I am less than two weeks away until my 41st NAB Show (it would be my 43rd without the pandemic in 2020 and 2021) ... Yes, 41 and counting! But this will be a very special one and the first of an all-new experience in my professional life! But before commenting on the reasons for my excitement, I need to take you back to my first NAB Show!
So, let’s rewind back to 1981...
I had just agreed to join AMPEX. After attending a very exciting NHK demonstration of their experimental HDTV system in San Francisco I headed to Las Vegas.
A big buzz at NAB 1981 was caused by RCA with the first camcorder ever (Hawkeye) and by SONY with the launch of Betacam, which subsequently would dominate ENG and EFP until the mid-90’s.
But what really amazed me was introduced by AMPEX at NAB 1981: the “one and only” ADO (Ampex Digital Optics) with its X, Y and Z axis rotation and true 3D perspective. It was the very beginning of smooth keyframing based and spinning cubes with true perspective.
I was sent to Redwood City, CA to work on PAL-M version of the ADO under the guidance of Phil Bennet and Junaid Sheikh. The first ever PAL-M ADO went on air on June 5th, 1983.
NAB 1981 was a life changing experience and the renewal of my passion for this industry! Fast forward some 42 years, and I will be entering LVCC again... for my 41st NAB!
– Guilherme Silva | Davie, Fla.
Guilherme Silva is co-founder and chairman of CIS Group Corp.
You were just glued to the screen. That song came on the radio. The best NAB Show you ever attended.
Tell us about it!