VDD19

Welcome to Video Dev Days 2019

The VideoLAN non-profit organization is happy to invite you to the multimedia open-source event of the fall!

For its eleventh edition, people from the VideoLAN and open source multimedia communities will meet in Tokyo to discuss and work on the future of the open-source multimedia community.

This is a very technical conference, focused on low-level multimedia.

Who can come?

Literally every one is invited to VDD, we just need registration for legal reason (to enter the building).

This is a technical conference, focused on low-level multimedia, like codecs and their implementations like x264 or dav1d, frameworks like FFmpeg or Gstreamer or playback libraries like libVLC.

Things like Javascript video frameworks or ad-injection frameworks would be considered out of scope.

The price to enter is totally Free.

Sponsorship for Japan

Since Japan is a bit further than the usual conferences, often in Europe, going to Japan is more expensive.

If you want VideoLAN to sponsor your trip, you should read the Sponsorship Policy.

Traveling to Japan

You should consider staying a bit longer to Japan, if you can afford a few extra days. Kyoto is amazing!

You should take care of your passport and, if applicable, your visa very quickly!

See the dedicated page: traveling advice for Japan.

You might want to consider to offset your carbon footprint.
For example: MyClimate CO2 Calculator or CarboonFootPrint.com

Schedule

Friday November 8th

Community bonding day!

Da Tokyo game

¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Meeting tbd

Address : tbd

Evening drinks

19:30 Evening drinks at the...

Sponsored by Mozilla.

(NB: food is not provided there)

Saturday November 9th

Planning

Time	Auditorium
08:30 - 09:00	Registration & Breakfast
09:00 - 09:25	Welcome words by Jean-Baptiste Kempf, VideoLAN
11:50 - 12:15	VLC 4.0 by Jean-Baptiste Kempf, VideoLAN
12:30 - 14:00	Lunch break! by the Lunch committee

Goodies distribution will start at 14:00

Time
14:00 - 18:00	Meetups
19:30 - ??:??	Community Dinner by the Dinner committee

VideoLAN community dinner

To be defined

Sunday November 10

Time	Description
09:00 - 09:30	Breakfast
09:30 - 12:00	Lightning talks
12:00 - 14:00	Lunch by the Lunch Committee
14:00 - 18:00	Unconferences
20:00 - ??:??	Unofficial Dinner by the Unofficial Dinner Committee

Unconference schedule

Time	Description
06:30 - 07:00	Beyond Breakfast Coffee by VideoLAN

Practical information

• The official JNTO site has a wealth of practical information targeting first-time visitors.
• The air travel page provides more info for arrival and departure.

Location / main venue

The meeting is happening at the IIJ HQ:

Internet Initiative Japan Inc.
Iidabashi Grand Bloom
2-10-2 Fujimi, Chiyoda-ku
Tokyo 102-0071
Japan

and because not everyone understands English

株式会社インターネットイニシアティブ
〒102－0071 東京都千代田区富士見2-10-2
飯田橋グラン・ブルーム

From Tokyo Central:

• JR Chuo line to Iidabashi, or
• Tokyo metro Tozai line from Otemachi to Iidabashi.

From Tokyo Ueno:

• JR Yamanote line (clock-wise) or Keihin-Tohoku line (south-bound) to Akihabara, then
• JR Chuo-Sobu line (west-bound) to Iidabashi.

Accommodation / Hotel

If you are sponsored by the VideoLAN association, your hotel is:

Hotel Villa Fontaine Tokyo - Nihombashi Hakozaki
20-10 Hakozaki-cho Nihombashi 
Chuo-ku Tokyo, 103-0015
TEL：+81-3-3667-3330

Note that there's plenty of "Villa Fontaine" Hotels in that area. Be sure to head for the right one. Hotel is:

• 800m/10min walk from Kayabachô (Metro T11 or H12, if you arrive from Narita)
• 800m/10min walk from Ningyôchô (Metro H13 from Narita or A14 from Haneda)
• 350m/5min walk from Suitengu-mae (Metro Z10)
• 300m/4min walk from T-CAT bus terminal (60 min from Narita Airport, 25 min from Haneda)
• 1700m/22min walk from Keisei Bus (Narita) Yaesu north exit

And for your taxi driver:

ホテルヴィラフォンテーヌ東京日本橋箱崎
〒103-0015 東京都中央区日本橋箱崎町２０−1０

Elsewise, please make your own arrangements for accommodation.

Transportation

Be sure to get a Japanese electronic payment card to travel easily on the public transports.

• To find routes, prices and schedules:
  • Hyperdia
    • also on Google Play
    • or Apple App Store.
  • JNTO
    • on Google Play
    • or Apple App Store.
• For airport transfers, check the air travel page.

NOTE: VideoLAN does not refund taxi, car rental and public transport.

If you have a voucher, you should save your JR Pass for before or after the conference days, as it is of limited use within central Tokyo. You can use it to freely ride on the Yamonote loop and the Chuo-Sobu east-west transverse train lines, as well as JR-operated buses, but it is not valid on the metro networks.

Means of payment

VISA and MasterCard cards are not universally accepted in Japan.

Cash

You will need to withdraw cash from an international ATM. You can find those:

• at arrivals in the airport terminal,
• in 7-11 convenience stores throughout Tokyo and other cities,
• and during office hours in Japanese Post offices.

Do not bother with to local banks ATMs, most of which do not accept overseas cards.

To be on the safe side, you could exchange a few tens of thousands of yens in advance. Compare prices and avoid the extortionate bureaux de change at airports!

Electronic payments

For small day-to-day purchases, you should procure a FeliCa electronic payment card, a.k.a. an IC card. They can be used to enter and exit public transports (train, metro, bus, etc), to check out at convenience stores and many shops. There are two options in Tokyo area:

• tourist cards, with cutesy design, provide third-party discounts, but expire after 28 days (including any unused credit):
  • Welcome Suica card from any JR East Travel Service Center (including at Narita or Haneda airports), which seems free (?),
  • Pasmo passport from Keisei (Narita) or Keikyu (Haneda), which costs ¥500,
• regular cards, with dull design, include a deposit of ¥500 but remain valid for 10 years after last transaction:
  • Suica card,
  • Pasmo card.

You can load the card with Japanese bank notes.

Electricity

In Tokyo the electrical supply has:

• Voltage: 100 V
• Frequency: 50 Hz (but in Kyoto/Osaka, 60 Hz)
• Socket: Type A (like North America)

This is the lowest household voltage in the world, so check the specifications on your power adapters.

Outlets are not compatible with European or Commonwealth plugs, so most attendees will need passive adapters. They are easier to find at home, so BUY BEFORE DEPARTURE.

Internet

Please bring your own internet.

Mobile data

You can buy, or better yet pre-order, a prepaid data SIM card at international arrival at the airport. Don't postpone, as it might be difficult to find elsewhere.

Wireless LAN

Free Wi-Fi is common but may need registration - in Japanese. There is a map of known Wi-Fi access points in the JNTO app (see #Transportation).

Group Chat

Participants can share information and discuss using the dedicated VDD 2019 Telegram Group.

Emergency

119 is the fire and ambulance emergency number in Japan. 110 is the local police number.

Please carry your travel insurance card or certificate on you at all times. If you do not have a travel insurance yet, buy a fixed-term one before you depart. EU social security cards are not not valid in Japan. Advise your relatives, and if applicable, your government:

• Registration for French citizens.

Personal safety risks in Japan primarily stem from natural disasters:

• JNTO safety tips
  • on Google Play Store
  • or Apple App Store.
• In case of earthquake:
  • Seek cover (e.g. under a table) if indoors,
  • Get away from structures (especially glass windows) if outdoors.
  • After the quake, get away from the shore onto high ground away from tidal waves.
• In case of typhoon, follow instructions from authorities. Typhoon are predicted several days ahead.

Contact

The VideoLAN Dev Days are organized by the board members of the VideoLAN non-profit organization:

• Jean-Baptiste Kempf,
• Denis Charmet,
• Konstantin Pavlov, and
• Hugo Beauzée-Luyssen.

You can reach us here.