Imagine Communications’ Senior Vice President of Product Management, John Mailhot, was awarded the 2024 David Sarnoff Medal at SMPTE’s Awards Gala, held on October 24 at the Ray Dolby Ballroom in Ovation Hollywood.
The award acknowledges Mailhot’s notable contributions to the development and advocacy of the SMPTE ST 2110 standard, which facilitates media transport over IP networks.
History and Purpose of the David Sarnoff Medal
The David Sarnoff Medal, established in 1950 with sponsorship from SRI International, recognizes exceptional advancements in television technology engineering. This year, Mailhot received the honor for his efforts to promote the ST 2110 standard, working through SMPTE as well as other industry organizations, including the Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA), the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), and the Video Services Forum (VSF).
Career Highlights and Industry Influence
Since graduating from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in 1988, Mailhot has been instrumental in broadcast and media innovation. His career includes contributions to the Grand Alliance system for over-the-air HDTV, which later became the ATSC 1.0 standard. He also contributed to the JPEG-2000 video transport standard (VSF TR-01) and the SMPTE ST 2022-2 and 2022-6 standards, and he has served as editor of SMPTE ST 2110 since 2013.
Statement from Imagine Communications President Steve Reynolds
Steve Reynolds, president of Imagine Communications, commented on Mailhot’s recognition, noting that the team at Imagine Communications supports and congratulates Mailhot for his achievements and commitment to the television industry.
Early Career and Technical Leadership
Mailhot has worked in digital high-definition television since its emergence in North America in 1990. Beginning with the AT&T-Zenith team, he helped develop the DSC-HDTV system prototype. Later, he was the technical lead for the Grand Alliance encoder at Lucent Technologies and held senior roles at Lucent Digital Video, Aastra Digital Video, and Harris Broadcast.
Current Role and Industry Involvement
In addition to his role at Imagine Communications, Mailhot serves on the boards of VSF and AMWA and chairs the Technical Working Group of AIMS. He is also a frequent presenter at industry conferences and regularly publishes articles and white papers on broadcast technology. Previously, he was recognized as an SMPTE Fellow for his contributions to the field.
About Imagine Communications
Imagine Communications is a global company specializing in media software and video infrastructure solutions. With over 50 years of experience, the company serves more than 3,000 customers worldwide, including broadcasters, multichannel video programming distributors, government entities, and enterprises across 185 countries.
News source: Imagine Communications
