22
BROADCAST TECHNOLOGY 2018
Magna Systems provides
secure innovation in evolving
broadcast industry
David Blackett, group GM, Magna Systems and Engineering
Group, tells APB how the systems integrator is helping
its customers gain a competitive advantage in an ever-
changing broadcast and media landscape.
What do you think are some of the
key technologies that have emerged
for the broadcast and media industry
in 2018, and what is the impact these
technologies have brought forth for
broadcasters?
David Blackett: The fact that SMPTE
2110 is now a fully ratified standard has
made a significant impact in the broadcast
industry; it is really pushing everyone,
particularly broadcasters, into the world
of IP.
Then, there is the emergence of
technologies like Crystal Connect, which
draws on Crystal’s long experience with
the monitoring and controlling of the
broadcast workflow. Understanding that
all the information needed to automate
over-the-top (OTT) production exists
already in playlist, traffic, scheduling and
media asset management (MAM) data
sets, Crystal Connect accesses this data,
generates SCTE 104, SCTE 35, SCTE 224
and/or proprietary-format messages
required by each distributor, and places
them with frame-accurate precision at
the beginning and end of each content
segment in a programme.
This means broadcasters can now
target specific viewers and send them
tailored and customised ads at exactly
the right time during a programme
or broadcast in conjunction with their
social media activity — something that
previously has been very complex to
achieve, and which is extremely valuable.
This in turn opens up a whole new
playing field in the OTT ad world. More
ads, especially more targeted ads, mean
more revenue and at the end of the day,
that is what everyone is chasing.
4K/Ultra HD (UHD) and high
dynamic range (HDR) have obviously
been around for a while but in 2018 they
have really made their mark. HDR brings
another step forward in terms of quality.
It also gives more of a 3D impression
without losing the social viewing aspect
that 3D does when you are using glasses
or a headset. HDR also changes the way
productions are made as higher dynamic
range means more depth in the blacks and
whiter whites, along with a wider colour
gamut, which in turn results in more
lighting options.
To make it work for you, make sure
you do your pre-shoot planning properly
and fully take into account all of the extra
‘angles’ that HDR brings, such as more
An
Supplement
detail, definition and focus, and how
these will affect you and your production.
Finally virtualisation and putting
more and more things in the cloud has
gone through the roof — pardon the pun.
It is now about how much commercial
off-the-shelf (COTS) software you can
use, and obviously a good MAM system
is going to play a big part with all that
data that needs to be managed and
moved around.
Particularly in Asia-Pacific, many
broadcasters need to complete the
transition to digital in order to enjoy the
full benefits of technologies such as IP,
virtualisation and artificial intelligence
(AI). Would you agree with this
statement, and what advice would you
offer for a successful digital transition?
Blackett: Well, if you want to fully play
in the digital worlds of IP, virtualisation
and AI, then you have to be digital. It is
as simple as that.
The question of ‘completing the
transition’ is not quite black and white
though. With such a game-changing
move, you have to pick an approach,
a path that you are going to be able to
follow logistically and financially.
You can go the hybrid route and
complete the transition bit by bit, which is
cheaper and less risky but slower. Or you
can go all in and totally greenfield which
then means choosing and using your
own cloud or a public one — both very
big decisions with big ramifications. At
that point, you have to make your own
databases, workflows and commercial
decisions, ones you will have to live with
for years. So the best and most real advice
is plan, plan, research and plan. If you are
not 100% ready, do not start.
Rushing in before you are ready can
be a very costly mistake.
Looking ahead to 2019, what do you
think are some of the key challenges
facing broadcasters, and how do you
see the broadcast and media industry
continuing to evolve?
Blackett: The main challenge continues
to be how to serve more and more people
who want to watch whatever they want,
on whatever device they wish, whenever
they choose. We now live in an almost
completely on-demand world and this
has its challenges for broadcasters.
Not the least of which is how to
“The evolution of
the industry will be
firmly in the OTT
and B2C space ...
Broadcasters have
to not only be across
this, but also be very
much a part of it in
the future.”
— David Blackett
Group GM,
Magna Systems and
Engineering Group
monetise and raise revenue in this OTT
environment as opposed to in the old,
traditional linear world, where revenue
generation was well established and
profitable.
With that in mind, the evolution of the
industry will be firmly in the OTT and
B2C space. There will be more content
owners becoming content aggregators and
distributors by default as they are able to
communicate directly with consumers.
Either that or they will use new and
different distribution channels and paths.
Sports rights owners are now tying up key
contracts with telcos and this will continue
in other areas too. Broadcasters have to
not only be across this, but also be very
much a part of it in the future.
In the context of continuing change,
how is Magna positioning itself as a
key technology partner for broadcasters,
particularly those in the Asia-Pacific
region?
Blackett: Magna’s philosophy has always
been to identify trends in advance, then
find the technology and solutions that best
suit those trends and help our customers
adopt and implement them. And that is
exactly what we are doing across the Asia-
Pacific region.
In this burgeoning OTT world, we
now have a raft of incredible, cutting-edge
technologies from companies such as
HeadSpin and Witbe.
Witbe helps broadcasters wanting to
investigate quality of experience (QoE),
end-device testing and how to maximise
the efficiency of apps. As a company
dedicated to helping developers accelerate
the mobile movement around the world
through their Mobile Testing Platform,
this is a conversation worth having.
Another leading innovator in the QoE
industry is Witbe, with its award-winning
approach to monitoring the QoE actually
being delivered to the end-users of any
interactive service, on any device, and
over any type of network. Combining
hardware and software, Witbe’s state-
of-the art technology has already been
adopted by more than 300 clients in 45
countries, including broadcasters, telecom
operators and app developers.
We also have partners who provide
quality of service (QoS) products for
video quality and audience behavioural
intelligence solutions, with proactive
video quality monitoring that verifies
video content is continuously available, in
every bitrate and format.
Then, there’s Mellanox Technologies,
which is a leading supplier of end-to-end
InfiniBand and Ethernet interconnect
solutions and services for servers and
storage — crucial in this evolving OTT
world.
Nevion, commonly known as the
architects of virtualised media production,
is another key partner and solutions
provider for Magna in an increasingly IP-
based broadcast environment.
The list continues to grow with the
common theme being Magna’s 50 years in
the broadcast industry and our history of
providing a competitive advantage for our
customers through the timely adoption
of innovation with minimal risk of
disruption. We truly offer our customers
the comfort of secure innovation and in
today’s ever-evolving broadcast industry,
that is something our customers value
above all else from us as their technology
partner.