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Business, insight and intelligence for the broadcast media industry

September 2014

Special Report

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TVBEurope 3

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

EDITORIAL Executive Editor - James McKeown james.mckeown@intentmedia.co.uk Acting Editor - Neal Romanek neal.romanek@intentmedia.co.uk Editor, Special Projects - Melanie Dayasena-Lowe melanie.dayasena-lowe@intentmedia.co.uk Staff Writer - Holly Ashford holly.ashford@intentmedia.co.uk Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England +44 207 354 6002 Contributors Mike Clark, Chris Forrester, David Fox, Mark Hill, Dick Hobbs, John Ive, George Jarrett, Heather McLean, Adrian Pennington, Philip Stevens, Reinhard E Wagner Digital Content Manager - Tim Frost Ofﬁce Manager - Lianne Davey Head of Design & Production - Adam Butler Editorial Production Manager - Dawn Boultwood Senior Production Executive - Alistair Taylor Publisher - Steve Connolly steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Sales Manager - Ben Ewles ben.ewles@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Sales Executive - Richard Carr richard.carr@intentmedia.co.uk +44 207 354 6000 Managing Director - Mark Burton US Sales - Michael Mitchell Broadcast Media International, PO Box 44, Greenlawn, New York, NY 11740 mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 (631) 673 0072 Japan and Korea Sales - Sho Harihara Sales & Project, Yukari Media Incorporated sho@yukarimedia.com +81 6 4790 2222 Fax: +81 6 4793 0800

Welcome

A new look

Reﬁning for the future Business, insight and intelligence for the broadcast media industry t’s with great excitement that I welcome you to

on Amsterdam for one of

the September issue of TVBEurope. Hopefully, you

its ﬂagship events. You can

will have already noticed a distinct difference

read the second of our IBC

in the look and feel of the magazine (if only that

previews in this edition, many

it now ﬁts inside your IBC delegate bag), and we

of the stories courtesy of the

took many things into account when drafting the

wonderful IBC Daily editorial

blueprint for the publication you see before you. Of course, we wanted to bring many of our design aspects into line with the evolving and

team, who will be working as hard as ever throughout this year’s halls. The main thrust for September focuses on OTT

expanding industry around us, but we wanted to

multiscreen, as we gather insight on the current

do so in a manner that accurately reﬂects both the

challenges, monetisation models, and the impact

current progress being made in the industry and

that developments in technology and demand

its future aspirations without stepping away from

could have on the OTT multiscreen experience of

the quality principles that have stood us in good

the future.

Circulation Intent Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough, LE16 9EF, UK

stead down the years. That means no change

We are also joined by Ericsson in bringing you

for change’s sake; our goal with this upgrade is

a 4K supplement that continues our examination

Free subscriptions tvbe.subscriptions@c-cms.com Subscriptions Tel +44 1580 883848

to reﬁne what we do, and we will always seek to

of the UHD movement, expanding on the themes

improve our output in all areas.

and issues so eloquently brought to life at this year’s

On a personal note I’d just like to offer my thanks to all of the people behind the scenes here TVBEurope is published 12 times a year by Intent Media London, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London, N1 8LN, England Intent Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association

© Intent Media 2014. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the copyright owners. TVB Europe is mailed to qualiﬁed persons residing on the European continent. Subscription is free. Allow 8 weeks for new subscriptions and change of address delivery. Send subscription inquiries to: Subscription Dept, Intent Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough LE16 7BR, England. ISSN 1461-4197

Printing by Pensord Press, Tram Road, Pontllanfraith, Blackwood NP12 2YA

Beyond HD conference. Finally, the nominations for the ﬁrst ever

at TVBEurope who have played integral parts in

TVBAwards are in, the shortlist drawn up, and our

this process, in particular the design team who

esteemed panel of judges informed. You can

have managed to turn around a full redesign

read who managed to make the shortlist on page

during the busiest period in their calendar. It’s a

86 of this issue.

fantastic achievement, and gives us a ﬂexible

I sincerely hope you enjoy this edition of

template to continue our evolving process of

TVBEurope, and more than ever, I look forward to

reﬁnement well into the future.

your feedback.

Many of you will be reading this issue at IBC2014, where once again the industry has descended

James McKeown Executive Editor

4 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

In this issue

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

This issue’s special report offers a series of exclusive insights into the world of OTT services and technology, painting a picture of the current and potential future landscape for multiscreen development, consumption and monetisation

4K Supplement

Ericsson joins us to bring you the second in our series of 4K supplements that continues our examination of the UHD movement, and expands on the themes and issues so eloquently brought to life at this year’s Beyond HD conference

6-13 Opinion & Analysis

59 Feature

Aaron Matthews, industry sustainability manager at BAFTA, offers his insight into sustainability in broadcast

Melanie Dayasena-Lowe visits Streamhub to discover its origins and plans for the media industry

63-77 IBC2014 Preview The September edition is our IBC2014 show issue, and the TVBEurope and IBC Daily team of writers bring you all the latest news and releases being announced in Amsterdam

Workﬂow

The promise of complete IP-based production is here. So how long is it worth sticking with SDI, particularly if you want to broadcast in 4K? Adrian Pennington reports

40 Feature

80 – 86 Quality Control Forum

George Jarrett talks to Quantel CEO Ray Cross about acquiring Snell, the chances of a second acquisition before NAB 2015, and the growing importance of technology partners

We return to the issue of automated quality control for this month’s Forum. Philip Stevens moderates the discussion between some of the major players in the field

54 Feature

88 Data Centre

Neal Romanek interviews Winston Bond, European technical manager at ARXAN Technologies

Nicolas Bourdon, SVP marketing at EVS explores how FIFA TV’s World Cup broke streaming records

6 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Opinion & Analysis and will include three games. The UK price has not yet been announced. The US version will also offer access to Sony’s game-streaming service, PlayStation Now, which will be coming to Europe and the UK in 2015.

Content Everywhere round up

Mobile media revenue to reach $380 billion by 2018 Strategy Analytics’ Global Mobile Media Forecast: 2001-2018 predicts spending on consumer mobile media services consumed via the handset will rise from just above $236 billion in 2013 to approach $380 billion by 2018. Excluding tablet spend, this includes handset browsing, mobile applications, mobile games, mobile music, mobile video, mobile TV, ringtones, wallpapers and alerts.

Melanie Dayasena-Lowe rounds up the latest Content Everywhere news, including second screen TV ‘brand effect’, the release of Sony’s PlayStation TV, and the forecasted growth in mobile media revenue to $380 billion by 2018

Mobile operators will remain the principle beneﬁciaries with spending on mobile data accounting for over $254 billion, or 67.3 per cent, of total mobile media revenue by 2018. In advanced mobile media regions, such as

new study by Nielsen has reported that

today’s household. In order to ensure getting the

North America and Western Europe, demand

exposure to TV advertisements seen

in-home consumer’s attention, brands have to

for web browsing, games, apps and social

on both television and the Viggle app

distribute their messaging on both the TV and

media services will continue to drive mobile data

the mobile device.”

adoption, enabled by the growing installed base

resulted in higher brand recall. The ‘Brand Effect

of media-centric smartphones. Nitesh Patel,

Study’, commissioned by Viggle, concluded

director of the Wireless Media Strategies research

purchase intent were higher for a campaign that

Sony releases launch dates for PlayStation TV in US and Europe

took place in May, as a result of a TV advertising

Sony has conﬁrmed autumn launch dates

appetite for browsing the internet, social media,

buy being extended to Viggle’s platform.

for its PlayStation TV device in the US, UK and

apps, games and consuming rich media content

Europe. Available in Japan since last year,

like video and music on their mobile phones

establishes a second screen media presence

the console is the ﬁrm’s effort to take on other

shows no sign of abating. However, we expect

via the Viggle platform in conjunction with its

streaming TV devices such as Apple TV and Roku.

less mature mobile markets, where large portions

TV spend, it drives higher awareness, stronger

Sony’s offering will allow gamers access to the

of users have basic or feature phones and remain

message recall and greater purchase intent

PlayStation games library via Remote Play,

served by 2G networks, to exhibit the strongest

among its key consumers,” said Kevin Arrix, chief

and it will also offer access to third-party

growth in mobile media revenue.”

revenue ofﬁcer of Viggle.

applications such as Netﬂix.

that brand and message recall, likeability, and

“This study demonstrates that when a brand

“Furthermore, while we address this as ‘second

The consoles will go on sale in the US on

programme, noted, “Across all regions, consumer

Mobile advertising will become an increasingly important revenue stream, more than doubling to

screen’, it’s worth noting that mobile device

14 October and in Europe on 14 November. They

approach $41 billion by 2018, and accounting for

usage, while the television is on, is de facto in

will cost $99 (€74) in the US and €99 in Europe,

nearly 11 per cent of mobile media revenue.

8 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Opinion & Analysis

Access all areas ever-increasing provision targets as channels are

Access services provision across multiple channels makes absolute sense, writes Andrew Lambourne, business development director at Screen Systems

licensed. The wording of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive of 2010 is clear: “Member States shall encourage media service providers under their jurisdiction to ensure that their services are

he last ten years have seen an ever-

platform providers and consumer or IT electronics

gradually made accessible to people with a visual

increasing range of content distribution

manufacturers as they target more eyeballs in

or hearing disability.” However, the regulatory touch

platforms delivering ever-higher content

more ways on more devices.

is still light. In the UK, for example, live web streams of

resolution. We more or less take it for granted,

Just imagine for a second, though, if the

broadcast programmes are subject to the access

and perhaps forget that in the early days of HD,

delivery of audio at the higher resolutions and

services requirements of television services, whereas

the conundrum ‘no content, so no sets sold, so

across the new platforms and devices had

on-demand content is not subject to statutory

no content’ was seen as a major hurdle. Regular

somehow been neglected – better pictures

regulation in the same way. It then falls to voluntary

HDTV broadcasting in Europe started in 2004 with

could reach more and more people on an ever

provision, which in the UK is stimulated by the

Belgium’s HD1 in an effort to break this impasse.

increasing range of connected devices, but the

Authority for TV On Demand, or ATVOD.

Similar barriers to adoption occurred subsequently

audio was missing or unreliable. No new services

with efforts to stimulate interest in 3D broadcasts,

would take off until the problems had been

the buck is being passed between platform

which appear to have failed, at least for now.

rectiﬁed, and ﬁnancial clout would be brought

operators and content providers regarding

Most recently, Ultra High Deﬁnition represents the

to bear to solve the issue. Yet the industry has by

who has responsibility for ensuring that access

next way to tempt consumers to part with cash.

and large ignored the fact that the technology

services are delivered. Few new services were

to deliver subtitles across the new platforms has

introduced during the preceding 12 months, with

increased platform spread, and the breakout

not kept up with the dash for delivery divergence,

issues such as operational or technical difﬁculty,

from broadcast to broadband – which

and accessibility is still very much hit and miss.

and cost, being offered as ‘obstacles’. A cynic

In parallel with increased resolution is

accompanied the advent of digital TV – that

One cannot pretend that subtitles don’t matter

In its 2013 report, ATVOD highlights that

might argue that this is clear evidence that self-

heralded the start of a revolution which has yet

or don’t exist: they have been a legislated-for part

regulation is not going to work: indeed, lobby

to reach a conclusion. Greater reach delivers

of broadcast content at European Parliament

groups are pressing for regulation in this area of

commercial opportunities to content producers,

level, with Member States encouraged to apply

content delivery, and government may consider this if voluntary progress is not made. The barrier of technological difﬁculty can, however, be removed and voluntary adoption of available solutions will reduce the chance that regulation will be eventually applied to mandate it, which the industry might be glad of. As far as production of subtitles is concerned, much of the recent development work by companies such as Screen has been to facilitate re-use across different technical platforms. This minimises on-costs: once subtitles have been prepared for given content, they can be repurposed for broadcast or streaming or VoD as required. So the cost-effectiveness of the already minimal additional cost of producing subtitles – a fraction of a percent of content production costs – is increased the more platforms are addressed. So, cost cannot really be cited as a barrier. Ultimately, the true value in access services is in the delivery of additional audience – not just people with hearing impairment, but also those who use subtitles to assist with language learning. In a world where eyeballs count, access services provision makes absolute sense across as many platforms as possible.

10 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Opinion & Analysis

The state of sustainability devices our audiences are using too, and

Following our leading article on the subject in last month’s issue, Aaron Matthews, BAFTA’s industry sustainability manager, offers his insight into the state of sustainability in the broadcast sector

it is time for a game change. This matters to the broadcast industry because it matters to everyone, but our industry faces some rather unique challenges. Things have

he ice caps are melting and it might cost

action are likely to impact heavily on our

started to change, however, and production is

you your job, but don’t despair for two

economy, food supply and resource availability,

spearheading the movement. BAFTA’s Albert

good reasons: ﬁrstly, nothing gets done

leaving immediate action the only sensible

Consortium (a group of broadcasters and

when people are in panic mode; and secondly,

option remaining. A rather heavy start, but I hope

content producers committed to developing

we still have a 20-year window to carry out the

helpful, to be brutally frank.

and championing best practice) is deﬁning

necessary action. Collectively, we must rise to

exactly what sustainable production looks like

the challenge; any individual who thinks they

Game change

and putting it into practice: low energy lighting,

may somehow be immune from the issue is,

As a general consumer, our food miles are

low carbon generators, set up-cycling and

at best, ill advised.

decreasing, our packaging shrinking, our recycling

efﬁcient transportation. Productions that make

rates rising and our compost, well, composting;

the grade will proudly display a badge in

we are told both of the costs of dealing with

the broadcast industry is encouraging users to

their end credits carrying the name of the

consequences of a changed UK climate and the

consume higher resolution content on demand

certiﬁcation project, albert+.

ﬁnancial burden of trying to do something about

– a power-intensive broadcast method. Add into

it – a paradox where both inaction and delayed

the mix the impact of production and the

In a recent report by PricewaterhouseCoopers,

I have worked for this consortium for two of its three-year history and, under the watch of

12 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Opinion & Analysis BAFTA’s independent chairmanship, have had

Delivery

room for improvement. With 100 per cent renewable

the pleasure of watching the group grow from 12

The next challenge is how we get our content to

energy deals scarce and costly, perhaps there is a

to 15 members. There are neither group carbon

our audiences. It seems certain that the ‘mast on a

way we can cooperate as an industry, collaborating

targets nor pledges from individual organisations;

hill’ approach is not the direction we are moving in,

to gain sufﬁcient purchasing power to make cheap,

we operate with a project plan focusing on

despite it being the most efﬁcient way to do things.

clean power a viable option.

engagement, training, communication and tools, and a commitment to ﬁnding the solutions we need. This is ground-breaking work for a fast-paced and resource hungry industry but in most cases akin to the type of sustainability that we undertake daily in our own homes. The rest of the industry requires a rather more

“The task ahead of us is achievable yet truly enormous and will only be possible with almost unfathomable enthusiasm and collaboration.”

Selling the sustainability story The ﬁnal area that is surely worthy of attention is how we convey sustainability editorially – placing electric vehicles in soaps, helping to debunk the last bastions of unfounded public scepticism or selling a vision of a sustainable future as exciting, aspirational

specialist approach, so perhaps little surprise that

and desirable. We are an industry that has made a

distribution and broadcast have been a little late to

living on the ability to sell a good story. Fortunately,

the table. Starting with TV sets, these contribute to

we have some of the most creative, imaginative

the 50 million tonnes of e-waste that end up in landﬁll

As we push more of our content through data

every year in the UK. I use that term ‘waste’ loosely

centres (often those in the UK rather than naturally

and innovative minds to make all of this a reality. The task ahead of us is achievable yet truly

here as there is more gold in a tonne of e-waste

cooled ones in cooler climes), the energy impact

enormous and will only be possible with almost

than in a tonne of gold ore itself. What we need to

rises signiﬁcantly. It is foolish to think we might be able

unfathomable enthusiasm and collaboration.

embed are principals of circularity – electing to build

to hold back the ‘on demand’ tide; we’re almost

The aim of this article has been to lay down the

our devices with their end of life in mind. Whether

a decade late to reinvent that wheel. Instead, we

gauntlet for positive change and provide some

replaced entirely or upgraded one component at a

must focus our attention on our energy provision.

context to the current state of play; I hope you’re

time, such devices can be deconstructed and their

Currently, 15 per cent of the UK energy market is

up for the challenge.

components entirely recycled or re-used. Roll on the

from renewable sources, a ﬁgure that has doubled

You can follow Aaron Matthews on

circular economy 8K TV.

over the last four years, but one that still leaves much

Twitter @enviroARMy.

TVBEurope 13

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Opinion & Analysis

The

greening of Europe Passenger transport Equipment Post production Transport of goods Hotels Meals Energy consumption Self-produced energy Heating

not a single standard calculator for industry use, the report emphasised that, however individual

fundamental to the process, otherwise there is no

measure for continual improvement.” 9%

Effective information and education was seen 38%

as a top priority. Productions should underline to staff and crews that sustainability strategy

15%

used of carbon calculators. Although there is

carbon emissions was “absolutely the key and

his year’s Cannes Film Festival saw the launch of a report, Sustainability in

Best Practice seminars. The report advocated the

ﬁlm commissions decided to measure it, tracking

1% 1% 1%

Neal Romanek looks into Green Regio’s report into the state of sustainable ﬁlm and TV production

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein’s

originates from top management and that 26%

Vision: Emerging Film and TV Practices

green production is a serious ambition of the production or funder. A Green Production Memo

& Methodologies in Europe’s Regions,

drawn up and distributed at the same time as

commissioned by Green Regio, a sub-group of

contracts are issued could ensure everyone is

Cine-Regio, the European network of regional

The case studies represented a diversity of

ﬁlm funds. Sustainability in Vision was prepared

efforts at sustainable production practices

in collaboration with Greenshoot, the UK’s top

and included feature ﬁlm productions (Wales’

determiner of green impact. “In terms of what is

environmental and sustainability consultancy for

Another Me), TV series (Sweden’s The Bridge 2),

perceived as the most sustainable approach from

the ﬁlm industry, and was edited by Greenshoot’s

facilities (UK’s Maidstone Studios) and industry

a carbon modelling perspective, studio ﬁlming will

Paul Evans and Melanie Dicks. The report offers

analysis (Flanders Audiovisual Fund’s e-Mission

always win over location shooting in terms of best

eight case studies from Cine-Regio members across

project). Due to the variety of examples

environmental practice.”

Europe, attempting to present an in-depth cross-

submitted, speciﬁc comparisons across the

section of sustainability practices.

cases presented a challenge. Each case

the media industries had in promoting

study concluded with recommendations on

sustainable behaviour: “What differentiates the

improvements for each speciﬁc instance.

European audio-visual sector from the European

Greenshoot undertook four of the case studies, with Sweden’s Film i Väst and Film i Skåne, Fﬁlm Cymru Wales and England’s Screen South.

The report’s general recommendations for

onboard from the start of the production. Choice of shooting location was also seen as a

The report recognised the special responsibility

economy in general is the profound impact

Four more case studies were provided by the

the industry included increasing sustainability

that the industry exercises on the development

Filmförderung Hamburg Schleswig-Holstein,

training and education, citing efforts like the PACA

of societies when it comes to democracy and

Flanders Audiovisual Fund, PACA France, and

region’s green-led training programmes aimed at

pluralism, culture and heritage, education and

Wallimage-Bruxellimage.

technicians and production decision-makers, and

employment, and health and safety.”

TVBEurope 15

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Workﬂow

SDI is history

UHD was trialled over DTT and IP from Brazil and Glasgow sports events by the BBC

as IP enters the space race The promise of complete IP-based production is here, so for how long is it worth sticking with SDI, particularly if you want to broadcast UHD? Adrian Pennington reports

istorically, Internet Protocol (IP) has been

While some argue that SDI – the serial digital

pervasive in the broadcast world for

interface – protects broadcast business

non-realtime ﬁle transfers or end device

investments and is a proven technology, others

Sony has stated its intent to add IP connectivity to its production products

streaming, but the demands of TV production

think it is an anchor that slows progress and

seemed beyond its capabilities. However,

keeps costs artiﬁcially high. So must SDI die? Is

increased bit rates for HD and UHD, the move

this a case of when, not if? And what will be the

towards commoditisation and technology

drivers and business cases? Those in favour of

change has put pressure on conventional

not throwing SDI out wholesale maintain that it

While SDI has already been eliminated for most

interconnects such as SDI and HD-SDI. The

is comparatively simple, well understood and

ofﬂine, batch-based workﬂows and non-linear

technology is now there for broadcasters to

secure. “Getting rid of SDI will mean completely

editing, in live television SDI is still going strong. There’s

build end-to-end transmission, production

redeﬁning the whole value chain of the media

also a security issue: media as data is arguably more

and distribution chains using IP technologies,

industry,” says Bruce Devlin, CTO AmberFin (part

prone to hacking. In a big IT infrastructure, you may

extending virtualisation out of the data

of Dalet). “At almost every point in the chain

not know that data is being copied illicitly until it is

centre and into the ﬁeld.

where we have to be realtime, you’ll still ﬁnd SDI.”

too late. Consequently, Devlin feels the decision to

16 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Workﬂow move to IP is less a technical decision

add IP connectivity to its production

than it is a business risk decision.

products including F55 cameras

Yet there is a pressing need

within the year. Other vendors like

for more ﬂexibility. Encouraged

Grass Valley have also made IP

by consumer trends for more

core to its future outside broadcast

electronic devices, everything from

products but as it stands today there

screen sizes to formats, pictures

are no 4K cameras available for a

and audio is being revolutionised.

like-for-like outside broadcast.

Current TV structures in the

You can certainly make it work, as

production environment are not

Sony has proven at a range of events

geared up for these changes.

from War Horse live at the National

“We need an infrastructure that is

Theatre to Papal canonisations and

more format agnostic, to cope with

World Cup matches in Brazil, but

both current and future formats,”

OB suppliers and broadcasters are

argues John Ive, director of business

withholding investment.

development and technology,

With no purpose-built live 4K

IABM. “An IT infrastructure would

cameras, UHD live tests to date

offer the adaptability needed to

have adopted a workﬂow around

cope with new formats, and it is

using a quad 3G-SDI connection.

scalable to allow increased storage.

This has a number of inherent

A growing number of channels

problems such as the difﬁculty in

and resources can be adapted

keeping signals in sync with one

according to requirements.”

another and the sheer number

Another point: if you want to

and weight of cables. The

move any services to the cloud

number of connection points is

you have to go IP. There is no SDI

multiplied, increasing the points of

in the cloud. And once in the

possible failure. In high availability

IP domain the location of your

applications such as live sport, any

infrastructure becomes secondary.

outage is serious. From production

IP simpliﬁes disaster recovery and

switcher to router or server, the

outsourcing, making them easier

use of quad 3G-SDI quarters the

and cheaper than ever.

density of the products installed.

SDI must die is symbolic of the

A conventional 20 camera HD live

move away from proprietary black

event would be extremely tricky in

boxes towards open, commodity

4K given the volume and cost of

IT-based solutions. Or, more to the

equipment involved.

point, from hardware to software. While broadcasters don’t have a

“Using 3G-SDI connections as a crutch to bridge the intervening

standard to be able to broadcast

time period is a joke at best,” says

UHD, the ﬂexibility of the IT

Joe Weigner, CTO, Cinergy.

environment has allowed companies

“There are a number of

like Netﬂix and YouTube to distribute

open questions as to what the

4K content over the internet.

future holds in terms of the next generation SDI or HD-SDI,” says

The missing link

Ive. “Although the early trials of

A key motivation for broadcasters

UHD have involved using multiple

to move to IP technology sooner

cables, this is untenable for

rather than later is the UHD

mainstream use. It is too complex

production of live events. The

for real world situations, which is

missing link in the SDI to IP evolution

why a simpler, single cable solution

are IP-enabled cameras.

has to be found.”

While two thirds of the cameras

The answer of course is to

for recorded content on the

move to IP, but outside of a few

market are capable of shooting 4K

cutting edge greenﬁeld builds, at

(Futuresource Consulting), when

ESPN in the US, for example, this

it comes to live the issue is very

infrastructure is rare. The BBC’s

different. Sony has stated its intent to

ground-breaking UHD over IP test

TVBEurope 17

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

[Picture credit: BBC R&D

Workﬂow from the Commonwealth Games illustrates the issue. It tested a complete IP production circuit from lens to display but with one missing link: in the absence of IP-connected cameras it had to begin with conventional 3G-SDI. Futuresource puts mainstream adoption of IP production tech at two years out at the earliest. “This will be no impediment to early adopters of UHD,” suggests the analyst’s head of broadcast equipment, Adam Cox, who expects the ﬁrst European pay-TV 4K services to launch mid-2015. “They will take an initial hit and use the quad 4K solution,” he says. “Pay-TV operators have an imperative to keep their content relevant and in mature markets like the UK such a move [to 4K] would be more about reducing churn.” The BBC is among those hedging its bets with

At the Commonwealth Games, the BBC went with an all IP UHD live production using a suite of BBC R&D-built prototypes

tests of a hybrid broadcast infrastructure over IP and DTT. It made the first of these in 4K by taking the feed of three matches from the Brazil World Cup finals over satellite and into a UK fibre optic

At the Glasgow Games, though, the BBC went

size of screen is a fraction of full screen Ultra HD.

network, and set off via over-the-air transmitters,

a step further with an all IP UHD live production

So, IP Studio will create a set of streams. It will be

performing the same test at the Commonwealth

using a suite of BBC R&D-built prototypes

4K in and on the network, but there will also be

Games from Glasgow.

including an IP-conversion unit, IP-vision mixer,

an HD feed and a sub-HD proxy so that content

and IP monitor stack. Crucially, BBC R&D needs

is suitable for different devices. Working in IP

Hybrid IP and DTT infrastructure

the IP Studio system to work in multiple resolutions.

Studio, production staff can access any of

“By experimenting with both routes, we can bring to

“Although the source media is 4K, one of the

those streams.” For example, if a producer

life our vision of a hybrid distribution infrastructure,”

things we want to do is provide the right form of

is working from a tablet in order to make

explained BBC CTO Matthew Postgate. “The

media to particular production devices,” said Phil

ﬁrst assembly edits, they will require a lower

strength of DTT is that it is able to reach many users

Tudor, principal technician on the project. “It’s

resolution preview suitable for a smaller screen

concurrently. Equally, an IP route might be more

not always appropriate to send a 4K signal to a

and once the edit decision is made, it is pushed

suited to on demand delivery.”

multiviewer, for example, or a tablet where the

back into the system and the 4K signal is cut

18 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Workﬂow in a corresponding way. The ability to assign production staff in different locations – or a central studio – is one cost-saving beneﬁt of live IP production. Another is the capacity to

Standards challenges

produce more content, which the BBC has long

SMPTE is working on standards to replace or

be seen how successful ﬁbre will be as a

desired to do but is constrained by the cost of

extend SDI up to UHD, however there are a

replacement for cable.

additional satellite uplink space.

number of issues. Firstly, the time it is taking to

These are well-worked arguments and it

“One alternative is a more network based

develop those standards, when the industry

approach,” says John Ive. “We are already

remains to be seen if the economics of scale of

requirement is for a workable solution sooner

seeing 10Gb and 40Gb networks and even

migration to IP are borne out. More intriguing

rather than later. Secondly, a single copper

faster ones are being progressed. It’s a race

are the long-term ideas the BBC has for what it

cable has been used in terms of HD-SDI,

to see which potential solution will come up

terms this ‘future IP-based broadcast system’.

but when it comes to the higher bandwidth

ﬁrst. Clearly, if we go down the network route

Its R&D teams are exploring what it means if

associated with UHD, there is a big question

it means a much more radical change in

a programme could be broken down into its

mark over whether or not the copper cable

infrastructure and design, so this is an option

constituent parts. When all of the programme

lengths will be satisfactory for infrastructure-

for the longer term. In the meantime, a

information is sourced as data, it can be

type operations. As an alternative, the use

derivative of SDI seems to be the only viable

processed independently, viewed as separate

of ﬁbre is being explored but it remains to

alternative for an interim solution.”

or linked sets of assets and assembled to create new forms of media.

For the IP revolution to take place though, a

to be self-conﬁguring and easy to use. Rival

number of things have to align. The products

standards have to be uniﬁed or disappear. That

mean tuning content in the background

for replacing SDI, only just coming to market at

is where the developments will be taking place

according to the viewing context (display, social

IBC2014, will have to mature and come down in

in the near future: understanding exactly what

feeds, environment) or it could allow greater

price. They will have to be as simple as plugging

broadcasters need from the technology and

personalisation or even new forms of storytelling.

a BNC into the back of a camera. Systems have

making sure it is delivered simply.

In practice, the BBC theorises, this might

20 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Workﬂow

The Croatian challenge Philip Stevens talks to the Croatian public broadcaster about its restructuring and signiﬁcant investment to bring HD to the country

Within 12 months, the output of HRT channels will be upgraded to HD

roatian Radio-Television, usually

scattered population. Beyond that, 13 radio

Meeting the new demands

shortened to HRT (Hrvatska

channels are broadcast, three with national

In 2013, the then newly-elected management

Radiotelevizija), is a public broadcaster

coverage, eight with regional and local coverage

board initiated a restructuring process involving

and one for an international audience.

organisational, ﬁnancial, personnel, as well as

based in the capital, Zagreb. HRT started as Radio Zagreb with the ﬁrst live broadcasting service launched on 15 May, 1926. Thirty years later, the radio broadcasting service was

Annually, HRT produces 28,000 hours of TV content and 105,000 hours of radio content. Apart from Zagreb, HRT owns and manages

technological changes. “In today’s liberalised media market, with the emerging of new production and distribution technologies,

complemented with the television broadcasting

a very diverse network of regional and local

changes in media regulation, convergence of

service by Television Zagreb.

production sites across Croatia. There are eight

IT and broadcast technologies, broadcasters

major locations situated in Rijeka, Split, Osijek,

are facing many challenges,” explains Goran

distributes four television channels, which are

Zadar, Knin, Dubrovnik, Pula and Bjelovar, plus 14

Gvozden, HRT’s director of integrated media

accessible via DTT, IPTV, cable, satellite and OTT

smaller sites across the country. HRT also operates

operations. “In order to fulﬁl our role as a public

platforms. In addition, an international satellite

four international correspondent ofﬁces situated

broadcaster, we needed to create a more

channel is used to serve the needs of Croatia’s

in Washington, Brussels, Mostar and Sarajevo.

productive environment.”

Today, almost 90 years later, HRT produces and

He continues, “The major TV and radio production sites are currently separated, each in their own building, with their own technical infrastructure and technical and administration crew. However, our plans call for those facilities to be moved and merged, and then become equipped and prepared for integrated media production. The process of integration of television and radio technical facilities should be completed by the end of 2014.” But the upgrading of the facilities will continue after that integration is complete. And the financial commitment is considerable. “In 2014 and 2015 HRT will replace outdated equipment, remove the remaining parts of an incoherent and inefficient production environment, and tape workflows,” reveals Gvozden. “So, in order to improve and optimise television and radio production and create a more productive and efficient environment, HRT will invest around €30 million. The investment plan will be carried out in two phases. The first investment phase started this year and the second is planned in 2015.”

22 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Workﬂow Diversity of challenges HRT operates seven production studios at the Zagreb facility. Currently, all studio production is based on SD, however, with the investment in 16 new HD studio cameras, video switchers and audio switchers, HRT will be ready for high deﬁnition studio production in two studios before the end of this year. Next year, the remaining

Goran Gvozden: “At this moment, HRT’s free OTT service Gledaj HRT! has gained more than 30,000 users”

studios should be equipped with HD equipment,

GY-HM650 HD mobile newsgathering camera. “VJs were looking for a light, small and easyto-operate camera capable of simultaneous HiRes and LowRes recording,” states Gvozden. “The crucial advantage is the ability to send the footage via mobile or Wi-Fi connection or provide live streaming directly from the ﬁeld.” The standard ENG crews will be equipped

and by the end of 2015 all within the Zagreb

with Sony PMW-400 and Panasonic AG-HPX600

facility will be producing programmes in HD. “We made HRT’s channels available in HD

being equipped with kits based on the JVC

2/3-type, CMOS, shoulder mount cameras with in Croatia requires involvement of regulatory

wireless connectivity. These cameras will improve

on a trial basis only during major sports events

bodies, network and service operators,

the quality and accelerate newsgathering and

such as the Olympic Games, the football World

equipment manufacturers, as well as other media

production. At the end of August 2014, reporting

Cup and the Euros. However, the major obstacle

organisations. It’s a complex task that should take

from the ﬁeld was reinforced with the new HD

to launching our own full HD service is a lack

into consideration speciﬁcs with regard to market

equipped Ka-Sat DSNG vehicle.

of technological and production resources,

conditions, availability of frequency spectrum,

shortage of native HD content, as well as an

existing transmission technology, future spectrum

ENG and SNG equipment, a tapeless environment

inappropriate existing technical infrastructure.”

demands, and so on.”

will be introduced gradually. News production at

Although the transition to HD has started, there

Gvozden continues, “With the delivery of new VJ,

HRT has been centred on an Avid solution since

are other challenges to overcome. “Besides

Start with newsgathering

2003, when the iNews NRCS was installed. Besides

broadcasters and production companies

So far the ﬁrst investment phase has covered

the NRCS, the Interplay asset management

having the capacity to produce the content,

procurement of newsgathering equipment for

solution has been installed together with ingest

the introduction of full HD broadcasting services

use in the regional sites. Video journalists are

and playout servers, automation control modules

TVBEurope 23

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Workﬂow and other solutions that Avid offers for the news

Morpheus four-channel playout automation and

introduction of cable services. The number of IPTV

production environment.”This part of the upgrade

media management system is planned. Omneon

and cable subscribers is continuously growing,

is expected to be completed by the end of 2014

playout servers will be upgraded with additional

and is taking market share from DTT and satellite.

and will result in improved journalist reporting

decoding cards as well.

and the ability to create stories in the ﬁeld, as

Although HRT has decided that XDCAM will be

Furthermore, there is a signiﬁcant growth of OTT services. In the third quarter of 2013 there were

well as for those in regional production sites. It will

adopted as the news production standard, the

nearly 1.4 million broadband internet access

also mean that isolated tape-based production

broadcast format has yet to be determined.

subscriptions – which amounts to just over 32 per

sites that used microwave contribution links for programme exchange will become integrated parts of HRT’s programme production.

Other technologies “With regard to workﬂow system, Rhozet’s WFS manager combined with Rhozet’s transcoding

cent broadband penetration rate. Compared

“In order to fulﬁl our role as a public broadcaster, we needed to create a more productive environment” Goran Gvozden, HRT

with 2012 the mobile broadband market grew around ten per cent, while ﬁxed increased by ﬁve per cent. “If the average number of household members of three is taken into consideration, then the Croatian market has a huge potential for the introduction of additional

platform is used to partially automate the media

OTT services. To date, HRT’s free OTT service

transcoding, editing, validating and transferring

Gledaj HRT! has gained more than 30,000 users.”

process – at this point only for news production,” explains Gvozden. Chyron Channel Box is used for daily news

With some of the projects implemented, but

Growth of other platforms

still many more to come, how does Gvozden

Gvozden says that it is worth mentioning that

sum up the challenges? “There are numerous

production, but a new graphics solution will

Croatia completed the transition to DTT in 2010,

projects going on simultaneously, so it’s not hard

be purchased and installed before the end of

with the platform based on the DVB-T technology

to imagine what resources – human, ﬁnancial,

the year. Removing tape from the broadcast

and MPEG-2 compression technique. Since the

technical – are necessary to successfully bring this

workﬂow will be completed by the end of

analogue switch-off, DTT penetration has been

to an end. But we will complete the project on

2014 when expansion and activation of Snell’s

decreasing continuously due to IPTV and the

time – and the Croatian viewers will beneﬁt.”

TVBEurope 25

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Workﬂow

Mustard is keen

to show the way

Philip Stevens visits the Norwich TV station that could set the blueprint for future local channels

NewTek’s TriCaster production system forms the core of the Mustard TV operation at the Norwich broadcast facility

n 2011, the UK government’s Culture Secretary

and we liked the name and the many things it

of correspondents in the area who contribute

Jeremy Hunt put forward a proposal that

stands for – something spicy, tasty, sharp and with

stories for the news output. In addition to

would see a network of television stations

a number of varieties. It’s a condiment, something

this output, the channel offers a magazine

established to cater for local communities

to add to make food more interesting. It deﬁnitely

programme, music review and a number

and provide an alternative to the existing

isn’t bland. It is slang for something fantastic. All

of other features centred on the city and

services offered by national and international

qualities we aim for with the channel.”

surrounding area.

broadcasters. One of the locations identiﬁed

The tie-in with the local newspaper operation

in the ﬁrst rollout of these local channels was

was viewed as essential by Ryder when it came

8mx5m green screen studio – the former

Norwich, and in September 2012, Mustard TV was

to making the bid. “The local element of news

photographic facility for the publishing group.

awarded the local licence for the East Anglia

is vital for the success of a local station. And in

“It was the only space that had enough head

city. Broadcasting began in March 2014.

our bid to Ofcom we committed to a certain

room for a lighting grid!” explains Ryder.

Why the name Mustard? Managing director

All the programmes are produced in the

number of hours per week for local bulletins. We

Fiona Ryder provides the answer. “The television

are blessed to have access to some amazing

Switcher is key

operation is part of the Archant publishing group

reporters and journalists who know the city, and

Central to the studio’s operation – indeed the

– owner of several newspapers and magazines –

that makes our task of delivering local news that

workﬂow of the whole transmission chain – is a

and we are based in its headquarters in the city

much easier and very effective.”

NewTek TriCaster 8000 multi-camera production

centre. Jeremiah Colman, of Colman’s Mustard fame, was one of the original founders of Archant,

Alongside the dedicated video journalists who work for Mustard TV, there are a number

system. “When I looked at what we had to achieve and the challenging budget we had,

26 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014 Mustard TV’s green screen studio is clearly seen through the window of the production gallery

Workﬂow I needed a system that enabled us to produce content to a very high broadcast quality at speed without spending a fortune,” explains Ryder. She goes on to say that image quality, the recording of the macros, plus the ability to integrate social media elements, were key in making the decision to purchase the TriCaster 8000. “I did look at other systems, but it came back to our particular workﬂow requirement, and we ended up designing the studio around the

“We liked the name and the many things it stands for - something spicy, tasty, sharp and with a number of varieties” Fiona Ryder, Mustard TV

Ease of use

Three cameras are used in the studio, one JVC

Ryder says that although Ofcom technical standards

600 – which is locked off and ﬁtted with Autocue

are met, there is not the opportunity to quality

for the presenters – and two Panasonic PTZs

control everything that comes into the studio, so the

which are remotely controlled through a panel

output had to be regulated in just one system. “It

in the gallery. The virtual sets – one for each

also had to be quick and easy to learn. We made

programme genre – were designed for Mustard

it part of our bid that we would help those who are

TV by specialist Mike Afford. These virtual studios

starting out in their careers in TV production.”

were built in Cinema 4D Studio and supplied

Ted Stoltz, presentation and scheduling

as a ‘TriCaster-ready’ layered Photoshop

TriCaster so that we could produce a minimum of

manager, takes up the story. “I’ve used other

ﬁle, which was then imported into NewTek’s

an hour and a half of original broadcasting per

systems in the past where you may have several

Virtual Set Editor. “We wanted something quite

day with a total team of 15.”

camera inputs, plus a couple of multimedia

sophisticated,” emphasises Ryder. “Those who

feeds, each of which requires an operator. So,

create quality virtual sets need to understand

provided a demonstration at the premises of

immediately before you send out a picture, you

camera positions, where the lights will be placed

Mustard TV utilising the Canon XF105 cameras

need a couple of cameramen and others – a

and so on. It’s not just a case of loading in

which had been purchased for the self-shooting

team of maybe seven persons.”

some layers.” Each camera position has its own

Before the ﬁnal decision was made, NewTek

video journalists. “Chris Waddington of NewTek

Stoltz says the TriCaster combines that into just

associated virtual backdrop and these can be

has been great and has provided a great deal

one person in one board. “Even for someone

saved within a template on the TriCaster. By

of training for our people here in Norwich. And

with no experience of production systems, the

selecting the appropriate production name –

since the installation he has been back to make

TriCaster operation can be operated conﬁdently

news, for example – each camera output on the

‘tweaks’ to meet our speciﬁc requirements.”

within a week – or two at the most.”

programme and preview buses is automatically associated with the correct background. One important element in the programming of the channel is the integration of social media. Ryder explains, “We wanted to include the ability to include phone conversations and Skype interviews and for a station of our size, that is quite ambitious. That enables us to interact with our community in a way that is quite different.” Graphics for the shows are produced in Adobe PhotoShop and then imported into the TriCaster, while edited material from Adobe Premiere is handled in a similar fashion. All the assets are loaded according to the programme running order, allowing all the media to be stored in one place and instantly available to the director. The system can be conﬁgured to trigger moving graphics or video packages either manually by the director or when the source is taken. Now that the Norwich channel is up and running, and the comparative ease of making live or as-live production with a limited number of personnel and a ‘challenging’ budget, it is anticipated that the operation might well serve as a template for other local station licensees.

28 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

What’s next? This issue’s special report offers a series of exclusive insights into the world of OTT services and technology, painting a picture of the current and potential future landscape for multiscreen development, consumption and monetisation. Thorsten Sauer, head of Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services, opens our report by examining what’s next for OTT

he value of content is undoubtedly the

In a very complex market, where 15 billion

YouTube and Apple TV. As the internet becomes

television industry’s primary asset and it

connected devices will be video enabled, the

an increasingly ubiquitous distribution channel,

is driving the availability of over the top

importance of multi-screen services and platforms

the rise of these new players and the offering of

(OTT) services. From a consumer standpoint, the

will only grow. Today’s entertainment experience

streamed content over unmanaged networks

growth in popularity of OTT services is obvious. It

encompasses a variety of consumer devices,

will only accelerate further. These new industry

is a compelling user proposition: an offering of

ranging from the handheld mobile phone through

players have the competitive capabilities of being

unprecedented choice and more convenient

to a 4K living room TV screen, all of which are

able to break down the barriers to entry around

access to content.

connected and enabling content to be available

connected devices.

anywhere, at any time. Consumers are demanding

The presence of these new entrants has

IP: an industry imperative that will enhance the consumer experience

an inherently ﬂexible, social and more personalised

bolstered the cost of acquiring or producing

TV and video experience. This is creating a number

original content. As more bidders come to the

Ericsson research suggests that by 2020 there will be

of new viewing habits, with sustained higher viewing

fore, traditional broadcasters are being forced

over nine billion people on the planet, with eight

levels throughout the day. The Media Vision 2020

to reassess their business strategies. For instance,

billion having access to IP and mobile broadband.

research suggests that consumer consumption

the worldwide successes of exclusive Netﬂix

IP will become the predominant method of

patterns in advanced markets will shift towards a 50-

productions such as House of Cards and Orange

distribution and will have a long-term impact on

50 split of time spent with on-demand and time-shift

is the New Black have attracted large loyal

the OTT space. One of the key ﬁndings from our

versus linear and live TV within the next six years.

followings and gained worldwide critical acclaim.

Media Vision 2020 project is the assertion that

During Ericsson’s NAB Show Super Session on TV 2020 earlier this year, the session panel moderator,

applicable to all TV service providers and content

Increased competition in the OTT space

owners as a way of reaching consumers. IP offers

In the last decade there has been a dramatic

nScreenMedia, commented that Netﬂix alone has

broadcasters a means to extend the reach to

increase in competition in the TV space, illustrated

grown to 44 million paying subscribers in just seven

consumers outside of the traditional operator

by the growth and inﬂuence of aggregated

years and based on its current growth trajectory,

ecosystems fed by local and national content.

OTT services such as Netﬂix, Hulu, Amazon Prime,

it will have 200 million subscribers by the year 2020.

the delivery of content over the top will become

Colin Dixon, founder and chief analyst of

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

TVBEurope 29

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

“In order to succeed in today’s industry landscape, broadcasters must build the necessary business and technical principles to drive innovation, increase efﬁciency and agility and ensure consumer loyalty.” This is similar to the success Apple achieved in music distribution with iTunes controlling over 63 per cent of the online music market in 2012 (NPD group). Having taken a controlling percentage of the rental market, these new players have the business models and depth of understanding to deliver the necessary services to consumers across a wide range of channels and devices.

Broadcasters can leverage new online opportunities Yet, this industry expansion presents an opportunity for established TV broadcasters. Essentially, they must focus on three speciﬁc

areas: acquiring content, delivering a high

emerging OTT companies will have to invest

quality experience, and maintaining/expanding

heavily in to create and nurture over the coming

service subscription. Traditional broadcasters

years. By increasing the speed of innovation

already hold a very established brand

and adopting a consumer-centric approach,

relationship with the viewer, something that

broadcasters can respond to a new range of

30 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen in-market, to potentially monetise a larger content back catalogue. The optimisation of these networks will be crucial, particularly as video will account for over 50 per cent of all global mobile data traffic by 2019 (Ericsson Mobility Report June 2014). The key, therefore, will be to improve the networks sufficiently in order to carry these larger video files, while also enabling the flexibility to cope with the rate of change in technology.

The importance of outsourced, managed services in tackling the challenges of OTT However, most broadcasters don’t have the scale or infrastructure to adequately address these technical challenges. Outsourced partnerships have become an increasingly popular route for broadcasters, particularly as both OTT technology and the relevant business models are not yet fully mature. Innovation companies, such as Ericsson, can cater for a wide variety of broadcast customers by controlling the entire process from the customer side, all the way through to the delivery of video. By building a broad end-to-end proposition, the right outsourced partner can offer broadcasters and consumer needs by reaching out and creating

online, ofﬂine, linear and non-linear content as part

service providers with a means to consolidate upon

a more personalised relationship. However,

of a natural extension of their existing services. Mixing

their investments and future-proof their technology.

broadcasters will need to continue to evolve as

screens and platforms creates a cumbersome

consumer viewing habits change. One strategic

form of navigation and recommendation for the

differentiator is the element of the live experience.

consumer and poorly integrated technologies and

Ericsson ConsumerLab research indicates that

complex backend systems will always reﬂect badly

linear and scheduled TV is now shifting towards

on the end user experience.

appointment viewing, helping to foster a sense

An integrated experience must span from

“Outsourced partnerships have become an increasingly popular route for broadcasters, particularly as both OTT technology and the relevant business models are not yet fully mature.”

of community. These types of experiences

the navigation of content and incorporate the

embody a deep-rooted and immersive

relevant metadata that will enable the requisite

experience, which can now be extended across

recommendation and search functionality needed

a number of connected, mobile devices. In the

to ﬁnd good, relevant content. Instead of applying

age of the connected consumer, there are a

a broadcast model that works for all, the challenge

number of revenue opportunities to be exploited.

is to ﬁnd an end-to-end process that enables

Advertisers are starting to shift advertising dollars

a personalised video experience. The race to

In order to succeed in today’s industry landscape,

away from TV and onto the web. Earlier this year

become the ultimate aggregator of content is on

broadcasters must build the necessary business

for instance, the Starcom MediaVest Group said it

and it’s an issue that both modern OTT players and

and technical principles to drive innovation,

shifted more than $500 million away from TV over

traditional service providers must address.

increase efﬁciency and agility, and ensure consumer loyalty. By leveraging an ecosystem

the last 12 months, three quarters of which went to online outlets.

Technological developments to enhance OTT delivery

The personalisation of content: the race to become the ultimate aggregator

The industry will see a number of technological

enable a service provision that is highly

developments which will help enable the OTT

targeted and delivers greater insight into

experience in the future, starting with the advent of

end-user consumption patterns.

In order to enable the optimum user experience,

more sophisticated broadband, especially mobile

broadcasters will need to reconsider how they

broadband infrastructure. Enhanced broadband

broadcasters. It’s an area that will transform

approach the OTT market. Their focus, therefore,

capabilities will reduce buffering, transform

the value chain and change the way TV is

must be to concentrate on producing the great

navigation and make the content more accessible

consumed by the viewer.

content they own and using their own non-linear

across a range of devices. Our Media Vision 2020

channels to establish their presence and sustain

research asserts that the complexity of an all-

perceived as a defensive imperative; it’s the

a functional business model. From an operational

connected world will lead to broadcasters aligning

logical next step, which will enable broader

standpoint, they need to ﬁnd new ways to present

with global standards for IP-broadcast hybrid

systems and services to radically improve the

this as an integrated package that brings together

platforms, working alongside pay aggregators

quality of consumer experiences.

that optimises video delivery to a range of connected devices, broadcasters can

Ultimately, non-linear is an opportunity for

An online broadcast presence cannot be

32 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

Leveraging the cloud for hybrid-TV architectures

experience across new and old consumer devices, and exploiting the best of traditional infrastructure and the best of the web, in an economic and scalable manner. There are service features that must remain consistent and common between platforms. Content discovery, recommendations, product packaging, authentication, subscription and policy management, and advertising beneﬁt

By Simon McGrath, general manager, Europe, thePlatform

in which access to content is authenticated

from centralised management and control. A

against subscriber entitlements registered in

hybrid TV architecture does this by supporting the

a pay-TV environment.

best of DVB (S, C or T) integrated with the best of

Both these developments rely on cloud-based video management, web-based software standards, internet delivery, and browser or

online web TV, under the common control of an open video management system. The primary advantages of cloud-based TV

native app-based presentation – a distinct,

architectures are economies of scale, speed

onsumers today expect to watch their

separate architecture to traditional TV delivery,

of innovation and the ability to manage

TV content online – on any device via

with huge beneﬁts of scale, agility and economy.

multiscreen distribution ﬂexibly. A cloud-based

to be able to access this content whenever

events or linear channels at scale is now more

API integrations to EPG and data providers,

and wherever they choose, with a quality of

technologically and economically feasible than

encoding and packaging platforms, advertising

experience traditionally only available on

ever before. Viewing audiences are watching

networks and CDNs, players and devices, as

the main screen.

live events online in growing numbers, a trend

well as a galaxy of other third parties, offers an

we saw with the 2014 Super Bowl, the Sochi

opportunity to consolidate disparate systems.

the internet – but they now expect

Considering the delicate balance of the

Delivering web-based video broadcasting of

video management system, with established

television economy, content owners, TV stations,

Olympics, and recently the FIFA World Cup.

Such a system enables service providers

advertisers, and pay-TV service providers are

Around the globe, viewers accessed these

to manage live linear programming and its

motivated to give the consumer the content

live events on desktop, tablet and mobile

associated metadata to support realtime,

they desire, with the best possible quality, while

devices. The cloud-based architecture used to

dynamic EPG updates for consumption

maintaining their own value chain, making

deliver live content to these alternative screens

by all devices. This allows for search and

advertising more effective, and subscriptions

has profound implications for the delivery of

recommendations from a single source.

more valuable. This has led to the development

traditional TV services to the STB.

Sophisticated commerce features with

of content-led, web-based players and apps, and TV Everywhere – a hybrid environment

The challenge and opportunity lies in providing a consistent and valuable consumption

integrations to payment gateways can easily extend the reach of the service to nonsubscription customers, and present a unique customer attraction and conversion feature. Many of today’s largest pay-TV operators and video subscription services rely on cloud-based video systems that incorporate the best of TV and the web, including: BT’s YouView, Comcast’s X1, Liberty Global’s Horizon TV, Sky TV New Zealand’s cloud-based UI, Telstra’s T-Box, Viaplay’s online subscription service, and others. By leveraging a cloud-based video management system, not only can service providers mirror the full TV experience via broadband, but they can also create more intuitive features across IPconnected STBs, and other devices. And, when cloud systems are engineered to work in parallel with legacy TV systems, leveraging existing infrastructure investments, they provide a clear migration path to an all-IP based architecture. As today’s TV providers continue to revamp their current systems to serve the diversity of devices and manage major live event streams, we see the importance of a more robust system architecture design. Indeed, powerful cloud-based hybrid TV architectures are available now.

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

TVBEurope 33

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

The business of OTT content

Mastering multiscreen By Miles Weaver, product manager of Piksel’s second screen application, 2Si

he last 18 months have been pivotal for the OTT and multiscreen space, and the industry has moved from strength to

strength in terms of public perception, content deals and platform presence. There has been

dominance in the space. The ﬁrst is the straight-

The other side of the coin is what could be called

a fundamental shift in the way that the global

up subscription service, a la Netﬂix. For a monthly

the ‘value add’ model, where a user already has

population consumes video, as connectivity rates

fee, users get access to all the content in a

a subscription with their cable provider, and an OTT

have steadily increased and connected devices

service’s offering to stream (and occasionally

multiscreen offering is made available to them as,

have further penetrated the mainstream.

download), as much as they like. Hulu has also

essentially, a deal sweetener. In 2014, there are few

pioneered this business model with great success,

major cable companies on the planet that would

content itself. From the culmination of Breaking Bad

to the extent that these two companies are

consider putting out an offering without some sort

in the latter half of 2013, rapidly increasing numbers

arguably the two biggest streaming services

of multiscreen solution to stand alongside it – it has

of movies and TV shows have shown up on OTT

in North America.

become something that most users expect to have.

The biggest driver of this change has been

services around the globe. From theatrical movies

However, there are drawbacks to the

Thus, we have the two major models that are

receiving simultaneous releases on iTunes, to Game

subscription model, namely that the services

driving the industry right now, and yet, strangely, a

of Thrones being shown on Sky Go at the same time

that use it are usually independent entities.

great many users seem to be signed up to both of

as airing on linear TV, content has become far more easily and legally available. Users are ﬂocking to services that put the control of ‘when, where and how’ they view at their ﬁngertips. The next big consideration for operators is how best to get their message out and stand apart from the competition when it comes to their multiscreen offering. There are so many offerings in the market right now – how does one set itself apart from another? Piksel believes that any offering needs to put consumer needs at the heart of its pitch. All the technology in the world is useless unless users genuinely want to use it, and as such, focus needs to remain on content and device support. There should be a strong content offering on show, with marquee name titles or cult hits to attract eyeballs, and the widest possible range of devices and operating systems supported. The continuing trend of downloading content for on-the-go viewing also should not be overlooked. Of course, none of this matters if what is on offer isn’t available for a price or in a model that suits the consumer. To this end, we see two major competing models that seem to be vying for

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

TVBEurope 35

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen them; Sky customers with Netﬂix accounts, or AT&T

Having now reached a tipping point in the industry,

existing models. Viewing content may not be

customers that are subscribed to Hulu. Why is that?

when simply providing an OTT/multiscreen offering

suited to such devices, but there are other things

It all comes back to that key issue of content. Want

is not enough, I’ll be most interested to see how

that the micro-feature-focused platform could add

to watch House of Cards? Sign up for Netﬂix.

technologies begin to merge to create innovative

to the market. The IBCs of the past couple of years

new products. Attendees should also keep an

have not done much to reinvent the wheel. I hope

eye out for how smart watches could disrupt the

that 2014 shakes things up a bit.

Just as it was the primary driver of user adoption last year, the proliferation of content is on course to be the biggest driver of subscriptions in 2014, too. With more and more new and legacy content being added to these services every month, users will ﬂock to them in their droves. Think of how many people, who perhaps wouldn’t be classed as tech-savvy, started using iPlayer, simply because it allowed them to access all BBC content from the last seven days. Now consider the attention that market would give such a service if it said that all BBC content – from last week or thirty years ago – is available to stream. It is clear that content is driving viewership more than ever. In addition to this, the penetration of the bigger screen smartphone has also changed the nature of viewership somewhat. Watching a movie on a 5.5-inch, 1080p screen is actually quite a pleasant experience – the user feels less inclined to reach for their tablet when their smartphone is providing them with the same beneﬁts. As a result, it would be a fair assumption that the desire for on-the-go viewing will increase in the next 12 months as users demand data plans that can keep up with their appetite for content. However, the market does need to develop to meet these user desires, and that requires a little bit of maturity from the players involved. If the 2000s proved anything, it’s that consumers are no longer willing to be ripped off by greedy media entities that make them pay through the nose and limit the number of ways they consume content. While we’ve mainly moved past those darker days, content owners are still concerned about the security of their offerings. There are limits to the number of devices a user can attach to an account in many cases, and that is going to need to change as the number of connected devices in a household increases. Users have proven themselves to be, for lack of a better word, ‘trustworthy’ when it comes to content – if they can get it easily and legally then there’s no need to pirate it. The market needs to treat users with the maturity they have proven they deserve. All this talk of the future naturally leads us to talk about IBC. The last couple of events have seen the second screen act as one of the real hot ticket items, but while I think there will still be plenty of focus this year, it won’t have the buzz around it like it has done. I wouldn’t be surprised to see second screen applications, which last year were standalone, rolled into larger offerings where the technology becomes an integrated part of the larger OTT offering.

36 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen

Talking heads What’s next for OTT multiscreen?

As OTT starts to span borders, languages and cultural nuances, these data driven systems need to be technically adept and flexible enough to help providers manage content flows against evolving consumer expectations. Where traditional TV was fixed within rigid borders by transmission towers and inflexible syndication agreements, the next generation of OTT is likely to span national borders, forcing system architects and operators to prepare for this eventuality. What will this mean at the technical operations level? Well, more interoperability between systems and adherence to international recognised standards for content preparation, exchange and data analysis are good steps. Standards such as

To complete our special report, we sought the opinion of a select group of executives about how developments in technology and demand could impact the OTT multiscreen experience of the future. Joining our technical insight are Braxton Jarratt, CEO of Clearleap; Tomas Petru, CEO and founder of Visual Unity; and David Leporini, executive vice president of marketing, products and security at Viaccess-Orca

MPEG-DASH and other adaptive technologies as well as content data models including XML, CableLabs ADI, RSS/MRSS should be considered as best practice for core OTT and multiscreen systems. In an industry that is becoming mostly IP-centric, the OTT sector can sidestep some of the highly proprietary cul-de-sacs that the broadcast industry drove down based on national regulations or

Braxton Jarratt, CEO, Clearleap

such technological advancements are only set to

dominant broadcaster inﬂuence.

lmost every day, somebody

continue dramatically enhancing the experience.

in the TV industry will

TV consumers, like web users, have come to

consciences of TV service providers is enjoying

Another aspect starting to creep into the

wonder what’s next on the

expect that providers will know what they want

the acceptance of the wider social community.

horizon for OTT multiscreen. This is

before they want it. In a correlation to Internet

It’s clear from many reports that traditional TV

not surprising given the success of

ﬁrms sifting data to deliver increasingly targeted

viewing habits are becoming more personalised.

content companies like HBO and Netﬂix. But the

ads and content, OTT needs to be able to

The family sitting communally around a linear TV

OTT multiscreen model is still evolving and key

analyse predictive data in realtime and use that

screen is fading. However, the paradox is that

benchmarks that deﬁne what consumers want

data to drive experiences. Behind the scenes,

we have become the most socially connected

and are prepared to pay for stems not from linear

these analytic systems cannot be built in

society in history through digital technologies.

TV but from Internet entrants. The likes of Amazon,

isolation. The steps around creating and

The billions of Facebook users swim within ad-hoc

Google and Facebook showcase the essence of

transforming content and the crucial content

hangouts, LinkedIn groups, Spotify friends, Twitter

the smart experience that many media brands

metadata and user behaviour have to be

followers and a whole host of social networks

aspire to. In part, these ﬁrms are responding to

considered and built into processes and

that are informally sharing media content links.

demand but they are also feeding and deﬁning a

workﬂows. Like the internet pioneers truly

certain level of expectation: a level of immediacy

know, data allows sellers to understand, serve

with piracy, the traditional TV service providers that

and responsiveness that TV traditionally has not

and retain buyers more than almost anything –

can turn themselves into an online brand capable

yet exhibited. As we look to the future of OTT,

other than great content.

of sharing with subscribers and the wider social

Although as an industry we still need to contend

TVBEurope 37

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen communities will be successful. In an evolution that

Meanwhile, from the content provider’s point of

accordingly and immediately. I, and the rest of

saw broadcasters initially fearful of YouTube

view, 20 per cent of overall advertising budgets

the folks at Visual Unity, have been resolving

ultimately embracing the notion of audience

were dedicated to multiscreen campaigns. That

issues caused by these trends for quite some time

sharing and promoting viral content, the OTT future

is expected to grow to 50 per cent by 2016.

now. Consumer behaviour, along with the

is likely to further the audience participation trend. Over the coming OTT journey, there will be a host of examples where the ﬂexibility and speed of content processing systems and an ability to deliver against moving goals in realtime will provide a competitive advantage. If there is one piece of advice for anybody heading into OTT and multiscreen, it should be: “yes content is king, but if you can’t get that content out fast enough, to the right viewer in the format and language they want to ingest it in, then somebody else will”. Tomas Petru, CEO and founder, Visual Unity

The future is spelt ‘multiscreen’ Despite the popularity of HDTV and the positioning of 4K Ultra HD TV (UHD) for mass market appeal, it’s become increasingly obvious that the enjoyment of all forms of video entertainment is no longer an activity relegated to the conﬁnes of one’s living room. A recent Google study revealed that the average user is quite willing to consume entertainment via whatever device is at hand, be it their smartphone – where over 60 per cent of young viewers watch videos – their PC at work, or their tablet they simply cannot live without. For content owners looking to maximise their revenues, the message is crystal clear: the future of entertainment consumption depends fully on a user’s ability to engage and interact with content across a wide variety of compatible devices. Faced with this reality, content owners would be wise to understand that a reliable multiscreen platform is the key to all future multiscreen services. Indeed, it seems obvious that the cornerstone of success will be the ability to serve audiences via all devices in all possible environments. A recent Nielsen report claimed that the tendency of users to engage with an increasing amount of content over multiple media devices is growing rapidly. For example, 84 per cent of smartphone and tablet owners say they use their devices as second screens while watching TV at the same time. Users polled also admitted to owning four digital devices on average while spending 60 hours a week consuming content across their respective devices. TV viewing is still the top choice for watching longer videos, but online and mobile viewing is where the growth is; 30 per cent growth in hours watched per month from the ﬁnal quarter of 2012 to that of 2013.

It is clearly in every content owner’s best interest to react to this evolution in the industry

enthusiasm of technology investment funds poured into companies with strong proven

TVBEurope 39

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Special Report: OTT Multiscreen products and further technological potential,

that they have become accustomed to online on

Personalisation is also important. Viewers want to

paint a clear picture of the future course of

the traditional TV set. Therefore, a major trend that

receive content that ﬁts their unique interests

development in the media content industry.

we will see this year is how to provide the ultimate

and likes. They also want to be able to interact

user experience on every screen. While service

with their friends.

David Leporini, executive vice

providers once dictated what type of content was

president of Marketing,

available and when, that is simply no longer the

content discovery. Service providers should deliver

Viaccess-Orca

case. Viewers want an intuitive, individualised TV

personalised content recommendations to viewers.

Providing the ultimate user

experience anytime, anywhere, on any device. To

And, these recommendations need to be accurate,

experience on every screen

be competitive, service providers need to offer a

or viewers will become dissatisﬁed with the service.

OTT multiscreen is not a new topic

compelling user experience on every screen and

in the pay-TV market. It’s been

be focused on increasing viewer engagement.

around for many years. The challenge for content

So how can service providers do this? Viaccess-

Another crucial part of the customer journey is

Last but not least, there’s plenty of research that suggests while consumers are watching TV in the living room, they’re simultaneously surﬁng the

providers is ﬁguring out how to continuously

Orca’s strategy for addressing OTT multiscreen

internet on their smartphones and tablets. Service

evolve and drive the industry toward innovation

challenges is based on our engagement model. It

providers have an opportunity to provide an

while also addressing consumers’ needs.

all starts with providing high-quality content.

immersive experience across all screens using

Viewers become more engaged when they have

second screen applications that can deliver an

everywhere. According to Deloitte’s Global Mobile

premium content, such as major sport events,

amazing content-based experience on the main

Consumer Survey, consumers in developed markets

award-winning movies, and hard-to-miss TV series.

screen leveraging enriched metadata and

on average own or have access to between four

To monetise premium content, service providers

cognitive exploration.

and eight devices. This increase in connected

need to implement business rules and protect

devices has created a dramatic shift in television

content from threats of piracy.

In today’s highly connected world, content is

viewing habits. Consumers expect the same TV user

Next, they need to offer a uniﬁed experience

By adopting an end-to-end TV Everywhere solution that fulﬁls these requirements for engagement, content service providers will be

experience on every device, regardless of how the

across all screens. Consumers want to be able

empowered to deliver OTT multiscreen services

service is delivered. What’s more, consumers want

to pick up any device and get the same

that offer a superior user experience and boost

the same level of personalisation and engagement

engaging experience.

their revenue streams.

40 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Feature

Fitting like a glove George Jarrett talks to Quantel CEO Ray Cross about acquiring Snell, the chances of a second acquisition before NAB and the growing importance of technology partners ost fans of British broadcast technology

How long was this acquisition in the pipeline? The

will have thought “Logical, preferable”

timing was crucial, because both companies might

when they heard in March that Quantel

have become targets for bigger corporate prowlers.

had broken its acquisition duck. Snell and Quantel had similar origins from back

“We were in dialogue for well over a year,” says Cross. “The funding of Snell was done in part

in the 1970s, and remarkably similar technology

through a venture capitalist and the fund was

cultures without any close duplication. In the

maturing. That VC wanted to realise the asset it

current maelstrom of consolidation in the media

had in Snell. At that point we were able to agree a

markets, was Snell’s acquisition by Quantel a

deal that was acceptable to both parties.”

matter of CEO and executive chairman Ray

The two companies were not directly

Cross wanting to get his company into better

competitive in any product lines, so was it easier

technological shape for exploiting IP, 4K and 8K,

to identify cross-fertilisation opportunities and what

and the power of software in general?

Quantel might prefer to drop? “There was no area

Ray Cross

“Hopefully by NAB I’ll be able to talk about another acquisition”

“It was probably a bit simpler than that,” he

of technology that we could see that we wanted

says. “We were of a size where it was not always

to drop, and that is still the same. There are some

easy to be global. We needed to be larger and

small areas: codecs is an example where we might

we needed scale. We were also more ‘niche’

have one common codec rather than the two we

than we wanted to be, and wanted to deliver

have at present. And the application of an MXF

products across the value chain, which is what

standard is another example: we have two libraries

“All of it is additive,” he adds. “We have got a

we are doing now, but for cameras.

where we should really have one,” says Cross.

much better hand of cards because one plus one

“So for us it was about being the right size to

“That is really on the edge. The technology and

actually gives us more than two. For example,

properly service our customer base on a global

the products that Snell had developed attracted

being able to use our LiveTouch product with the

scale. That is easier today than it was six months

us, and we thought they were complimentary to

Kahuna switcher gives us a much better solution

ago, and it is the same for the Snell customer base

what we do. Moving forward, we have got one

than the two products on their own.”

too,” he added. “They are all pretty much of a

technology vision that merges those two things

mind that they see the strength of the combined

together, because there are lots of things Snell

entity, the extra resources and skills, and the extra

was doing that we were not doing, and vice

Open chequebook for engineering recruitment

breadth of product as being all good things for

versa. It just seems to make sense to me that

IBC visitors will probably spot several areas

them. So it is about listening to the market and

there is no area where we would want to

where the Snell and Quantel teams are going

delivering what it wants us to deliver.”

lose a technology.

to be matching technologies, so how will R&D

TVBEurope 41

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature be re-apportioned to support this? “R&D is not

What Cross wants to achieve at IBC is the

concerned when we did the acquisition, as

really re-apportioned because the R&D team that

market recognising Quantel and Snell as one

they always are about acquisitions. We have

was working on the Quantel products continues

organisation, one technology. “If we could

kept all the products and roadmaps going,

to do so. But what we are starting to get is those

achieve that, it would be fantastic,” he says.

but increasingly I want to come together

areas where there are some savings by working

“We understood that the market was really

as one entity.”

together,” says Cross. “But also – and it is true now for Snell, although I don’t know what the situation is historically – our R&D team has had an open chequebook for recruitment purposes for many years. Finding those exceptional engineers is really difficult but if we find one, we recruit them. “We are trying to build up our resources, and to that end, hopefully by NAB, I’ll be able to talk about another acquisition,” he added. “We are looking for extra resources all of the time, and it is not about shedding what we’ve got.” Historically, many acquisitions have been hit by poor strategies. But there is now a steely professionalism in the air around all of the recent consolidations we have seen. “I call that acquisition fever,” says Cross. “It’s about people who just have to acquire. We do not. We will acquire again, but only what’s right for us. That’s why we have not been acquisitive in the past, because it would have been too easy. “I get inundated with offers of companies that are on the market, but very few of these are a really good fit,” he added. “Quantel and Snell fit together like a glove, and other acquisitions will be for a specific purpose. “The industry is changing; the world is changing. It is changing at a faster rate than it has ever done before; therefore you have to be flexible. That is one of Quantel’s advantages. We are a company that is owned and managed by the majority of the shareholders, and we are able to make decisions very quickly. Most things do not need any external approval so the management team within Quantel and now Snell can make all the decisions that affect them. “We are able to respond to changing needs very rapidly, and I do not see anything that is an issue. My background is in IT and it is amazing really because 25 years ago I was building data centres and sharing resources across large corporations for the first time,” he continued. “You would have petrochemical companies like Shell and BP in the same data centre, but they could see why they would be able to get a better service, and be able to focus better on their business by doing that. Here we are 25 years later and the same thing is happening in broadcast.”

42 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Feature It’s going to get more technical

years and we’ve harvested our cash. Nonetheless,

inevitably, standards have to change. It used to

One of Quantel’s key global market sectors

to secure the acquisition we had to borrow a small

be all hardware, and now it is all software. The

has been high-end post production: is it

amount, and if you are borrowing cash from a

standards have to be made ﬂexible enough to

shrinking or growing?

VC it is going to be more expensive than it is if you

accommodate change.”

“I do not think it is shrinking. It depends what you mean by high-end. If you mean high-quality

went to the open market,” he explains. “Inevitably, that’s going to lead us, if we want

Are there any small areas where the Quantel and Snell cultures have to resolve anything?

technical, then it’s going to get more technical

to achieve our growth aspirations, to probably

and more high-end because it’s 4K. We are

becoming a PLC. We will probably ﬂoat on the US

doing some work over in Japan with a company

stock exchange, and that will give us access to

but yes. We have quite a few joint customers, and

that is doing an 8K project,” says Cross.

cash in order to fuel our growth.”

a number of Snell users have asked when we will

“The technology part of high-end post is going

Perhaps in servicing? “I want one vision across the entire company,

be applying the Quantel approach to service,” says Cross. “It is great buying a Quantel system,

dynamic range, and going to 8K from 4K. That’s

Standards have to be made ﬂexible

where we play best. We worked on the World Cup

Becoming a PLC will take 18 to 24 months. Having

for 15 to 20 years. We offer service cover 24/7/365;

and I think we were the only company in the world

already heard about tying LiveTouch to the

the Snell model was slightly different, and we are

that could do what was required with 4K (realtime

switchers, which areas of Quantel and Snell product

going to move to our system over time.

post production),” he adds. “The costs are coming

development as we know it work best together?

to get more complex with higher frame rates, high

under attack, and clearly they have to come down.

“There is using Morpheus to drive SQ through

But at the same time, the complexity of what is

to ICE transparently. There is using some of the

required and the frame rates, and the resolutions

standards conversion technology with our editors,

are all increasing, increasing, and increasing.”

which would give a better result,” says Cross.

Television news is another strong market

“We are going to talk to people at IBC and

for Quantel. It is unlikely to see much further

explain these are the things we could look at. We

consolidation and it is going low-cost in the ﬁeld with

will ask what are the user priorities, and hopefully

freelancers the key risk takers and content gatherers.

feedback will identify beneﬁts we have not yet

“We have a massive foothold in news, and we

but it’s got to operate; it has to be a great system

“The technology part of high-end post is going to get more complex with higher frame rates, high dynamic range, and going to 8K from 4K”

seen. It’s like IP: nobody uses IP for IP’s sake. They

have not seen anything yet that would suggest

use it to drive efﬁciency and bring down costs, so

“It all goes back to a service level agreement

that is going to change.”

why wouldn’t you use it? Throughout the summer

with the customer. That was something I was used

we have had the development, management

to in IT, but when I ﬁrst came into this business there

will pitch Quantel against the likes of Imagine and

and marketing teams working together and we

was no such thing as service levels. Now,

Grass Valley. Looking forward a few years (after the

now have a list of a dozen things that we think

because there are a lot of IT people in the

next acquisition), where does Cross want to be?

would be interesting for people to explore. We are

business, you are going to have a service level with

hoping the market will prioritise them in terms of

customers,” he added.

Serving a much bigger stretch of the value chain

“We have strong growth aspirations, and the reason for the Snell acquisition was that it became obvious we were not going to achieve those

business beneﬁts,” he adds. Standards, under pressure in this fast moving

“We are never ever going to make, build, or create everything,” says Cross. “Increasingly,

aspirations organically. We want to be, if not the

software age, are bound to impact on the

partnerships will be a way of getting products to

market leader, one of the market leaders across

enlarged group and its ‘one technology’

market much quicker than we could have done

the whole value chain,” he says. “In order to do

proposition. “It is no different from 30 years ago,”

on our own. Finding top ﬂight engineers is always

that there are some business changes that need

says Cross. “Standards have always lagged

difﬁcult, and therefore it might simply be that if you

to happen. We were fortunate this time because

behind where the industry has been. Always.

are going to take so long developing something, it

we have been proﬁtable for quite a number of

Technology changes come along so quickly;

is not worth doing. Find a partner.”

www.tvbeurope.com

TVBEurope Supplements

September 2014

4K Supplement An analysis of a world beyond HD In association with

ii TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

4K Supplement

in association with

4K UHDTV The immersive TV experience of the future? By Dr Giles Wilson, head of TV compression, Ericsson

he drive and effort to enable high-quality content and the optimum television experience is a challenge that the

television industry faces on an ongoing basis, dictated by continued consumer demand. Today, the growth of high definition (HD) services has reached a certain level of maturity in developed markets that is unlikely to drive further growth of the standard in the future. The market is primed to launch an exciting new dimension that will help spark the next generation of TV services, and 4K Ultra High Definition (UHD) TV could become that technology. Over the past 18 months, 4K UHDTV has become one of the most important and widely debated topics in the television industry. It is patently clear why this technology has risen to prominence: it is a superior, higher quality consumer experience, which provides four times the resolution of HD. 4K UHDTV will transform workflows and the way the broadcast industry delivers events coverage, starting with cameras, all the way through to the way we experience content. Broadcasters and TV service providers will face an increasing challenge of building momentum with consumers and enabling further landmarks ahead of the first commercial services,

Dr Giles Wilson

which are touted for 2015.

The technical requirements for ‘true’ 4K UHDTV

vision. Objects in the central ﬁeld of vision,

of the increased resolution and also reduces the

which is around 90 to 100 degrees, are generally

immersive experience.

4K UHDTV offers a superior viewing experience for

recognised and remembered.

the consumer. It allows the use of larger screen

When a viewer sits at the optimal distance

Viewing content on a large screen also impacts the way it is ﬁlmed and produced,

sizes, which in turn provide a more natural,

from an HDTV, the screen covers around 30

with typically wider camera angles and more

immersive and compelling viewing experience.

degrees, so that it is seen as an object in its

static camera work. This all contributes to the

physical surroundings. With a UHDTV at the

natural and immersive experience.

So what are the technical requirements needed to usher in this exciting new era of

optimal viewing distance, the screen occupies

entertainment? It is important to begin with

around 60 degrees, making it a far more

ﬁrst transatlantic coverage of a live ultra-high

At NAB Show 2014, Ericsson demonstrated the

the requirements of the viewers themselves.

immersive and natural experience. Sitting too

deﬁnition event in ‘true’ 4K UHDTV. If ‘true’ 4K

The human visual system has the ability to see

close to the screen makes the individual pixels

UHDTV can be transformed into an immersive

around 180 degrees, including their peripheral

visible. Sitting too far away reduces the beneﬁt

cinematic television experience for the living

TVBEurope iii

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

in association with

4K Supplement

room, consumer uptake will soon follow. The

coverage of live events such as the the World

industry must ensure that the quality of that

Cup. Ericsson’s annual ConsumerLab research

Creating a sustainable 4K UHDTV business model

content is preserved throughout the various

into TV and media highlights that consumers

To enable a sustainable and commercially

different stages of delivery. The NAB Show

want to ‘experience’ video content, rather than

successful 4K UHDTV business model,

broadcast highlighted that to ensure the requisite

simply viewing it on a screen. A ‘true’ 4K UHDTV

broadcasters must drive the availability of

level of quality, 4K UHDTV video compressed

broadcast must therefore deliver a compelling

4K-ready consumer devices, broadcast

signals require 4:2:2 chroma sampling and 10-bit

viewing experience and these crowd-

equipment and the creation of new 4K UHDTV

depth for all content. This ensures consistency

pulling events are fundamental in driving this

content. This will be vital in terms of driving

of colour ﬁdelity through the many encode,

heightened level of quality. Sporting events not

consumer demand, particularly as mobile

decode and re-encode stages, and through

only provide the setting for the most immersive

devices make up an increasing share of TV and

multiple editing stages. 50-60 frames per second

viewing experience possible, they offer TV service

video viewing. We are already starting to see the

is needed for sports and complex motion

providers with a means to prove that new,

growth of this technology’s popularity; a March

content. This is crucial in order to enable a vivid,

higher quality standards such as 4K UHDTV have

2014 report from Business Insider Intelligence

realistic experience, comparable to being at

longer-term commercial viability. These trials

predicts that ten per cent of all North American

the venue itself.

also help to promote the technology’s proﬁle

households will have 4K-capable TVs by the end

and brand recognition. We can capture the

of 2018, with the ﬁgure reaching 50 per cent by

standard deﬁnition (SD) and HD are required to

complexity of a hurdler’s movements, the ﬂight

the end of 2024.

represent fast motion and to avoid motion blur

of a ball from a 40-yard free kick, and the sheer

or motion judder. Large 4K screens necessitate

explosion of pace as a sprinter such as Usain

services is not expected until 2015, a number

50-60 frame rates at present because there

Bolt drives down the ﬁnal leg of a 4x100m relay

of on-demand services for movie content

is more spatial movement for the viewer.

race. Consumers see sport as valuable premium

(streaming and downloads) are already

Higher frame rates help to compensate for the

content and it is content they are willing to pay

beginning to appear this year. OTT aggregators

greater angular change caused by fast motion

for. By demonstrating the stunning improvement

such as Netﬂix are offering a number of shows,

displayed on these larger screens, ensuring that

of the screen quality, consumers will increasingly

including exclusive content such as Orange is

no visual artefacts are observed. This is especially

demand this superior TV experience.

the New Black and House of Cards, via 4K Ultra

Higher frame rates than those used for

Although a wider deployment of 4K UHDTV

apparent for high-motion TV content such as

HD internet streaming. In July 2014, the DVB-

sport. Motion blur is caused because the camera

UHDTV standard received approval in Europe,

shutter is open long enough that the images

which will further enable new possibilities for 4K

appear smeared to the viewer. The future may dictate higher frame rates of anything up to 120 frames per second in later phases of the technology, as this will enhance resolution on fast motion. Nevertheless, this will also incur signiﬁcant additional costs for production and post-production.

4K UHDTV: What lessons have we learnt?

4K UHDTV is about far more than just 4K resolutions. It is about building a viable business model for enhanced TV services which can deliver the next generation television viewing experience that will fundamentally change the way people think about and view TV

4K UHDTV is about far more than just 4K resolutions.

UHDTV services, both for satellite and for overthe-air platforms. This increase in competition is extremely important as it is driving consumer demand, which in turn is providing a quantiﬁable return on investment for broadcasters and TV service providers. This will ultimately justify the wider rollout of the technology in the future. There are various ways in which the broadcast industry can enhance the consumer experience and we should be aware that 4K UHDTV is just one of a number of different format changes

It is about building a viable business model for

to television that may emerge in the next

enhanced TV services which can deliver the

Live 4K productions are now a proven

few years. For instance, High Dynamic Range

next generation television viewing experience

possibility, although there are still a number of

(HDR) could prove equally as signiﬁcant as 4K

that will fundamentally change the way people

technical barriers to overcome, including cost

in the longer term by providing an enhanced

think about and view TV. It’s about moving away

and bandwidth efﬁciency. In that sense, the

user experience with image representations

from looking at something as a picture in a frame

standardisation of HEVC is key to enabling 4K

that closer match the human visual system’s

towards something that’s truly immersive.

UHDTV in the home. Its arrival has helped to solve

capability of processing image data than

a number of compression issues by offering the

today’s TV systems can manage, irrespective

phase 1 tests with a variety of different partners

potential to halve the bitrate of H.264/MPEG-4

of screen size. Nevertheless, the future of the

and media organisations, enabling a number

AVC, making the delivery of ‘true’ 4K UHDTV a

4K UHDTV standard and consequent adoption

of world ﬁrst events. We have been able to

realistic prospect. Ericsson lab research shows that

rates will be highly dependent on the way in

collate a wide collection of empirical data

a high performance encoder that can achieve

which the TV industry presents the technology. 4K

that we have shared with our customers and

a halving of existing bandwidth takes about ten

UHDTV is a fantastic proposition, bringing viewers

the wider industry. This testing phase resulted

times the processing power than that of MPEG-4

closer to the screen than ever before. While mass

in Ericsson winning the 2014 NAB Technology

AVC. For 4K UHDTV, there is also four times as much

deployment could prove a gradual process, 4K

Innovation Award for its demonstrations of the

spatial resolution and twice the temporal resolution

UHDTV is the next logical step in the evolution of

standard. In the last 12 months we have learnt a

compared to HD, making a total of 80x the

TV services, transforming the viewing experience

lot about shooting sports in live 4K by enabling

processing power compared to HD MPEG-4 AVC.

and raising the quality threshold in the process.

Ericsson has taken part in more than 40 UHD-1

iv TVBEurope

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The BBCâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s UHD over IP experiment included a mock-up of a connected living room and user interface designed by Cisco

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User experience design “Monetising this capability and who offers the service is the key point,” says Cheevers.

The future TV landscape, and in particular UHD, is opening up a wealth of opportunities for user interface and applications development, as operators rethink the user experience. Adrian Pennington reports

“Certainly an MSO/MVPD could offer a service to support this on their gateway and STB solutions connected to the TV – and it’s an area where we believe there is merit to explore.” “There are very meaningful services and

n their battle to ﬁght off OTT competition,

pay-TV operators spy UHD as a service differentiator and as they do so need to

ensure that they offer the best possible user experience (UEX). Access to content is one key to this – and MSOs are in prime position to

enhanced UXs that are feasible with the

“There are very meaningful services and enhanced UEXs that are feasible with the additional real estate offered by UHD” Ken Morse, Cisco

offer live (sports) events and movies (given their

additional real estate offered by UHD,” agrees Cisco CTO, Ken Morse. “As consumers become more comfortable, and in many cases demanding, of a more connected life, these services will be integrated into the UX not only on UHD but across all consumer-relevant devices.”

existing strong links to studios) in 4K.

Large screens

The predictions are that select pay-TV providers in Europe (Sky Deutschland, BT and

mosaics of ‘on now’ programming allowing a

The brightness, contrast, colour precision, and

BSkyB) will launch UHD channels by 2016,

new dimension in being able to pick the most

resolution of the best tablets and smartphones

perhaps as early as next year. Assuming that the

relevant content to the consumer in a three

rival the traditional living room TV. Even so, the

technical problems inherent in live 4K production

dimensional extension to the two dimensions of a

large screen TV in the home remains the heart of

as well as the challenges to UHD distribution to

grid guide.”

TV viewing. In Arris’ 2014 Consumer Entertainment

the home will be solved – albeit with a quad-SDI

He adds, “The sometimes distracting additions

Index, a survey of 10,500 people across 19

work-around in the short-term – operators must

to the screen such as information banners and

countries, two out of three people choose to

turn their attention to the look and feel of their

tickers also get new life possibilities that can be

watch broadcast TV in the living room, and 61

service on screens which range from 55-inches

added into new UI deﬁnitions. This is because

per cent watch subscription paid TV there too.

up to 85-inches or more.

the additional screen real estate allows for these

How do you use the additional real estate of super-sized displays? And how to organise the content? How can the consumer navigate and

“The large screen in the home can also

intrusions to potentially add value to the overall

provide a consumer experience that is hard to

user experience.”

replicate on a smaller mobile display,” says Arris’

There is another dimension to the UHD capable

fellow of the technical staff, Sean McCarthy.

ﬁnd what to watch? How do apps ﬁt into the

TV and the future addition of 4K UIs concerning

“Large TVs can provide a very wide ﬁeld-of-view

overall user experience? What new capabilities

the improvement of navigation, search and

that gives both a sense of immersion and a

can be created thanks to the screen’s sheer size?

the incorporation of higher quality imagery and

focal distance that allows a viewer to relax

graphics for the UX.

the eyes. Smaller displays need to be held too

“Many people are still doing channel up and down on their TVs while at the other end of the

“Most current UIs on 4K TVs are not 4K capable

close to the face. For the same ﬁeld-of-view, the

spectrum there are many new UI paradigms from

– with 4K graphics not yet feasible on the current

eyes would need to adopt a more extreme eye

gesture and motion interfaces to recommended

line-up of TVs,” says Cheevers. “The STB, however,

vergence and nearer focal accommodation,

content using rich coverﬂow artwork,” says

can bring this additional level of graphics to the

both of which would tend to distract from the

Charles Cheevers, CTO CPE, Arris.

TV with UHD resolution – providing a new palette

sense of immersion.”

Multiple event sports such as Wimbledon or the Premier League, provide the content that allows multi-view on a single large screen.

for the UI designers to work with and aiding improvement of the overall UEX.” There is a further opportunity to carve out some

Companion screens McCarthy believes that smaller screens will act as

Splitting a 65-inch UHD TV into four1080p screens

areas of the screen to exist as a viewing portal

companion screens to the main TV screen. “We

to watch four Premier League games at the

that displays the activity of Smart Home and

already see the ability for the tablet to provide

same time, or keep an eye on four tennis

Internet of Things (IoT) devices. Allseen, Open

individual look ahead search in a communal room

matches, is a user experience that people

Internet Consortium and Thread Group consortia

environment as well as changing content source

may want to engage in given the quality of

are trying to achieve solutions that allow the TV,

using inputs on the second screen.” Arris also believes

these mini-views.

STB or gateway driving the TV screen to play an

the second screen will act as a parallel feed to

active role in the IoT. An example exists today

the primary TV with network content being sent to

have opportunity to better leverage solutions

of Caller ID on the TV, and other uses could be

both at the same time, “creating a synchronised

like Mosaic’s,” says Cheevers. “The quality of the

security cameras in parallel to television viewing or

experience” across both screens which will be used

UHD larger screen allows for 4x4 and even 10x10

a live feed from a child’s Smart Glasses.

for various applications including advertising.

“Additionally, user interfaces may change or

vi TVBEurope

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4K Supplement NAGRA Gravity Ultra user experience for 4K Ultra HD TV

“We should not lose sight of delivering the best

rather than overloading the primary viewing

and curated services, to get to know them better

television viewing experience that uses the

screen with complex navigation schemes.”

and to be able to target them with streams of

available display capabilities,” says Morse.

Nagra runs a division called UEX Studio, staffed

tailored content that is relevant and accessible.”

In this regard, Cisco points to the ability to

by experts in user interface design with a range

support multiple concurrent HD decodes

of skills including graphic and interface designers

needs to be displayed on very different devices

for services such as sports on UHD displays

and application engineers. Their role is to explore

– from large-screen TV sets down to smartphones

(such as Mosaics); and consideration of other

how UI design can reduce cost for operators.

– and users will beneﬁt from a common user

information that may be relevant to a consumer

According to Alex Fishman, Nagra’s director

Another challenge is that the same content

experience across all these devices. Many

in supporting their digital life, such as using

of user experience; “Experience has shown

existing UIs are unable to offer consistency across

additional screen real estate for social media,

that content now needs to be delivered in a

different devices, complicating the experience

news, weather, or advertising tie-ins.

customised way to every user, otherwise it will

for the user.

“We need to ensure that television can

simply sit there, stale, and users will feel that there

Managing the interplay between multiple

always be centre stage while augmenting it with

is nothing to watch. There is a huge opportunity

devices is one of the biggest challenges to

additional capabilities,” stresses Morse. “Operators

for service providers to harness their relationships

tackle, says Nagra. Users who experience

should leverage additional input/control devices

with their customers through a smart interface

inconsistent usage across devices will ﬁnally look

TVBEurope vii

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4K Supplement a par with historically quicker new technology reaction times of internet providers means that the heavy lifting for the UEX can be placed within the network rather than in the STB. “The rise, and in some cases dependency, on two-way systems has enabled the logic and layout of UI to be more virtualised, reducing the complexity of supporting device-speciﬁc embedded code,” says Morse. “This not only gives increased service velocity through the use of cloud for new features, but enables the business model of supporting a diversity of end-point devices.”

“What is probably the most challenging is to ensure that video Wi-Fi networks in the home are capable of distributing 4K content as it potentially requires 25Mbs of airtime for one stream” Charles Cheevers, Arris The good news is that UHD is merely a new codec carried within the existing delivery frameworks, i.e., MPEG transport and/or ABR. This makes it somewhat transparent from a processing, storage and delivery perspective for in-home DVR and cloud-based delivery. Naturally, the end-point devices need to be UHD-capable devices. “What is probably the most challenging is to ensure that video Wi-Fi networks in the home are capable of distributing 4K content as it potentially requires 25Mbs of airtime for one stream,” says Cheevers. “This may make wired technologies like G.Hn and MoCA more attractive for distribution of in-home content – but the goal is to develop a 4K Wi-Fi distribution solution capable of delivering the quality for alternative content sources, especially on

control, gesture, second screen or traditional

portable devices, eroding the value of a

remote control is the best means of interacting

service provider’s brand.

with the giant screen.

Its team created a model UI for 4K TV dubbed

Nagra’s aim is to enable users to interact more

experience required for UHD.” With its Fresco interface, Cisco is asking us to expand our view of what television is and to think outside the traditional television box. Fresco

Gravity Ultra, which premiered last September

naturally with the screen by mimicking the way

proposes a future where content is displayed

and will show new iterations to it at this IBC.

that people organise and interact with objects

across multiple screens – or multiple types of

in the real world. One of the ways it achieves

content displayed on the same screen – with

HD and tidying up tired old SD or HD interfaces,

this is with a zoomable user interface (ZUI).

resolutions, aspect ratios and presentation styles

EPGs and pop-ups,” says Fishman. “It is about

Instead of traditional time-oriented grid guides,

entirely determined on-the-ﬂy by the viewer.

looking at the UHD screen real estate, the resolution

the ZUI offers fully rendered three-dimensional

and big-screen format in a different way, in order

spaces, similar to those of videogames, to

resize and manipulate content effortlessly on a

to create a complementary and visually stunning

offer engaging navigation and new kinds of

computer desktop,” said Cisco’s new initiatives

‘wow factor’ that goes beyond UHD video.”

interface representation.

“The UHD UI and UEX is not just about rescaling

None of this will work if the UI is not simple to navigate. The jury is still out on whether voice

All the complexity of design and updates required to maintain the service provider on

“We all take it for granted that we can

director Simon Parnall at TVBEurope’s Beyond HD Masters conference. “The same should hold true for TV viewing.”

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Business Figure 1: European M&A deals from Jan 2013 to July 2014

M&A overdrive Under pressure operators in Europe vying for growth go into M&A overdrive, write SNL Kagan analysts Mohammed Hamza (western Europe), and Piotr Gaber (eastern Europe)

“More deals in 2014 are to be expected and a signiﬁcant volume of M&A activity going forward is much more likely to materialise in the more fragmented east European markets.” active as market conﬁdence grows. A number of long anticipated IPOs have also surfaced in 2014. Swedish cable and IPTV operator Com Hem

protracted recessionary period in Europe

which amounted to $91.36 billion, with 2013 seeing

launched an IPO and raised €730 million in June

has afforded many operators in the

54 per cent of the total value.

2014, while private equity ﬁrm Altice, owner of

incentive to put their ﬁnances in order, while

in 2013 did not relent in 2014, peaking with 11

the availability of credit and the mounting

deals in July alone, more than twice the number

competitive pressure for next generation

of communications service provider transactions

Liberty Global completed the acquisition of a

infrastructure rollouts is motivating European

usually seen in any one year. Previously cautious

6.4 per cent share in the UK’s leading commercial

service providers to consolidate.

private equity groups are becoming increasingly

broadcaster, ITV, for £481 million in June 2014 and,

communications sector the time and

The already large volume of deals experienced

French operator Numericable, raised €1.3 billion in January 2014. Ventures into content by operators are rarer.

SNL Kagan looked at 47 deals announced since the end of 2012 and found that 27 involved cable, both as buyer and target, the latter representing 75 per cent of cable-related deals (see Figure 1). Cable remains the most fragmented platform in Europe (see Figure 2). Liberty Global and its subsidiaries are driving much of the M&A activity, with 14 transactions since the beginning of 2013, kicking off with the £14 billion acquisition of UK cable operator Virgin Media in February 2013. SNL Kagan counted 28 M&A transactions from January to August 2014, compared with 19 for all of 2013. Over the two years, 23 of the 47 transactions disclosed the value of their deals,

Figure 2: Potential for cable consolidation in western Europe by subscribers, as of end-2013

52 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Business in the previous month, of All3media for £550 million in a joint venture with Discovery Communications. The move to buy into content surprised many given the sale in February 2014 of Chellomedia to AMC Networks for €750 million. Liberty Global retained its Dutch premium channel business of the Film1 and Sport1 channels. Such content deals by infrastructure companies are much more risky given the nature of the content business, the entry of new content players, such as Amazon and Netﬂix, and the high leverage and lower proﬁt margins.

Higher equity valuations European operators are seeing signiﬁcant value in consolidation as organic growth becomes

Figure 3: Potential for cable consolidation in eastern Europe by subscribers, as of end-2013

increasingly difﬁcult in crowded multi-service markets. Based on reported purchase prices for

video subscriber, based on a purchase price of

more players attempting to get a slice of a shrinking

deals conducted since the beginning of 2011,

$4.16 billion and 2.3 million TV subs – the highest

pie. Vodafone snapped up Germany’s largest video

companies making acquisitions during 2013 and

value deal of 2011 and 2012 in the sector. By

service provider, Kabel Deutschland, with eight

2014 are paying multiples of more than three

comparison, Liberty Global paid $5,702.7 per video

million subs in June 2013 for €7.7 billion, representing

times those paid during the previous two years.

sub for Virgin Media in 2013.

a $1,319.0 per sub value. However, only a year later

Liberty Global’s acquisition of cable operator Kabel BW in December 2011 cost $1,807.3 per

As the best opportunities for consolidation are swallowed up, deal prices have increased with

in March 2014, it was paying €7.2 billion for Spanish cable operator Ono with 0.78 million video subs, at

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TVBEurope 53

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Business $12,734.9 per sub. Even when considering a per sub

Hellas jointly, and incumbent Greek telco OTE.

its position in the market and a bid for ISP Jazztel

value on its larger broadband base of 1.6 million, the

In France, IPTV operator Bouygues Telecom has

is the most likely move. Recovering economies,

returned value of $6,377.62 remains high.

caught the eye of Iliad after the former’s failed bid

credit availability, healthier company ﬁnancials

to merge with Vivendi-owned SFR, while in Spain,

and higher valuations are underlining much of the

Orange has reported on its need to consolidate

activity in the sector.

Eastern Europe Deals in eastern Europe are still some way off the volumes seen in western Europe over the last two years, representing less than 20 per cent of the total number charted by SNL Kagan. Deal values are also much lower in the region. Driving M&A activity in the region’s pay-TV market is the still highly fragmented cable sector (see Figure 3) and intense competition among multiple DTH operators, in what is a saturated pay-TV environment. Poland, which has a pay-TV penetration of 89 per cent, has more than 500 cable companies, of which only six serve more than 100,000 subscribers, while three served more than half a million. The Polish situation provides significant incentive for leading cable operators like UPC Polska, Multimedia and Vectra to consolidate. In the similarly fragmented cable market in Hungary, Magyar Telecom is also buying up many of the smaller players. In Russia, the February 2011 acquisition of NTK has given the incumbent telco Rostelecom access to over 3.1 million Moscow households and enhanced its market position in key cities such as St Petersburg, Yekaterinburg and Novosibirsk, adding five million subscribers in total. The consolidation is also visible on the vibrant DTH market. The most high profile merger occurred when two Polish high-end satellite platforms, Cyfra+ and ‘n’, merged into one entity ‘nc+’. A similar deal took place in Czech Republic and Slovakia, where Skylink – the platform operating in both countries – went into the hands of M7 Group – the owner of CS Link, another satellite operator active in Czech Republic and Slovakia. In the eastern European mobile market, Deutsche Telekom continues to be an active buyer. In February 2014, it acquired the remaining 40 per cent shares of T-Mobile Czech Republic. Telekom also offers pay-TV in a couple of other countries in the region, as bundling of services is now very common. In line with that trend, the leading Polish DTH platform, Cyfrowy Polsat, acquired mobile operator Polkomtel that serves 14 million customers.

More to come More deals in 2014 are to be expected and a signiﬁcant volume of M&A activity going forward is much more likely to materialise in the more fragmented east European markets, while larger value deals take hold in western Europe. Greek satellite pay-TV operator Nova, owned by ISP Forthnet, is being eyed by Vodafone and Wind

54 TVBEurope

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Feature

For your eyes only Bond ﬁghts the pirates Bond – Winston Bond – is European technical manager at ARXAN Technologies, a ﬁrm started by the US military to protect its software assets. Now the company offers anti-piracy tools to content owners. Neal Romanek reports ontent piracy. The words make content

to military software assets. Today it provides

owners shiver, conjuring the image of

software encryption and security services

a ship hemorrhaging truck-loads of

to protect a wide variety of digital content,

proﬁts into the sea. And the problem is as old

including mobile apps, removeable media,

as media itself - even William Shakespeare had

games and ﬁnancial software.

to endure “diverse stolen and surreptitious

The battle against piracy has gone far

copies” of his work being circulated among the

beyond simple copy protection. ARXAN works to

public. Piracy – especially on the industrial level

challenge software developers who are trying

it has reached in some parts of the world – can

to unlock the operations of an application at

be crippling to a producer’s bottom line.

the deepest level. Hacker culture is built on

Throw into the mix a host of new delivery

dismantling something to see how it works. Part of

methods – tablet, smartphone, OTT and IPTV,

this ‘spirit of discovery’ is the reverse engineering

and promising new formats like Ultra HD – and

of software to discover exactly how its code

Bond, Winston Bond

the landscape for piracy expands to

operates. ARXAN’s job is not just to prevent

Winston Bond, ARXAN’s European technical

unmanageable dimensions.

piracy of material, but to prevent the initial

manager, works with a staff of mathematicians

analysis and reverse engineering of software and

and programmers who you deﬁnitely want on

systems all along the delivery pipeline.

your side. Bond started his career working on

ARXAN Technology was started by the US military in 2001 to counter potential threats

Bond: “Every new device becomes a new potential attack point that needs protecting”

semiconductors for the television industry and has years of experience developing software on a variety of embedded, desktop and mobile platforms. His team at ARXAN has developed a formidable toolkit that their customers can conﬁgure and deploy in their own software development. “It’s a bit like Lego bricks – everyone has the same tools in their box, but they can put them together in different ways,” says Bond, “And every customer does something slightly different, which is an important part of making it secure. You don’t want an attack on one person to be able to be used on someone else. We offer the components to build secure DRMs and the tools to stop people being able to reverse engineer them or change them when they’re deployed on end devices.” Top among ARXAN’s areas of expertise are “obfuscation” and white-box cryptography – terms quite cryptic in themselves. Designed to stop reverse engineering or modifying of applications, obfuscation makes the intended function of certain parts of a piece

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September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature debugger to the programme. Debuggers are

“Normal compile software is pretty easy to follow. We do things that make it much, much harder to understand what’s going on.”

software tools that are legitimately used to analyse systems for malware, but can also be employed in the reverse engineering of software to discover algorithms used in proprietary applications. “It’s a whole list of different techniques that can

of software misleading or confusing to

or get a message back to the server, or whatever

be used. ARXAN offers a set of development tools

those who would examine it too closely.

else he wants.”

to add these different protection technologies

“Obfuscation is where we make it

White box cryptography could be said to be a

into your app, whether it’s on a Mac or a PC, or

really hard to follow what the software

kind of obfuscation devoted to keys. “We have a

on an iOS device or Android. Things are slightly

is doing,” explains Bond. “If you take a

white-box crypto library which uses clever maths

different on each platform, but the general

normal piece of compiled software on

to reimplement the algorithms for cryptography.

concept is to make it very, very difﬁcult to reverse

any platform, with a bit of practice it’s

But it’s done in a way that isn’t the normal way.

engineer or change the programme.”

not that hard to work out what it’s doing.

The keys are not in a standard format, so you

Normal compile software is pretty easy to

as a hacker wouldn’t understand what the keys

The piracy arms race

follow. We do things that make it much,

are, which means you can’t just extract the

Fighting piracy is a war that never ends,

much harder to understand what’s

cryptography keys and strip off the cryptography

however. As anti-piracy systems become more

going on. Then having made it difﬁcult

from the content. That’s important because,

sophisticated, so do the pirates.

to understand, we can make it very hard to change. If you were to try to change the software, to try to make it go and dump a ﬁle somewhere, for example, then we’ll inject protection and guards which detect that and allow the developer to control what happens next – the developer can crash the programme,

particularly in a DRM system, you end up having

“It’s a constantly evolving subject. You can’t

a private key on the client’s device that has to

stand still,” says Bond, “We constantly improve

be kept hidden from someone trying to reverse

our anti-tampering tools and anti-reverse

engineer it. White box cryptography is quite

engineering tools. Customers give us feedback,

important for that.”

or we see things happening out in the wild.

ARXAN also employs debugger detection to catch when someone might have attached a

We’ve been improving our white box crypto library with ever more mathematicians and PhDs

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Feature who understand this stuff, making it even harder. So if you’re a pirate, not only do you have to be able to reverse engineer software, but you’re going to need a very, very high level of maths to understand what’s going on. The range of

“Ultimately, someone can point a camera at a screen and take a video of it. That’s always going to be a threat.”

people who can actually get anywhere with it

the DRM on an end device. And that end device is not under the control of the broadcaster.” “What we work on is stopping people from getting a high-quality copy from the broadcast stream that arrives on their device. But ultimately,

becomes vanishingly small.” Today, studios and broadcasters want content

to go through some kind of player that unwraps

someone can point a camera at a screen and take Some new platforms are more piracy-prone

a video of it. That’s always going to be a threat. “

delivered to every device. The challenge they

than others. Bond believes that tablets and

face is how to protect content running across

phones, fast becoming the screen of choice

content market, pirates are being given a pixel

all those devices, from DVDs to mobile phones,

for a whole generation, are probably the most

count that, with a camcorder in a dark room

often being transferred from one to the other

vulnerable. “An Android or iOS device is a fairly

and some post processing, could produce a ﬁrst

and back again.

open platform. It feels just like a computer, so

rate HD copy, at the very least. The truth is that if

someone who knows what they’re doing can

people want content, they will ﬁnd a way to get it.

“There’s a lot of innovation, and that’s good,” says Bond. “People want to have everything on

access it easily.”

everything. But every new device becomes a

With Ultra HD images beginning to enter the

The solution to the piracy of the plays of William Shakespeare was the production of the

new potential attack point that needs protecting.

Coming out of the shell

First Folio, a pristine, all-encompassing volume of

Historically, the broadcast space has been secure

Like overprotective parents, content owners,

the entire Shakespeare canon. Giving audiences

because it was all contained in a sealed metal

after taking all necessary precautions, ﬁnally

what they wanted in the highest quality version

box that came from a manufacturer, and no one

must let their content go out into the wide

seemed to be the answer.

really quite understood exactly what was going

world alone.

on. Your ﬁrst challenge was to open the box and

“At some point the content has to come out

It still seems to be true today – depriving users of content guarantees they will ﬁnd an

see where the wires went to try and understand

of its shell and get shown on the screen or get

illegal way of getting it. Offering it in the best

what was happening on a chip. Now it’s all

moved around in the clear,” Winston says. “The

way possible might keep them coming back

software and it’s quite open.”

weak point in everything is that the content has

for more.

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Feature

Next-generation analytics Melanie Dayasena-Lowe visited start-up platform Streamhub to discover its origins and how it aims to revolutionise video analytics for the media industry

Aki Tsuchiya: “It’s an era of massive database warfare that is going to be coming soon and we hope to be one of the empowering services that broadcasters can use”

ormer business development director

at Joost, Aki Tsuchiya, has launched Streamhub, a realtime video analytics

service for the media industry. Streamhub gives content owners a comprehensive view of how a video or live channel is performing minute-by-minute, and across each and every viewer, via a highly visual dashboard. By consolidating and displaying live feedback from multiple platforms, Streamhub enables greater data-driven decision making for content owners. The idea for Streamhub was born from Tsuchiya’s media industry experience: “Having come from the media industry, I was always frustrated at not having data on time, and it

had just launched the NHK World channel.

the live and VoD, analytics and applications,”

being very broad. [Streamhub] gives you data

“Still today we fuel their entire global distribution

he explains. “The reason I thought analytics

realtime, regardless of whether you’re in the

end-to-end from providing the encoding

would be the way forward was because

ofﬁce, using your iPad or iPhone. Instead of

solutions, CDN distribution, CMS that managed

analytics was under explored and non-

having to log into ﬁve different services, you just want one place that brings in all that data.”

Data hub He describes Streamhub as “a hub of all data streams. We offer incisive information on who’s watching, when they’re watching, on which devices, how they’re watching and why they were prompted to watch.” Tsuchiya’s background and experience in TV has helped him to understand what broadcasters need. With 13 years experience as a TV strategy innovator, his career includes working for Viacom as part of the executive launch team for MTV Japan. He also spent time at Joost (created by the founders of Skype), where he developed and project managed the world’s ﬁrst social media integration projects bringing Facebook and Netlog into the Joost platform in 2008, doubling audience acquisition and engagement. By the end of 2009, Joost was sold off to Adconion. This was when Tsuchiya left to create Streamhub, which began as a white label OTT provider. Its ﬁrst customer was NHK Japan, which

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Feature customised for the TV industry. Google Analytics

If youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re watching something, every minute that

comprehensive analysis of the audience journey.

does everything well for the web but thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s

passes on a TV, you have 50 to 60 data points.

Integration of custom metrics can also be

nobody that does something speciďŹ c for TV on

But when youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re online, you can have an inďŹ nite

provided by Streamhub as an additional service.

the web. We spent ÂŁ2 million [self funded] on

number of data points for every minute that

For a single TV show, Streamhub can track its

developing this.â&#x20AC;?

passes by to try and understand why youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;re

correlation with Twitter or Facebook. â&#x20AC;&#x153;This is the

watching the TV programme.

one big USP and something super important to

Streamhubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s team experience is vast and spans the broadcast and technology world with

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Until now, with the traditional measurement

former executives from the BBC, ITV, Viacom and

systems it has been impossible to track all of this

Eurosport to name a few. So, the team is well

because the technologies werenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t there. Nor was

versed with the needs of the broadcast industry. The platform is already being used by one of the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s largest public broadcasters to manage its online video and social data,

be future proof,â&#x20AC;? he explains. The platform can be used to track the past historical performance of a TV show, to ďŹ nd out the audience reach and their geographical location.

â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a playground for the next-generation TVâ&#x20AC;?

Streamhub is also launching an experimental YouTube index as part of its Streamhub Labs initiative that monitors the performance of

delivering actionable insights to increase viewer

TV programmes on the worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s biggest video

acquisition and stickiness in key markets. This is

destination, allowing companies to get a feel for

done by consolidating big data relevant to all

the relative popularity of TV content between

the programmes, and revealing key inďŹ&#x201A;uencing

there a need. Now thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s so much TV and movie

legitimate and illegal uploads. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a playground

factors, which affect viewer engagement (both

consumption moving online, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a natural step

for the next-generation TV,â&#x20AC;? Tsuchiya explains.

positive and negative).

that everyone needs to take.â&#x20AC;?

Tsuchiya, Streamhubâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s founder and managing

Data sources include video engagement

â&#x20AC;&#x153;This was something born out of a conversation with a content owner who was concerned

director, explains why video analytics is so

metrics from the broadcastersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; own services and

about how competitors were performing in the

important as more and more viewers consume

YouTube, social marketing metrics from Twitter

online video space. As we donâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t have access

TV online. â&#x20AC;&#x153;Thereâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s a huge amount of data that

and Facebook, and web/app/trafďŹ c metrics

to every broadcasterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s online video viewing

suddenly becomes available about everyone.

from Google Analytics, which together provide a

data, YouTubeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s sheer scale makes it imperative

- SMOOTH & PRECISE MOVEMENT - REPEATABLE MOTION - USER FRIENDLY DESIGNED FOR VIRTUAL AND AUGMENTED REALITY Egripment can deliver a fully integrated system, which can be used in the automation environment of any studio. For a station that broadcasts 24/7, reliability as well as highly redundant system architecture with a minimum of maintenance service is required. Egripment has successfully taken on this challenge before and can deliver a complete setup. All of the systems can be controlled from a joystick control or a touch screen as well through an automation system. All of the cameras deliver absolute tracking data for the VR Studio demands.

See us on Stand 11.A21

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Feature to help broadcasters ﬁgure out this big data space. More and more, there will be a market for realtime. Today, the only realtime application for most TV broadcasters is for realtime editorial changes, e.g. a live talkshow or live shopping channel where the producer/broadcaster can react to certain words that the audience react to.

“Right now, there’s only production use of realtime data but more and more we see the future evolving into realtime marketing”

“Right now there’s only production use of realtime data but more and more we see the future evolving into realtime marketing. The other is realtime bidding for audiences. Videos will also become more important,” he predicts. And where could the future of data move to next? Tsuchiya has his own ideas. “There will need to be a global or national-based platform of data about competitors being constantly monitored. There will be an abundance of information but everything will be tradeable on this online version of Bloomberg for the media industry. We would love Streamhub to be there

For a single TV show, Streamhub can track its correlation with Twitter or Facebook

– where there is a mix of machine learning, realtime, human contribution – all battling out

for companies to use this market data to both

BARB gives them the overall view of things while

for audience attention. It’s an era of massive

drive trafﬁc to their ofﬁcial channels, as well as

Streamhub shows them the granular details that

database warfare that is going to be coming

understand the impact of YouTube itself.”

make the difference.”

soon and we hope to be one of the empowering

In the UK, BARB (Broadcasters’ Audience

services that broadcasters can use.”

Research Board) compiles data such as

Realtime

audience measurement and TV ratings. Tsuchiya

So where next for Streamhub? “There will always

to move into production mode this month. So

describes Streamhub “as a complementary

be space for the traditional BARB stuff to co-exist

watch this data space. No doubt Streamhub is a

data set to what broadcasters have with BARB.

with this next-generation analytics. We want

name we’ll hear more of in the future.

Streamhub is still in beta mode, but is due

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IBC Preview

IBC2014 Amsterdam is here Our second IBC round up brings you news and product innovations from the showﬂoor at this year’s event. Reporting on the latest exhibitor news across the 14 halls of the RAI Amsterdam is The IBC Daily team consisting of Michael Burns, David Fox, Carolyn Giardina, Heather McLean, Ian McMurray, Will Straus, and our very own Holly Ashford. Our writing team will be scouring the halls to cover new developments and the latest deals being signed live at the show. Welcome to our 15-page special report on this year’s IBC show news.

Aerial view of the RAI in Amsterdam

Riedel’s Tango show Riedel By Holly Ashford Riedel has introduced Tango at this year’s show, which the company promises is an entirely new intercom solution ‘breaking systems boundaries’. The MediorNet 2.0 is a ﬁrmware update for the MediorNet realtime media network that provides video router functionality and high-speed rerouting, and MediorNet

MetroN is a 2-RU large-scale core router that provides a realtime routing capacity of 64x 10G ports. The MediorNet networked approach to signal routing and distribution has been expanded to include WAN capabilities. Other products on display include: MediorNet Modular and MediorNet Compact; MediorWorks software; Performer, Artist, and

MediorNet 2.0 provides video router functionality and high-speed rerouting Acrobat communications systems; and RockNet Fiber-Optic Converters and console interfaces. 10.A31

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IBC Preview

Building the TV Anywhere ecosystem Ericsson By Ian McMurray According to Ericsson, IBC2014 is the first time the industry will see the increased scope and capabilities of Ericsson’s media business as the company builds on its TV and broadcast offering with the addition of recently acquired Azuki Systems, Microsoft Mediaroom and Red Bee Media. At its booth, Ericsson is demonstrating how it is at the centre of the convergence of media and telecoms, which is driving fundamental industry change. Ericsson says that it will show how it is ensuring the highest quality and efficiency of video delivery through its capability to make every network video-centric and enable TV service providers, broadcasters and content owners to leverage and deploy inherently flexible and intelligent unified platforms.

Beach head: Ericsson technologies are ‘redeﬁning the TV viewing experience’ Norwia’s ﬂexible miniHUB

Norwia simpliﬁes the future of production The company is also highlighting how the Mediaroom integration is allowing it to build what it says are new and innovative technologies, which are redeﬁning the TV viewing experience. Visitors to Ericsson’s stand can learn about the company’s acquisition of Red Bee Media, as well as see a presentation of its Media Vision 2020. Described as an illustration of the future of TV over the next six years, it outlines the necessary strategies required to achieve success in the networked society.

1.D61

Media collaboration made easy Tedial By Michael Burns A new media management system being introduced at IBC will allow content producers, broadcasters, pay-TV operators, service providers and Telcos to work collaboratively on media securely and efﬁciently. With the introduction of its Media Exchange Platform system, Tedial claims it is helping diverse global media players work together in a new way. The system directly integrates multi-tenant media exchanges into its core media workﬂows, whether upstream during news, sports and co-production or

downstream during multi-platform packaging and distribution. Tedial is also showcasing streamlined metadata acquisition from third-party production and trafﬁc systems, and demonstrating how it can guarantee metadata preservation throughout the entire media lifecycle. New functionality is also being highlighted for Tedial’s MPM media workﬂow, which directly manages the transcoding of content and metadata to streamline content packaging and delivery for multi-channel TV, catch-up services, VoD and OTT. 8.B41

European launches from TSL Products TSL Products By Holly Ashford The PAM AVB range – which TSL claims to be the broadcast industry’s ﬁrst AVB audio monitoring solution – has made its European debut, together with the AXIUS range of managed ethernet switches for Audio/Videoover-IP workﬂows. In addition, TSL Products has brought PAM PiCo Touch audio, loudness and

logging meter to Europe for the first time. The PAM AVB range takes TSL’s flagship PAM monitoring systems and adds AVB compatibility alongside existing support for SDI, AES and analogue audio formats. The company claims the systems are the first dedicated audio monitoring units to support Audio-over-IP. 10.B41

Norwia By Holly Ashford Norwia is showing its range of solutions aimed at simplifying the production process. The company provides solutions based upon its ﬂexible miniHUB optical transport solution for remote production. Norwia’s booth has two identical miniHUBs and the company is demonstrating the power of its AutoSFP functionality, including showing how miniHUB can change functionality automatically. The company is also showcasing its 4K/UHD 12G-SDI solution for next generation standards. “Our simpliﬁed production focused solutions lower operational costs and streamline the production of live television,” said Tore Steen, CEO, Norwia.

9.C19

Changing the storage landscape Disk Archive By Holly Ashford DAC has unveiled its new EX-60 Storage Expansion for the ALTO Archive and Content Library for the ﬁrst time. The EX-60 meets the growing demand for larger capacity and more densely packed media storage. The company is also demonstrating its new hybrid cloud storage solution, which offers a multi-petabyte class solution with ultra-low TCO for broadcasters and media companies who need storage for DPP/AS11 tapeless operations. DAC is also showing the new iBroadcast monitoring system, developed in conjunction with technology partners ASTEC IT Solutions. 8.B38F

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IBC Preview

OneBeam combo feed Compact HD camera Enensys By Will Strauss Broadcasters looking to use the same satellite capacity to deliver services for both DTH (DVB-S/S2) and DTT (DVB-T or T2) are the target audience for Enensysâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; OneBeam. Encompassing multiple technology solutions from the company, OneBeam provides a single feed with no modiďŹ cation of the A/V stream. Indeed, it provides an alternative to using two separate networks, something that may not be possible when receivers for one may not use signals from the other. Related products at IBC include the new T2Edge DTH which sits at the transmitter end of the content distribution network, and improves capacity, provides new input and output capability (including DVB-S2) and has a more compact footprint. 2.A31

unveiled by Ikegami Ikegami

The HC-HD300

By Holly Ashford The HC-HD300, a compact high-deďŹ nition camera, has been unveiled by Ikegami. The HC-HD300 is equipped with a 1/3-inch bayonet lens mount and employs three 1/3-inch CMOS progressive-scan sensors, each with 2.2 million pixels, in RGB prism formation. It delivers high quality pictures in all commonly used HD video formats. Typical performance characteristics of

the HC-HD300 in 1080/59.94i output mode are 1,000 television lines horizontal resolution, 58 dB signal-to-noise ratio and 2,000 lux sensitivity (89.9 per cent white reďŹ&#x201A;ection) at F10 aperture. Equivalent aperture in 1080/50i mode for this light level is F11. Available options include the newly-developed FA-300 ďŹ bre adaptor and BSF-300 base station. 11.A31

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VisionWeb web browser software

Squeezeback, MADI and control products

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Crystal Vision By Holly Ashford Crystal Vision is presenting a unique keying solution, its ďŹ rst product for MADI audio and a choice of new control options. LKEY-SQZ is a new type of keyer providing a dedicated and smooth squeezeback functionality. The MADDA105 distribution ampliďŹ er is designed to make it easy to send many audio channels to multiple places, with ďŹ ve MADI outputs. The company has also launched the VisionWeb Control system as a free-ofcharge way of operating its full product range from a web browser. VisionWeb uses a boardâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s XML control interface, which is stored in the front panel of the latest frames. 2.B11

/RDGHG ZLWK PRUH WR RIIHU WKDQ HYHU EHIRUH (QMR\ WKH XOWLPDWH OHYHO RI Ä&#x2021;H[LELOLW\ VLPSOLFLW\ DQG performance of this professional 1.9GHz wireless V\VWHP ,W GHOLYHUV DQ RYHUDOO EHWWHU H[SHULHQFH LQ the new, rugged and improved Digital Wireless Beltpack and Transceiver/Antenna System. You can hear every whisper on the system, thanks to WKH ZLGH EDQG GLJLWDO ĂŞ&OHDU &RP 6RXQG ĂŤ 1HZ LQQRYDWLYH LQWHUFRP IHDWXUHV KDYH DOVR EHHQ added to FreeSpeak II which makes it the highest performing wireless option for your team. ([SHULHQFH LW IRU \RXUVHOI RQ 6WDQG ' today and have it shipped to you tomorrow. 0RUH LQIRUPDWLRQ DYDLODEOH DW www.clearcom.com

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IBC Preview xxxxx

Buzz around social media Pixel Power

Trusted products for DPP standards Wohler Technologies

By Carolyn Giardina Buzz is a new software accessory for Pixel Power’s playout devices designed to allow users to scan, moderate and broadcast social media interactions. “To be able to take what your audience is saying about you and put it on screen quickly and safely is a huge advantage. Buzz puts this at anyone’s ﬁngertips,” said Pixel Power CEO, James Gilbert. Buzz is designed to make it easy to select tweets and other comments by using an integration approach and a simple user interface. Multiple social media feeds are consolidated, and users can accept, format and publish messages. Ahead of its IBC launch, Buzz was already being used by TV Guide Network during live

Gilbert: “It is so simple to use” coverage of the Big Brother house for Big Brother After Dark. Added Gilbert: “(Users) can deﬁne a graphics template to match the look of their show, and quickly and simply pick the right messages out of the incoming feeds. Most important, it is so simple to use that it will be hard to put the wrong content to air.”

7.A31

By Heather McLean Wohler Technologies will be discussing its participation in the new compliance programme created by the Digital Production Partnership (DPP), an industry collaboration that provides information and shares best practices to help producers and broadcasters maximise the potential of digital production. The DPP Compliance Programme and subsequent guidelines are intended to help the industry identify trusted products for DPP standards across the UK and to speed up the successful implementation of the digital delivery process by ensuring ﬁles are compliant with DPP AS-11. “Compliance with the DPP speciﬁcation is becoming a critical part of operations for many content producers, and

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IBC Preview our goal is to enable customers to create DPP deliverables with efficiency and confidence,” said Craig Newbury, vice president of sales for Wohler. “To this end, our solution, powered by the RadiantGrid Intelligent Media Transformation Platform, automates the DPP compliance workflow entirely within the file-based domain, going beyond other solutions to include features such as automated content assembly and legalisation. We’re pleased to be part of the new DPP Compliance Programme and look forward to demonstrating how sophisticated yet cost effective file-based processing can successfully speed and streamline the packaging and delivery of DPP-compliant content,” he noted. Through the new DPP programme, participating manufacturers will provide details of completed tests, the sample files produced, and evidence of the results obtained on file delivery or processing products that are in development or being marketed. The programme aims to establish a minimum quality threshold that manufacturers’ tested products need to meet. 10.B10

Canford to preview IP addressable MDUs Canford By Holly Ashford Canford has a 20-year history of manufacturing MDUs (Mains Distribution Units). The company has applied this knowledge, build quality and years of customer feedback into its new range Every aspect of the MDU can be remotely monitored and logged of advanced IP addressable MDUs. Canford aimed connection can securely access the to create a user friendly experience product. Conﬁgurable aspects of the unit via an intuitive web interface, without include: MDU current monitoring, MDU compromising accessibility from power monitoring, per socket control, per smartphones, tablets and PCs – any device socket monitoring and environmental with an html browser and an internet sensors. 9.C01

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IBC Preview

Making a Switch Telestream By Carolyn Giardina Telestream is showcasing Switch, a new multi-format media player that’s built on the same technologies the company developed for its professional transcoding tools. “In today’s digital environment, the number of different resolutions, compression algorithms, and formats has increased, and so has the need for tools to be able to open, play, inspect and correct the growing number of media ﬁles available,” Telestream observed. “Media professionals today resort to using a collection of tools including

players, inspectors, analysers, and converters, to do their jobs.” Switch was designed to bring these tasks into a single software package. “Telestream is in a unique position to leverage our decades of experience in developing media-centric products to design a powerful and simple tool,” said Barbara DeHart, vice president of desktop business at Telestream. “Switch gives anyone dealing with the production, distribution, or packaging of content everything they need to play it, check it and switch it.” Switch also enables packaging and distribution of content to

Robo Eye makes position clear Telemetrics with stop accuracy of 0.005° and feedback accuracy of 0.000375°, and offers a pan/ tilt velocity of 0.01 - 90° per second. The unit is IP65 rated Telemetrics’ RoBoEye for indoor and outdoor By David Fox use, and can be remotely The new Robo Eye integrated controlled via its built-in webHD pan/tilt/zoom camera from server from a web-enabled Telemetrics has a Sony Exmor device, via Ethernet or 2.18-megapixel CMOS image RS-232C/422. A USB port is sensor and 30x zoom lens, also included. and boasts a signal-to-noise “Robo Eye allows camera ratio of 50dB and sensitivity robotics systems to be of F8 at 2000 lux. designed and expanded with a It offers native 1920x1080 HDhigh performance HD imaging SDI and HDMI outputs, plus SD solution that is speciﬁcally composite video signals in NTSC designed for professional and PAL. Gain set-up is automatic camera robotics system with a manual override, and up applications,” said Telemetrics’ to 1,000 presets can be stored. It president, Anthony Cuomo. has servo motors for positioning, 11.D35

Switch hit: “Play it, check it and switch it” media platforms, such as iTunes. “For professionals producing content for distribution to the iTunes store, Switch will save them a huge amount of time, and largely automates what today is mostly a manual process,” said DeHart. Playback and basic inspection is

available for free in Switch Player. Switch Pro ($295) adds additional format support, and the ability to export or change ﬁle properties. Version 1.0 is available for Mac, with support for Windows coming later in the year.

7.C12

SGL showcases FlashNet solution SGL By Holly Ashford SGL’s FlashNet content management solution is designed to integrate with NRCS, MAM or automation control systems to provide improvements to workﬂow efﬁciency without intruding on

users’ familiar desktops. SGL staff are on hand to discuss its involvement with the integration between CATDv Media Asset Management, Glookast ﬁle management and Avid Web Services. 7.J15a

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IBC Preview xxxxx

New encoder modules highlighted Appear TV By Ian McMurray The recently released highchannel density, multi-format SD/HD and multiscreen universal transcoder and dense Module citizen: The XC5000 multiscreen/ beneﬁts from a modular approach OTT encoder modules for its modular XC Series platform are being demonstrated at IBC by Appear TV. The modules expand the amount of channels that can be simultaneously processed in a single hardware platform for a multiple-network topology – centrally or

at the edge. The units are part of Appear TV’s modular concept, which provides users with a selection of modules to create a solution custom-tailored to their needs. Any signal input from any carrier can be captured and adapted to any other signal output, according to the company, with highly dense and powerful video processing to any format and any device.

1.C61

Enhancements for live video tools Livewire Digital By Holly Ashford High quality live news and sports footage is top of the agenda for Livewire Digital. The company is showcasing enhanced versions of M-Link Live X for live video transmission and Newscaster the professional solution for the delivery of HD and SD store and forward video, designed to make the most of the available bandwidth for the transmission of content. Also featured is a new smaller footprint M-Link Exchange video receiver designed to help broadcasters better utilise space in their server rooms. Livewire Digital is sharing the stand with its global reseller Network Innovations. 4.c83

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IBC Preview

Codecs boost IP video transport Digigram By xxxxx By Michael Burns A new codec, the Aqord *LINK/ LE has been released, promising cost-effective transport of highquality video over IP networks (ﬁbre, xDSL, satellite). Digigram is also demonstrating the enhanced encoding capabilities of its Aqilim *SERV/FIT IP video codec, including the ability to encode multiple streams at multiple resolutions simultaneously.

The Aqilim *SERV/FIT lets users publish content in multiple containers to multiple content delivery networks (CDNs) at once. In addition to increasing encoding density and reducing the cost per output stream, the Aqilim *SERV/FIT streamlines provisioning of content to all varieties of display devices via OTT services. 8.C51

Full range of broadcast support capabilities from ATG Danmon

Piksel’s second screen solutions, among others, will be on show

A complete range of solutions and services Piksel

ATG Danmon By Holly Ashford ATG Danmon is promoting its range of broadcast systems planning, design, installation, commissioning and postinstallation support capabilities at IBC2014. This includes workflow optimisation for live and file-based production environments, media asset management and archiving, signing, post production, presentation and playout, as well as OB production trucks and satellite link vehicles. “Efficient software integration is becoming an increasingly

ATG’s solutions encompass OB trucks important element of multimedia systems design, accelerated by the growing use of ﬁle-based data management for local content networking and wide-area distribution,” commented Clive Northern. 8.B51

DAM and SaaS capabilities Pronology By xxxxx By Holly Ashford Pronology will be showcasing its comprehensive integration and Software as a Service (SaaS) offerings at IBC2014. “We are excited to highlight our SaaS capabilities to the broadcast and production communities at IBC, as it is the ideal environment to display our ability

to accommodate the wide range of workﬂows being used today,” said Jonathan Aroesty, co-founder of Pronology. “At Pronology, we take pride in using our real-world industry experience to provide the best tools, and to advise on-site crews from the start to ﬁnish of a production as to ‘best practices’.” 10.A26

By Holly Ashford Piksel’s entire portfolio of solutions and services, including those for online video, second screen, user design technologies and managed services, are on show at the company’s stand. Senior spokespeople are also on hand to discuss how the company’s product suite has evolved since its launch a year ago, showcasing

solutions which leverage the Piksel Palette modular service orientated architecture framework. Through a ‘no-one-size-ﬁts-all’ approach, Piksel is showing how it helps its customers evolve their infrastructures and business models in line with the industry shift towards a multiscreen environment. 1.C30

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IBC Preview

Media Assist showcased Netia

Junger’s Voice Processor includes Spectral Signature dynamic EQ

Jünger’s “easy” Voice Processor Jünger Audio By Holly Ashford The D*AP4 VAP Voice Processor is on show at Jünger Audio’s stand. The processor includes Spectral Signature dynamic EQ, a new tool that offers automatic and dynamic EQ control to balance spectral differences in realtime. By analysing incoming audio and comparing its spectrum with individually predetermined voice ‘ﬁngerprints’, this unit can automatically

apply dynamic EQ corrections to give a consistent sound. “We have also included processing such as HP/LP ﬁltering, versatile dynamics section, full parametric EQ and de-essing, and made the unit really easy to use – even for non-technical radio staff such as producers and journalists,” explained Peter Pörs, CEO of Jünger Audio. 10.A49

New features for SilverBACK family MultiDyne By Holly Ashford Significant new features for MultiDyne’s SilverBACK family of cameramounted The SilverBACK family now includes four models fibre transport solutions are on show, including the need for fibre patch panels. a new operator control panel Dingo, the recently introduced that offers intuitive, user-friendly fibre transport card is also on controls and displays. show. Dingo supports a range Another key demonstration of camera signals, composite is the MultiDyne LightningSwitch, video, analogue or digital a 48x48 optical-to-optical audio with cross-conversion, routing switch designed to intercom, serial data, and simplify the routing of fibregigabit Ethernet over a single optic signals within broadcast fibre-optic cable. 10.D46 infrastructures by eliminating

By Ian McMurray The NETIA Media Assist software suite unites the functionality of NETIA’s radio broadcast automation and media management products with an SQL database to provide what it describes as a robust multimedia asset management system with a full complement of production tools. With this new solution, NETIA claims that users can manage all types of content, in any format, on any platform, from anywhere and at any time. The software suite is also said to make it easier for users to move media among sites. To enable convenient use across a facility or organisation, the Media Assist software suite provides both a rich-client platform and a web-based interface that can be displayed on a simple internet browser. Both GUIs have been designed to assure effective ergonomics,

and NETIA points out that the option of working through a browser-based interface allows journalists and reporters to go fully mobile while maintaining their ability to access, search, edit, and repurpose content. NETIA has already released Media Assist modules engineered for smartphones and tablets, and is providing demonstrations of the modules’ functionality throughout IBC2014. Media Assist is based on a service-oriented architecture (SOA), thus offering the additional advantages of a client-server model of computing, says NETIA. Key beneﬁts to operations are said to include increased modularity, optimal scalability through the improvement or addition of services, third-party connectivity through a web services API, and straightforward and cost-effective maintenance.

8.D82d

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IBC Preview

PHABRIX and the future of higher frame rates Phabrix By Holly Ashford As the industry continues to debate exactly where to focus its support for 4K, PHABRIX is rumoured, in the run-up to IBC2014, to have a new UHDTV solution on display. The company has invited a long list of high-end manufacturers to its stand to see for themselves what it has to offer. PHABRIX will also be showing its new TAG portable T&M instrument for the ﬁrst time at IBC. The TAG has interfaces for testing

Emotion Systems demo file-based workflows Emotion Systems By Holly Ashford Emotion Systems is showcasing advances in its file-based workflows and how it improves efficiency whilst cutting down costs. Emotion Systems is also showing the latest versions of eFF and Engine. eFF provides audio loudness compliance to a range of worldwide standards and can be used in standalone, automatic watch folder and fully automatic workflows through API integration. Engine allows Automated File Based Audio workflows for Loudness, Dolby E encoding and decoding, track replication and track swapping. It is controlled by use of a ReSTful API and offers easy integration to popular MAM Systems. 6.C28c

The portable TAG, on show for the ﬁrst time at IBC2014 analogue, SDI and optical infrastructures, and the rest of the Sx series has also been upgraded to support Dolby E, Dolby D,

and Dolby D Plus through a simple installation option key. 8 E40w

Camera Tote launches Joseph Electronics By Heather McLean Joseph Electronics, with its host at IBC, Bluebell Opticom, is showcasing the JFS Camera Tote system that offers a new option to enable quicker operator deployment of point-to-point communications. Built into an industry-standard Pelican enclosure, the compact Camera Tote system provides water-resistant protection of field electronics in the harsh environments encountered by news and field crews. An internal filtered fan ensures that extreme temperatures will not be a factor when the system is used in exposed locations. The system’s standard signal complement includes 4x4 3G/HD-SDI, 4x4 analogue audio, 1Gb Ethernet, and wet intercom.

Electronics protector: The Camera Tote system provides water-resistant protection of ﬁeld electronics in harsh environments The unit is also available in a 2-RU rack-mount model for permanent installation. Fibre options include Lemo, ST, OpticalCon Quad, or MX. When four ﬁbre connectors are used, two units can be daisy-chained for multicamera applications. 10.F24

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IBC Preview New features for award-winning products Visual Unity By Holly Ashford The latest versions of vuMedia multiscreen platform and vuEasy Online Video Platform have been unveiled. Several new languages have been added to vuEasy’s administrator user interface, including Chinese, Arabic, Spanish and Russian. vuMedia was introduced in 2011 and won the 2012 ConnectedWorld.TV Award for the Best Use of Online Video by

a Non-Broadcaster. In recent months, Visual Unity has upgraded vuMedia so that it now features an improved modular architecture and enhanced API integration for faster OTT integration into existing infrastructures. There is also support for Live Time-Shifting so that subscribers can rewind while watching live broadcasts.

14.F34

openTruck in a European context Broadcast Networks By Holly Ashford Broadcast Networks has partnered with Ross Video to bring its openTruck initiative to the European market. Ross openTruck provides a standard, customisable way to design cost-effective mobile production vehicles that deliver video and audio content from sports to other live events. “Since its launch at NAB 2014, openTruck has generated considerable interest across the US, and in bringing it to IBC, we’re conﬁdent that the initiative will also be well-received in Europe,”

Broadcast Networks and Ross Video present openTruck said Nigel Spratling, marketing product manager at Ross Video. “Broadcast Networks, with its track-record of designing and building quality live production OB units, is the ideal partner to help us demonstrate the ﬂexibility, simplicity and power of openTruck within the European context.” 9.C10

Adding more partners, providing more choices TMD By Holly Ashford TransMedia Dynamics’ highlights this year include demonstrations of the integration of TMD’s Mediaﬂex suite of applications with Spectra Logic’s BlackPearl Deep Storage Appliance, Telestream’s Lightspeed Transcoding Server and FileCatalyst’s File Transfer Acceleration. In addition,

integration with Amazon S3 and Encoding.com, which leverage the power of the cloud, is on show. “Adding cloud and SaaS solutions and multi-platform capabilities gives customers the most effective and comprehensive system available,” said Carlton Smith, CPO of TMD. 2.C58

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IBC Preview xxxxx

Cobalt Digital shows 13 additions to range Cobalt Digital By Holly Ashford Cobalt Digital has rolled out a lengthy list of launches, including openGear cards boasting a quint-split multi-image display processor, a down-converter, embedder/de-embedder, DA, an MPEG multi-standard broadcast transcoder, and several ﬁbre optic cards. The Blue Box Group is also being expanded with many new units, and Cobalt’s SPOTCHECK loudness measurement/compliance monitoring system is also bringing new upgrades at the show. Chris Shaw, EVP sales and marketing, Cobalt Digital, said: “Our customers play a critical role in our development process and we’re thrilled to respond with reasonably priced solutions that target exactly what they need to keep them technically advanced and ﬁnancially sound.”10.B44

9970-QS quint-split multi-image display processor

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IBC Preview

FORK v4.6 is Prime release Primestream By Holly Ashford With new modules, functionality, and integrations with the leading broadcast hardware and software vendors, FORK v4.6 is the most extendable, conﬁgurable, and powerful version ever released, according to Primestream. FORK v4.6 includes major revisions to the underlying structures of the version that debuted at the 2014 NAB Show. Primestream is also demonstrating FORK Xchange Suite v3.0, a major upgrade to

Live+ gives Carriers a boost Dejero By David Fox Dejero has added to its Live+ family of news vehicle uplinks with the new Live+ Booster, and a new Carrier to make it easier to transport a Ergonomic: The new transmitter to the scene Dejero Live+ Carrier makes it easier to carry of breaking news. transmitter and camera Live+ Booster is a powerful connection and signal booster for bonded uplink transmissions, with an array of up to 12 high-gain antennas mounted on the top of the vehicle. The new Live+ Carrier is a rugged, modular carrier system designed to increase a news crew’s mobility and comfort. 11.C21

Cloud Aqua XOR Media By Holly Ashford Cloud Aqua, a next generation objectbased cloud storage solution, and MediaServer G, XOR Media’s latest video server with integrated realtime graphics generator, are among the media-optimised technologies being showcased by the company. MediaPower, XOR Media’s exclusive distributor in EMEA for broadcast products, is presenting the entire line of storage and video products including Cloud Aqua. 7.J42

the application that gives broadcasters instant web access to content on their FORK Production servers, and features a redesigned iPad interface optimised for Apple iOS 7. Archive Bridge v1.0, a new module for the FORK Production Suite that provides integration between industry-leading archival solutions and the FORK media asset management and production automation platform, is also at the show. 7.D21

Primestream will showcase a number of solutions

Media Factories and monetisation Globecast By Holly Ashford Globecast has introduced a single unique workﬂow to deliver all content preparation services, including playout, VoD preparation, content formatting and creative services. The Media Factory approach delivers dedicated operations management in close cooperation with clients and goes beyond traditional media management, logistics and playout services.

The company is highlighting solutions, such as Edge playout, that allow content to be adapted to local markets, handling relevant branding, advert insertion and even compliance issues. IBC2014 visitors can also learn about Globecast’s monetisation tools, designed to extract greater value from content, through advertising and subscription management models for OTT services. 1.A29

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IBC Preview: Opinion

What can we expect from IBC2014?

deal is ground-breaking, revealing a new era of quality online video content, targeted to meet changing consumer demands. A new broadcasting business model is emerging and online video providers, such as Netﬂix, are leading the way. Navigating this convergence is expected to be one of the hottest topics at this year’s IBC.

Bringing back the classics An archive is a valuable asset to content owners,

Simon Kay, managing director at RRsat, discusses the trends and technologies we can expect to see at IBC2014

consumer content discovery. IBC is expected to

with restoration of popular content opening

be awash with metadata implementation and

a new revenue channel. Additionally, series

management solutions, and with consumers

that have yet to be digitised or restored offer

now having content at their ﬁngertips, metadata

a proﬁtable option for broadcasters looking for

is an essential component of broadcast

proven quality content. Good content stands

business strategy.

the test of time and with consumers now having

BC is one of the most signiﬁcant events in

the broadcast industry calendar, attracting

Navigating convergence

professionals from around the world. This year

Online video is now an inevitable part of

looks to be no different with over 52,000 content

broadcasting’s future, spurred on by the

owners, distributors and broadcasters expected

increasing ownership of tablet and smartphone

to make the yearly trip to Amsterdam.

devices. Global audiences expect content to be accessible anywhere, anytime, on any

“A new broadcasting business model is emerging and online video providers, such as Netﬂix, are leading the way.”

Metadata management

device and in a variety of consumption

Metadata is fundamental to the way broadcast

options, including linear channels as well as

is changing, having the power to impact every

video on demand. This year has already

stage of the business chain. Understanding

seen numerous high proﬁle examples of

access to an inﬁnite amount of content across

metadata can enable the delivery of an

broadcasters adapting their services, including

devices, archives present a new monetisation

improved viewing experience and more

Dish Network, an American broadcast satellite

opportunity for production companies at low

successful advertising solutions. Personalised

provider that secured the rights to include

cost/high proﬁt. With classics such as Jamaica

recommendation is just one of the possibilities

high proﬁle Disney-owned channels in a TV

Inn and Prime Suspect proving big hits, IBC will

available that provides a more effective route to

service delivered over the internet. This new

see content owners deploying new workﬂows and technologies to rejuvenate their content for a new generation.

Making the most of multiscreen Multiscreen developments are constantly being redeveloped with the changes in viewing behaviour presenting new monetisation opportunities for broadcasters. Sporting events in particular have only served to increase the popularity of mobile channels, with the World Cup hailed as the most sociable tournament ever – driven by second screen viewing, video on demand and mobile applications. The World Cup also saw the arrival of 4K technologies, with broadcasters, including EBU, announcing new services and developments in order to showcase Ultra HD technology. However, the challenges include the implementation of a multiscreen strategy that enables interaction with audiences, keeping the experience moving in a meaningful way. Viewers now expect this to be delivered as part of their TV experience and implementing a multiscreen option for the sake of technology is no longer enough.

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QC Forum

Quality control matters We return to the pressing issue of automated quality control for this month’s Forum. Philip Stevens moderates the discussion between some of the major players in the ﬁeld

Views continue to vary when it comes to the beneﬁts of automated QC versus manual intervention. So what are the keys to an effective automated system? Has the proliferation of second screens made a difference to QC procedures? And what’s the next innovation? To debate these and other issues we invited (in alphabetical order) Simon Begent, sales director, VidCheck; Ben Davenport, director of channels, Dalet; Karl Mehring, senior product manager, TV Everywhere, Snell; StephenNunney, managing director, Hamlet Video International; Raphael Samad, business development director, Emotion Systems; Adam Schadle, vice president, Video Clarity; Vikas Singhal, co-founder and executive director, business development, Venera Technologies; U.N. Vasudev, strategic product planner and business development manager, video product line, Tektronix; and Penny Westlake, director of EU sales at Interra Systems.

What are the keys to developing a file-based quality control strategy? Begent: A key point is that QC should be integrated at all stages of your workflow. The earlier you catch problems the better. QC should be done when the files are first received, during and after edit, before and after transcode and not just as an add-on immediately before delivery. It is also important to understand the QC has to be able to work with many different

Simon Begent Vidcheck

formats and test requirements. The DPP initiative

Mehring: Above all – plan. It may seem obvious,

seeks to standardise requirements for major

but planning is critical. You need to know

UK broadcasters, however, different needs for

exactly what you want to check for and what

international delivery – for Netﬂix, iTunes and other

false positives you need to eliminate, with your

providers – will continue to require QC systems

speciﬁc types of media in mind. It is common

with test templates for different levels of testing.

on some types of media to have many frames

Davenport: Wherever you are in the content

of still or black, for example. So, the best tools

creation and distribution chain, the reason we

and workﬂows for ﬁle-based quality control must

do QC is money. For example, to QC ﬁles for

have more subjective levels of tolerance and

subjective and objective content, video and

conﬁgurable thresholds. It’s the best way to

audio quality may enable us to charge more for

avoid the classic ‘boy-who-cried-wolf’ scenario.

a premium service. To QC ﬁles absolutely against

If your QC system constantly sends alerts about

standards and delivery speciﬁcations can avoid

problems that don’t exist, you will be less likely to

the re-processing of ﬁles later in the chain. To QC

react quickly when there really is a problem.

ﬁles against regulatory checks, such as loudness

Samad: Accuracy of measurement, ease of

or ﬂash patterns, can avoid costly rework, or

use, understandable reports, good ways to not

worse, ﬁnes. All these things have associated

only ﬁnd, but also ﬁx problems, appropriateness

costs and so does QC. An effective QC strategy

of location in the workﬂow and a rigorous

will balance these costs against trust in content.

procedure are all attributes that come to mind

QC requirements of your customer. File-based

Ben Davenport Dalet

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QC Forum when considering a QC strategy. Particularly

Mehring: We see downsides only when the

unique to loudness compliance is that it is often

planning phase has not been followed, which

best conducted separate from the rest of the QC

leads to too many false positives. That said, these

process. And that good loudness compliance

are easy to overcome with the right choice of

systems can not only ﬁnd problems, but can ﬁx

system and equipment.

them, too.

Nunney: Auto QC can provide so much

Singhal: Three of the key issues for developing

data it can be overwhelming for users, when

a successful ﬁle-based QC strategy are, ﬁrst,

all that is needed is to know if it’s a ‘go’ or ‘no

having a ﬁrm understanding of one’s workﬂow

go’ situation.

and the various issues that are encountered at different stages, so that proper tools are

Karl Mehring Snell

Steve Nunney Hamlet Video International

Samad: Yes. The problem with auto QC is that it can be difﬁcult to alter as workﬂow requirements

selected. For example, for customers with high

change. With this in mind, I would always suggest

Adaptive Bit Rate workﬂow, a QC tool with best

looking for tools and building workﬂows which

ABR functionality may be a better choice than

have some degree of ﬂexibility.

a general QC option. Secondly, having a good

Schadle: Yes. Implementation of a new version

knowledge of the workﬂow metrics – content

either in the ﬁle processing device or the auto

volume, ﬁle characteristics, types of QC issues to

QC device might introduce a change that

look for, expected QC performance – in order

could cause a problem or stop the workﬂow. It

to properly estimate the software needs and to

is possible that the auto QC process either does

maximise the value of the investment. And ﬁnally,

not work with the device/network path change

proper development of QC analysis ‘templates’

that was made or if the testing solution itself has

or use of pre-deﬁned templates based on established speciﬁcations, with proper operator

Adam Schadle Video Clarity

Vikas Singhal Venera Technologies

a new version. This should be assessed outside the workﬂow before it is placed into the critical

training to review and act on the results. Westlake: As with most technical solutions, you

operational efﬁciency. No QC software is 100

often get what you pay for. Carefully analyse your

per cent perfect, but it can provide invaluable

needs and think about how quality control can

assistance at various stages of busy ﬁle-based

ﬁt into your workﬂow as seamlessly as possible.

operations. Some of our customers say that

Consider at what points in your workﬂow you

they have been able to achieve 80 per cent

should verify your ﬁles. A system that integrates well

automation with Pulsar, which we believe is

with transcoders, MAM, editing systems, playout

signiﬁcant for most organisations.

systems and storage will save much money and

Vasudev: Yes it is more efﬁcient, as human

heartache in the long run. Reliability and future-

QC is very time consuming and, hence, costly.

prooﬁng need to be considered as standards and

QC automation allows operators to focus their

path of output production demanded by the

formats change. You need a system that will keep

attention only on those ﬁles ﬂagged as errors.

asset delivery cycle.

up with future requirements. If you have end-

Aside from the efﬁciency aspects, automated

Vasudev: So long as you give consideration

clients, what are they using for QC? Can you share

QC tools are the only realistic method of

to what you are trying to achieve with an

content test plans or templates? Don’t be taken in

validating metadata, and their ability to ‘look

automated QC strategy, there should be

by a pretty interface.

inside’ the ﬁle makes them able to identify issues

no downside whatsoever. Automated QC

that are easily missed using human QC alone.

is a critical element for any organisation

Is QC automation always more efficient?

Are there any downsides to auto QC?

Mehring: QC automation is more efﬁcient

“Auto QC can provide so much data it can be overwhelming for users, when all that is needed is to know if it’s a ‘go’ or ‘no go’ situation” Steve Nunney, Hamlet Video International

implementing a ﬁle-based workﬂow and is the only way of achieving cost effective and repeatable results. Westlake: No. Auto QC is a useful tool to ensure

as long as it can be built into an automated

Begent: Auto QC is good at detecting

that video and audio content reaches the

workﬂow that includes human intervention

technical problems such as metadata,

consumer in a form that will play, and that it will

– but only for exceptions. This is known in

bitrate, GOP structure, syntax errors and other

look as good as was intended. Where there are

manufacturing environments as ‘autonomation’.

parameters which cannot be found by manual

regulations – such as those for ﬂashing images

This is part of the reason why at Snell we liken

QC. However, over reliance can be dangerous.

– auto QC is a valuable tool in preventing

a typical media company’s workﬂow to a

It will only ﬁnd those items you have set it to test

companies from inadvertently breaking the law.

media factory. Understanding workﬂows as

for and should be used as a tool in conjunction

sophisticated assembly lines helps media

with human QC. It cannot replace human

companies gain massive efﬁciencies through

contextual perception – for example, is that

autonomation and other strategies.

red hue a video error or a deliberate artistic

Singhal: With proper planning and smart

effect, are the correct two football teams

Davenport: In time-critical business such as news,

insertion of QC automation in a ﬁle-based

shown playing in the video, and is the content

single-ﬁle throughput and latency are critical and

workﬂow, a QC tool can increase the overall

appropriate for family viewing?

priority will be placed on processing speed.

Is faster-than-realtime always needed?

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QC Forum an intrinsic part of the overall experience, and with loudness and the problems of synchronisation, it’s a hot topic and just as important as the video component. Automatic correction of these parameters is what’s aimed for. Samad: Audio is now receiving a lot

Raphael Samad Emotion Systems

of attention due to the issue of loudness compliance. Add to this

In other business, total throughput and processing

video quality testing, the applied metrics are

the fact that many media ﬁles contain multiple

cost may take priority and the fact that auto-QC

sometimes able to provide up to realtime speeds

audio tracks for multi-lingual requirements,

can be easily scaled and run 24/7 may negate the

for testing. However, this capability is currently

stereo, surround sound and Dolby E. Therefore,

need for faster-than-realtime. The concatenation

vendor – and technology – dependent.

it is now fairly common for the audio content

of processes may also be important – can the auto QC process run on a growing ﬁle that is still being ingested or transcoded? Mehring: Generally speaking, faster-thanrealtime is desirable. But by using a system such as Snell’s Momentum, you can have parallel

When it comes to QC, video is usually the primary consideration, but does audio receive the same attention?

processes within an automated workﬂow. This

to be larger than the video content. Also, audiences are now very demanding – when a ﬁle is perfect, all that is noticed is the video. However, the slightest problem with any of the audio draws a huge amount of audience complaint. Singhal: More and more customers are paying

means that additional processes can be started

Begent: In the past, no, but there is increasing

closer attention to audio ﬁdelity and QC issues.

at the same time when material turnaround is

importance for audio levels and loudness to

However, the set of critical audio related issues

tight and potential system bottlenecks need to

meet the US CALM and EBU R128 requirements.

are smaller compared to video. With the ongoing

be overcome.

Files also increasingly carry multiple languages

adoption of R128 recommendations across

Nunney: Realtime and faster-than-realtime

and different audio track and channel

various parts of the world, Audio Loudness, along

QC are both useful in their own way, depending

conﬁgurations which need to be QC checked.d.

with Peaks and Loudness range, has indeed

on the process and situation relating to the

Davenport: Audio processing requires

become an important consideration.

chain of essence production. A faster-than-

signiﬁcantly less horsepower than video

Westlake: Yes. Audio needs to receive the same

real-time check may be expedient just as

and, as a result, is often the lesser in design

amount of attention as video, because bad audio

a ‘tape spot check’ had been used in the

considerations. However, in terms of actual

is often the ﬁrst thing that viewers complain about.

past. Better to ﬁnd that sequence with the

QC testing, and particularly for regulatory,

photosensitive epilepsy sequence and edit or

absolute and objective measurements, audio

auto correct it before it produces dire effects on

is often subjected to more testing than video.

unsuspecting public.

As a result of the implementation of auto QC,

Samad: Mostly. An important element of QC

subjective evaluation of audio quality may

systems is the infrastructure around them. If

have declined and, by its nature, this is

systems are going to have to process large

likely to have a signiﬁcant impact on the

quantities of ﬁles, often in parallel, faster-than-

viewing experience.

Samad: Yes, most deﬁnitely. From an audio

realtime, then the ﬁles are going to have to

Mehring: When performing audio QC, the

point of view, the content that has to be

be moved and copied within them, quickly

quality of the audio itself is paramount, but

delivered to second screen systems is very

and efﬁciently – disk speeds, speed of I/O and

many organisations overlook the importance of

different to that of conventional television.

network speeds really come into consideration.

multiple language management. Speciﬁcally,

Therefore, it would need to be measured

However, achieving this is very worthwhile as

audio QC systems need to be able to detect if

and adjusted with a second screen

it will help to satisfy the ever-growing hunger

the languages are in the correct place and tag

audience in mind.

for content.

language for use further down the line in the

Schadle: Yes. This is an interesting area from a

Schadle: Faster-than-realtime operation is

media factory. To address this challenge, we built

quality control perspective. At ﬁrst, the second

always beneﬁcial due to today’s increased

Momentum speciﬁcally to auto QC while adding

screen was thought to be a less important

workloads. Greater quantities of ﬁles and

audio languages or captions, seamlessly.

path to test – due to revenue limitations – or in

content will continue to drive the need for faster

Nunney: Audio should no longer be the second

operations where the second screen is not the

testing routines. In the initial step of perceptual

class citizen it has been in the past. Sound is

main revenue driver. This attitude is changing as

Has the increase in second screen activity affected QC processes?

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QC Forum operators begin to consider the second screen

speciﬁcations, efﬁcient and comprehensive

Singhal: With more and more broadcasters

as the growth engine and an absolutely essential

support for analysis of content by leading QC

transferring the content QC responsibilities to

element in the asset delivery requirements of

vendors becomes more important.

suppliers, these providers – big or small – need

any original programme. Therefore, we’re seeing that second screen testing requirements are becoming very important, multiplied by the number of new versions sent for any one piece of content.

What is the next major development when it comes to QC?

access to the QC tools. QC vendors need to come up with offerings that are affordable and usable by players of all sizes in the value chain. QC vendors also need to continue developing their tools to measure reliably more and more of audio/video

Vasudev: Yes certainly. The viewer’s expectation

Begent: The start of the next major development

is for a ﬂawless second or multiscreen

is already available. Systems like Vidchecker

true automation in these difﬁcult scenarios requires

experience. With multiscreen workﬂows, there is a

and Vidﬁxer provide not only QC, but can also

the next level of innovation.

proliferation of content at different bitrates and

intelligently auto correct common problems

Vasudev: Cloud-based QC is gaining

formatted for various screen sizes, which makes

like out-of-spec video and audio levels, and

importance as industry business models

QC automation an essential part of the workﬂow.

automatically add and remove black sequences

incorporate cloud-based workﬂows in an effort

Westlake: In terms of processes, increases in

and colour bars. This provides signiﬁcant ROI,

to increase operational efﬁciency. However,

second screen activity should not have affected

and cost and time savings, as ﬁles with errors no

QC processes that much. A high quality system

longer need to be sent back for manual re-edit,

will offer the ability to set up multiple test plans to

correction and re-encode.

cater for different ﬁle formats and, if used at the

Davenport: Firstly, the work of the EBU QC group

correct points in a workﬂow, can ensure ﬁles are

to deﬁne not just what should be tested, but

correct for the chosen output.

how tests should be measured and, crucially,

Does 4K present any signiﬁcant challenges when it comes to QC?

baseband issues that are not objective. Achieving

reported, making it much easier to compare auto QC vendors. Secondly, QC now happens at multiple points in a workﬂow, often across several departments and/or facilities. The carriage of QC metadata within or alongside

Begent: It does not present signiﬁcant challenges

media, providing genealogy and enabling users

and most auto QC systems already support 4K. It

to quickly establish a level of trust in that media

just means a larger frame resolution, more pixels,

will offer significant gains in efficiency. And finally,

larger ﬁles to test and newer high efﬁciency

auto ﬁx-up has already begun to establish itself

codecs like HEVC/H265.

as a way in which to signiﬁcantly reduce costs

Davenport: There are a number of technical

and gain efﬁciency. Products on the market

challenges with 4K and QC – new codecs, colour

today are largely focused on correcting failed

space(s), larger ﬁles, higher ﬁdelity – but the key

regulatory measurements, such as loudness and

challenge is still around process management, and

ﬂash pattern analysis, but as these tools become

a well considered and designed workﬂow should

more intelligent and algorithms improve, they

accommodate all resolutions and frame rates.

will inevitably extend to provide fast and

Nunney: Yes, more data means there’s more

effective correction for other absolute and

processing requirement, but two criteria remain

objective failures.

the same. One being the technical speciﬁcation set

Nunney: IP QC and correction combined at a

and the other being at what level of degradation

great price all done via the cloud.

the user complains. A passive interface providing

Schadle: With regard to quality measurements,

feedback of realtime quality, alerts and a QC

we will see perceptual metrics become more

storage loop at all times is the only solution.

and more accurate as the tools continue to

it is critical that content security within the

Schadle: Not really. However, the size of 4K

evolve closer to a human’s perception of quality.

cloud service be effectively addressed when

ﬁles does require more testing time, especially

How these tools are being integrated into the QC

implementing any cloud-based workﬂow.

since those ﬁles tend to be mezzanine-level and,

process is also evolving. Therefore, a human-like

Westlake: There are new possibilities on the

therefore, larger and with higher bitrates. As

perception of quality is a divergent question for

horizon… but if I told you, I’d have to kill you.

delivery evolves and codecs get more efﬁcient,

QC processes. On one hand, there are many

www.dalet.com

4K ﬁles will continue to trend to lower data rates

new techniques being touted as accurate – with

www.emotion-systems.com

as they become more prevalent.

single-ended metrics that might create some

www.hamlet.co.uk

Singhal: The primary challenge for QC of 4K

advantage over ﬁle syntax for quickly checking

www.interrasystems.com

content is performance. Due to size and bitrate,

for anomalies. However, full reference methods

www.snellgroup.com

the processing of 4K ﬁles can take longer and

are driving a much more reliable set of tools that

www.uk.tek.com

require more computing power. As broadcasters

can, in most cases, be relied upon for the most

www.veneratech.com

such as Netﬂix lead the way towards 4K

accurate quality measurements without the help

www.vidcheck.com

content, requiring stringent adherence to their

of exhaustive subjective studies.

www.videoclarity.com

Penny Westlake Interra Systems

U.N. Vasudev Tektronix

“With the ongoing adoption of R128 recommendations across various parts of the world, Audio Loudness, along with Peaks and Loudness range, has indeed become an important consideration” Vikas Singhal, Venera Technologies

86 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Awards Winners of the TVBAwards will be announced on 23 October at the Hilton London Wembley

DELIVERY Achievement in Fast-Turnaround Broadcast z BBC World Cup Live Streaming – Elemental Technologies z BT Sport – Aspera z RTL News Virtual Environment: A 3D Window Into the World – Orad Hi-Tec Systems z The Storms that Stole Christmas – Pioneer Productions

Achievement in Multiplatform Content z 2014 FIFA World Cup – EVS z BBC World Cup Live Streaming – Elemental Technologies

Countdown to October

z BFI Player – BFI and Ooyala

the TVBAwards shortlist!

Achievement in Legacy Content

z Curzon Home Cinema – Curzon and Easel TV

z British Pathe archive restoration for YouTube – RRSat z The Epic of Everest – BFI National Archive/ Deluxe Digital

Achievement in Sports Broadcast

z NTV Archive – NTV and Front Porch Digital

z The Boat Race – Presteigne Ltd.

z World War I: The Suicide of Europe –

z The Match at Mission Hills – U.Com Media

by Neal Romanek

z Ultra e-motion UEFA Europa League Final

n June, TVBEurope announced the launch

– Cinevideo

achievement in European broadcast content.

SPECIAL AWARDS Sustainability Award z Albert+ – the BAFTA Albert

of the ﬁrst ever TVBAwards which are designed to honour outstanding technical

Russia Television and Radio/FERC Sovtelexport

z TV3Sport ViaSat workﬂow – Primestream

Achievement in Visual Effects z Atlantis – Lola Post Production

Consortium z ALTO-II Archive and Content Library –

The awards are given in 13 categories across

z Doctor Who: Day of the Doctor – Milk VFX

the production areas of Capture, Workﬂow,

z Peeky Blinders – BlueBolt

z Last Call – Zenit Arti Audiovisive

Delivery and also include four Special Awards.

z Natural History Museum Alive 3D – Milk VFX

z SHOWroom: Streaming the future today –

After receiving a ﬂood of nominations of a very

Disk Archive Corporation

St. Poelten University of Applied Sciences

high quality, we are happy to announce

WORKFLOW

the shortlist for the inaugural TVBAwards. From

Achievement in Sound

Marketing Award

the shortlist, an independent judging panel of

z Happy Valley – dock10

z Doctor Who: Save the Day – BBC and

professionals from across the broadcast industry

z Later...with Jools Holland – BBC2/Nugen Audio

will vote for the winner in each category. The

z Sherlock – Bang Post Production

z Hands Campaign – PHABRIX Limited

winners will be revealed at the TVBAwards dinner

z The X Factor – Gearhouse Broadcast

z SDI Must Die – Cinegy

BBC Worldwide

z WW1 on the BBC – Red Bee/Karmarama

at the Hilton London Wembley on 23 October. Information about tickets, as well as sponsorship,

Achievement in Systems Integration

can be obtained at the TVBAwards website:

z BT Sport – Avid

Outstanding Broadcast

www.tvb-awards.com

z Danish Broadcasting Corporation – TS

z Nabucco live streaming from the Vienna

Congratulations to all of the TVBAwards

Infrastruktur Mediearkiv

ﬁnalists! We look forward to seeing you at the

z ITV production modernisation – ITV and Nativ

gala ceremony in October.

z UK educational catch-up TV service – Cambridge Imaging Systems

CAPTURE ‘Beyond HD’ Achievement for excellence in image capture z Fly Med Oss – TV 2 ASA, Norway

State Opera – Vienna State Opera and Elemental Technologies z Natural History Museum Alive 3D – David Attenborough/Colossus Productions z Sochi Winter Paralympic Games coverage

Achievement in Post Production z Graham Chapman’s A Liar’s Auto Biography –

– Channel 4 z The Boat Race – Presteigne Ltd.

Andre Jacquemin

z Land of the Bears – Les ﬁlms en vrac

z Happy Valley – dock10

Lifetime Achievement Award

z One Planet – BBC

z The Honourable Woman – The Farm

The recipient of the lifetime achievement award

z War Horse – NT Live and Sony

z ShotPut Pro 5 – Imagine Products

will be announced

TICKETS AND TABLES NOW AVAILABLE visit www.tvb-awards.com/booktickets Category Sponsor: Capture

For more information please contact: sara.mather@intentmedia.co.uk

For European sponsorship opportunities contact: steve.connolly@intentmedia.co.uk ben.ewles@intentmedia.co.uk richard.carr@intentmedia.co.uk sharifa.marshall@intentmedia.co.uk +44 (0)20 7354 6000

For US sponsorship opportunities contact: mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv +1 631 673 0072

88 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Data Centre 2013

23.7 million

2014

33 million 40 million

2015 2016

46.6 million

53.4 million

2017 2018

60.1 million

Connected devices in use to watch OTT video: Italy

Connected device report Italy

Italy succinctly illustrates the tremendous differences in technology adoption and demographics between the northern and southern segments of western Europe, suggests SNL Kagan’s latest connected device report

n tandem with this issue’s OTT special report,

should increase from 70.2 million in 2013 to 106.6

Italy should climb to 43.1 million from a base

we continue our coverage of SNL Kagan’s

million in 2018, a compound annual growth rate

of 24.8 million in 2013, a CAGR of 11.7 per cent

connected device research, which this

(CAGR) of 8.7 per cent over that period.”

during the period.”

of households had broadband in 2013.

Smartphones

Game consoles

This compares with 65.0 per cent in Spain,

According to SNL’s statistics, the majority

The report also reveals that excluding the small

88.9 per cent in France and 71.9 per cent in

of smartphones in Italy are currently being

but rapidly growing category of streaming media

Germany. The report details that Italy’s

used to watch OTT video, mostly short-form

players, video game consoles are the fastest-

per-capita gross national income purchasing

user-generated content from sites similar to

growing category of connected devices being

power parity, or GNI PPP, is also much lower

YouTube. “Small smartphone screens are

used to watch OTT video in the country. “From

than in most of western Europe at $33,379,

ill-suited for watching long-form video content,

2013 to 2018, the CAGR of video game consoles

compared with Germany’s $41,446 and

but increasingly, smartphones are being used

used to watch OTT video should be 40.2 per

the UK’s $37,433.

to discover and launch movies and television

cent, with the number of devices increasing from

episodes on larger television screens using

1.6 million in 2013 to almost 8.7 million in 2018. This

challenges facing various over-the-top services

protocols like DIAL and Google Cast,”

increase comes despite the overall installed base

targeting Italy today, the number of connected

it reports. “In 2013, the market’s number of

decreasing from 16.0 million in 2013 to 14.5 million

devices in use to watch OTT video should see

smartphones in use to watch OTT video was

in 2018. As new video game consoles propagate

robust growth from almost 23.7 million in 2013 to

15.0 million. By 2018 that number should more

through the market and become consumers’

a little more than 60.1 million in 2018. Additionally,

than double to 30.6 million. In 2018, the

primary streaming media devices, older consoles

the number of overall connected devices in Italy

number of total connected smartphones in

are often disconnected. Meanwhile, some

month focuses on Italy, where only 57.1 per cent

“Although these statistics illustrate some of the

TVBEurope 89

September 2014 www.tvbeurope.com

Data Centre owners simply let older devices collect dust as they

Video game consoles = 1.8 million

Blu-ray players = 0.4 million

become enthralled with smartphone and tablet gaming. Most of the increase in using consoles

Digital TVs = 3.2 million

to stream video can be attributed to gains in the number of OTT video subscribers and features

Tablets = 4.4 million PCs (Connected to a TV) = 1.9 million

such as DIAL, which can enable tighter integration between mobile devices and consoles.”

Tablets Tablets are one of the fastest-growing categories of connected devices used to watch OTT video, says the report, with a modelled CAGR of 33.8 per

Streaming media players = 0.07 million

cent from 2013 to 2018. “Tablets are increasingly gaining importance as viewing devices within

Total devices = 33 million

the home for both long and short-form video. Tablets may replace or preclude the purchase of a bedroom television for certain consumers. This phenomenon, along with increasing OTT video subscribership and TV everywhere usage, should increase the number of connected tablets used to watch OTT video from 2.5 million in 2013 to 10.6 million in 2018. The overall installed base of connected tablets should increase from 4.4 million in 2013 to 12.0 million in 2018, a CAGR of 22.3 per cent.”

Smartphones =15 million

OTT enabled devices in Italy: 2014

90 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com September 2014

Data Centre

FIFA TV’s World Cup breaks streaming records By Nicolas Bourdon, SVP Marketing, EVS

he 2014 FIFA World Cup™ brought us

a number of ﬁrsts, including 4K and 8K coverage, and even 360˚ video capture.

But probably the most signiﬁcant advance in enriching the fan experience and bringing fans closer to the action came through the developments in online, second screen and multimedia services. Up front, FIFA TV recognised the huge potential demand for online services from fans who wanted to watch the action wherever they happened to be at the time, and from those who wanted to add to the experience through extra content on second screens. FIFA TV commissioned HBS, the host broadcaster at the

over three million users a day chose to enrich their

event, to design and implement the innovative

experience through the app. And over the course

multimedia distribution services.

of the tournament, more than 24 million unique

EVS’ new XT3 live production server and distribution technology, C-Cast, was central to making this additional multimedia content

users watched tens of millions of hours of content through the multimedia solutions alone. “More and more football fans want to watch

available to audiences around the world. The

high quality, live coverage of matches on their

whole broadcast operation reached epic

tablets or mobile phones, as well as on their

proportions. In total, 40 FIFA media rights licensees

televisions,” said Stefan Wildemann, manager

booked around 120 multimedia services for match

of sales and distribution at FIFA TV. “These ﬁgures

coverage. This gave them the ability to stream

show just how fast our industry is adapting to

live multiple feeds, effectively providing video on

a truly multimedia world. Only on the digital

demand coverage from up to 24 camera angles.

platforms can fans watch the FIFA World Cup from

Take-up statistics are mind-boggling: more data was streamed from the World Cup than any other

every possible angle.” That adds to the biggest television audiences

“We are proud to say that this FIFA World Cup has been the biggest multimedia sporting event in history, with more people watching matches and highlights online than ever before.” Niclas Ericson, FIFA director of TV at meeting the rapidly changing expectations of a global ‘TV’ audience. Niclas Ericson, FIFA

event in history. This was conﬁrmed by content

in the event’s history. In the United States alone –

director of TV, summed it up: “We are proud to

delivery network provider Akamai. During the

not normally a ‘soccer’ loving nation – a record-

say that this FIFA World Cup has been the biggest

Netherlands versus Argentina semi-ﬁnal, online

breaking 5.3 million unique viewers watched the

multimedia sporting event in history, with more

viewers were pushing the peak streaming rate to

knockout match between Belgium and USA on

people watching matches and highlights online

a massive 6.9 terabytes per second.

ESPN and Univision. Audited worldwide viewing

than ever before.”

FIFA developed its own white label solutions for

ﬁgures are hard to determine, but it seems likely

The 2014 FIFA World Cup is living proof of a

the web, tablets and smartphones. Rights holders

that close to a billion people watched the ﬁnal

new era of media consumption for large sporting

could then tailor these ready-made apps with their

between Argentina and Germany.

events, taking ‘TV’ viewing way beyond just the

own branding to access the multimedia services. More than ten million apps were downloaded, and

The coverage and audience viewing statistics of the 2014 tournament underlines its success

box in the corner of the living room towards a media anytime, anywhere future.