By using cloud technologies to easily create new channels, linear TV broadcasters can fight the onslaught of streaming and VoD argues Gatis Gailis, CTO, Veset
That streaming and video on demand will soon sound the death knell for traditional TV has been repeated over and over in recent years. While younger generations do indeed consume most of their content on portable devices, the appeal of linear TV is far from disappearing.
In fact, it is linear TV that still drives much of the content discovery for online consumption and remains the go to place for a core, high quality TV experience, especially in emerging markets. So rather than predict a world where video on demand usurps TV, we are likely to see a convergence between the different forms of video content delivery that will allow for broader monetisation opportunities for content owners.
Similarly, we have heard much about IP and cloud technologies bringing about a revolution in content production, broadcast infrastructure and distribution. Although a few forward thinking broadcasters are already transitioning to IP-based workflows, the move to the cloud has not occurred in a large portion of the media industry.
Leveraging the agility and cost efficiency that enabled IP and VoD platforms to get a stronghold in the industry, our clients, the linear TV broadcasters, can now use these very same technologies to their advantage. By using cloud technologies to easily create new channels that cater to larger and more diverse audiences linear TV broadcasters can fight the onslaught of streaming and VoD mediums.
As global sales of Ultra HD TV sets attain a critical mass, there is less skepticism about the format’s ability to become a new standard. We see our clients producing 4K content and looking for ways to monetise that content. Adoption of Ultra HD will inevitably bring substantial opportunities for new workflow automation and IP-based solutions, which will inevitably be at the heart of this new wave of TV technology.
As Ultra HD becomes the norm, the need for storage and bandwidth will increase and in turn drive the transition to IP and cloud based workflows. New entrants such as telcos and assorted cloud and related software providers that can offer flexible commercial
and service models will drive the change into worlds of 4K and 8K.
It will certainly be a time to watch the tides slowly turn at IBC this year as the media industry prepares and braces with self for all things internet. It is a time to take stock of where we are vis-à-vis the previous years and chart out a roadmap to the future.
While we might be a few years away from realising a fully IP-driven world, we are at the crucial stage of laying the groundwork at IBC2015. Veset pioneers a true cloud-based software solution for linear TV broadcasters and we are confident that this IBC we will come away with a few more converts to the cloud.
