❝ Our challenge was to increase our scalability both in the number of live productions we were managing simultaneously and to increase our reach globally . That ’ s what first drew us to cloud-based video processing .❞
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May-June 2016 X-PLATFORM 57
Binge watching becoming the norm for US viewers
Is the increasing emergence of subscription-video-on-demand ( SVoD ) services such as Netflix , leading to an increase in binge watching ?
According to Deloitte ’ s 10th Digital Democracy Survey , 70 % of US consumers are now binge watching an average of five episodes at a time , and almost one-third ( 31 %) binge watch on a weekly basis .
Binge watching typically refers to the practice of watching multiple episodes of a TV programme in rapid succession , typically by means of DVDs , and more pertinently today , digital streaming .
In addition to binge watching , nearly half ( 46 %) of Americans now also subscribe to streaming video services , with millennials aged 14- 25 spending more time streaming video content than watching live TV .
Elemental Technologies enables Viocorp ’ s transition to the cloud
Founded in 2002 , Sydney-based Viocorp is a video platform company serving more than 200 customers globally .
According to Steve Jones , head of live and production at Viocorp , he and his team faced two major challenges in achieving the company ’ s business objectives : scaling the number of live productions they manage simultaneously and increasing global reach .
Rather than investing in more video processing hardware , Viocorp elected to move video processing and delivery components to the cloud , specifically Elemental Cloud , so it can spin up regional deployments and best meet customer demand .
Jones also acknowledged the accelerating demand for live streaming capabilities , and the expectation of on-demand access to content for viewing after an event .
This demand , together with the proliferation of multi-screen devices and the increasing use of video as an enterprise best practice for business communications , proved
Gerald Belson , vice-chairman and US Media and Entertainment Sector leader , Deloitte Consulting , reviewed : “ The proliferation of online content shows no signs of slowing down and the consumer appetite to consume content is equally voracious . The survey data indicates that consumers are more willing than ever to invest in services to watch whenever , wherever , and on whatever device they choose .”
Key findings from the Deloitte survey include : n More than half of all consumers and three-quarters of millennials watch movies and TV shows via streaming on at least a monthly basis . n Millennials aged 26-32 who currently pay for streaming video have an average of three subscriptions .
that Viocorp needed a new kind of solution — a cloud-based solution — to ensure that the company could deliver on events and grow its business . “ Our challenge was to increase our scalability both in n Millennials aged 14-25 value their streaming video subscriptions more than pay-TV subscriptions . n More than one-third of baby boomers aged 50-68 ( 35 %) who binge watch do so once a week , at an average of four episodes per sitting . n More than half ( 53 %) of US consumers who binge watch choose TV dramas . n The percentage of streaming subscribers who ranked the service among their top three most valued subscriptions has tripled in the past three years ( 61 %, up from 17 % in 2012 ).
Multi-tasking is also increasingly a common practice during the consumption of TV content , with more than 90 % of US consumers now multi-tasking while watching TV , Deloitte reported . Millennials
❝ Our challenge was to increase our scalability both in the number of live productions we were managing simultaneously and to increase our reach globally . That ’ s what first drew us to cloud-based video processing .❞
— Steve Jones , Head of Live and Production , Viocorp
the number of live productions we were managing simultaneously and to increase our reach globally ,” said Jones . “ That ’ s what first drew us to cloud-based video processing .”
The resiliency of Elemental
Do you binge watch ? In the US , 70 % of US consumers are now binge watching an average of five episodes at a time , and almost one-third binge watch on a weekly basis , according to a new Deloitte survey .
are likely to engage in an average of four additional activities while watching TV , primarily surfing the Internet , using social networks and text messaging .
Perhaps worth noting is how fewer than one-quarter of consumers ’ multi-tasking activities are directly related to the programme being watched , thus indicating that second screen activities have yet to reach their potential .
Kevin Westcott , principal and US Media and Entertainment Consulting leader , Deloitte Consulting ,
solutions proved to be key for Viocorp , with its video workflows including redundancy at every stage of an event from production to delivery . On-premises , Viocorp works to make sure everything is redundant : video camera feeds , uninterrupted power supplies , Internet connections and two active Elemental Live encoders to ensure a high-quality RTMP or MPEG-TS contribution into the cloud .
Using Elemental Cloud , Viocorp relies on Elemental Live encoding services that receive RTMP / MPEG-TS contribution source from on-premises units . Cloud-based encoders output adaptive bitrate ( ABR ) streams to a redundant Elemental Delta origin server that provides just-in-time video packaging in response to Content Delivery Network ( CDN ) requests .
As live streaming content transitions from on-premises to the cloud , and from cloud-based Elemental Live encoders to the Elemental Delta origin , redundant design provides Viocorp and its customers with a concluded : “ The on-the-go , always connected consumers is driving cultural changes in content consumption that fundamentally impact how companies connect and engage with consumers .
“ These behavioural changes , combined with the shift towards mobile-based consumer experiences , are disrupting traditional business models , while paving the way for newer opportunities for technology , media and entertainment companies to adapt and evolve .”
fully resilient workflow .
“ We were hesitant to use Elemental Cloud at first ,” Jones acknowledged . “ But we knew we needed an easier way to deliver events to audiences in the UK , the US and Singapore . The switch to live cloud encoding was easy . The Elemental Live user interface is the same , whether operating onpremise equipment or performing video processing in the cloud . Elemental has become more of a partner than a provider .”
The inherent ability that comes with software-defined video solutions gives Viocorp an advantage moving forward , and by using the cloud , the company has futureproofed its operations , revealed Jones .
“ There is a team of Elemental engineers working on solutions to support industry innovations such as high efficiency video coding ( HEVC / H . 265 ) compression , and the ability to stream to whatever new devices come next . With Elemental , we know we are ready ,” he concluded .
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