Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) July 2018 Volume 35, Issue 6 | Page 20

20 July 2018 STB technology changing media ABS delivers Wimbledon via ABS-3A satellite Global satellite operator ABS recently signed a capacity deal with MTI Teleport Munich to deliver live video coverage of tennis’ Wimbledon Championships 2018 to Sky Deutschland, the rights holder for the German market. From July 2 to the tournament’s conclusion on July 15, several simultaneous HD video feeds from the All England Lawn Tennis and Croquet Club in London were carried over the ABS-3A satellite, ensuring a permanent contribution link between the various production facilities in London and Sky Deutschland headquarters in Unterfoehring. The ABS-3A satellite has, over the past two years, established itself as a “prime conduit” for video contribution services in Europe, most notably in the German market, for which it distributes live coverage of German football for both public and private broadcasters, said ABS. Measat expands video neighbourhood in S Asia Measat Satellite Systems has expanded its video neighbourhood in South Asia with the distribution of three Nepalese TV channels — News24, Sagarmatha TV and Prime TV. “The addition of these channels is testimonial to the trust broadcasters place on the strength of our distribution via our 91.5°E video hot slot,” said Raj Malik, SVP, sales, Measat. The 91.5°E hot slot is home to the Measat-3, Measat-3a and Measat-3b satellites, forming one of the region’s strongest video neighbourhood. From this position, Measat distributes 4K/UHD, HD and SD channels to audiences across Asia, Australia, East Africa and South-eastern Europe. Next Month @ Distribution OB Vans PANELLISTS Martin Coleman Executive Director Satellite Interference Reduction Group While some observers are predicting an unstoppable migration to a media consumption world without set-top boxes, this may not necessarily be the case, as Shawn Liew discovers. I n many TV-consuming households in the world, one of the most recognisable, and essential, piece of equipment is the set- top box (STB) which delivers a myriad of channels to the TV screen. However, as media consumption behaviours continue to be re-shaped by increasingly dominant video service pro- viders such as Netflix, the STB is gradually being pushed towards obsolescence — or is it? Media consumption continues to evolve globally, especially with mobile device video viewing on the rise, says William Ho, senior vice-president, Asia- Pacific and Japan, ARRIS. “However, consumers still prefer to sit back and relax when it comes to viewing long-form and sports content, especially at home,” he tells APB. “In fact, in the past four years, aver- age daily large-screen viewing has only reduced by four minutes. Additionally, consumers continue to prefer ‘always on’ TV, especially for the latest news.” The STB, thus, is designed to address these dynamics of TV consumption at home, and remains the hub for service providers to ensure they a