The development of broadband has had a huge impact on the content industry. One of the major technologies to support this trend is digital cinema technology for delivering super-high-definition cinema over IP. This special session will discuss cutting-edge advances in digital cinema technology, as well as the broadband content business model for global carriers and vendors in an era of optical networking. The session will consist of speakers from Japan, the United States, and Europe and will present an actual demonstration of digital cinema technology.

Tomonori Aoyama
Professor, Department of Information and Communication Engineering
Graduate School of Information Science and Technology
The University of Tokyo

Dr. Aoyama's research activities cover the next-generation networking technologies from Layer 1 (e.g., photonic networks) to higher layers including network collaboration, P2P, mobile networking, and ubiquitous networking. He is involved in several governmental projects with the Japan Gigabit Network (JGN) and with non-profit organizations and consortiums such as the Photonic Internet Forum (PIF), the Ubiquitous Networking Forum, and Digital Cinema Consortium of Japan (DCCJ), where he is serving as chief director.

Kazumasa Enami
Director General, Science and Technical Research Laboratories
NHK

Dr. Enami graduated from the Tokyo Institute of Technology in 1971 and joined NHK in the same year. From 1974 to 2000, he worked for NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories. Dr. Enami has been engaged in research on video signal processing, parallel computing, and content production technology. He was transferred to the NHK Engineering Administration Department in 2000 and to the Corporate Planning (Digital Broadcasting Development) Bureau in 2002. He has contributed to standardization of digital terrestrial TV broadcasting services for mobile terminals and a standard for a broadcasting system based on home servers. Dr. Enami was appointed Director General of NHK Science and Technical Research Laboratories in 2004.

Charles S. Swartz
Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer, Entertainment Technology Center
University of Southern California

Mr. Swartz has more than 25 years' experience in the entertainment industry, most recently as head of Charles S. Swartz Consulting, which provides strategy solutions for the entertainment industry. He was also previously director of integrated strategy for media and entertainment at Sapient, which is focused on the global entertainment industry, and director of business development for the entertainment industry in the Media and Entertainment business unit at Andersen Consulting (now Accenture).