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Business, insight and intelligence for the media and entertainment industry
January 2016
Broadcasters assess cloud playout
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January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 3
Welcome
EDITORIAL Content Director and Editor-in-Chief: James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com Deputy Editor: Holly Ashford hashford@nbmedia.com Staff Writer: James Groves jgroves@nbmedia.com Group Managing Editor: Joanne Ruddock jruddock@nbmedia.com Contributors: Michael Burns, David Davies, George Jarrett, Adrian Pennington, Philip Stevens, Catherine Wright Head of Digital: Tim Frost Human Resources and Office Manager: Lianne Davey Head of Design, Hertford: Kelly Sambridge Senior Production Executive: Alistair Taylor Sales Manager: Ben Ewles bewles@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000 Account Manager: Richard Carr rcarr@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000 Sales Executive: Nicola Pett npett@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000
Ushering in a new era We’ve added some new, but familiar, faces to the TVBEurope editorial team
F
irst things first: a very happy
lead our business analysis. Each
New Year to you all! We
of these respected and highly
begin 2016 by welcoming
talented journalists has made
some new names to our growing
sterling contributions to this and
editorial team… or rather, some
many other publications in our
familiar names who will be a
industry, and it is with great pride
more permanent fixture in these
that I welcome them aboard on a
pages henceforth.
more regular basis.
Not that we’ve treated this
Also joining us from this issue
Sales Director: Mark Rankine
period like a journalists’ version
is our new staff writer, James
Managing Director: Mark Burton US Sales: Michael Mitchell mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 (631) 673 0072
of the January transfer window,
Groves. James is a familiar face
Japan and Korea Sales: Sho Harihara sho@yukarimedia.com +81 6 4790 2222 Circulation Free subscriptions tvbe.subscriptions@c-cms.com Subscriptions Tel +44 1580 883848
TVBEurope is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England +44 207 354 6002
but it does feel like we’ve made
at NewBay Media having spent
some great signings that will add some real
some time on our sister publication, PSNEurope,
clout to our output and equip us to expand our
and he now moves across to TVBEurope on a
editorial fields of vision.
permanent basis.
I’m delighted to welcome Philip Stevens,
There’s a lot to get through in this first issue
who heads up our new production section;
of 2016, so I’ll leave you to enjoy what we
Michael Burns, who takes the reins on the post
have in store.
production section; David Davies, who comes in
James McKeown
as our audio editor; and George Jarrett, who will
Editor-in-Chief
SECTION EDITORS
NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association
© NewBay Media 2016. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the copyright owners. TVBEurope is mailed to qualified persons residing on the European continent. Subscription is free. Allow eight weeks for new subscriptions and change of address delivery. Send subscription inquiries to: Subscription Dept, NewBay Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough LE16 7BR, England. ISSN 1461-4197
Printing by Pensord Press, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA
Philip Stevens Production editor
Michael Burns Post production editor
George Jarrett Business editor
David Davies Audio editor
4 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
In this issue
8
PRODUCTION Hollyoaks is now in its 20th year of production. Philip Stevens learns how the UK soap opera updated its production process
14
ROUNDTABLE
18 POST PRODUCTION
24 FEATURE
French broadcasters and media companies discuss cloud technology at the Huawei/TVBEurope roundtable, which took place during Satis
Are subscriptions a good deal for the post production industry? Michael Burns garners opinion from creatives in the field
It is still early days for cloud playout technology. Adrian Pennington asks how and when broadcasters will make the move
BUSINESS Digital Production Partnership MD Mark Harrison discusses what the organisation has in the pipeline for 2016
33
TVBEVERYWHERE Neal Romanek reports on four days of panel discussions and keynote presentations at the OTT TV World Summit, London
42
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
6 TVBEurope
Opinion and Analysis
Defining Software-Defined Storage One of the major and most important capabilities
the rapidly growing uptake of software-defined
of SDS is that it brings you flexibility and agility.
solutions as a whole. With all of this in mind, there
It can empower a business to expand, shrink or
are three questions you should ask any sales rep
change their storage infrastructure on the fly to
preaching about the software-defined elements
keep up with rapidly evolving requirements. It
of their offering. First, can I run your software
t was a two-beer argument. You know the
can allow the purchaser to avoid lock-in by any
on the hardware of my choice? Second, will
sort - it’s the type of discussion that requires
one particular hardware vendor. It can provide
you actually support me if I do? Finally (and this
at least two beers before you can put away
the opportunity to make cost-conscious choices
is the really important one), can I actually do
the trivial worries of raising a family, running a
without sacrificing functionality or stability. And
this today? If the answer to any of the above is
business or making the mortgage payment
it can potentially do all of these things without
‘no’, advise them to swiftly move on to the next
in favour of matters of great and unequalled
creating unmanageable technology ‘islands’
section of the pitch.
importance. On this occasion, the two-beer
and access points. Simply put, SDS can save you
argument triggered a bitter war of words around
an enormous amount of money. Of course, this
about SDS. The foundations of our entire business
a table in a Soho pub with a few colleagues over
in itself does not imply a fixed definition of SDS,
model are firmly rooted in our ability to enable
the true meaning of the increasingly over-used
it is simply one of the achievable benefits that
a huge amount of flexibility and choice for our
phrase ‘software-defined storage’ (SDS). With
could potentially be realised from investing in a
customers and partners when making hardware
a glut of vendors (both new and old) releasing
software-defined solution.
purchasing decisions; we are able to do this
By Barry Evans, technical director, Pixit Media
I
At Pixit Media, we are absolutely fanatical
software-defined solutions on a near-daily basis, it
because PixStor is software-defined. Our license
is a debate I am seeing take place on a regular
costs are predictable, and because no single
basis at trade shows, meeting rooms, conference calls and, of course, the pub. The most common definition generally outlines SDS as any solution that favours the use of software, rather than hardware, for the control
‘One of the major and most important capabilities of SDS is that it brings you flexibility and agility’
hardware vendor can ever claim to ‘own’ a PixStor installation, so too are the hardware costs when scaling out both the capacity and performance of PixStor. Of course, this does not make us any more or less software-defined than
and management of storage and data. On this
our competitors at a technical level. It simply
point, we were all agreed. However, we could
means we are actually leveraging SDS to
not find common ground on the finer points of
deliver real value both in the data centre
what this actually means. Can there be an ASIC
and at the bank.
anywhere in the stack? Is there any hardware-
Therein lies the problem with the current hype
based RAID involved? Furthermore, is there
surrounding SDS. It’s not the definition of SDS
that we had taken this semi-lubricated game
any RAID involved at all, hardware, software or
that matters, it’s the application of it. Listing SDS
of verbal tennis totally in the wrong direction.
otherwise? What if the software is only supported
as a feature of a particular product or solution
The fact is, spending time arguing the technical
on one type of hardware?
when you can only run the software
aspects of software-defined ‘anything’ when
in production on a prescribed hardware platform
attempting to crown one solution or the other
and no one participant could gain any
does not go very far in showcasing SDS as an
truly software-defined is about as useful as
discernible ground over the other, always
actual benefit of the given offering. If your
pouring boiling water into a chocolate teapot.
focusing on the technical elements. Each new
choices are limited, who cares if it’s software-
Without tangible business benefit, the SDS
rebuttal was delivered just a little bit geekier
defined or not?
component of any solution is as irrelevant as
We went in circles with this sort of drivel
than the last. But were we getting too bogged
In other words, being software-defined for
Back at the pub, we all eventually realised
the definition itself. So we stopped bickering,
down in the details, ignoring the actual point of
the sake of being software-defined is nothing
emptied our glasses, shook hands and went
SDS in the first place?
more than a feeble attempt at capitalising on
home to worry about our kids again.
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
8 TVBEurope
Opinion and Analysis
Cloud high on the agenda for French media companies have generated $48.5 billion revenue in 2015,
Huawei is reaching out to French companies keen to adopt different forms of cloud technology and which could fancy an alternative to the big US providers. Moderator Catherine Wright reports from the co-hosted Huawei/TVBEurope roundtable
of which a massive 54 per cent comes from services alone. In other words, service revenue is growing and product revenue is decreasing, a trend very much apparent in the different IBC surveys conducted by the IABM. The 2015 survey
uring a roundtable, organised by Huawei
the industry’s transformation, which is morphing
reveals, for instance, that 55 per cent of the end-
and TVBEurope in Paris last November
from “technology suppliers selling high price, high
users at IBC were likely or quite likely to deploy
D
during Satis, named ‘How to help the IT
some sort of cloud-based technology in the next
architecture revolution for broadcasters facing
two to three years.
the cloud era’, a number of French broadcasters and media companies voiced their interest for cloud technology and started a constructive dialogue with Huawei, which provides hardware
One of Huawei’s key partners in Europe, data
‘A number of the French broadcasters voiced their interest for cloud technology’
storage solutions provider Equinix then took to the floor to briefly present Cloud Exchange, its Ethernet switching service that enables private
and middleware solutions for cloud-based
virtual connections for direct cloud access with
systems, whether public, private or hybrid. Prior
automated provisioning. Alexandre Damien,
to the discussion, presentations were made to set
head of alliance and channel manager for
the scene, starting with director of technology
France, informed participants that “90 per cent
and strategic insight at IABM, John Ive, who gave
margin products to a commodity industry, led
of all internet traffic passes through Equinix Data
a global market overview of the broadcast and
by software and IT engineers, based on a very
Centre”, that the company made $2.4 billion in
media industry, with particular emphasis on cloud
different business model.” IABM estimates the
annual revenue and had invested $7 billion in
technology. He highlighted the rapid pace of
professional supply market size worldwide to
expanding its services across the world.
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.
TVBEurope 9
Opinion and Analysis He was followed by Huawei’s sales-president
company employs 76,000 people in that area
that also meant that 60 per cent of that revenue
for western Europe, Jiang Guang Hui, who
alone, spread across 16 R&D centres, one of
comes from the rest of the world, underlining the
introduced his company’s strategy towards the
which opened in 2009 in Cergy-Pontoise, in the
company’s international expansion. He summed
media and entertainment industry. He started by
Paris outskirts. He also highlighted Huawei’s very
up Huawei’s global strategy, focusing on three
strong global performance in terms of sales.
separate business groups: the carrier network
“In 2014, our sales revenue amounted to $46
business group; the enterprise business group,
billion and this year our target was $56 billion. But
which includes the broadcast and media sector;
according to the most recent figures released
and the consumer business group, which includes
by our financial team, our revenue has already
the company’s huge smartphone business. He
reached £60 billion, of which 15 per cent comes
explained Huawei’s interest in the broadcast
from western Europe,” he asserted.
and media business. “Why do we focus on the
‘IABM estimates the global supply market to have generated $48.5bn in revenue in 2015, of which 54 per cent comes from services’
The company made between 35 per cent and 40 per cent of its sales revenue in China, but making a global presentation of Huawei, which is beginning to make inroads into Europe, but is perhaps not as well known as rival Japanese, US or European suppliers, especially in France. He told participants that Huawei employed 170,000 people worldwide, “of which half is in engineering”, he stated. Huawei is present in more than 140 countries and had 15 regional headquarters, the one for western Europe being in Germany. “For the last ten years, our focus has been mainly on R&D”, he described. The
media and entertainment industry? It is a small business compared to other sectors. My answer
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
10 TVBEurope
Opinion and Analysis
is because our customers are changing. If you
and rely on them to provide the right media
Another of his concerns is the domination of
take a big manufacturer like Volkswagen, it
management system. That’s why we work with
the public cloud market by big American
is interested in providing media and video to
big, established service providers like Sony that
players such as Amazon and Google. “It is a
entertain its customers when they are stuck in
can be relied upon and trusted. But you have
big challenge for us because, as you know,
traffic, for instance.” The customer base and
two choices: either you build your own system
the winner takes all when it comes to big data
potential for media is thus expanding very rapidly.
from scratch and employ 50 people to do so, or
storage. In western Europe, we are late to
“In the future, the media industry will not be a
you rely on what is already out there and buy
the fight with these companies and it is a big
small industry but a very big one extended to
a service from a service provider. Only the top
problem. But China is building a lot of data
most manufacturers and even the financial
five or ten media companies in France have the
centres, which could lead to an alternative.”
sector,” he concluded.
To conclude the discussion, two short
The discussion then kicked off in earnest focusing on the requirements for cloud technology in each company. For instance, Jacques Duval, who manages the IT infrastructure at French broadcaster Radio France, stated, “We are looking to deliver services faster to our
presentations were made to introduce some of
‘Huawei could be looking to partner with Orange in France to provide a public cloud solution for end users’
end-users.” For Henri Jabko, technical advisor
Huawei’s products. Quan Yi, one of Huawei’s technical directors, took to the floor to briefly touch upon some of the company’s solutions in a number of scenarios for hybrid, public and private cloud storage. These include the company’s WAN
at French archiving and DVD company Les
acceleration solutions as well as VM and
Documents Cinématographiques, speed is also
GPU virtualisation technology. He ended his
an issue. “We provide producers with stock shots
scope to build their own system, but the others
presentation with a few words on the company’s
from our legacy database of images and films.
have to rely on service providers.”
BDII (Business Driven ICT Infrastructure), a
We need to provide these very quickly. Cloud
Henri Jabko explained one of the dilemmas
programme for joint innovation with the
computing can provide us with a very fast way of
related to private cloud. “We could use our own
distributing images,” he explained. Olivier Nidal,
private cloud system but the problem is nobody
IT developer at Goom Radio, highlighted the
else will understand it. The ideal system would be
for instance in Germany, where we can test
problems related to file transfer, as many cloud
a public cloud where people could make their
solutions we have built with our partners. We
systems are proprietary. “Integration is not easy. It
requests for images, and all sorts of companies
have a thousand media customers across the
is also difficult to find files in some cloud systems. It
could answer; us, but also others.” The key issue
world and we hope we can build solutions
can take up a lot of time, which is totally counter-
for him, he went on to say, is “image distribution.
with companies in France.” He mentioned
productive,” he indicated.
Safety is important but it won’t bring us more
that Huawei could be looking to partner with
clients.”According to Laurent Durieux, who is an IT
Orange in France to provide a public cloud
important are workflow and media and
specialist at Arksens, a French software developer
solution for end users.
content management issues, according to
specialising in cloud security, “our clients mostly
several participants. “There are so many
request hybrid cloud solutions because these
Huawei technical director, Thierry Bucher,
different formats. Our customers are content
are early days, and they are starting to use this
who introduced the company’s Oceanstor
providers and they want to know where their
technology, but in the long term I think they will all
9000 storage system. “It has massive big data
content is,” said Wenping Jiang, senior product
move to public cloud solutions.”
storage capacity but can be adapted for
Security remains a concern, but even more
manager at Globecast. This is an issue that was fully acknowledged
One of the issues, he continued, was the
company’s partners. “We have a number of open labs worldwide,
A final presentation was made by another
the media world and 4K production, where
skillset. “We are trying to recruit people with cyber
performance is more of an issue. It can
by Huawei’s Guang Hui. “That is very true. But
security skills, but it is very difficult to find the right
include up to 75 disks with 6TB storage
we can only work with our customers in this area
profile,” he admitted.
capacity,” he explained.
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
12 TVBEurope
Production
Behind the scenes with the People of the Valley Philip Stevens investigates the production workflow of the long-running series, Pobol y Cwm
L
ocated in the fictional village of Cwmderi, Welsh language soap opera Pobol y Cwm (People of the Valley) has been on air since
October 1974. Originally shown on BBC Wales, the series continues to be produced by the Corporation although since 1982 it has been aired on Welsh language channel, S4C. It has since won the Royal Television Society Hall of Fame award for its contribution to television,
Since November 2011, the programme has been based at the BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay
and in November it won a prize at the Mind Media Awards 2015, beating Coronation Street,
Emmerdale, Holby City and Hollyoaks in the
Taking charge
The arrangement in which Morus and his two
Soaps and Continuing Series category.
Morus started out as a runner on Pobol y Cwm
colleagues take responsibility for the whole series
Pobol y Cwm was originally recorded in
22 years ago and after moves within the industry
represents a departure from an earlier model
Cardiff’s Broadway Studios, later moving to
returned to the series and was appointed to his
where block producers took charge of eight
Broadcasting House in Llandaff. Since November
present post in February 2015.
weeks of programming.
2011, the programme has been based at the
So, with responsibility for a major daily
BBC Roath Lock Studios in Cardiff Bay. There it
programme, what does Morus see as the
didn’t necessarily flow from previous incidents
occupies two of the nine studios, with eight
biggest challenge? “There are two: editorial and
or towards upcoming events. We have a very
sets constructed in studio five, and a further
management. On the editorial side you have to
perceptive audience and some could spot the
seven in studio six. Those studios measure
ensure there are enough stories and that each
eight-week cycle. The restructuring means there
38x19m wide inside the fire lanes, with a height
will appeal to – and engage – every viewer.
is a much better flow.”
to the underside of the lighting grid of just
That means creating a variety of believable
under seven metres. An area outside the studio
stories that don’t go on for too long.” Morus
been finalised, the show’s writers will receive a
building provides the scenes needed for
says the management challenge is to make
document outlining the events to be covered.
exteriors of Cwmderi. Here the street, shops
sure all the work is scheduled and completed to
“The writers are engaged for a 15-week period
and garage are regularly featured.
meet the very tight turnaround time between
– and that runs from receiving that document to
shooting, delivery and transmission. “If we have
the final delivery of scripts,” explains Morus.
The programme has seen various scheduling
“The weakness of that system was that stories
After the finer details of each story have
changes. In September 2014, due to changes
a cast member who becomes ill, or the weather
in the way viewers consume programmes
doesn’t suit our exterior shooting, we have to
draft a very detailed synopsis of each episode
these days a decision was made to remove
react very quickly and complete a rewrite. We
for scrutiny by the story producer and story editor.
the Sunday omnibus edition. From January
don’t have the luxury of a one-off show where
The writer will then incorporate their comments
2015, only four episodes a week were shown,
you can delay production.”
in a second draft synopsis.
Long-term planning
writer begins scripting and works closely
When it comes to the workflow from story
with the script editor.
but a number of factors meant a return to five was possible by the end of last year. “I doubt if anyone realised the impact
Based on that initial document, the writers
Once that is signed off by Morus, the
on viewing figures of losing one episode
concepts to completion, significant forward
a week and the reaction from our viewers,”
planning is necessary. In October 2015, Morus
Morus says that not only are those writers very
states Llyr Morus, the programme’s series
and his senior team of story producer and script
good, but also they must be able to deal with
producer. “Now we are back with a daily
producer had a major meeting which decided
the logistics of working on a daily programme.
programme, but no conversations have
storylines up until September 2017. “We need to
“A writer may come up with a fantastic idea, but
been had about the omnibus edition.
plan that far in advance so that we know what
then reality may kick in. The timings for a location
Viewers use iPlayer and S4C Clic to catch
characters are needed and when. Planning
shoot, for example. Or because a child actor’s
up on episodes they may have missed
for two years also allows time for the stories to
time on set is restricted, that may mean a rethink.
and these figures have grown considerably
‘breath’ and permits them to be told in the most
So, logistics are a major factor in the way a writer
in the last year.”
appropriate manner.”
crafts his or her story.”
There are 32 writers engaged on the series.
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 13
Production Selecting the director
Output from the cameras is fed directly into the
Other activity
Once the script is signed off by Morus, a
Avid Media Composer 7.4. Within an hour of
With a considerable following in Wales, it is
director can be appointed for those episodes.
a scene being completed, an assistant editor
not surprising that second screen experiences
“Our directors get six weeks to complete five
starts assembling the material. “I’ll pop into the
are increasing among Pobol y Cwm viewers.
episodes,” says Morus. “There are three weeks
edit suite from time to time – especially if the
Apart from providing English subtitles on each
of preparation, two days of rehearsal, two
sequence involves a new character or a major
programme, there have been teasers on
days location shooting and five days in the
story line. We are fortunate to have the studio
social media – especially during the series’
studio. This is followed by three days editing
and post production in close proximity – so the
40th anniversary in 2014.
and two for dubbing.” The arrangement means
director can keep an eye on the editing during
that there are six directors on site at any one
breaks in shooting.” That studio shooting normally
webisodes with their own story lines,” reveals
time. “There are 15 directors that we regularly
takes place from Monday to Friday. “Everyone
Morus. “And there is considerable interaction
use and they tend to work in two blocks at a
is pleased to get the weekend off,” emphasises
on social media sites relating to characters
time – so are responsible for ten episodes. We
Morus. Once that shooting is completed, the
and story lines. And everyone likes the
select our directors carefully – some are better at
assistant passes the content to the editor who,
‘behind the scenes’ sequences we produce
emotional scenes, while others might have more
with the director, will start on the following
from time to time.”
experience of shooting action sequences.”
Monday morning to produce the final cut. Morus
“We have produced a special five
Morus goes on to say that the programme
will check on all five episodes on Wednesday
is providing valuable training experiences for
Moving from the gallery
afternoons. Once signed off, the programmes
industry personnel. “We are a big player for
When Pobol y Cwm moved to Roath Lock Studios
are dubbed and transferred to tape for delivery
Welsh speaking actors, but beyond that we are
it was decided to do away with a production
to S4C. “Although our production cycle is
developing production talent which is being
gallery and have the directors and production
completely tapeless, the broadcaster transmits
utilised by other programmes being made at
team work on the studio floor. Two cameras
from tape – although there are plans for a move
Roath Lock such as Doctor Who and Casualty.”
are used for the studio scenes, while just one is
to file transfer in the near future, with some trial
employed for the location sequences.
blocks currently under way.”
www.asperasoft.com moving the world’s data at maximum speed
“All in all, Pobol y Cwm is a significant programme from many different aspects.”
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
14 TVBEurope
Production
Sharing in the Limelight Philip Stevens learns how Hollyoaks updated its production process
espite being one of the UK’s longest
D
running soap operas, Hollyoaks is anything
but old fashioned. In fact, it’s without a
doubt one of the most progressive soaps in the UK: both in the issues it covers as well as in the technology the show uses to make its intersecting storylines come to life on screen. Now in its 20th year of production, Hollyoaks is produced by Lime Pictures and airs each weekday on Channel 4 and E4, with an omnibus – the entire week’s worth of episodes edited into one long feature – being broadcast at the weekend.
HD enters the scene The team at Lime Pictures has been in the business of producing some of the UK’s most dramatic television since the 1980s. Whether the drama is real or scripted, they’ve found
leadership, Hollyoaks became the first soap to
The Geevs video servers capture all this content
several formulas to success on the small screen.
transition to an HD environment.
from a number of permanent sets into the 224TB
In addition to producing groundbreaking
“We use ES Connect, Geevs and Flow to
programmes that have changed the landscape
help integrate our material in our production
of television in the UK, Lime Pictures has
workflow,” states Alistair McMath, media manager
pioneered cutting edge technology, and
at Lime Pictures. “We have four key areas in our
was even one of the first drama production
workflow, starting with acquisition. We then have
companies to go completely tapeless in
the management side of preparing and making
2001. Seven years later, under Lime Pictures’
media available to view and edit, as well as creating back up, followed by the craft phase and finally archive.”
EditShare XStream shared storage.
“We use ES Connect, Geevs and Flow to help integrate our material in our production workflow” Alistair McMath, Lime Pictures
With up to 1TB of content ingested on a daily basis, Lime Pictures needed a solution that would not only store its media, but also help them keep
For added security the Geevs records directly to
it organised in a way that made retrieval easy.
its internal drives and to the EditShare in parallel,
“To manage this heavy-duty acquisition, we
so that in the event of a network power failure
have four galleries equipped with Geevs Studio
production does not have to stop on set. Once
MC,” explains McMath.
the recording is finished, a copy is moved to the
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 15
Production says McMath. “Production staff also use Flow Browse to check recordings against the scripts and to ensure continuity, as the actors can be in scenes from different episodes in a single day.”
“An important factor for us is the ability to make each recording with the metadata already entered at the front end. It’s then there for the duration of the media lifecycle” Alistair McMath
To produce the five episodes and an omnibus each week, Lime Pictures has a floor of Avid edit suites all running Media Composer. These are connected to the EditShare via 10Gb Ethernet for media access. Flowbrowse is used by the media assistants to link the ingested material to an Avid environment. Great images and flawlessly assembled scenes are a crucial part of producing the type of soap opera that can occupy the airwaves for 20 years (and counting): but all this would be nothing without the sound. When it comes to audio dubbing Lime Pictures uses Pyramix workstations connected directly to the EditShare shared storage. Here they receive the AAF from the Avid suites in a folder on the storage space. And because the best visual shots don’t necessarily mean the best sound, the dubbing suites have access to every clip on the EditShare.
The soap looks at the lives and loves of people living in the north
Secure backups
west England village of Hollyoaks
After final viewing, the programme is rendered out of Avid and passed to the onsite QC, where
EditShare Ark Disk storage for nearline
they’re shooting, when they’re shooting, as well
any necessary file corrections are made. Then
backup. Providing multi-channel synchronised
as see everything that’s already been recorded.
the programme is delivered via digital file
ingest of up to 16 cameras, Studio MC also
It’s particularly helpful to the onscreen talent,
transfer to Channel 4. Once episodes have
manages automatic incremental metadata,
enabling them to review shots for continuity and
been transmitted, they are stored on the 500TB
including episode, scene, shot and take
pickups for dialogue.
EditShare Ark Disk nearline storage for up to a
information: a feature that has proved
month so that they can be quickly and easily
Media goes with the Flow
restored to the main XStream storage to edit
Location capture is on Sony SxS media, which
in flashbacks and other major events. Finally,
make each recording with the metadata
is logged and ingested using EditShare’s Flow
the finished programmes are archived using
already entered at the front end. It’s then there
Ingest to the shared storage by a team of
EditShare’s Ark Tape to a LTO6 data tapes for
for the duration of the media lifecycle, which is
operators in a central ingest area, the operators
long-term storage and security. “EditShare
roughly eight weeks.”
add metadata to each clip, and then the file
provides us with a single point of contact,
is ingested and rewrapped. Flow makes an H.264
with ingest, storage and archive being
organised, regardless of the volume and
proxy for every file as part of the ingest process.
managed by an EditShare solution,” comments
complexity of on-set acquisition. Project set
“With Flow Browse, we are able to track, from our
McMath. “This infrastructure also enables
up is crucial: designating folder structure and
desktop systems, every clip from the moment it
scalability at an affordable price, plus flexibility
naming conventions, with clips stored by episode
is captured on set through to post production,
when it comes to choosing our NLE and the
number. Production personnel can see what
nearline storage and finally onto the LTO archive,”
workflow we want to follow.”
invaluable for Lime Pictures. “An important factor for us is the ability to
Studio MC allows productions to stay
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
16 TVBEurope
Production
The changing demands of vision mixers
install, especially in live production environments. “Again, our introduction of 4K one-wire compressed video-over-IP offers the opportunity to streamline cabling and speed installations, while also reducing weight. While quad 4K carries inherent creativity constraints, the introduction of two-pixel interleave processing re-opens the full bag of a production’s look and feel.”
4K becoming king deliver all the core features and operational
The theme of 4K is picked up by Tim Felstead,
characteristics of higher end models, but at
head of product marketing at Snell Advanced
a new entry price point. They offer also a high
Media (SAM). “The last few years have seen
level of functional integration, with built-in
the introduction of higher raster sizes up to and
multi-viewers and graphics. “Along with budget
including 4K. Where in the past a programme
ne director described the modern
O
demands, there is also greater time pressure,”
created in HD was acceptable if down-scaled
production gallery as being like the
continues Huttie. “Shows are getting more
to SD with the same aspect ratio, now tools
flight deck of the Starship Enterprise. The
complex, and crews more mobile, which makes
are available to allow 4K, HD and SD outputs
huge array of multi-viewers light up the room –
set-up more challenging. Grass Valley has
from the same production desk with different
but the dazzling spectre of modern vision mixers
worked hard to improve ergonomics of both
technical and editorial demands.”
adds to the illusion. And vision mixer (or switcher
the hard panel and the GUI, with developments
to our American friends) configurations have
such as more direct, easy to navigate menus,
to manage all formats and editorial demands,
certainly changed in the past decade. So, just
simpler show recall, and faster previewing.”
while easing the operational requirements in live
Philip Stevens gathers the thoughts of three industry executives
how are manufacturers addressing production
SAM’s Kahuna product range is designed
environments. Felstead continues: “One further
gallery issues? We sought the views of three
Increasing IP
key aspect has been the realisation that control
vendors – and found some general agreements.
But perhaps the biggest issue facing switcher
panels from the past were not truly ‘modular’.
According to Greg Huttie, VP, switchers
manufacturers is the move to video-over-IP. “Grass
Given the change in output types, such as 4K,
product line, Grass Valley, one issue is tighter
Valley has responded by introducing a complete
HD interlaced or progressive, 3G modes A and
budgets – and this is being driven by a mix of
range of native Glass-to-Glass lP products,
B and so on, and editorial requirements, more
commercial pressures on both broadcasters
which spans the full breadth of broadcast
opportunities for changing the size and shape
and production facilities. “However, it’s perhaps
activities from cameras to production switchers
of the ‘conventional’ control panel came to
most evident with lower-tier sports productions,
to playout,” states Huttie. “These products
the fore.” He says that because of the flexible
such as second league games. Despite the cost
are standards based, using uncompressed
configuration of the Maverik control surface,
pressure, producers still have high expectations in
SMPTE-2022-6 and TICO compressed 4K one-wire.
operators can now choose panels best suited
terms of operational capabilities and functional
These production switchers, which have been
to the task at hand. For example, for music
integration, as well as key performance issues
tested in real broadcast conditions, offer an easy
programmes, the control panel layouts can
such as matrix size and mix effects. All this has
migration to video-over-IP.”
adopt main mix and sub-mix positions within
driven switcher manufacturers to come up with higher specifications for mid-range switchers.” Grass Valley’s response is the introduction of the Karrera K-Frame S-series switchers, which
Alongside IP, 4K is gaining greater support in
the same control desk, or add to these very
the market, and while production switchers have
large numbers – 40 and above – of direct
offered this format for some time using quad-
source access busses. He goes on: “There has
link 3Gbps, it has been quite cumbersome to
also been a continuous demand for reductions in size and power consumption to better suit tough environments in OB vehicles for example, and the ongoing integration of production features such as multi-viewers and external or third party device control. It remains a very interesting, challenging and exciting time to be in the live production market!”
Game changer OBs are also exercising the mind of Andy Hotten, product marketing manager at Sony Professional Europe. “When it comes to live sports production, the advent of 4K has been a game changer for vision mixers. At the most straightforward level, higher data volumes require more powerful
The Maverik allows operators to choose panels best suited to the task at hand
processing capabilities, but manufacturers
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 17
Production also need to accommodate new technical standards, as well as anticipating the transition period between HD and 4K production. In fact, the requirement to produce both 4K and HD simultaneously is arguably the most pressing requirement for vision mixers at the moment.” Multi-format switchers like Sony’s MVS-7000X and 8000X already have a proven record in a number of 4K productions. During the past 18 months these included the live broadcast of the UEFA Champions League Final from the
Andy Hotten, product marketing manager, Sony Professional Europe, Greg Hutti, VP, switchers product line, Grass Valley and Tim Felstead, head of product marketing, Snell Advanced Media (SAM)
Olympiastadion in Berlin. “While we aren’t seeing a widespread trend quite yet, the previously
Switcher, offering both IP and conventional
producers.” Hotten believes this flexibility
separate production set-ups for HD and 4K
connectivity, as well as simultaneous HD and 4K
extends to the design and user experience
broadcasts will increasingly harness the same
production,” claims Hotten. “Similar to these dual
of vision mixers, too.
equipment for both formats, and as they sit at the
production requirements, the evolution to IP must
heart of the live production set-up, mixers must
still allow for SDI interfaces during the industry
customise the operational surface and tailor
be able to facilitate this demand,” states Hotten.
transition. This dual capability will be crucial for
their equipment to their precise individual
Like other vendors, Sony believes that the biggest
vision mixer manufacturers over the next few
needs – a powerful purchasing incentive for
change in the live production environment in
years, as ‘interoperability’ is the name of the
users. This must be matched by a smooth default
recent times is the introduction of IP, and this will
game and flexibility will be even more critical. The
operational experience of course, with the mixer
be the key to achieving efficiency in productions
XVS-8000 will even offer the possibility of remote
geared towards ease-of-use, swift access to all
for all formats, including 4K. “The Sony XVS-8000
control via a tablet – so, more efficiency and
mixer functions, and simple feedback to show the
is set to be the world’s most powerful 4K/IP Live
flexibility, delivering a better user experience for
current operational status.”
“Modular panel designs allow users to
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www.dvbworld.org
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
18 TVBEurope
Post Production
T
he usual howls of opprobrium completely failed to greet the news that Autodesk was to include a monthly desktop subscription
option for licensing Flame software. Indeed the news, part of Autodesk’s move to evolve its entire Flame family, seemed to be welcomed positively in the post production and VFX community. Compare this to the vicious criticism that greeted the move to a subscription-only Creative Cloud by Adobe, and continues to dog the company. Like Avid with Media Composer, Autodesk is retaining the option of a perpetual licence for Flame, but has previously announced its intention to transition all new software purchases exclusively to desktop subscription by January 2016. Is the way companies like Autodesk now licence products of most benefit to the post industry? Or is there another way? Marc Stevens, vice president, film and TV, Autodesk, said at the time of the Flame announcement: “With the new Flame business
Subscriptions: a good deal for the post industry?
model, it’s never been easier for artists and studios to access these powerful tools they need for the high-end finishing their customers demand. Community feedback is vital to the future of Flame, and these changes reflect what our customers want.” One of those customers, Derek Moore, MD of Coffee and TV, was in agreement. “About time too!” Moore exclaims. “Flame is an amazing product, but has been cost-prohibitive for far too
Michal Burns examines the issue of subscription software licensing vs perpetual licensing, garnering opinion from creatives across the post production industry
long. Now the best artists will be able to choose the best tool for the job, which helps everyone get the best result.” Moore’s studios in Soho and Bristol are already on a number of software rental plans, including Adobe After Effects and Creative Cloud, Maya, Arnold and Deadline. He’s obviously a fan of the model. “Rental allows us to scale up and down as projects dictate, plus we are always up to date and legal,” he says. “We can also protect our margins better because our costs of sale vary with turnover, rather than having to carry large fixed overheads whether we are busy or not.” It’s a view shared by Dave Goodbourn, head of systems at Milk VFX, who says a mix of perpetual and rental models works well for the BAFTA awardwinning studio. “Perpetual licenses for our core artists, then rentals, as we expand, that only last the duration of the project,” explains Goodbourn. “The rental costs can become part of the project costs so we only have what’s needed. We’ve also seen license rental periods reducing a lot so we can rent almost on a daily basis. This gives us greater flexibility to plan the budget of the project and expand and contract as and when needed.” Some freelancers and solo artists seem to find
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 19
Post Production the benefits too. Filmmaker Hasraf ‘HaZ’ Dulull has
iterations, we came up with the rent-to-own
program anymore if you don’t pay every month.
had an Adobe subscription to Creative Cloud for
system, betting on the fact that Allegorithmic
As soon as you’re talking about well-established
just over two years and has in the past rented a
would be able to innovate enough to maintain a
software, it’s pretty tempting to stop developing
license of Maya from Autodesk for a month. “The
willingness to pay among the community. So far,
new features and focus on simple customer
subscription model has helped me immensely as
the response has been overwhelmingly positive.”
support. We’ll never stop though. We have too
a small business,” he says. “I can factor in the cost
While it’s only open to companies with less
many dreams for Substance.”
of the subscription as part of a project budget
than $100,000 revenue per year, and bigger
or as part of my business overhead costs, which
studios are offered a perpetual licensing system,
they don’t get that initial large payment for the
at the end of the year helps with taxes and
it’s a model that Khouri thinks would work across
software, we actually end up paying a lot more
accounts. But more importantly its scalable and
other creative industries. “It’s clearly a win-win,”
pro-rata for the software over a longer time. I
affordable while also always up to date with the
says Khouri. “Allegorithmic gets more sustainable
think a dual perpetual/rental model works best –
latest version of the tools without additional costs.”
revenues, similar to subscription, while the end
a rental-only model would only be a good idea
user gets a low price entry, the ability to stop and
if there’s a tiered rental model in place, so the
begs to differ. “The majority of people hate
resume anytime, and most importantly, gets the
longer you rent the cheaper it becomes.”
subscription,” says Khouri. “That was pretty obvious
product perpetually after completing the full
when we did a marketing survey and brought up
payment after 16 months.”
However, Alexis Khouri, VP of Allegorithmic
the idea in early 2015. People are simply coping
Goodbourn sees both sides. “While I agree
Some long term users might also fear that lowcost rental models might lead to undercutting
There’s been an accusation on some forums
due to the availability of relatively cheap, more
with it when they don’t have the choice, but they
that desktop subscriptions and rental models
accessible software. Goodbourn isn’t concerned,
actually hate it.”
don’t provide much of an incentive for software
“With budgets always on the decline this can
developers to evolve their product lines. “That is
help us to be more competitive with our costings.”
Allegorithmic is a developer of 3D texture creation software Substance, which is available
a short-term view as under-developed products
under a rather unique licensing plan, popular
will lose market share to more successful
least this way, with the best software available to
with games developers. “We thought we needed
competitors,” says Moore.
almost everyone, the differential is the quality of
to provide something fair, that would also make our revenues more sustainable. After many
Khouri is not in agreement: “I would say it’s probably true, as you simply can’t use the
“Undercutting is rife anyway,” says Moore. “At
the artists using it. It should allow the best talent to rise to the top.”
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
20 TVBEurope
Post Production
A new approach to
quality Given the substantial variations in viewing
the issue of display quality might be to move
situations, and in many cases the lack of
that render one stage further, to the moment
control, does it make sense to create a single
of viewing. We don’t directly look at the colour
master and deliver it to every device? Or
information contained in the deliverable anyway.
should we find a new way of engaging with
Inside the display device, whether a projector, a
or many years, the standard response to
audiences, perhaps with a new language
TV set or a mobile phone, all sorts of processing is
improving image quality was more pixels.
about the quality of experience rather than
going on. Re-scaling, motion interpolation, frame
From SD to HD to UHD and possibly soon
about pixels and light levels?
rate conversion, colour processing through LUTs
to 8K Super Hi-Vision. It is only recently that we
The availability of ever-increasing processing
and matrices, sophisticated spatial filtering: all to
have seen a wider acknowledgement among
power may provide the solution.
get the best result for each display.
By Wolfgang Lempp, CEO, FilmLight
F
consumers of other quality drivers: extended dynamic range and colour gamut, as well as higher frame rate and better compression. Content today is viewed on anything from a 50-foot movie screen to a four-inch phone; from the controlled, dark environment of a movie
So, instead of delivering a locked-down file to
‘We have to enable the consumers to make the most out of their viewing experience, whatever the time, place or screen’
theatre to outdoors in bright sunshine. Yet
the cinema, broadcaster, or content distribution network, why not deliver a full dynamic range distribution master, plus some grading metadata as look profiles? Then you can allow the consumer who wants to take control of the viewing experience to do just that. Who is to say
we still cling to the idea of a single master
that HDR is only for rendering specular highlights?
recording which we transcode but otherwise
The trend in production and post is towards a
In a bright room, you might just want to use it
leave unchanged for delivery to these
collaborative and, most importantly, render-free
for bright images.
wildly differing environments.
workflow. Cameras on set can apply LUTs, and
In a theatre, a 4K HDR movie should look
Of course, while many users will be keen to
perhaps even add an initial grade to give the
experiment with this, the vast majority will not
stunning. Exit signs apart, the viewing conditions
editor a good idea of the director’s intentions.
want to fiddle with the look every time they
are perfect, and the relatively large ratio of
The grading and editing then happen in parallel.
watch a video. But even then, the consumer
screen size to viewing distance makes the
During the edit, clips with the final grade replace
device has the ability to contain applications to
extended resolution worthwhile. The theatre
the initial grade as the colourist makes them
interpret the colour metadata in the way that
also benefits from a projector that will have
available. Visual effects artists, too, can see the
is most appropriate for that screen and viewing
been precisely aligned to ensure that every
latest version of the grade in background plates
environment. What we know for certain is that
screen and every screening looks the same. Plus,
and tune the computer-generated elements to
adjustments like ‘brightness’ and ‘contrast’ are
moviemakers spend a lot of time in the similar
match precisely.
historic leftovers from a bygone era. And adding
environment of the final grading suite, making
The way that FilmLight makes this possible is
sure that the images perfectly reflect the story
by creating a workflow where the grade is never
adjustment for all content is likely to move the
they are trying to tell. These conditions are just
burnt in. At every stage of the process the artists
images further from the artistic intent rather than
not possible to replicate when it comes to the
are working with the raw camera footage. The
bringing it closer.
expanding array of consumer devices.
colour information is carried as metadata, which
To start with, the environment in which the
a ‘live sports’ or a ‘film’ setting as a global
Given the advances in processing power and
is interpreted on-the-fly as it is required to be
bandwidth, the technical possibilities are all there.
screen is viewed is under the control of the user
displayed. As well as dedicated colour grading
It is time we drop the pretence that everybody
and not the producer of the content. Even the
systems, plug-ins are available for editors and
will see content in a consumer version of how it
main home television screen is usually in a room
VFX that read the metadata to give real-time
presents itself in the mastering suite. If we want to
with other light sources, so the full effect of high
presentation of the latest grade, wherever you
maintain some control over the look in the
dynamic range is masked. Increasingly, these
are, and negate the need to render graded
age of HDR and wide colour gamut, we have to
devices do have the capability of changing
deliverables for other departments.
enable the consumers to make the most out
the viewing experience, in colour saturation, brightness and more, but this is not universal.
Today, the grade is finally rendered at the point of creating the deliverables. But one answer to
of their viewing experience, whatever the time, place or screen.
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
24 TVBEurope
Feature
Broadcasters look to the cloud for playout According to some vendors, cloud playout is good to go today. Yet for the most part, broadcasters are holding off on investment. Adrian Pennington reports t is still early days for cloud playout
The business benefits
technology, and Moore's law will send
Based on discussions with customers, Harmonic
performance up and costs down so that real-
finds that broadcasters have two or three reasons
I
time, highly reactive graphics, UHD streams and
for thinking about a move to cloud type playout.
live components can be played from virtualised
One is that they are looking to deploy pure
equipment running in datacentres.
software running on customer/service provider
MAM, scheduling, traffic and billing, and
furnished hardware. This, says Warman, may go
automation are already either in the cloud or
hand in hand with virtualisation. Broadcasters
cloud ready. Even playout and encoding have
save money because it is either part of the IT
been deployed in datacentre environments
budget or is built into the service contract that
as pure software systems. This implies private
runs their channels, leading to CAPEX and
cloud solutions rather than public cloud hosted
OPEX savings.
solutions. But, according to Andrew Warman,
Another reason broadcasters are considering
director, product and playout, strategy and
the cloud is IP connectivity. The expectation
market development, Harmonic, not all
is that lower cost Ethernet-based solutions
workflows have been replicated for cloud-type
equals savings. “Add to this the continuation
environments.
of function integration that really took off with
“Some will take a considerable amount of
CiaB (channel-in-a-box), and broadcasters need
time to fully transition,” he says. “An important
fewer connections as systems become more
question that broadcasters must ask is, ‘which of
integrated in software,” says Warman.
my workflows can readily be implemented in the
In addition, some broadcasters no longer want
cloud, and which are better serviced by a more
to be burdened with vendor-specific hardware
conventional environment?’”
and maintenance, or dealing with proprietary
Andy Warman, Harmonic, Igor Krol, Veset and Karl Mehring, SAM
“Where there is hardware which is not yet amortised it won’t be reasonable by economic means to move exisiting playout to cloud” Martin Schröder, PACE
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 25
Feature designs. Overall, IT equipment costs less to operate and manage. Channel agility is a key benefit of moving to the cloud. Traditional broadcast workflows are expensive to build, take time to construct and can be complex to operate. A cloud-based approach enables agile channel deployment since the software, licensing models, available processing power and connectivity are flexible. Technologies like Playbox's CloudAir were designed to include ad hoc services that may only be needed for an hour or even less. “New services or channels would therefore genuinely be up and running in little more time than it takes to exchange emails or make a phone call,” says company president Don Ash. “In terms of a 24/7 channel starting on the cloud playout model, an efficient telco should be able to get these live in a matter of hours or even in a few minutes,” he says. “The most significant costs of running any programme channel then become, as arguably they always have been, the overheads of originating, acquiring or refining content and employing
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
26 TVBEurope
Feature
whatever administrative and creative people the
of linear TV. “When it comes to linear playout
three-day’s worth of content over a long
organisation needs.”
broadcasters are still stuck in their old ways,
public holiday will your business be hit with
and struggle to think outside the existing ASI/
a huge bill? The considerations are huge,
The barriers to adoption
SDI, proprietary hardware and GPUs paradigm,”
both financially and technically,” cautions
Yet there are a number of barriers to adoption.
he contends. “At best, they try to squeeze new
Karl Mehring, director of playout and
“Where there is hardware which is not yet
technologies into old packaging. A glaring
delivery at SAM.
amortised it won't be reasonable by economic
example of such thinking is the constant request
means to move existing playout to cloud,” says
to provide SDI over the internet.”
Martin Schröder, MD and founder, PACE Media Development. “There will also be training costs to handle new technologies and some new equipment will be necessary on customer's site.” On the technical side, Schröder says bandwidth from customer premises to the public internet can be a limiting option. Some new skills will be necessary, he says, and there will be a need for a new monitoring/QC infrastructure, “IP-
“It is also about understanding that the industry is in flux and that you have to be constantly re-evaluating and testing new
“The fact that you have tested a so-called cloud solution 12 months ago does not mean it ‘does not work’ for you. Actually, it may not have been a cloud solution at all” Karl Mehring, SAM
based instead of SDI”.
solutions coming to the market,” says Krol. “The fact that you have tested a so-called cloud solution 12 months ago does not mean that it ‘does not work’ for you. Actually, it may not have been a cloud solution at all.” Mehring says he knows of content owners who would “jump at the chance” to put all their playout solutions into the cloud today, if they could trust that the level of service would be
He also identifies a general fear of new
what they want. “The fact that these businesses
technologies; security concerns; concerns
The biggest barrier is a lack of knowledge at
have yet to find a solution they can commit to
regarding stability and of dependency on a
all levels. The list of new things to know about
today should indicate what they believe the
cloud service provider. Perhaps most importantly
touches every part of a playout business.
state of the industry is at today,” he advises.
there is a psychological barrier to overcome.
“Questions include; What resiliency models
“Not all vendors are equally capable is a
Broadcasters must tear themselves away
at the virtual machine level do you want to
nice way to put it,” suggests Jan Weigner,
from what Veset CEO Igor Krol calls the “very
deploy? What are the different cost models
MD and co-owner, Cinegy. “This may create
conservative paradigm of reliability and security”
in the different clouds? If you upload an extra
customer scepticism.”
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 27
Feature Cinegy and other vendors which have built
Al Rayaan and ITV have explored cloud playout
“The cost of the actual playout engine – physical
a business based on software running in data
DR proof of concept).
or virtual – is only one factor of the total cost
centres tend to take issue with competitors which
“Once the realisation sets in that you can
of playing out a channel. But by going virtual
have remodelled their hardware product into IP.
just launch another couple dozen channels in
and being IP-based I can ‘virtualise’ my staff
a matter of minutes to try, for example, to go
and my operations centre can be anywhere
“At the moment, the majority of hardware vendors have been marketing remotely
where I have an internet connection. Cloud-
accessed traditional playout hardware servers
based playout means that a broadcaster can
as 'cloud playout solutions', in some cases with additional layers of web-based consoles,” claims Krol. “The architecture suggests that you place the manufacturer’s hardware in a remote data centre and operate playout remotely via the internet. In reality, such an approach has little to do with cloud philosophy, and cannot be called
“When it comes to linear playout broadcasters are still stuck in their old ways and struggle to think outside the existing ASI/SDI proprietary hardware and GPUs paradigm” Igor Krol, Veset
a cloud solution,” he says. “Such solutions have
run operations from anywhere on the planet, wherever the staff is most affordable.” It is hard to argue with such a forceful personality as Weigner, and when it comes to Cinegy technology his claims may be justified. The fact remains, though, that few primetime channels are likely to be published from the cloud in the immediate term.
no elasticity because computing resources of
“As an industry we need to start being
such specialised playout hardware cannot be
hyper-local, people will do it,” says Weigner.
completely honest about what is achievable
dynamically managed. Ultimately, users have to
“The competition among service providers
today,” cautions Mehring. “Some vendors
bear the high cost of acquiring and operating
will heat up as theoretically anyone with a
appear to be raising expectations of what is
traditional hardware.”
credit card can be one at any moment. Is
possible today to unrealistic levels. Fortunately
that a realistic threat? Probably not. But in
many customers have now worked this out, but
Realistic expectations
reality customer relations, service quality,
it is a disruptive influence in the industry at a time
Disaster recovery is the logical, cautious
trust earned and ultimately price are the
of such change. The truth is we are at the early
approach for broadcasters (Qatari broadcaster
deciding factors.
stages of our industry's transformation.”
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
28 TVBEurope
Business
The latest in live George Jarrett charts the rise of National Theatre Live, from its launch in 2009, to the ten-person unit today, running production, content around the broadcast and DCP creation, distribution and marketing ne of Europe’s finest creators of quality
well, and have done a couple of productions
content for event cinema audiences,
from the West End – Audience with Helen Mirren
O
National Theatre Live reached the
50 production mark in six and half years. Each project has cost £250,00-£350,000 to shoot, yet this
playing the Queen, and Skylight with Bill Nighy and Carey Mulligan.” David Sable, now executive producer, was
spin-off from a publicly funded arts scene giant
the sole employee when NT Live launched in
has long been profitable, feeding cash to actors,
June 2009. It is now a ten-person unit running
rights holders, and back into future NT projects.
production, content around the broadcast and
Its latest broadcast to cinemas was Jane Eyre,
DCP creation, distribution and marketing. Does it
and the next will be Les Liaisons Dangereuses, which opens at the end of January. As You Like It will be the February production. The first two are co-productions, with the Bristol Old Vic and then Donmar Warehouse. NT Live started its strong commitment to co-
“We have always been about being at the cutting edge of technology” Emma Keith, NT Live
production in 2011 when it worked with the production company Complicite to broadcast A
Disappearing Number to movie houses. “We built up our expertise in capturing theatre
produce trailers, like the Hollywood studios do?
on film in an interesting way, and we have
“For most of our shows yes, but unlike Hollywood
established a network of hundreds of cinemas
we are often making those trailers before the
for our recent production of Hamlet starring
that are used to showing this content, and have
play exists,” says Keith. “Those are concept-
Benedict Cumberbatch. That trailer supported
built up an audience round it,” says NT Live
based but often once a show has opened we
international cinemas that had not shown it
producer Emma Keith. “We are able to
will shoot on stage and cut sections of it together.
yet, and serviced the huge demand for
showcase other people’s work through that as
We also do post broadcast trailers, as we did
encore screenings.” The War Horse 4K experiment was a one-off, but NT Live has hardened its ambitions. “We have always been about being at the cutting edge of technology,” says Keith. “The crazy idea that started around War Horse of, could we do something in 4K? carried over in momentum and spirit to the work we have been doing with Sony and Vue Cinemas. Could we do four shows, and deliver them to huge audiences in a meaningful way? “War Horse was a fantastic stand alone. We have now been able to build up skills, knowledge, expertise, and workflows around the capturing side, but also build up a relationship with Vue and its audiences about what 4K means,” she adds. “We have captured Behind
The Beautiful Forevers, The Beaux’ Stratagem and Hamlet, but have not confirmed what will be our final 4K project with Vue.”
Jnauary 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 29
Business the cost associated with the 4K capture. There are significantly increased budget costs when we produce in 4K, and that’s why we need the partnerships,” says Keith. “As soon as the price is close to HD capture I think we will transition very quickly.” Having produced so many stage to cinema projects one of the big issues has to be efficient archiving. “In September we launched NT On Demand in secondary schools. It is a three-year pilot started with our productions of Hamlet, Othello and
Frankenstein. We have 1,000 schools signed up and our ambitions are to keep adding titles and to reach primary schools,” says Keith. “We are also looking at what we can offer internationally. There are potential opportunities, but we only actually secure theatrical rights for a limited window. We do not own the TV, DVD and VoD rights in our previous titles, but we are aware it is a valuable asset that we are now sat on. In the future we will look at how we can potentially widen access to the back catalogue.” NT Live does plenty of encore screenings. In archive terms the costumes, scripts and
Pic © Manuel Harlan
performance notes from dozens of theatre productions sit alongside the production media. Academics and students do have on-site physical access to these. There are real ambitions to grow the digital access, but the rights hurdle absolutely has to be overcome.
The rights hurdle has to be overcome
work with all the partners,” says Keith. “We have been doing DCP production in 4K, and
Engaging with lapsed theatre goers
What has the NT Live team learnt from
that has been important because Vue is 4K
As part of its proactive campaigns, NT Live has
those three shoots in the areas of production
right across its network.”
been to New York to shoot a project.
and distribution?
Those 4K events prompt the question of,
“In 2014 we went to Broadway and captured
“It has been an absolutely huge learning
when does NT Live go fully 4K for all productions?
Of Mice and Men with Chris O’Dowd and
curve – interesting, valuable and challenging.
“We have been having conversations about this,
James Franco (released over Christmas). That
It has been exciting to be on that journey and
but the challenge for us at the moment is around
was a really interesting foray because of the
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
30 TVBEurope
Business
Pic © Manuel Harlan
complications of working in New York around
distribution income came in just two years. What
much more engagement, but people can be
the unions and rights agreements,” says Keith.
has Keith the producer learnt?
sceptical: they can be nervous about how their
“We have really seen the benefits across Europe
“I do not come from a television background
of engaging audiences who are lapsed theatre
so I came to it very naïve. I suppose the biggest
screen,” she adds. “Having Chris as part of our
goers. They are going to an NT Live show, and
thing that Chris Bretnall (NT Live’s technical
team allows me to maintain those creative
then back to local theatres.”
producer and director of Creative Broadcast
and artistic decisions.
NT Live has focused on working with other
Solutions) provides is that having someone
artistic vision is going to translate to the cinema
“We do two full camera rehearsals, and the
UK theatres, and taking its shows to all English-
key is that the creative and broadcast teams all
speaking territories. “The biggest challenge
go and watch it in the cinema before the live
to overcome is the language barriers and the way Europe is used to seeing things subtitled or dubbed,” says Keith. “But we do want to be trying different things. The new NT creative director
“The challenge for us at the moment is around the cost of 4K capture” Emma Keith
shoot happens. Shots feel different because you can linger on the big screen in a way you cannot do on a TV monitor. We cannot just assume what it will look like on the big screen,” she
Rufus Norris is engaged with NT Live and wants us
continues. “We could save costs by not
to look at different ways to capture. We always
shooting two full camera rehearsals, but we
take a bespoke approach – no fixed camera
want to ensure that artistically what we put
positions – and we do put cameras in places
specifically responsible for the technical things
that the audience sat in the theatre would not
gives that freedom to produce. I can have an
see, but what more can we do to deepen the
understanding of where our risk lies, where costs
tape-based. “We are now completely file-based.
engagement for cinema audiences?”
are problematical, and where the potential
It was the big shift for us: we are a theatre
opportunities are. His job is to ensure technical
not a broadcaster so the concept of having
People can be sceptical
robustness and technical delivery from camera
ten to12 shows a year for which we have
When NT Live launched it did so with seed money
lens to cinema screen, which gives us great
two camera rehearsals and the live
from the Arts Council and a science, technology
confidence,” says Keith.
broadcast with six or eight cameras on
and arts fund. After the pilot stage it had a global
“Having that overview is key because
out is of the highest possible quality.” When NT Live started, its production was all
each show means the volume of digital
sponsor (Aviva) for three years. The tipping point
capturing a theatre broadcast is not a simple
files we get after each project is several
from when capture costs were bettered by
thing. There is much more acceptance of it and
terabytes,” says Keith.
The Official Newspaper
THEBVEDAILY BROADCAST & PRODUCTION: FROM CREATION TO CONSUMPTION
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e v i s r r D sito d vi ur stan
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Tuesday 10 February 2015 SHOW HOURS:
Tuesday 10 February 09:00-18:00
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Thursday 12 February 09:00-17:00
The future: Integrated System Europe? BY MONICA HECK The Internet of Things is set to turn the ‘integrated systems’ that make up Integrated Systems Europe (ISE) into a single unified ‘integrated system’, according to futuristic business mastermind and consultant Lars Thomsen. Speaking on the main stage during the ISE Opening Keynote speech, Thomsen predicted the future of the AV industry would depend on the IPv6 Internet standard, which would create a rapidly growing “digital nervous system” across the world not unlike the current energy grid everybody is used to. “In 10 years, 1,000 devices per human will be connected to the internet and this digital nervous system will incorporate all aspects of things that are important to humanity,
Thomsen: “In 10 years, 1,000 devices per human will be connected to the internet” such as comfort, energy, security, education and so on,” he said. “Right now there are different halls in this trade show representing different parts of the industry. We are now at a tipping point where we
don’t have to think about isolated systems, but rather about moving onto a system that incorporates the internet as its backbone.” Tipping points are a key concern of Thomsen’s, who doesn’t use slides
during his keynotes but prefers to let the audience connect the dots and imagine the future he describes. “Tipping points are points in time where a new technology, or business model is cheaper and better than the way we did it in the past,” added Thomsen, listing the victory of artificial intelligence and robotics over ‘dumb technology’ as tipping points to look out for. “Within 520 weeks, we will get to a point where robots can work in households or in elderly care, they will reach a price point where they are cheaper than employing humans for the same task. The implications to our society are big.” “We have to do more than just look for trends, instead of waiting for the future we have to find the next tipping point and actively create that future,” he concluded.
A minority report on the future of pixels BY LINDSEY M. ADLER A vacuum in professional computing has resulted from the evolution from desktop to laptop to mobile device. John Underkoffler, CEO of Oblong Industries, views the world through pixels and sees them as the key to filling that hole, which he shared in his Smart Building Conference address: “The Future of Work – Workplace Collaboration Thrives in the Spatial Operating Environment”.
Digital Signage p10
As an advisor to the film Minority Report, Underkoffler shared a clip he musingly hoped was “the last time we have to look at this.” Instead of being wowed by the ahead-of-its-time gesture technology, something he derided as “not what’s important,” attendees were asked to look for what was missing. “This sequence is as much about the collaboration and the room as it is the UI.” Applying that to today’s business technologies, he asked,
Residential solutions p27
“How does computation extend [the] room? It doesn’t. [Modern computing devices] don’t care about the room. You have a bizarre complication.” Because they are so personal in nature, “They are anti-collaboration devices and anti-architectural devices.” Underkoffler and Oblong Industries are working to get out of this “trap.” His solutions include: the more pixels the better; pixel interoperability; a user interface capable of managing all the pixels all over the place; and plurality, the
Unified Communications p56
need for systems that think about more than one thing - enabling the physical and social space for more than one person to work in tandem. By teaching a machine to speak pixels, multiple applications can run at the same time complementarily. “It’s a kind of quantum leap between what you can do with a machine,” Underkoffler declared. “We’re turning serialism into parallelism, linear into nonlinear, and raw technology into a more human approach.”
Smart Building p62
A DIGITAL THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM
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sitor e, i V l ia or Offic ter, bef how slet st s New and po the to ng duri d direct r 88,000 an f ove tors to o s xe si inbo ntial vi nd pote our sta y
al itori d e teed rtising n a r Gua adve the l l a with ages in or pack f a Q&A o e form ion piec opin
ISE’ managing director Mike Blackman introduces the event as Chiara Benedettini of organiser Connessioni looks on
BY KIRSTEN NELSON It was “laptop land” at AudioForum@ISE yesterday. The fifth edition of the day-long educational event presented by Connessioni certainly featured digital in every way, as nary a professional audio discussion would be complete without talk of software or DSP. Topics relevant to audio design, integration and live events were discussed in the context of building knowledge and business for a rapidly evolving industry, with participants taking keen interest in sharpening skills in modeling, time alignment, networking and Class D amplification. Attendees from the live sound and installation worlds convened at the event. The notion of convergence was very much on the mind of Jack Cornish, a project
Continued on page 4
Professional Development p68
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January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 33
Business
A Roadmap for the
future George Jarrett sits down with DPP MD Mark Harrison to find out what the organisation has in the pipeline for the coming year
T
he Digital Production (DPP) has committed to a huge set of front line technology projects for
2016 that should dovetail tellingly with work being done by SMPTE, AMWA and the EBU. Focussing on what he identified as, “the real world needs” of the broadcast world, MD Mark Harrison said: “What’s fascinating about
“There is an awful lot that just needs unpicking and clarifying, whilst everybody is charging forward at breakneck speed” Mark Harrison, MD, DPP
the moment we are in is that we have every end of the spectrum of change. To the same group of people at different moments it can seem as if we are still in the Stone Age, and in other moments it can feel incredibly modern: all virtualised software and concept-based. “While we have those realities existing in parallel, it is very difficult for everyone to make the right assessments about what is important
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 35
Business
to them, and make the right
simply didn’t feel they had the time
an international mastering format
time and budget is paramount,”
decisions about change,” he
and the budget to think about. They
for broadcast, so it is not as if we
he said. “We will tend to rely upon
added. “With our new Roadmap
did not know what might be out
are up against opposition. The EBU
friends that we trust to do that for
the DPP is just trying to provide
there to help them, so there is an
has been doing a lot of work in that
us, and that makes us very sceptical
some clarity: what we always try
awful lot that just needs unpicking
area, so we just asked if we can
about anything derivative or new,
and do is bring a little bit of calm
and clarifying, whilst everybody
help to accelerate this progress.”
or indeed any person who is new.
amongst the noise.”
is charging forward at breakneck
In the pipeline DPP has
speed,” said Harrison.
Harrison ended by considering
“There are a lot of other forms
DPP work on the impact of IP Live,
of AV production going on in the
a mastering format for TV,
and vendor reports that engineers
world and if you look at the sum
publications on Live IP production,
are easy to train, but creative and
total produced, TV is quite possibly
connectivity, location workflows,
operational staffs are not: they
the minority of it,” he added.
the delivery standard for UHD content discussed at IBC, a delivery standard for HD commercials, common protocols for the exchange of news content, and a survey of policies, standards and protocols worth re-assessing. On this initiative Harrison said: “It
“There are a lot of other forms of AV production going on in the world... if you look at the sum total, TV is quite possibly the minority of it” Mark Harrison
want to retain the same feel they enjoyed with SDI.
“We have an awful lot to learn from people producing
“I can absolutely accept that
in other contexts. Not having
because there is an inherent
grown up in an established TV
conservatism in being a creative
culture dictating how you make
person, particularly in an industry
programming might make them
like ours where delivery to a specific
think a bit differently.”
is always a debate: do we need to clear up the debris or do we just need to dump it and leap forward?
The huge breadth of what DPP is
There is an awful lot that’s out there,
seeking to achieve does not faze
and there is a lot of very good
him. “There are indeed some very
thinking going on currently about
big pieces there, but we are not
how we try and bring some of the
trying to do this alone, and we are
relationships of trust that we built
not trying to re-invent work that has
up in a pre-digital industry into
been done,” he said.
the digital one. “We do not necessarily know
“We will be working very closely with the EBU, and with SMPTE and
what they are, because they
AMWA. What the DPP often can
are not human based. They
bring to the mix is clarity about
are standards or technical
business requirements, and that is
interventions, so they feel
often needed to move technical
complicated,” he added
work along,” he added. “Some of
At a recent DPP Home event
these pieces, like the mastering
this subject was raised with people
format, are quite a challenge, but
involved in the making and shaping
there are mastering formats that
of programming.
happily exist – like for the movies –
“It was extraordinary to find that things like security were issues they
so we are not starting from scratch. There is a lot of interest globally in
Streamlin
e your
SCHEDU LING Model you r schedule s concept u p to broad from the c a sting and beyond ov er multiple media. www.med ia
gwewn.m w ixed.tiavgenix.t v
36 TVBEurope
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
Business
M&A: The story of 2015 By Martyn Whistler, lead analyst, media and entertainment, Ernst and Young LLP
like heresy but there are some good,
suggest further changes are
old fashioned deals with a genuine
imminent, with further evolution of
feel of sector consolidation.
in-home equipment.
The headline grabber must be
Arris, Technicolor and others
t is sometimes comforting to find
Vice Media precipitating the latter’s
Arris’ pending deal for Pace. If as
understand this shift. In different
an anchor of certainty in an
launch of its first TV channel.
expected the deal is approved, at
ways, their acquisitions will position
$2.1 billion it stands out among a
them to remain competitive. In
I
unpredictable world, but when it
All this activity reflects an industry
comes to M&A, 2015 was a year of
on a treadmill of innovation,
number of transactions in the set-
particular, Technicolor’s deal comes
few guarantees. Where and when
facing more intense competition
top box sector. The other notable
with organisational commitments
deals will take place and who is
and a more opaque vision of the
deal was Cisco’s divestment of the
from Cisco for collaboration on IoT
buying and selling are questions that
future. It in turn impacts directly on
former Scientific-Atlanta STB and
and the next generation of
constantly vexed. Unfortunately, this
broadcast technology. Much of
wider CPE business to Technicolor for
in-home, smart solutions.
year’s only cert was for the flurry of
the deal flow is intended to realign
€550 million. Both deals come with
recent deal-making to continue.
technology providers, in almost
familiar, consolidatory overtones
box sector that showed signs of
In 2015, it was not only the set-top
By way of context, the broadcast
every facet of the value chain.
about finding synergies and realising
consolidation. Some of the most
and wider media industry has been
Their goal is to remain relevant
cost savings but these deals also
acquisitive companies of recent
busy. Cable and pay-TV sectors
and competitive.
acknowledge a competitive shift.
years continued in 2015 where
The set-top box has long since
they left off the year before. For
continue to consolidate, illustrated in large part by Altice’s moves in
More of the same?
ceased to be the only kid in town.
some, acquisitions have become
Europe and the US. At the same
At first glance, it seems not much
Park Associates recently published
a cornerstone of their strategy to
time there were deals by acquisitive
has changed. In 2014 the mantra
a report showing the most popular
grow market share and achieve
channel owners led by Discovery,
of M&A activity was one of
devices in the US for streaming
economies of scale. For example
Scripps, Sony and others. The latest
consolidation and in many ways,
video remain Microsoft’s Xbox and
NEP continued on an acquisitive
and perhaps most intriguing is
the same mantra echoed through
Sony’s PlayStation. The proliferation
path to growth, building out
Disney’s $200 million investment in
the past 12 months. It might seem
of direct to TV and OTT delivery
and strengthening existing OB
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 37
Business capabilities through transactions
acquisition of Nativ. It is a deal
on a TV set. These generational
Elemental Technologies and
including Screen Scene, Outside
that enables Ooyala to broaden
shifts are becoming a little too
Telestream’s deal for Pandastream.
Broadcast and Mediatec, among
its service offering by assimilating
frequent and in consequence
others. In a similar vein RR Media,
Nativ’s talent and technology.
broadcasters crave flexibility. They
What’s next?
crave flexibility not just to reach
In a piece ostensibly reviewing
which is itself a consolidation play from SES, acquired Stalink and
Head in the clouds
audiences wherever they are today
the past year, just a moment to
Eastern Space Systems as “Part of
An area where we saw perhaps
but wherever they will be tomorrow.
cast a watchful eye forward. If
a continued strategy to increase
the hottest activity to buy into new
In many ways cloud, SaaS and
indeed the only certainty is that
scale [and] will broaden RR Media’s
business areas and acquire new
remote managed services will
the flurry of M&A activity is likely to
industry leadership”.
technology relates to the cloud.
be the minimum expectation for
continue, is it worth gazing into the
Indeed, in 2015 we saw barely
broadcasters looking to keep
crystal ball and trying to predict a
Timing is everything
a transaction that does not
options open. As one executive
little what the year ahead might
Scratch beneath the surface and
allude to the role, impact or
recently mentioned, it’s about
hold? Certainly some of the trends
a chunk of this year’s M&A was just
potential of cloud.
building packets. Discrete solutions
we have seen over the past year
that combine, can be adapted but
seem likely to prevail. Competition
which cumulatively provide what
will intensify, scale will remain
the most attractive path to growth. In 2015 the equity markets have
The stand out deal would be Ericsson’s acquisition of Envivio
been at best awkward and in some cases downright unfriendly. Faced with the summer slump in media stocks and uncertainty in China, more than one IPO has pulled back at the eleventh hour.
important. Questions remain
‘23 per cent of acquisitions are driven by the need for new talent and 20 per cent to enter new business areas and acquire new technology and IP’
At the same time, access to debt
about wider industry impacts, not least the EU’s digital single market and the implications for technology providers. One thing, which comes across from broadcasters and content
remains relatively cheap. In EY’s
owners, is the balance of process
annual survey of media executives,
for $125 million, which completed
broadcasters want, rather than
and strategy. Unquestionably
76 per cent stated optimism about
in October. It allows Ericsson
designing the next, end-to-end
embedding decision-making
the availability of credit/debt
Broadcast Services to expand its
legacy. It’s a slow burn but cloud
elements into many of the
contrasting with 52 per cent a year
video compression capabilities with
seems to offer a solution.
technology processes is already an
earlier. In an industry with many
an emphasis on doing so virtually.
smaller players, access to finance is
To some extent this move to
It is therefore no surprise that
evolving part of the tech industry’s
alongside Ericsson’s Envivio
tool kit. One such deal from 2015
currently one of the more attractive
cloud is about the money. A recent
acquisition, this autumn saw similar
was Net Insight’s acquisition of
options. At the start of the year,
joint study between Cisco and IDC
deals as others sought to build
Scheduall. Whether we see similar
start-up 1mainstream launched a
concluded that organisations are
their cloud capabilities, including
transactions in the year ahead
further funding round and
gaining an average of $1.6 million
Amazon Web Services’ deal for
remains to be seen.
secured $5 million from Sky. By
in extra revenue for applications
the end of the year it was sold to
deployed in the cloud. At the
Cisco where its OTT platform
same time, they also achieve
can be further scaled.
$1.2 million in cost savings. That is
The challenge for many smaller
hard to ignore no matter what the
companies in the sector is finding
scale, but it becomes increasingly
the right tipping point. From the
attractive as the broadcast
EY survey of media executives, we
ecosystem increases in complexity.
know that many companies are
Yet cloud is also a strategic
looking to pick off specific assets
question. It is about how
that add technology or talent to
technology companies such as
their existing mix. It was ever thus
Ericsson remain relevant to their
but in an industry that is increasingly
clients. As we all know, broadcast’s
fluid, it seems more important
ultimate end-customer, the
than ever as a way to accelerate
audience, is shifting behaviour. TV
competitive advantage. In the EY
remains the dominant medium but
survey, 23 per cent of acquisitions
its power is not absolute. Facebook
are driven by the need for new
recently announced eight billion
talent and 20 per cent to enter new
daily video views, doubling in less
business areas and acquire new
than six months. Generation Z is
technology and IP. One such deal,
coming of age, they are starting
of many over the past few months,
to graduate university and are not
was Telstra-backed Ooyala’s
troubled to spend their first salary
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
38 TVBEurope
Audio
Time for total immersion? Recent developments, including progress on relevant standards efforts, indicate that 2016 will be the year in which the concept of ‘immersive audio’ begins to achieve mainstream recognition. David Davies reports
of Next Generation Audio – referred to as the TS 101 154 specification and incorporating immersive and object-based capabilities – is also increasing. Commercial
ndustry buzz around projects
Laboratories and the MPEG-H
well as personalisation (including
requirements for NGA were
such as Dolby Atmos and
Audio Alliance to determine which
enhancements to the control
completed in July, and work on
Fairlight’s 3D audio workspace,
audio subsystem will be included
of dialogue, use of alternate
defining the technical standard
in ATSC 3.0 – the end-result being
audio tracks and other-language
is now underway. A ‘blue book’
I
3DAW, means that ‘immersive’ or enhanced audio techniques have been a hot topic of discussion for several years now. But it is perhaps only in the last six months that incorporation into broadcast workflows has started to seem like a
version of the standard is due
“It seems likely that by 2017 Next Generation Audio production will already have become a mainstream production option” Tim Sheppard, DVB
more imminent prospect.
by the end of 2016, while the ETSI is likely to issue a formal version six months after. Invited to consider how long it might be before NGA is part of daily production workflows,
In no small part, this is due to
Ken McCann, chairman, DVB
the progress being achieved in
what is expected to be the world’s
dialogue), the normalisation of
technical module, AVC (Audio
the relevant standards efforts.
first digital broadcast standard
content loudness and contouring
Visual Content) and Tim Sheppard,
Spring and summer 2015 saw
to support high spatial resolution
of dynamic range. Momentum
chairman, DVB commercial
the ATSC test systems from Dolby
in sound source localisation, as
behind the DVB’s project in support
module, AVC, tell TVBEurope:
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 39
Audio “As with all new technologies it
Tools geared towards making
and guidelines to enable
will take time for NGA to become
immersive audio content
technology vendors to develop
the default; however, we do see
creation more straightforward for
“end-to-end NGA systems”.
an end-to-end ecosystem coming
broadcasters are also beginning
On a broadcast production level,
into place already, and therefore
to come onstream. Take the
“one potential obstacle for the
it seems likely that by 2017 NGA
Jünger Audio MPEG-H Authoring
adoption of immersive audio
production will already have
and Monitoring Unit, which was
is the limited knowledge of the
become a mainstream production
exhibited at the AES Convention
opportunities that immersive
option. Content producers that
in New York. Due to be made
audio offers, so more workshops,
invest early in NGA will be ‘future-
commercially available in 2016,
articles and white papers will
proofed’ while still being able to
the hardware unit will allow
help to spread the news.
achieve backwards compatibility
broadcasters to check the quality
by converting from this production
of immersive audio transmissions,
mooth, painless transition to
format into today’s (non-NGA)
regardless of format, and help
NGA in production, including
distribution formats.”
maintain compliance with existing
the utilisation of audio that
loudness regulations.
is captured by conventional
Vendor vision
“The aim is to enable a s
techniques.”
Adding such a product to
Meanwhile, individual vendors
an OB truck with four small
continue to make progress in
speakers will allow a broadcaster
implications of immersive
spreading the word about the
to contemplate undertaking
audio are still to be answered.
potential of immersive audio
immersive audio production.
Is it something that consumers
solutions. The recent move by
“They won’t need to go out and
will only wish to ‘bother with’ for
streaming service VUDU to offer
buy a whole new console,” says
tent-pole events, or will they
availability of Warner Brothers
Robert Bleidt, division general
become sufficiently enamoured
movies in 4K UHD with both Dolby
manager of Fraunhofer USA Digital
with the idea of ‘personalised’
Atmos and Dolby Vision HDR
Media Technologies, indicating
mixes to make use of them on
appears particularly notable.
that it will be possible for
a daily basis? The fact is that
broadcasters to enter this new
only time will tell.
Stephen Auld, senior manager, broadcast and licensing at Dolby
phase of audio delivery in a
Laboratories, says: “Consumers with
relatively inexpensive fashion.
Dolby Vision-enabled televisions,
Many questions about the
What is beyond doubt is that broadcasters will soon have
But if the standards and
the means at their disposal to
like the VIZIO Reference Series, and
equipment to support immersive
Top to bottom; Peter Poers,
deliver an audio experience to
with Dolby Atmos-enabled home
audio are slowly falling into
Stephen Auld and Tim Sheppard
complement the visual advances
theatre products will be able to
place, then that leaves one
enjoy a variety of entertainment
significant component to be
content through VUDU. Major
addressed: education.
of the 4K/UHD format.
studios including Warner Bros, Sony, Paramount, Lionsgate, Universal,
Skill sets
HBO and Red Bull Media House
While it is arguable that the `
have been strong supporters of
step-change from, say, 5.1 to
bringing content with Dolby Atmos
immersive won’t be as profound `
soundtracks to the home, and
as that from stereo to surround,
we will continue to explore new
further training for sound mixers `
opportunities.”
and recordists will be essential if
More generally, Auld observes that Dolby is registering “increased demand for more immersive,
these new techniques are to reach their full potential. “There will need to be more
lifelike entertainment experiences
education, and it won’t be
anytime, anyplace. As adoption
something that can be handled
of Dolby Atmos increases in
during a [single-day course] for
environments outside the cinema,
example,” says Jünger Audio
such as at home and on the
managing director Peter Poers.
move, we expect to see it applied
Standards bodies will
to different types of content –
inevitably have a fundamental role
including Blu-ray movies, TV shows
to play here. McCann and
and music, and scheduled and
Sheppard confirm that the DVB
on-demand broadcast.”
will provide the specification
e your
Streamlin
VOD
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www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
40 TVBEurope
Audio
Knowing the RF worlds you live in By Bob Boster, president of Clear-Com
complexity that many people in broadcasting are working across national borders where different regulations may come into play, and/or are working in sports or performing arts venues that have their own operational RF
ere at Clear-Com, we spend a substantial
systems, and you have a whole host of
amount of time talking to people about
potential issues to consider.
H
their challenges with the broad array of
For some high profile events, the role of a
wireless equipment they use for broadcasting
wireless frequency co-ordinator has become
and broadcast production: largely in the context
a strategy to ensure that the event and its
of helping them find the right wireless intercom
broadcast coverage happen without a flaw.
solution from our extensive set of choices.
This critical role, which was introduced years
industry approached us about his intention to
From our engagement with broadcasters,
ago by the late Larry Estrin, Clear-Com’s director
mirror a successful event across a number of
resellers, system integration partners and audio
for the Global Rental Group until his untimely
different countries and use the same wireless
consultants over recent years, the consensus
death earlier this autumn, helped prevent RF
intercom solution for each job. Fortunately,
is that the wireless ecosystem, as we know it, is
conflicts across all the relevant and required
given his knowledge of wireless communications
becoming increasingly more complex while the general level of knowledge and applied radio frequency management (RF) expertise within the broadcast industry has not kept pace. As the gap in RF knowledge continues to widen, the industry will witness a greater divide between the knowledgeable and uninformed, and a commensurate differential in outcomes.
and his most recent experience with our
‘As the gap in RF knowledge continues to widen, the industry will witness a greater divide between the knowledgeable and uninformed, and a commensurate differential in outcomes’
The urgency that I dare raise in this article is our
of how the system would work properly in his grand plan. Our technical staff reminded him that he must operate the comms within local wireless regulations and what the operational implications of that were. We kept him out of trouble. We continue to work hard to stay ahead of the
collective acknowledgement for renewed RF
technology and regulatory curve. In designing
training and reinvestment in our own people in the wireless technology category overall.
product, he had enough expertise to conceive
and developing our own wireless intercom wireless systems. While managing this activity
products, our R&D team devote a significant
centrally made sense for large events like the
amount of time and effort to researching and
frequency reallocation – and the associated
NFL Super Bowl or the Olympics, I think purely for
understanding how wireless communications can
governmental regulations – has driven repeated
self-preservation broadcasters should be current
intelligently and effectively mitigate common
and frequent changes of what frequency
on these issues as general areas of concern and,
interference issues that inherently exist in RF
spaces are available for our wireless systems.
critically, should make sure to keep members of
crowded environments. Even with our extensive
Not only do these changes affect microphones,
their technical staff trained on this whole subject.
experience and RF knowledge, the continuous
If you are not convinced, consider this: radio
in-ear monitoring/IFB and intercom, but they
Especially with questions of appropriate
feedback and input from the technical users
also impact camera systems, lighting and
operation of legal systems in adjacent
of our products is a highly crucial process to
camera controls, remote control systems for
frequencies to broadcast equipment, so often
improving wireless solutions for the industry. And
other broadcast related equipment, plus an
we see problematic interference from what
who better to represent your interests than one of
explosion in voice and data systems for personal
are legal and licensed systems being operated
your own technicians or engineers?
use (3G/4G), wireless handheld telephones and
illegally, because the (usually non-broadcast)
localised wireless networks.
entity in question doesn’t understand the limits
and on-going training and education in this
Then we have the factor of which RF schemes
Please make the investment in continued
of their operation. We can only exert our rights
area among your own staff, as well as availing
support in-band co-existence elegantly and
to utilise the few remaining frequencies that
yourselves of industry-led opportunities to
which ones do not, not to mention which
we have access to if both parties know the
educate your local authorities about your
platforms are more likely to bleed interference
technologies in question as well as the law.
RF-based systems and the importance of their
over into adjacent bands. Add in the further
Recently a key intercom consultant from the
contribution to your final broadcast product.
2016 will see an even greater commitment from TVBEurope to cover more of the pressing areas of concern, challenge, and opportunity within our burgeoning marketplace. The biggest change for this year will be the introduction of new sections to enable us to provide greater coverage to specific business areas. Our Workflow section will now be divided into two new sections: Production, and Post Production. We will also be introducing a new Business section to follow the increasing acquisition and investment activity permeating the sector, and are also introducing a dedicated Audio section to bring regular insights and updates from an often overlooked strand of our industry. These new sections will be manned by a team of section editors.
EDITORIAL PLANNER 2016 Issue
Exhibitions present at
Feature
Editorial Close date
Advertising close date
February
• BVE • ISE
• BVE Show issue • Virtualisation
15th January
8th January
March
• CABSAT
• NAB Show Preview • UHD feature
12th February
5th February
April
• NAB • TV Connect
• BVE Review • NAB Show issue
11th March
4th March
• TVBEurope 2020 preview • Euro 2016 live production • Satellite round-up
8th April
1st April
• TVBEurope 2020 preview • RIO 2016 Olympic feature: live production • Visions of the future: the connected world
12th May
5th May
July
• OTT feature • Automation and playout • RIO 2016 Olympic production feature:
10th June
3rd June
August
• IBC thought leadership insight and product preview
12th July
5th July
May
June
• TVBEurope Strategy Week • TVBEurope 2020 Conference • Broadcast Asia
September
• IBC
• IBC 2016 Show issue: thought leadership insight and product showcase
19th August
12th August
October
•TVBAwards
• Audio for broadcast • IBC Best of Show Winners • IP technology
23rd September
16th September
November
• Post-IBC acquisition focus • Remote production
21st October
13th October
December
• Media Asset Management • M&A business review
11th November
4th December
For all advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact the sales team: Europe Ben Ewles: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 bewles@nbmedia.com
Richard Carr: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 rcarr@nbmedia.com
Nicola Pett +44 (0) 20 7354 6000 npett@nbmedia.com
USA Mike Mitchell +1 631 673 0072 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
42 TVBEurope
TVBEverywhere
Beating Amazon and Netflix at their own game Neal Romanek reports from the recent OTT TV World Summit in London
Is there a TV industry anymore? Are broadcasters
“You have to set subscriber expectations
just taxi drivers in an age of Uber?
about how you’ll grow content over time.
Those who doubt that streaming will be the
You’re creating a long-term relationship,”
dominant distribution model of the future tend to
said Hoffmann, who was a co-founder of
be as rare as climate change deniers these days.
eMusic, one of the early downloadable
n November, London’s Millennium Gloucester
Even die-hards have had to finally admit there
music start-ups.
Hotel was packed for the annual OTT TV World
may be a paradigm shift coming as the IP sea
Summit. The event is growing year on year
level rises above their ears. But how to adapt
enough people are thinking about the user
as broadcasters, telcos and content owners
to the change – or better, be part of the
experience – not just the interface, but the whole
come to terms with the new paradigm of
change – is still elusive.
experience. A lot of people get hung up on
I
internet distribution and an on-demand, fully streaming marketplace. Four days of panel discussions and keynote presentations covered a variety of topics on how
The difficulty content owners are now facing is how to transform their business models into
Hoffmann went on to say: “I don’t believe
giving access to content without thinking about the ease of use of accessing that content.”
something that Netflix and Amazon (and Hulu
Hoffmann pointed to content providers
and Vice) are still in the process of inventing.
deliberately making it difficult for customers
both start-ups and established providers should
to unsubscribe as just one way customer
Collaboration with consumers
relationships are eroded. “One of the big
Gene Hoffmann, CEO of Vindicia, emphasised
mistakes made by subscription services – out of
avoid mentioning Amazon and Netflix. The tech
in a summit presentation called ‘Creating a
fear – is making it difficult to cancel. Instead, let
giants were consistently brought up as the
viable subscription supported business model for
those people opt out. But then ask them why,
companies to beat, emulate, or fear. The question
OTT’, that collaboration with consumers is a key
and do your best to address that problem so
that seemed to lurk beneath each panel
survival strategy for OTT content businesses. Gone
they have a reason to come back. If you make
discussion and presentation was what exactly
are the days of a passive audience, waiting to
it difficult for a subscriber to leave, you’ve raised
comprises the TV industry in 2015?
be fed programming.
the stakes for them for resubscribing.”
be improving their OTT offerings. Of course, not a single presentation could
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 43
TVBEverywhere A delegate in the following discussion agreed:
Summit. And that perhaps points out a challenge
decade, fine-tuning your Netflix queue was an
“When a customer leaves us, we don’t think
the entire TV industry is having with the transition
end in itself. You knew you weren’t really going to
of them as leaving us, we think of them as a
to an online world.
customer not paying us right now.”
The big online providers don’t appear to see
watch every episode of Space: 1999, but it was still exciting to know you could if you wanted to:
themselves as being in the TV business, per se.
after you finished Tarkovsky’s The Sacrifice and
Hearts and minds
They are in the business of delivering content,
series six of Ground Force: Garden Rescues.
Hoffman also warned against the dangers of
but delivering it through the means most readily
guarding content too jealously: “The moment
available: in the current case, that happens
older e-commerce brother Amazon. Amazon
you say ‘This content is not going to be
to be IP networks. Getting a product to the
began as an online bookstore, in 1995, like Netflix,
available’, you’re saying ‘We’re fine that it’s
customer in the most reliable and efficient
distributing content using the means available
going to be pirated.’ The dominant subscription
way has been the modus operandi of both
to it: the internet and the post. The company
services will help people find exactly what they
companies since their inception.
didn’t make a profit – and didn’t expect to –
want to watch, and they’ll do it instantly.” The battle to capture new audiences is, like any war, primarily a battle for hearts and minds: an arena Netflix and Amazon have clearly dominated. David Leporini of Viaccess-Orca addressed the OTT Summit on the power of analytics in his presentation, ‘Understanding the mobile consumer’. He underlined how diligently Netflix and Amazon work to reinforce patterns of behaviour, getting users to develop habits. Netflix spends almost half a billion dollars on R&D alone:
Netflix no doubt learnt a lot from watching its
until it was nearly seven years old. The easy user
‘What looks at first like chaotic breakdown, will actually mean freedom and opportunity. If broadcasters can abandon themselves to the brave new world in time, Netflix and Amazon may have to start looking over their shoulders’
interface was key to the Amazon experience, too. Mail order catalogues have been in use since the dawn of retail, but Amazon enabled easy payment and easy delivery. The company wanted to provide consumers with effortless service. The current VoD success of the two companies, and the trail that they’ve blazed, is not a feat of technical superiority, but a natural progression of their focus on customer service, a dogged insistence on deploying content – and a huge amount of it – to consumers as simply and
that’s money spent on learning how to keep
rapidly as possible, while continuously upgrading
viewers signing up and logging on and, once
and refining the service.
they’re signed on, to stay watching. “Netflix tries to get you to automatically
Though some content providers are still passing Reviewing Netflix’s history as a content delivery
through the Kübler-Ross stages of denial, anger,
switch on and launch Netflix and tries to
specialist is instructive. We all know Netflix as a
bargaining, etc, once the ubiquity of a fully
make it as easy as possible to do that.” Leporini
stunning VoD juggernaut, but we often forget the
IP-based content distribution is accepted, the
challenged delegates to rethink how they
first half of its story. Before Netflix took on the TV
possibilities for expanding service, reaching
were building engagement with audiences.
industry, it was busy destroying the home video
new audiences, innovating content and finding
“We need to continuously deploy, and learn.
rental industry. Netflix’s original business plan was
new revenue streams could become quite
How are you creating habits to get people
rent-by-mail DVDs, and without the DVD cases,
exhilarating. What looks at first like chaotic
to use your service?”
making them absurdly easy to move through
breakdown, will actually mean freedom and
the post. The service was speedy. The selection
opportunity.
The e-lephants not in the room
of movies was vast (far more voluminous than its
Though it was impossible to turn around without
current online offerings, which seem meagre in
creation experience under their belts, can
someone citing the strategies of Amazon or
comparison). And the user interface was a treat
abandon themselves to the brave new world
Netflix, in either glowing or disparaging terms, the
to use; a feature Netflix still continuously refines
in time, Netflix and Amazon may have to start
companies themselves were absent from the OTT
to this day. For obsessed movie watchers of last
looking over their shoulders.
If broadcasters, with decades of content
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
44 TVBEurope
TVBEverywhere
Netgem fights for a bigger market share in France The French start-up is adopting new strategies to increase its share of the French market, writes Catherine Wright, while the arrival of Netflix generates greater competition as well as new opportunities
CanalPlay boasts 10,000 and so does Netgem’s Vidéofutur. “We are a niche player but the business is profitable and sustains itself. We decided to launch our own VoD service in France because as a set-top box provider
he launch of Netflix’s SVoD service in
T
did with Bouygues, and typically stays with that
it helped us to understand the technology
France last autumn has forced most of the
challenger for at least a year, then moves on to a
requirements such services require. That was
existing players in the market to redefine
bigger player like Free or Orange for around the
our founders’ vision when they launched
their strategies. Not least Netgem, which is in the
same amount of time and after that opens up to
Netgem as a startup: if you want to find the best
peculiar position of being a competitor of the US
smaller players like us,” he describes.
solutions for a B2B business, you need to be in
giant with its Vidéofutur VoD service but also a
As it stands today, the company’s VoD service
your client’s consumer business yourself. It helps
potential partner, with its set-top box, which it has
in France struggles to compete with the bigger
us to stay innovative when it comes to back-
named la box Vidéofutur. The company already
players in the market, which include, in addition
office technology requirements and software
signed a deal in July with Netflix in Finland,
to newcomer Netflix, more established French
enhancements,” Thévenot explains.
bringing the US SVoD service to Finnish telco
offerings, such as Canal+’s CanalPlay or TF1’s
Helisa’s subscribers through its set-top, as well as
MyTF1VOD. According to the most recent figures
supply one of the better designed and easy to
in Mexico, through telco Totalplay. The company
released by the company, only 75,000 clients in
use set-tops on the market which has helped
claims that a total of 400,000 subscribers in
France have subscribed to its service. A mere
it expand into new territories such as the UK,
Finland and in Mexico can now access Netflix
drop in the ocean compared to Canalplay’s
where it is one of the leaders with its EETV Telco
through its box. The question is whether a similar
700,000 and Netflix’s, which the New York Times
TV box. “We view the French market as a kind
deal is on the cards in France: Netgem has
estimated to be around 510,000 in February and
of laboratory: it is a not a huge business but
made overtures towards the US giant in the
which could amount to 900,000 subscribers by
it helps us to understand what the customer
past, declaring that it was willing and ready to
the end of the year, according to market experts
requirements might be in other countries, as
distribute its service on its box.
Futuresource Consulting. Netflix has until now
well,” Thévenot explains. On a global level,
refused to release any official subscriber figures,
Netgem has recently posted earnings up by
discussions are ongoing but it is unlikely that any
and has merely aknowledged that it was satisfied
four per cent on last year at €60.6 million for the
deal will be brokered in the next few months.
with its French launch. It started off with a low
first nine months of 2015, a growth driven in part
“Netflix has a very clear strategy which it has
content offering of 3,500 videos, but quickly
by the good UK results.
adopted in most of the countries it has entered:
ramped it up to 11,000, one of the largest
it launches its service with a challenger, as it
on the French market.
According to Netgem CEO, Sylvain Thévenot,
The strategy did enable the company to
Having said that, the start-up has not given up the fight to gain more market share for
January 2016 www.tvbeurope.com
TVBEurope 45
TVBEverywhere Vidéofutur in the gaul market. During the spring,
fibre offering over the public cable network,
recently added France 24 and Viacom’s
it launched an EST offering, enabling French
in areas where it has been financed by a mix
BET (Black Entertainment Network) and we
users to download to own 7,000 titles, whether
of private and public money. A real strategic
will add specialist content for kids as well
film or TV series, which are stored on a cloud and
shift, making it more than a set-top box maker
as good cooking channels. We also give
which will remain available for a period of five
and VoD service provider : the company now
access to premium content such as the
years. The user can buy recently released films
provides access to its service as well, competing
Paramount Channel and the Disney
for €12.99, a fairly competitive price on the
with French telcos and cable companies. Priced
Channel,” Thévenot argues.
French market. Consumers can also access
at €40 per month, the service supplies 200Mbitps
that service on their mobile or tablets whether
high-bandwidth access to the internet. The
like Netflix, provides premium content and most
Android or iOS. The EST service complements
subscriber can choose content from a catalogue
importantly sport channels, and would therefore
the existing rental and SVoD service, which is
of 1,000 films, 60 TV channels (mostly digital
attract new subscribers to the Vidéofutur offering,
available for €10 per month.
terrestrial) and can make free phone calls in
are tough. “They see us as a competitor and the
France (mobile and fixed terminals), in addition
price they ask for including their channels in our
France, a very low churn rate and EST is a way to
to having access to the Vidéofutur VoD service.
service is too high,” Thévenot regrets.
increase the value of our service while offering
“The idea is to provide a high-bandwidth service
these loyal customers an additional way to
in areas where the other providers like Orange
months to come. “The arrival of Netflix has
access our content,” Thévenot aknowledges.
and Free don’t yet. It is an opportunity and a
changed the game: Canal + and TF1 seem now
new niche for us,” he states.
a little more open to discussion than they were
“We have a loyal base of subscribers in
Vidéofutur is now also available on Californiabased Roku’s set-top boxes, which have just
He admits that discussions with Canal + which,
But that situation could well be shifting in
The drawback remains the lack of content :
in the past,” he says. But he also points to the
been commercialised in France. “The point is to
compared to Orange’s package which includes
recent launch of Canal +’s Cube OTT set-top.
show that our service can be accessed on any
premium TV channels Bein Sport or Canal +,
“Cube is clearly new competition for us but we
set-top box and therefore widen our customer
Vidéofutur’s 60, mainly terrestrial, TV channels
think our hybrid box which supplies replay, on-
base,” Thévenot indicates. In October 2015 the
could seem a little shabby. “We are in constant
demand , SVoD and EST services is better value
company also launched a very high-bandwidth
discussions to increase that offering. We have
for money,” he concludes.
www.tvbeurope.com January 2016
46 TVBEurope
Data Centre
Half of viewers planned to go OTT for Christmas Paywizard has published the results from its ‘OTT isn’t just for Christmas’ report
owners, although a smaller group, are the most
are most interested in OTT services, and are
likely consumers to watch OTT content and also
almost twice as likely to sign up to an OTT service
the most likely to consider signing up to a new
than older generations. In contrast, only 10 per
OTT service prior to Christmas.
cent of over 55s were planning to subscribe to an
However, traditional TV viewing over Christmas alf of viewers planned to use OTT TV
is not a thing of the past; 80 per cent of people
H
OTT service prior to Christmas. Content seems to be the major draw for
services over the Christmas period,
consumers moving to OTT; 37 per cent of
according to research conducted before
consumers say that they are choosing an OTT
the festive season by Paywizard. Twenty-five per
service because ‘there is a lot of stuff on here
’Games console owners, although a smaller group, are the most likely customers to watch OTT content’
cent of those surveyed were already subscribing to a paid OTT TV service, an additional 27 per cent planned to start a subscription in the run up to Christmas. This rises to 40 per cent of those
that I want to watch!’ and a quarter are planning to sign up because they want to watch a specific series or film. However, signing up before Christmas does
aged 25-34, the age range which also formed
not necessarily mean consumers will stay loyal
the largest group of existing subscribers.
into the new year. Forty per cent of planned
Paywizard also examined geographical
subscribers intend to cancel their subscription
differences; almost a quarter of those surveyed in
said they were planning on using a traditional TV
within three months, perhaps having taken
the US said they were planning on subscribing to
set as their main screen for consuming content.
advantage of discounted initial subscriptions and
Netflix prior to Christmas, and in Brazil this number
This is likely due to more family-orientated
Black Friday offers. A quarter of both existing and
was even higher, with 44 per cent planning on
content broadcast over the period, and the
planned subscribers cancel their subscription
signing up.
increased amount of leisure time family and
because ‘it’s too expensive’, and 21 per cent
friends share during this time.
of planned subscribers are essentially acting as
When it comes to how consumers will watch paid OTT services over Christmas, mobile devices
Christmas is a huge opportunity for operators
service testers, saying they either only want to
were the most popular choice, with laptops,
to grow their subscriber base; according to
subscribe over Christmas, will leave when they
tablets and smartphones accounting for 66 per
Paywizard, more than half of the Christmas OTT
finish watching specific content, or will start an
cent of Christmas TV viewing. Games console
viewers will be new subscribers. Younger viewers
OTT subscription as a gift.
84%
84%
Consumers in Australia, Germany, US and the UK plan to watch the most TV during Christmas
69%
77%
78%
87%
The traditional TV still stands strong as the device of choice for watching TV over Christmas
6-20+
6-20+
hours
6-20+
hours
hours
20%
8%
19% 9%
12%
30%
33%
3-15
11%
11%
25% 30% 25%
24% 5%
2%
24%
35% 38% 5% 14% 10%
25% 21% 22%
22% 15%
12%
8%
7%
15%
23% 24%
30% 32% 24%
39%
hours
3-10 hours
USA
Australia
Singapore
E
PR OG
RE
S
S O
UK
ORDE M
Brazil
ORDE M
E
PR OG
RE
S
S O
TV/Smart TV
Set Top Box
Laptop
Tablet
Games Console
Mobile
Streaming Box
6-20+ hours
Germany
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