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❝ You are going to see more broadcasters struggling as more OTT operators come in and say , ‘ We can give you more , our delivery is going to be better , we are going to give you great content and you are going to be able to watch it on any screen ’.❞
50
May-June 2016
TV Everywhere has plenty of untapped
Vecima launches IP video delivery solution
Vecima Networks has launched Bravura , a multi-screen IP video delivery solution . Software-based , Bravura is designed to provide all “ essential elements ” required for multi-screen SD , HD and 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) premium video processing , preparation and delivery . The platform also allows for the integration of ad insertion and multiple DRM schemes , as well as delivery of catch-up services . Sumit Kumar , president and CEO of Vecima Networks , said : “ With Bravura ’ s HEVC live encoding support , service providers can deliver quality HD and UHD Premium content to their subscribers anywhere , anytime and on more devices while consuming mininum bandwidth .”
Torque Video Systems names Australia reseller
Australia-based AV Group Technologies has been named as the authorised reseller for Torque Video Systems . According to Danny Wilson , founder and CEO of Torque Video Systems , the TV industry in Australia is a “ unique and important ” market for the company , and is currently experiencing the struggle of traditional players and conventional technologies , against the new challengers from the Internet and overthe-top ( OTT ) spaces . “ Establishing this partnership with AV Group , our combined competencies and resources will enable us to seize new opportunities and facilitate customers ’ needs ,” he added .
Torque Video Systems offers solutions such as the DVMon , a monitoring system for digital TV networks .
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As the scope of influence of SVoD services such as Netflix continues to widen , broadcasters are constantly looking for new technologies and platforms that will allow them to retain eyeballs . TV
Everywhere would appear to be one such platform , but has it been fully exploited ,
Shawn Liew asks .
The concept of TV Everywhere is hardly new ; as early as 2010 , major networks such as HBO and ESPN were beginning to roll out TV Everywhere services .
In the intervening years , how successfully have broadcasters and operators utilised this platform , and perhaps more critically , what do viewers truly understand about TV Everywhere ?
Not quite near enough , is the stark assessment of Jim O ’ Neill , principal analyst at Ooyala . Speaking with APB , he cites a perhaps surprising example : “ What we have seen in the US is that only about 25 % of the audience is even aware that TV Everywhere is out there , and out of this 25 %, only 15 % -20% use it on a regular basis .”
O ’ Neill maintains that TV Everywhere “ is a good product ”, although it is currently hampered by issues such as authentication and content availability . For the former , he describes the frustration faced by viewers accessing content . “ You may have to authenticate every
potential
week , every two weeks , or anytime you want to access content . You have to authenticate if you change location , and it ’ s frustrating for viewers because they want to be able to turn their devices on to watch instantly .”
The other issue , O ’ Neill says , is the availability , or lack thereof , of content . Unlike subscription-videoon-demand ( SVoD ) services such as Netflix , TV Everywhere services today have generally yet to provide the option of offering an entire season of TV programming to viewers . “ You can binge , but only if your timing is correct ; however , content rights currently being negotiated will probably change , and improve this situation ,” he adds .
As a rule of thumb , content today must literally “ follow the user ” so that the definition of on-demand is met by the TV operator or broadcaster , suggests Jim Clarke , head of International Marketing , Product and Pricing , Telstra .
❝ You are going to see more broadcasters struggling as more OTT operators come in and say , ‘ We can give you more , our delivery is going to be better , we are going to give you great content and you are going to be able to watch it on any screen ’.❞
— Jim O ’ Neill , Principal Analyst , Ooyala
The concept of TV Everywhere is not new . Is the time ripe for broadcasters to truly embrace TV Everywhere in order to circumvent the threat of losing viewers to the likes of Netflix ?
He explains to APB : “ Firstly , this means the basic requirement is to allow viewers to have access to the content on their connected devices . The second requirement is to ensure that crossdevice playback is possible , meaning that , for instance , consumers can watch a movie on their iPhone on their way to work in the morning , and then continue where they left off on their iPad that evening .”
It is also imperative that viewers are able to discover content that they like , either through a search function , or through content recommendations based on their known preferences or history . This , says Clarke , is the hardest to fulfil , yet is the most rewarding concept behind TV Everywhere . “ It is the make-or-break between so-so and successful operators ,” he claims .
And the key to success may also lie in breaking away from an entrenched culture of passivity , says Ooyala ’ s O ’ Neill , who laments that by and large , operators are failing with their TV Everywhere strategies . “ They are not 100 % committed to TV Everywhere right now ,” he points out . “ They need to be more aggressive in the marketing of TV Everywhere because if people are not aware of it , they won ’ t use it ! Make TV Everywhere easily accessible — certainly more so than now — and make content available everywhere .”
O ’ Neill , however , sees light at the end of the tunnel . He recalls how , barely three-and-a-half years ago , many cable operators were worried that TV Everywhere was going to clog up or cannabalise their networks . “ They were worried about just everything — you can fill in your own blanks ! Now , I believe operators are past that stage and are beginning to ask how they