8 May-June 2016
NEWS & VIEWS
IDMA mandates more flexibility for pay-TV subscribers
SINGAPORE – The Info-communications Media Development Authority of Singapore ( IDMA ) has finalised its recommendations to enhance pay-TV consumer protection measures in Singapore under the Media Market Conduct Code .
According to IDMA , these measures aim to address three key consumer concerns , namely , unilateral contract changes , forced upgrades of non pay-TV services , and the lack of awareness of the terms and conditions of contracts .
Previously , Singapore pay- TV subscribers were bonded to 24-month contracts when they sign up for pay-TV services . With the new recommendations , subscribers now have the right to exit fixedterm contracts without paying Early Termination Charges ( ETCs ) if unilateral changes by the operators are “ detrimental ” to subscribers .
This could be in the form of an increase in subscription fee , removal of material channel ( s ), removal of material sports content within a channel and / or removal of at least 20 % of the total number of channels in an entire pay-TV service since the point of subscription .
Where Singapore pay-TV subscribers were previously bonded to 24-month contracts when they sign up for pay-TV subscriptions , new recommendations from the IMDA allow subscribers to terminate contracts when certain conditions are unilaterally changed by the service provider .
Lee Soo Hui , head , business media unit , StarHub , told APB : “ We are studying the decision and are reviewing the implementation issues it may raise . Providing customers with flexibility and choice are important elements of our service offerings .
“ We have always given our customers the option between taking a contact-free subscription , and a longer-term contract to enjoy special discounts or gifts . We will continue to deliver value that will best suit the needs of our customers .”
The bottom line : Provision IP today for tomorrow
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He said : “ The main issues come down to resolution changes in video . Audio has been using IP for years , even back when we only had 10Mbps Ethernet , so why not video too ? If we stay with SD , IP would be more available just because of the advancement in having 10GigE networking .
“ This would make the learning curve easier , as it was with audioonly systems . We have , however , HD , and we are moving to 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), so this is not possible like it was with audio .”
Even so , there is little impetus for broadcasters to hold back with business plans to adopt IP , Moote said , because there is sufficient evidence that IP mixes well , and works with IP .
“ IP is real , and it is happening . The media business is moving too quickly to wait for anything , or anyone ,” he cautioned .
In New Zealand , networks are on the cusp of replacing SDI with IP , with numerous ‘ IP islands ’ thrust within traditional broadcast networks , reported Karl Rossiter , APB ’ s contributing editor , technology . He elaborated : “ Long gone is the lone digital island in a sea of digital disruption , forcing broadcasters to embrace IT .
Today , media and content operators will have to embrace IP , said Andrew Yeo , publisher and editorial director , APB .
Yeo illustrated : “ In 2015 , the notable feedback we received from manufacturers offering IP solutions was that broadcasters spent only 10 minutes enquiring about IP . At 2016 NAB Show , broadcasters spent more than an hour asking questions about incorporating IP in their workflows .
“ Embracing IP is no longer an option ; it will soon become a matter of survival ,” said Yeo . “ All the empirical evidence to-date points to IP as the next big thing to embrace , and the formation of AIMS ( Alliance for IP Media Solutions ) is another important indication of how IP can further shape the media landscape in the next 18 months or so .”
In a bid to provide a timely platform to enable broadcasters to take a deep dive into IP for Asia , APB is dedicating its ConneXxion Forum 2016 in Singapore on 30 May 2016 to the theme “ Empowering Broadcasters to Embrace IP ”.
The keynote speaker is Mock Pack Lum , CTO of Singapore payanalogue , while ‘ alternative ’ online Internet broadcasters have already capitalised on IP .”
Rossiter observed that networks in New Zealand have found the quality , adaptability , reliability and predictability of an IP infrastructure to be equivalent to those offered by SDI , thus fuelling “ IP islands ” of programme compilation , workflow , editing , scheduling , storage , playout and headend delivery .
He said : “ The attributes of IP have now pervaded broadcasting . For those on the leading-edge , new markets and services have been enabled and costs reduced . On-demand and catch-up programming have taken off , along with hybrid broadcast / broadband enhancements .
“ A new software-defined broadcasting methodology is evolving , and is less dependent on dedicated hardware , encouraging broadcasters to directly interact with their audiences .
“ Overall , IP has introduced broadcasters to a new world of opportunities .”
One of the most profound developments that have changed the face of broadcast media in the past few years is digital technology . ‘ Bits and bytes ’ brought in its wake
IP : An opportunity to rethink workflows
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common approaches .
JT-NM Phase 3 also proposes the sharing of a common understanding of the steps required to evolve from current technologies to professional networked media facilities .
The goals of these efforts are to stimulate and align the different ongoing activities around the development of open standards and specifications for IP interoperability , by continuously sharing the status and progress of the different ongoing activities in open interoperability and to identify the best way forward to enable universal , open interoperability .
JT-NM Phase 3 will also aim to provide opportunities for coordination between different activities , as well as develop a roadmap of the evolution of open interoperability as a reference for the industry .
IP represents the future , but SDI is not “ dead ”, said Richard Friedel , president of the VSF . Pointing to the varying rates of IP adoption across different regions around the world , he shared : “ IP however , presents an opportunity to re-think existing workflows .”
Friedel was speaking as part of an expert forum organised by the Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ) at 2016 NAB Show . Open standards work for the IP transition is already under way by the 77-member VSF , an initiative endorsed by AIMS .
“ A standard is a standard , the question is how do you apply it to products and solutions ,” asked Hans Hoffman , senior manager at the EBU . “ When you move to a new technology , you look at whether it would allow you to continue to do what you were doing before . You ask for the cost value of the new technology , and how it would allow you to create more programmes .”
JT-NM is also creating a clearing house where sponsors and partner organisations can coordinate themselves , in order to facilitate a harmonised evolution
4K / UHD over IP ? Sony is one of the latest companies to join the Alliance for IP Media Solutions ( AIMS ), which aims to promote interoperability and open standards in IP . of complementary standards and specifications . This will not only provide a platform for future business opportunities but will also help to ensure that first investments in early solutions are protected .
Hoffman elaborated : “ We want to create a feedback mechanism , and develop a roadmap where in the next three to five years , we can offer broadcasters more effective production solutions .”
As for broadcasters and media companies who have already adopted IP technology , the road ahead remains one fraught with challenges , cautioned Brad Gilmer , executive director , AMWA . He explained : “ How do you leverage the technology to address consumers ’ wants to watch content on any connected device ? And how will the change in infrastructure allow you to monetise your content ?”
For AIMs , the organisation of the expert forum is a continuation of the “ great deal of momentum ” gained by the AIMS approach , said Michael Cronk , chairman of AIMS . “ Our growing membership has reached 30 organisations ( 32 as of press time ), representing many of the key suppliers and end-users of broadcast and media technologies .
“ The AIMS approach to the IP transition is grounded on the fundamental idea that network operability should be open and standards-based ,” he concluded .
TV provider , StarHub . After his address , ABU ’ s Dr Amal and IABM ’ s Moote will enter into a dialogue with him on how best to navigate the SDI-IP transition .
A founding member of AIMS , Snell Advanced Media ( SAM ) believes that 2016 will be a critical year for the broadcast industry , with the broad acceptance of new standards and manufacturers coming together to commit to the interoperability of technologies , including IP .
Tim Felstead , head of product marketing for SAM , elaborated : “ Thanks to the work done by AIMS , we ’ ll see an acceleration in confidence around IP and deployments in multiple markets . The most important thing is to choose standards correctly , and AIMS is the right way to go as all AIMS members are working closely together to ensure interoperability with each other .”
He added : “ Broadcasters need to minimise the operational and financial risks to their companies , and choose manufacturers that have clear migration strategies , and who are willing to work with their customers on this [ IP ] journey .”
Continuing on the interoperability discussion , Dr Amal emphasised the importance of having an architecture designed to mitigate interoperability issues in order for broadcasters to embrace IP . He added that the broadcast and media industries require specialised IT devices today , as real-time content running longer durations becomes increasingly a reality .
“ Traditional and most off-theshelf IT devices may no longer be able to operate in the present day media environment , where audiences demand content anytime , anywhere , and on any device ,” he said .
Moote advised : “ Take advantage of software-defined networks ( SDN ) as they become the norm , because provisioning an IP network will quickly become your friend — and not your foe .
“ With IP , there is the advantage of several videos running over a single cable or fibre . IP is twoway ( full duplex ), which provides benefits and complications at the same time .
“ The bottom line , though , is that an IP network needs to be provisioned to guarantee bandwidths are always available to meet broadcast facility requirements .”
Provision IP today for tomorrow .