8
April 2017
NEWS & VIEWS
A unified approach to IP interoperability
SINGAPORE – As the transition to IP continues to gain momentum , many of the key stakeholders in the broadcast industry are recognising the importance of working together to promote interoperability across the broadcast IP ecosystem .
At next month ’ s Broadcast Asia2017 in Singapore , APB , in collaboration with systems integrator Ideal Systems and show organiser UBM SES , will be setting up a Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab @ BroadcastAsia2017 — supported by some of the world ’ s leading broadcast equipment manufacturers .
As the future of TV and production heads towards IP , it is important for industry players in the ecosystem to come together and test true IP-based workflows — from production to distribution — in a hands-on environment to realise the real business benefits , said Steve Davis , vice-president , Asia-Pacific and Japan , Ooyala .
Having introduced video-over- IP and AVB intercom systems more than five years ago , Riedel Communications firmly believes that networked solutions can add
Monetising OTT : ‘ Giving people what they want , at a price they are willing to pay for ’
1 8
how this changes over time — and they are the ones who will win through , said Fenez .
From a monetisation perspective , the journey has perhaps only just begun . For example , how can audiences be aggregated across distribution platforms to effectively sell eyeballs to advertisers , Fenez asked . “ If you are watching a show , it shouldn ’ t matter if you are watching on linear TV or online — it ’ s still an eyeball . But it ’ s not yet very clear how you sell and aggregate those eyeballs .”
For Alexander Muller , managing director , TV5Monde , a French TV network , the key is to understand that consumers today demand control over content selection . He questioned the continued efficacy of pay-TV bundles that tie subscribers to 24-month contracts in retaining eyeballs . Having started its OTT journey back in 2002 , and as a provider of niche content , Muller believes OTT is about bringing “ something different ” to subscribers , and more importantly , can be subscribed to on a monthly basis .
He described : “ Consumers today want to change their content
flexibility to any system while delivering “ significant cost savings ”.
Cameron O ’ Neill , director , Asia- Pacific , Riedel Communications , added : “ IP technology is racing forward , and the increase in R & D funding from commercial IP applications means that we ’ ll soon be making huge leaps as an industry .”
For Sony , IP is already an operational reality in live production environment , as it continues a 15-year commitment from the company to develop IP solutions that are “ ready today , open for tomorrow ”.
This “ open and future-proof ” approach , according to Hiroyuki Takahama , assistant general manager , content creation solutions marketing , Professional Solutions Company ( PSAP ), Sony Corporation of Hong Kong , is tested and proven in the field ; and it has formed the backbone of live
Marcel Fenez , president of Fenez Media : The challenge today for OTT service providers is to convince consumers to pay for something that they used to enjoy for free .
Alexander Muller , managing director , TV5Monde : OTT is about bringing “ something different ” to subscribers , and more importantly , can be subscribed to on a monthly basis .
packages on a regular basis . There is still a business model to be created , and perhaps there is a lot we can learn from the gaming industry .
“ Many online games today are free to download , but why are consumers willing to pay to progress in the game ?”
Can this model be replicated in the TV space , Muller pondered , and how can advertisers redeem viewers for actually watching that content ?
He illustrated how in gaming , consumers watch ads to get coins production workflows across the globe .
The IP Inter-Op Lab @ BroadcastAsia2017 represents a “ great opportunity ” to demonstrate that products and solutions from different vendors can operate together , said Andreas Hilmer , director , marketing and communications , Lawo . “ This will also allow users to plan a best-of-breed system design while having the certainty that today ’ s IP infrastructure solutions are solid and secure long-term investment .”
Besides Lawo , Ooyala , Riedel and Sony , other sponsors of the IP Lab include Caton Technology , Dejero and Imagine Communications , bringing together a showcase of what is working in IP today while highlighting interoperability between different manufacturers .
The lab will also offer trade visitors a hands-on experience in working on an all-IP ecosystem as the lab will include a live broadcast studio , content editing and distribution to over-the-top ( OTT ) platforms , all in real-time IP .
To find out how you can participate in the Broadcast IP Inter-Op Lab , turn to page 4 for more information .
or trophies that translates into value to their games . If viewers watch an advertisement , for instance , can they be offered vouchers to purchase the product being advertised ?
The drawback for many operators , Muller also highlighted , is having a lack of understanding that audiences all have different agenda . “ Are we really listening to them and giving them what they want ? A ‘ true service ’ will be one that truly understands what , in particular , millennials want .
“ It should allow easy subscribe and unsubscribe , and the discovery of new things . Put consumers at the centre and create your ecosystem around them .”
The legacy of piracy will not be eradicated overnight , said Fenez . Yet , the example of Netflix , with its “ fantastic content , UI ( user interface ) and UX ( user experience )”, is timely proof that consumers are still willing to pay for legitimate content .
“ It ’ s a question of giving people what they want , at a price point that they are willing to pay for . Finding out what is the amount any individual is willing to pay for content is a continuing quest ,” he concluded .
Delegates from over 60 countries , representing more than 250 broadcast and media organisations , attended ABU DBS 2017 , where a number of key issues impacting Asia ' s broadcast industry were discussed .
Digital road now leads to multi-screen viewing habits
1 8
services , as well as multi-channel catch-up TV .
Sevior continued : “ Broadcasters in Australia today are deploying a mixture of traditional and nextgeneration engagement platforms , whether through traditional TV or HbbTV , which has been quite successful in the country with FreeviewPlus .”
The new digital age also means that broadcasters need to increasingly cater to the trend of multiscreen viewing . However , while a proliferation of OTT services may be stirring up excitement among consumers faced with more options than ever before , this trend has also resulted in confusion among traditional linear broadcasters , who find their mass media consumers fragmented into many different interest groups .
Traditional broadcasters today have various delivery platforms to manage the different viewing habits , said Asaad Bagharib , director of Thinking Tub Media , a media company based in Singapore . These include utilising the Internet as a delivery platform , as well as having their content distributed via pay-TV platforms . This , in turn , is having an impact on how broadcast operations are managed and operate , Asaad added .
Drawing on his experiences as a former vice-president of technology business at Singapore terrestrial broadcaster Media corp , Asaad shared : “ The company ( Mediacorp ) changed its organisational structure from being platform-centric to function-centric , whereby staff are divided based on job functions .
“ For example , if staff are responsible for news production , everyone who is producing news will be put together to decide on the production approach and the distribution platform .”
Magli Alisa , deputy director for network and transmission at Radio Televisyen Malaysia ( RTM ), advised that it is important to study and understand the impact any transition might cause to existing staff and workflows .
“ Besides empowering staff with knowledge on technological advancements , training is also critical ,” he said .
In addition to training programmes provided by equipment vendors , RTM also has a dedicated in-house training centre that conducts operational training for staff .
Embracing technologies will allow broadcasters to be better equipped to integrate emerging technologies in the future , was the opinion of Fintan Mc Kiernan , CEO of Ideal Systems , South-east Asia .
Citing the example of OTT , which he believes is a driver for broadcasters to move to IP and cloud technology , Mc Kiernan said : “ Broadcasters need to understand the benefits of new IP systems , and recognise what they can do in IP today .”
Calling this the “ flexibility factor ”, he further described the opportunities offered by the flexibility of IP systems to allow broadcasters to enter new markets and adopt new approaches to engage customers , as well as derive new revenue streams .
Mc Kiernan added : “ So , perhaps a better way to plan your IP strategy is to see it not as a mechanism to save money , but as a mechanism to increase earnings .”
This year , 2017 , is likely to see video streaming services such as Netflix and Amazon Prime Video continue to make significant inroads into the Asia-Pacific market . However , the lack of broadband connectivity , and the relative cost of procuring mobile data connectivity , will likely keep OTT as complimentary to traditional platforms in the near term .
Tharaka Mohotti , director of engineering at MTV Channel and MBC Networks in Sri Lanka , related how his company considered distributing content on OTT platforms , but eventually kept this plan on hold due to the high data cost for their target audience .
“ OTT is not a business model for us yet , as Sri Lanka currently does not have a market for it . Traditional TV will remain dominant for some more years to come , although in the future , we see broadcast services being delivered via a multiplicity of methods and platforms ,” he concluded .
PHOTO : ASIA-PACIFIC BROADCASTING UNION