of a ship that is both sinking and on fire. CBS/Time Warner dispute causes sharp rise in TV piracy | Company News content from Broadcast Engineering.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Aug 19, 20130 min read
BBC Academy - Technology - Out with the old, in with the new
I've written an article for the BBC Academy looking at the dramatic changes we're experience in broadcast technology. Check it out here: BBC Academy - Technology - Out with the old, in with the new.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Aug 8, 20130 min read
Google’s Solution to Bringing Online Video to TV | MIT Technology Review
If the user interface is good, this could be the step Connected TV needs - at $35, it's a great price and by being so simple, it's far more flexible than an Apple TV. Google’s Solution to Bringing Online Video to TV | MIT Technology Review. Related articles* Why Google Chromecast isn't quite Apple TV... yet (macworld.com) * The World Isn't Ready For The Chromecast Yet (buzzfeed.com) * Apple TV vs. Google TV (cabletv.com) * Google's TV (buzzmachine.com) * How Chromecast Fits

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jul 25, 20130 min read
Thom Yorke blasts Spotify on Twitter as he pulls his music | Technology | guardian.co.uk
Tom Yorke is right about the problem of funding new artists, but he's got the wrong enemy in his sights. Spotify is not a cheapskate record label, it's a generous radio network. More on this in a bit. Thom Yorke blasts Spotify on Twitter as he pulls his music | Technology | guardian.co.uk.

John Maxwell Hobbs
Jul 22, 20130 min read
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