‘Content is King’ continues to be the most basic tenet on which a video professional hangs their hat. When broadcast was the only medium for video content delivery it needed two principal qualities – good production values and mass appeal.
The introduction of cable and satellite reinforced this tenet substantially. Content could be themed, making it easier to find a home, but high distribution costs still necessitated some mass appeal for it to be considered viable for broadcast.
In the age of Web 2.0, where internet bandwidth and download caps are no longer a factor for many consumers, content aggregators may be on the verge of living by a second adage – ‘Content for you.’
Content with very specific themes, appealing to very narrow yet dedicated audiences can be offered on a shoestring budget. With web broadcasting, distribution costs shrink immensely, and potential viewers are worldwide. This provides an excellent opportunity for creators and producers to conceive of whole new classes of content, appealing to smaller, geographically and culturally diverse audiences. Mass appeal can take a back seat to targeted appeal and narrative. Content need only be compelling to a subset of consumers.
In this environment, from modest beginnings, the next big ideas may be incubated, experimented with and perfected. New talent and fresh subject matter can be discovered.
Matrox has been offering technology that promotes content delivery via traditional channels for decades. For the last few years we have been complementing this technology with products for new media delivery. For an increasingly important segment of the viewing public, both mediums are embraced, sometimes at the same time.
Our live web streaming appliances are being used in markets and applications that our broadcast equipment never reached. Our technology had long touched some of the most widely viewed content in the world but it is now also found in classrooms, basement studios, halls, theatres, gyms, research labs, houses of worship, law courts and sports venues. A viewing audience has never been so easy to reach.
It is through this evolving experience that we see our industry. More people and organisations than ever now have a voice. IBC is an ideal place to learn how best to project that voice, how best to reach your particular audience.
Delegates attending IBC are more diverse than ever before. The ranks of video professionals are expanding as all aspect of video technology become more accessible. There are many people walking the floor and attending conferences with questions about how to adapt their business to the latest technological and commercial realties. Each will find their own answers, or at least many options, and it is these many options that fuel the vibrancy of our industry.
