Apple officially attending NAB for first time in a decade

Posted:
in Mac Software
Apple will be taking part in NAB 2021, attending the broadcasting-centric show for the first time after a decade-long absence.




The NAB Show, by the National Association of Broadcasters, is a trade show that aims itself towards media production. For 2021's show, set to occur from October 9 to October 13 in Las Vegas, Apple will be making an appearance among the major vendors taking part in proceedings.

An update to the NAB Show website spotted by Applescoop shows Apple in a list of organizations attending in 2021, alongside Disney, ABC, CBS, Dreamworks, ESPN, Fox, Hulu, IHeartMedia, NBC, and Netflix, among others. The headline attendees also include many that aren't strictly broadcasters or in the streaming industry, such as Facebook, the Department of Defense, the Dallas Cowboys, the LAPD, Jaguar Landrover, and Epic Games.

The tradeshow is intended as a way for companies to show off tools and services that they can provide to broadcasters and media producers, including areas infrastructure, production, and editing. Apple has many products that can fit into those categories, and is also a broadcaster in its own right via Apple TV+.

Apple was previously a regular attendee of NAB, but has been noticeably absent for ten years. In its last appearance, Apple used the FCP User Group SuperMeet in April 2011 to unveil the 64-bit Final Cut Pro X, which it would release later that year in June.

Read on AppleInsider
killroy
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 21
    Apple Silicon Mac Pro release?
    mcdavekillroymattinoz
  • Reply 2 of 21
    mcdavemcdave Posts: 1,927member
    Interesting lineup of non-broadcast-affiliated companies. What will Epic agenda be pushing?
  • Reply 3 of 21
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    Apple Silicon Mac Pro release?
    The likelihood of this is zero percent.

    Apple does not announce new hardware at other people's events. They only announce new hardware at their own events.

    Besides, Apple said that the Apple Silicon transition would take two years. We are less than fourteen months since Apple unveiled Apple Silicon at WWDC in June 2020.

    The most plausible scenario would have them upgrading the Mac Pro the last, thus next year -- probably after MacOS 16 (whatever it will be called) ships in autumn 2022. This would also give Mac Hardware Engineering more time to improve ASi architecture for HEDT/workstation class performance.

    Next up should be a higher-end iMac, the 16" MacBook Pro, and refinements to all of the Macs that are currently on the M1 SoC. Again this would be done at one of Apple's exclusive events, not anywhere that they would have to share the limelight with someone else. This is a no brainer.
    edited July 2021 lkruppkillroypscooter63
  • Reply 4 of 21
    lkrupplkrupp Posts: 10,557member
    I guess Apple TV+ is not the abject failure it is declared to be by the local techie wannabes here who solemnly don’t subscribe to it and regale us with tales of how bad it is and how it will collapse when the free trials expire... hmmmm. I know, a run on sentence that Grammarly would not like.
    killroy
  • Reply 5 of 21
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    Well, maybe this is good news regarding hardware. If the Apple Silicon MBP14/16, higher option Mac mini, and maybe a large iMac are announced in the September iPhone event, this means they will have hardware NAB folks would like.

    If the Apple Silicon in these machines have ProRes FPGA hardware built-in, definitely something they would like to show off a lot. Would be cool if they had auto-clustering software, where rendering, compiling, processes could be distributed across multiple machines in a plug and play manner. No futzing around with software configuration. 
  • Reply 6 of 21
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 764member
    lkrupp said:
    I guess Apple TV+ is not the abject failure it is declared to be by the local techie wannabes here who solemnly don’t subscribe to it and regale us with tales of how bad it is and how it will collapse when the free trials expire... hmmmm. I know, a run on sentence that Grammarly would not like.
    How is the world’s richest company going to NAB proof (for or against) Apple TV+ being a failure or not? Personally haven’t found a show on there I must watch but it is still free to me so can’t complain. Netflix, Disney+ or even Hulu it is not. 
  • Reply 7 of 21
    GeorgeBMacGeorgeBMac Posts: 11,421member
    The Dept of Defense is attending a Las Vegas trade show?

     I wonder how that will keep us safe from foreign invaders?

    They haven't won a war in 70 years and wouldn't even protect our capitol when it was attacked.   But they have time, resources and money for Las Vegas.
    applguy
  • Reply 8 of 21
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    C'mon, the Department of Defense aren't total failures.

    Team USA kicked Grenada's ass in 1983, a scant 38 years ago.

    Perhaps they will be recruiting gamers to fly drone missions. "Hey, any of you guys ever play Starfox? We also need some help setting up streaming to the White House Situation Room."

    :)
    edited July 2021 GeorgeBMacspherickillroy
  • Reply 9 of 21
    mattinozmattinoz Posts: 2,299member
    mcdave said:
    Interesting lineup of non-broadcast-affiliated companies. What will Epic agenda be pushing?
    I assume virtual sets and scenery for production.
    pscooter63killroy
  • Reply 10 of 21
    canukstormcanukstorm Posts: 2,695member
    tht said:
    Well, maybe this is good news regarding hardware. If the Apple Silicon MBP14/16, higher option Mac mini, and maybe a large iMac are announced in the September iPhone event, this means they will have hardware NAB folks would like.

    If the Apple Silicon in these machines have ProRes FPGA hardware built-in, definitely something they would like to show off a lot. Would be cool if they had auto-clustering software, where rendering, compiling, processes could be distributed across multiple machines in a plug and play manner. No futzing around with software configuration. 
    Doubt it.  I think this more indicative of a major release of FCP, if anything.
    mattinozkillroy
  • Reply 11 of 21
    robabarobaba Posts: 228member
    tht said:
    Well, maybe this is good news regarding hardware. If the Apple Silicon MBP14/16, higher option Mac mini, and maybe a large iMac are announced in the September iPhone event, this means they will have hardware NAB folks would like.

    If the Apple Silicon in these machines have ProRes FPGA hardware built-in, definitely something they would like to show off a lot. Would be cool if they had auto-clustering software, where rendering, compiling, processes could be distributed across multiple machines in a plug and play manner. No futzing around with software configuration. 
    If anything ProRes acceleration will be transferred from FPGA to an on-die acceleration core, a’la the Neural Engine already found in Apple Silicon.  FPGAs are great for field testing, but sub-optimal for putting on a SoC.
  • Reply 12 of 21
    mobirdmobird Posts: 752member
    DOD's mission at NAB might have something to do with recruitment.
  • Reply 13 of 21
    CheeseFreezeCheeseFreeze Posts: 1,247member
    tht said:
    Well, maybe this is good news regarding hardware. If the Apple Silicon MBP14/16, higher option Mac mini, and maybe a large iMac are announced in the September iPhone event, this means they will have hardware NAB folks would like.

    If the Apple Silicon in these machines have ProRes FPGA hardware built-in, definitely something they would like to show off a lot. Would be cool if they had auto-clustering software, where rendering, compiling, processes could be distributed across multiple machines in a plug and play manner. No futzing around with software configuration. 
    FPGA doesn’t seem likely. They probably would incorporate native ProRes codec support in Apple Silicon, since an FPGA is a bit contradicting their all-in SoC concept.
    I also feel they probably would use NAB for a software announcement instead, such as “FCP 11.0” (which would also be a neat way to drop the X since that’s what’s happened to macOS itself),

  • Reply 14 of 21
    JinTechJinTech Posts: 1,020member
    Apple will be announcing that they are purchasing BlackMagic Design.

    I wish! But if any company were to acquire them, I would hope it be Apple (though I know they are not looking for buyers.)

    DaVinci Resolve essentially baked into Final Cut would be absolutely incredible, so long as they did not take features away but replace existing Final Cut features with Resolve. Also, a full line of professional Apple branded cinema cameras? Yes please.
    killroy
  • Reply 15 of 21
    9secondkox29secondkox2 Posts: 2,666member
    FCP for M1 iPad with Siri “magic” controls 

    “in my dream” lol
  • Reply 16 of 21
    ikirikir Posts: 127member
    mpantone said:
    Apple Silicon Mac Pro release?
    The likelihood of this is zero percent.

    Apple does not announce new hardware at other people's events. They only announce new hardware at their own events.

    Besides, Apple said that the Apple Silicon transition would take two years. We are less than fourteen months since Apple unveiled Apple Silicon at WWDC in June 2020.

    The most plausible scenario would have them upgrading the Mac Pro the last, thus next year -- probably after MacOS 16 (whatever it will be called) ships in autumn 2022. This would also give Mac Hardware Engineering more time to improve ASi architecture for HEDT/workstation class performance.

    Next up should be a higher-end iMac, the 16" MacBook Pro, and refinements to all of the Macs that are currently on the M1 SoC. Again this would be done at one of Apple's exclusive events, not anywhere that they would have to share the limelight with someone else. This is a no brainer.
    Wait, if Apple will host a special event before this for a new Pro machine or a big Pro software update, they will be likely at NAB to show to users and professionals. Maybe they will showcase MacBook Pro M1X or FinalCut Pro update.
  • Reply 17 of 21
    sphericspheric Posts: 2,544member
    I think the most likely explanation is that they are now a major film studio. 
    pscooter63killroy
  • Reply 18 of 21
    crowleycrowley Posts: 10,453member
    lkrupp said:
    I guess Apple TV+ is not the abject failure it is declared to be by the local techie wannabes here who solemnly don’t subscribe to it and regale us with tales of how bad it is and how it will collapse when the free trials expire... hmmmm. I know, a run on sentence that Grammarly would not like.
    How are you measuring success?  Because I very much doubt Apple TV+ has turned a profit, and Apple attending a trade show doesn't make an iota of difference to that.
    muthuk_vanalingam
  • Reply 19 of 21
    thttht Posts: 5,421member
    tht said:
    Well, maybe this is good news regarding hardware. If the Apple Silicon MBP14/16, higher option Mac mini, and maybe a large iMac are announced in the September iPhone event, this means they will have hardware NAB folks would like.

    If the Apple Silicon in these machines have ProRes FPGA hardware built-in, definitely something they would like to show off a lot. Would be cool if they had auto-clustering software, where rendering, compiling, processes could be distributed across multiple machines in a plug and play manner. No futzing around with software configuration. 
    FPGA doesn’t seem likely. They probably would incorporate native ProRes codec support in Apple Silicon, since an FPGA is a bit contradicting their all-in SoC concept.
    I also feel they probably would use NAB for a software announcement instead, such as “FCP 11.0” (which would also be a neat way to drop the X since that’s what’s happened to macOS itself),

    Yup, I think you’re right. They’ll have ProRes silicon built in into the chip or an approximation thereof using SIMD hardware, rather than an FPGA.

    I’m still thinking that they want the flexibility of an FPGA, but they’ve never made a change to their Mac Pro card to support any other CODEC, so perhaps it’s been settled now. 
  • Reply 20 of 21
    mpantonempantone Posts: 2,033member
    JinTech said:
    Apple will be announcing that they are purchasing BlackMagic Design.

    I wish! But if any company were to acquire them, I would hope it be Apple (though I know they are not looking for buyers.)

    DaVinci Resolve essentially baked into Final Cut would be absolutely incredible, so long as they did not take features away but replace existing Final Cut features with Resolve. Also, a full line of professional Apple branded cinema cameras? Yes please.
    Apple would not announce such an acquisition at a third-party event. In fact, Apple rarely announces acquisitions. The only one I can think of is Beats By Dre but that is a well-known consumer brand, not a professional software developer. 

    None of this makes much sense from Apple's consumer-focused direction. 
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