❝[ Media and entertainment companies ] need to build a backbone that gives them the flexibility and agility to run their operations costefficiently , and provides them with the tools that will open up the
possibilities they could only have dreamt of .❞
❝ In today ’ s world , it should be easier for planners to switch between videoon-demand ( VoD ) and linear scheduling or even to combine them in a single
workflow . After all , it ’ s all about the content .❞
38 MANAGEMENT
May-June 2016
How not to get caught in tomorrow ’ s battles with yesterday ’ s tools
Viewers react to technological innovation with ever higher expectations . Now that HbbTV is accelerating the irreversible shift to content delivery over the internet , people increasingly want to be able to view content anytime , anywhere , across all screens , whether they are live events , linearly scheduled programmes or on-demand archives .
Before long , the live video stream will be embedded in a website-like environment with extra information , personalised recommendations , or red-button interactivity . Being irrelevant to the viewer and no longer significant from a technological point of view , the divide between linear and non-linear is rapidly blurring .
In the meantime , new players are eagerly entering the fierce competition for eyeballs , as hurdles that separate content from viewers can now be skipped , and the cloud enables newcomers to build their operations to scale without having to incur huge startup costs . Who eventually prevails , will depend on the quality of the content and the viewer experience . But even then , reducing costs through peak efficiency , and finding new revenue streams by riding on the back of popular technological innovations will be essential for survival .
On the main stage of the Asia- Pacific Broadcasting Union Digital Broadcasting Symposium in Kuala Lumpur , Malaysia in February this year , Michel Beke , SVP Product Strategy at MediaGeniX , pointed out that media and entertainment companies need to be ready for that imminent future . They need to build a backbone that gives them the flexibility and agility to run their operations cost-efficiently , and provides them with the tools that will open up the possibilities they could only have dreamt of , such as addressable advertising and viewer engagement through interactivity and personal recommendations .
❝[ Media and entertainment companies ] need to build a backbone that gives them the flexibility and agility to run their operations costefficiently , and provides them with the tools that will open up the
possibilities they could only have dreamt of .❞
— Michel Beke , SVP Product Strategy , MediaGeniX
Rights-based scheduling
According to Beke , set-ups with poorly integrated legacy systems and communication through Excel sheets are tomorrow ’ s dinosaurs . What media and entertainment companies need , first of all , is a core solution that allows them to adapt to the continuous stream of new technologies ( such as 4K / Ultra HD , HbbTV and IP services ), integration requirements ( for , say , ROVI or content performance / viewer metrics such as SmartOcto ), and other changes in the business ecosystem .
Used as a backbone system by broadcasters and content service providers worldwide , MediaGeniX ’ s broadcast management system , WHATS ’ On , sits at the centre of its operations . Rights-based scheduling is the hub that drives its entire operation with all the centralised metadata , from budgeted idea up to and beyond playout or publication on on-demand platforms . Integration with third-party systems is not an issue as the Open API enables broadcasters to configure bi-directional interfaces themselves .
In WHATS ’ On , it is as easy to schedule multiple channels and services as it is to schedule a single one . Supporting any number of video , audio and subtitling components , all time-coded in sync , the system offers advanced automation when scheduling the same content in multiple formats with different audio and subtitling for different channels or countries .
Monetising rights
More than ever before , media and entertainment companies need to keep complete control over their acquired rights , however complex the specifications may be , as regards to the number of runs , channels , platforms , devices , territories , languages and windows . Nothing should be lost or forgotten , and linear / on-demand schedules should be automatically validated during planning , by a tool that verifies the contracts . Copyrights should be checked on the sub-product level to exclude infringements , penalties
❝ In today ’ s world , it should be easier for planners to switch between videoon-demand ( VoD ) and linear scheduling or even to combine them in a single
workflow . After all , it ’ s all about the content .❞
and litigation . Commitments with distributors and partners should be automatically monitored as well .
Budget simulations
Long-term planners need to be able to play chess with their content against competing channels , services and events . They should always know the financial implications of every move thanks to budget simulations . Short-term planners , for their part , should always be able to make infinite alternative versions of the linear / ondemand schedule , never losing sight of what each version would cost and what the implications on the stock would be .
VoD and linear together
It is clear that the right broadcast management system will save money and help optimise revenues . But even more importantly , it will help broadcasters stay ahead of the curve . Johan Vanmarcke , Managing Director , MediaGeniX Asia , said : “ In today ’ s world , it should be easier for planners to switch between video-ondemand ( VoD ) and linear scheduling or even to combine them in a single workflow . After all , it ’ s all about the content .”
Already , media and entertainment companies can use the software systems , processes and infrastructure of the linear world for the preparation of non-linear services . This dramatically increases the versatility and speed of the material workflow , including the packaging of the content for delivery in the right formats . Catch-up services , for one
Supporting any number of video , audio and subtitling components , all time coded in sync , WHATS ’ On offers advanced automation when scheduling the same content in multiple formats with different audio and subtitling for different channels or countries .
— Johan Vanmarcke , Managing Director , MediaGeniX Asia
thing , can be automatically populated from the linear schedule .
New revenue streams
On-demand content can be prepared extremely efficiently at low cost , complete with advertisements , promotions and branding . This can be attributed to the well-established commercial integration used for linear TV , and automatic , campaignbased scheduling of promotions and secondary events .
In fact , broadcasters can add advertisements and interstitials to non-linear content in different ways . One of the possibilities WHATS ’ On offers is the so-called mini-playlist , which allows planners to actually create an individual playlist for every piece of on-demand content , complete with branding and targeted and updated advertisements . Standard linear broadcast infrastructures can then be used to render the big monolithic files .
Vanmarcke added : “ Things are moving fast now . With the advent of HbbTV , the WHATS ’ On broadcast management system will be there to offer the tagging capabilities and the metadata needed for dynamic add insertion and whatever IP services broadcasters will want to embed in their linear signal . But it is up to the broadcasters to be prepared , and open up new revenue streams .” ❑
This article is presented by MediaGeniX . For more information on the WHATS ’ On broadcast management system , visit www . mediagenix . tv / en