TVBEurope March 2015 Digital Edition

www.tvbeurope.com

Business, insight and intelligence for the broadcast media industry

March 2015

BACK TO SCHOOL Training and education in broadcast

O Behind

the scenes at BBC S&PP O The latest trends from CES 2015 O Systems integrators forum Imagine where you could take your business... if technology didn’t stand in your way.

An all-new blueprint for managing, moving and monetizing video content is here. an evolutionary path that aligns current investments with the network of the future.

Find out more. imaginecommunications.com Š 2014 Imagine Communications

TVBEurope 3

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

EDITORIAL Executive Editor - James McKeown jmckeown@nbmedia.com Editor - Melanie Dayasena-Lowe mdayasena-lowe@nbmedia.com Staff Writer - Holly Ashford hashford@nbmedia.com NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London N1 8LN, England +44 207 354 6002 Contributors - Chris Forrester, David Fox, David Davies, Dick Hobbs, John Ive, George Jarrett, Adrian Pennington, Philip Stevens, Catherine Wright Head of Digital - Tim Frost Human Resources & Office Manager - Lianne Davey Head of Design - Jat Garcha Editorial Production Manager - Dawn Boultwood Senior Production Executive - Alistair Taylor Publisher - Steve Connolly sconnolly@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000 Sales Manager - Ben Ewles bewles@nbmedia.com +44 207 354 6000 Account Manager - Richard Carr rcarr@nbmedia.com +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

Inspiring the next generation Education and training in the sector is increasingly under the microscope begin this issue with a revision of my editor’s

environment that

welcome from our last edition. Due to a

surrounds them. It’s

number of elements outside of our control,

a fascinating article

I

we’ve endured the misfortune of having to return

that calls on a number

to the drawing board with regard to the name

of people active in

of our new conference initiative: Broadcast 2020

the space to elicit

(and all related terminology) seemingly under

their understanding

the lock and key of a certain other organisation.

of where the industry

For this reason, we’ve rebranded both our

is in its association

conference and events week. TVBEurope 2020

with the tutelage of

will now serve as the one-day conference at

the next generation

BAFTA, on 30 June, while the week itself will be

of engineers and ‘technologists’, as some have

known as TVBEurope Strategy Week. More details

been known to label themselves, and the skills

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

regarding the day’s agenda and speakers, as

development of the industry’s incumbents. It

well as the other events during the week, will be

is a subject that we’ll continue to monitor and

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

released shortly.

report on as the year progresses. Elsewhere in this

The main thrust of this month’s issue revolves

edition, we continue our investigation of cloud-

around training and education; a topic that has

based broadcasting, as we ask whether it’s

fascinated me for the duration of my time in the

make or break time for Ultraviolet in France. Our

TVBEurope is published 12 times a year by NewBay Media, 1st Floor, Suncourt House, 18-26 Essex Road, London, N1 8LN, England

industry. And as Philip Stevens aptly suggests

editor, Melanie Dayasena-Lowe, also gets the

in the preamble to his feature, the concept of

guided tour of BBC S&PP’s facilities out in Elstree,

NewBay Media is a member of the Periodical Publishers Association

‘education’ is not the sole preserve of those

while we fit in a pre-NAB trip to Las Vegas to find

graduating from universities and colleges

out the latest trends and technologies emerging

seeking an entrée into the world of broadcast

from this year’s CES.

© NewBay Media 2015. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form or by any means without the prior permission of the copyright owners. TVBEurope is mailed to qualified persons residing on the European continent. Subscription is free.

and media… or whatever the cool kids are calling it these days. The concept of education

you want to be involved, be sure to get in touch.

Allow 8 weeks for new subscriptions and change of address delivery. Send subscription inquiries to: Subscription Dept, NewBay Media, Sovereign Park, Lathkill Street, Market Harborough LE16 7BR, England.

ISSN 1461-4197

and training is just as applicable to the more

I hope you enjoy this issue.

seasoned and capable members of our industry

James McKeown

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

as they learn new skills to adapt to the changing

Executive Editor

Our April issue is our annual NAB edition, so if

4 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

In this issue

12

Back to school

Instruction is not just for those entering the industry but also covers experienced personnel who need to improve skills. Philip Stevens looks at both aspects

Feature

26

Melanie Dayasena-Lowe meets the executive team at BBC Studios and Post Production to take a behind the scenes tour of its facilities in Elstree and South Ruislip following its move from the iconic Television Centre

18 Welcome to the Mediadome Ericsson has expanded from its pay-TV core and onto the front line of global content delivery. George Jarrett pays a visit to the company’s new Paris Mediadome, a symbol of its intent in the area of mobile broadband and non-linear media

8-10 Opinion and Analysis

41 TVBEverywhere

Transmitter efficiency comes of age: it’s a new dawn for reducing costs at what’s long been considered among the more expensive stages in the air chain

Daniele Tricarico, senior analyst at Pyramid Research, explains how OTT providers are pushing paid services in emerging markets to futureproof their business models

Feature

35

Adrian Pennington headed over to Las Vegas to check out the latest trends at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES)

44 Systems integrators forum

48 Data Centre

With a need to stay ahead of all the technological advances across the industry, Systems Integrators (SIs) are in a good position to keep a finger on the pulse of trends and developments. So, what challenges will 2015 bring forth for SIs? Philip Stevens finds out

Research from SNL Kagan points to strong worldwide growth for OTT subscription video-on-demand services by the end of 2018. Norm Bogen, research director at SNL Kagan, offers a detailed insight into the company’s latest report

6 TVBEurope

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Opinion and Analysis

How does the cloud improve your MAM options?

By Julián FernándezCampón, director, head of solution architecture, Tedial

allows broadcasters to search, select and share content via the cloud with a very high Quality of Service (QoS). Media files are delivered automatically in the correct working format for the recipient regardless of the original format.

W

Key drivers for managing workflow and content via the cloud

companies for over a decade, two of the

Distributed access enables anyone within the

biggest challenges remain: cost effectiveness

organisation to access content from any location.

and practical deployment. In 2015 desktops,

This high level of flexibility means that it’s easier to

departments and multiple sites can work with

evolve and amend media services, and time to

third-party programme makers upstream and

market is also reduced if the cloud infrastructure is

many more delivery partners downstream.

already available. Broadcasters, for example, can

Add to this the explosion in mobile media

focus more on their core business of programme

consumption and audience interaction and

making, brand care and audience engagement.

hile Media Asset Management (MAM) solutions have been serving broadcasters and global media

it’s easy to see why the dream of cost-scalable

Speed of delivery is also key. To meet the

interconnectivity and effective media staging via

demands of the multiscreen world, broadcasters

cloud-based services is so popular.

require solutions that enable fast and secure

‘It’s no longer enough to simply move many thousands of media files over IP quickly and securely without an improvement in productivity’ – Julián Fernández-Campón, Tedial

To better meet future requirements and

access over IP, providing automated workflows

to deliver an ROI from MAM and workflow

that package and present content, which can

To provide suitable security and efficiency it’s

investment, both can now be fully integrated

then be delivered to the cloud and other sites.

important that systems are designed for cloud-

across the entire media value chain. From

This removes the unnecessary complexity caused

based infrastructure and application services

acquisition through to production and delivery,

when working between so many desktops and

from the ground up. This enables the real-world

MAM systems provide efficient and cost-effective

departments using LAN or MPLS.

complexities of multimedia content exchange

operations and users can expect increased

and packaging to be streamlined, while still using

content management options. These include

standard third-party IP managers and cloud-

integration of different areas for processing automation; sophisticated workflow management for content preparation; and web-based user interface to simplify support and enable multi-site

‘From acquisition through to production and delivery, MAM systems provide efficient and cost-effective operations’

based storage and distribution solutions.

Tedial has taken a whole new approach to helping the many diverse players in global media work together with its cloud enabled Media Exchange Platform (MEP). MEP provides

workflows all supported by the cloud.

automated workflows to deliver to multiple sites

The cloud can also provide improved media

and third-party systems. It maximises the re-use

management and storage options. These range from storage services with additional backup

It’s also no longer enough to simply move

and minimises the re-working of material and

in a separate locations and content storage with

many thousands of media files over IP quickly

allows large media assets to be moved and

the additional capability to transcode different

and securely without an improvement in

transformed efficiently making use of Tedial’s

formats for delivery, to full MAM features for content

productivity. Broadcasters and increasingly

centralised management capability without the

management providing complete search capability

telcos are also now faced with the challenge

need for extensive IT support.

and the ability for content to be managed by third-

of how to automatically manage and monitor

party service providers if required.

the enormous volume of media and metadata

broadcasters, pay-TV operators, service providers

Employing solutions like this, content producers,

that’s being exchanged with multiple media

and telcos can work collaboratively on their

with a full multi-tenant MAM in the cloud with

partners 24/7. This will only continue to increase.

media, securely and efficiently. Whether it’s

independent virtual MAMs sharing the same IT

Adapting typical broadcast processes or relying

upstream during news, sports and co-production or

platform, providing an always-online multi-site

on simple IP accelerators or transcoding is not

downstream during multi-platform packaging and

architecture. This is a sophisticated model that

scalable or cost-effective.

distribution, using cloud-based media transfers.

This last scenario provides broadcasters

8 TVBEurope VBEurope

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Opinion and Analysis

Transmitter efficiency comes of age

footprint, maintenance and energy management, the final of which mainly constitutes power consumption and effective cooling.

Gains in energy efficiency certainly have an impact on the customer’s bottom line over time. In a DVB-T or T2 system, GatesAir calculates a typical total cost of ownership savings of 38 per cent over previous-generation systems – nearly €195,000 over ten years based on transmitter system, transmitter

It’s a new dawn for reducing costs at what’s been long considered among the more expensive stage in the air chain.

By Rich Redmond, chief product officer, GatesAir

cooling and building HVAC costs at an energy cost of 0.14 kW/hour. However, for the purpose of this article we’ll focus more on the operational value afforded through modern design efficiencies.

T

he broadcast transmitter is shedding its

‘greener’ facilities and operating procedures to

long-standing reputation as an energy-

minimise environmental impact.

hogging beast with a massive footprint,

A third factor is the age-old concern of

On the footprint side, the transmitter continues to shrink from a size and weight perspective. For example, the typical high-power, high-efficiency

and for very good reason. Manufacturers

reducing general operating costs. Whereas

GatesAir UHF transmitter today is up to 75 per

have made exceptional strides in transmitter

many broadcasters and network operators

cent smaller and significantly lighter than models

efficiency in recent years, often through

initially sought cost reduction at the studio or

one decade ago. These reductions play a

proprietary design strategies that enhance

headend, the focus has gradually shifted to the

significant role in cost savings from initial shipment

power density, amplification and other built-in

transmitter room.

through its operating lifecycle:

resources. These developments are lowering

These three factors – government regulations,

Modular designs: shipping transmitters

long-term operating costs for the broadcaster

socially conscious corporate mandates, and

modularly reduce cargo size from door to

and network operator.

general operating cost reduction – have all played

door. Modular shipments also accelerate

fundamental roles in transmitter design efficiency.

installation once on site, simplifying the process of

to design more efficient transmitters. Europe

The ultimate goal for vendors is to deliver high-

connecting and bringing the transmitter to air.

has been particularly aggressive with carbon

efficiency, over-the-air systems that deliver low

footprint taxes and fees, for example. As a result,

total cost of ownership for their customers.

Several drivers have influenced manufacturers

Reduced transportation costs: significant weight reductions make the transmitter far less expensive to transport.

many of our customers across Europe have long been focused on building more efficient over-

Design factors

the-air networks. Globally, many broadcasters

Many design factors play a role in transmitter

typically dictated that heavier power modules

are following corporate mandates to institute

efficiency, but most revolve around three pillars:

and supplies inside the transmitter required

Personal safety: previous-generation designs

a two-man lift. This meant dispatching two engineers to a site for maintenance. With these components now much lighter in weight – often under 10kg – a one-man lift is satisfactory.

Building space: the smaller overall footprint not only opens up more room for maintenance, auxiliary equipment and general comfort, it brings the additional benefit of reducing rental costs.

This is especially significant in Europe, where many network operators rent floor space in shared facilities. Similarly, building owners open more rental space to other broadcasters by freeing additional floor space through more compact transmitters.

To expand on this last point of facility utilisation, one of our European transmitter customers reports that the smaller footprints eliminate the need to expand buildings. In the past, this network operator, which operates its own facilities, in some cases added real estate to existing buildings upon adding a new programme multiplex. The costs and labour that went into these initiatives were massive, to the point of easily rising into the hundreds of thousands of Euros. Much of this size and weight reduction has to do with improvements in power density through modern LDMOS device-driven

10 TVBEurope

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Opinion and Analysis technology, which constitutes the transistors

of advanced LDMOS technology within our

across many different frequencies. In addition

used in transmitter power amplifiers. Specifically,

PowerSmart transmitter architecture – the core

to simplifying frequency changes, the same set

in higher power models, these advancements

design responsible for reducing transmitter size,

of broadband spare parts can be shared across

achieve more power out of a single rack, often

weight and energy use; as well as simplifying

the transmitter network. The software-defined

eliminating the traditional second rack. On the

maintenance. The introduction of PowerSmart 3D

modulator also accelerates in-the-field transitions

lower power side, that single rack consolidates

last year further extended transmitter efficiency

from one standard to another. Through the same

several transmitters versus taking up an entire

through what we call broadband amplification.

single amplifier, moving from analogue to DVB-T

rack each. Many of these benefits correlate

In layman’s terms, broadband amplification

– or, DVB-T to DVB-T2 or even DAB Radio – is now

directly to what we call broadband high-

represents a further simplification of interior

a software-driven procedure versus maintenance-

efficiency amplification.

design. Additionally, the presence of a software-

heavy, component-driven alterations. This protects

defined modulator enables simple frequency

the investment for the customer who buys today

Broadband amplification demystified

and modulation changes.

with plans to evolve moving forward.

Though the notion of high transmitter efficiency

efficiency from a maintenance standpoint. Instead

transmitter efficiency, and we have only

has only recently entered the broadcast lexicon,

of labour-intensive component and sub-assembly

scratched the surface here. The takeaway here

it’s not necessary a late-breaking innovation. At

changes, relocation to a new frequency is software-

is that multiple contributing factors have evolved

GatesAir, early high-efficiency transmitter designs

driven. By punching the new channel frequency into

to the point where the broadcaster and network

date several decades to our patented digital AM

a software-defined modulator, the single amplifier

operator can save a great deal of money over

Radio modulation techniques, balancing superior

– which is, by definition, broadband – readjusts for

the lifecycle of the transmitter. Perhaps those new

audio performance with 90 per cent AC-to-RF

the frequency change. That reduction of amplifiers

services are delivered through additional terrestrial

efficiency. This resulted in very limited energy and

and other interior components also results in the

channels or emerging mobile opportunities

heat waste. Many contemporary designs are only

need for fewer spare parts. Consider how this is

through advanced LTE networks. Overall,

beginning to catch up. Fast forwarding, major

useful for large network operators in Europe, who

improvements in transmitter efficiency offer a

strides were made in 2007 upon the introduction

may be operating several programme multiplexes

clear win for today’s over-the-air broadcaster.

Fewer frequency-determined parts invite higher

There are many avenues to explore in

12 TVBEurope

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Workflow The BBC training course will produce the broadcast technologists of the future

Keeping track of training Instruction is not just for those entering the industry, it also covers experienced personnel who need to improve skills.

Philip Stevens looks at both aspects

deep end on their work placements, and at first will be more likely to find themselves repairing broken headphones than installing foreign bureaux, they’ll also be spending a lot of time studying.

T

raining in the broadcast industry appears to have taken on a renewed impetus in recent times. The courses currently on

offer have become more varied and attract not just newcomers but those who wish to hone their expertise.

In 2013, the BBC, along with technology

The graduates don’t get to work outside the BBC,

“The aim is to produce the broadcast technologists of the future – not just for the BBC, but for the industry as a whole” Claire Paul

but will be employed across support areas that manage BBC Radio and TV Studios, production systems, outside broadcasting and major projects, including new buildings or installing new facilities.”

Multi-discipline training

partners including Arqiva, Red Bee Media,

In Germany, the ARD.ZDF medienakademie

ITV and Channel 4, launched a three-year

is the central training facility for broadcasters.

technology scheme for apprentices working

Alongside a wide range of video and audio

towards a BEng in Broadcasting Engineering

early results. They have already worked with BBC

courses, the facility provides training in journalism

taught and accredited by the University of

Technology Operations, ITV’s Coronation Street,

and courses for personality development. In

Salford and Birmingham City University. The

Channel 4, Red Bee Media Playout, ITV Regional

all, about 500 different topics and courses are

training and development programme is

News and Arqiva (radio and TV transmitters).

conducted in facilities in Nürnberg, Hannover or

managed by the BBC Academy on behalf of BBC Technology.

“The aim is to produce the broadcast technologists of the future – not just for the BBC,

The second intake, in September 2014, saw 28 join the scheme and these will be working in Salford, Birmingham, Bristol, Southampton and London.

Huw Davies, programme manager, technology

in-house at clients’ premises.

The academy has comprehensive multicamera facilities, although single camera production is also offered. Those facilities include

but for the industry as a whole,” head of entry

apprentices and trainee schemes, reveals

two studios equipped with SD as well as LDK 6000

level talent, Claire Paul, explains. “There is an

more. “Basically, there are two main areas:

HD cameras, DD35 vision switchers, Lawo and

ageing demographic working in this industry,

IT and technology delivery. The work ranges

Yamaha audio mixers, VizRT graphics, Riedel

and this scheme forms part of addressing that

from designing and installing technical and

communication units, Quantel and Omneon

situation. The skills these young people will

production systems for a BBC building in Cardiff

servers, ENPS and Open Media.

acquire are going to be in huge demand.”

to introducing a new meeting room booking

In September 2014, the initial intake of 11 apprentices completed their first year on the scheme, with over half achieving ‘firsts’ with their

system in Birmingham.”

But he adds a note of reality. “While apprentices and trainees won’t be dropped straight in the

In addition, the post production section comprises more than 15 suites connected to Avid Isis, Interplay and Avid playout, and a similar number of Final Cut Pro suites.

TVBEurope 13

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Workflow College courses

most broadcasters in a professional setting. “This

Ravensbourne, a specialist higher education media

meant what Ravensbourne was – and is – offering

and design institution based in central London, has

is an understanding that we are not playing with

an enrolment of around 2,400 students.

television. We are serious people and our students

Jeremy Barr, who is visiting broadcasting

need to understand the power of the medium,

professor and associate dean for the production

as well as learning the techniques,” explains

cluster of courses, has been instrumental in

Professor Barr.

“Our philosophy is to give students a genuine sense of a professional working environment, and a context in which they learn to use the appropriate tools” Jeremy Barr

Ravensbourne’s Degree, Postgraduate and

Today, the studio within the campus is equipped

also Higher National Diploma courses. “Our

with Sony cameras and monitors, a Snell Kahuna

philosophy is to give students a genuine sense of a

vision mixer, SSL and Avid audio consoles and Fork

professional working environment, and a context in

servers. All the major editing systems can be found

which they learn to use the appropriate tools.”

in the post production section. Barr goes on, “If

That started with Ravensbourne taking a

we are training people to be useful in the work

different decision from many other specialist

environment, they need to be familiar with the

institutions, installing equipment that is used by

systems they will find outside of these walls.”

14 TVBEurope

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Workflow Steve Warner

“As the broadcast industry slowly recovers, the need for training is becoming more important” Steve Warner, IABM

In addition, students can borrow

Latest technology

more than 4,000 different pieces

The Media School at Bournemouth

of the latest equipment, including

University offers courses that

cameras, lighting, microphones,

serve both undergraduate and

laptops, IT accessories and more,

post graduate students, including

from the Central Loan Resource

Media Production, Journalism

within Ravensbourne.

& Communication, Computer

Ravensbourne also offers a

Animation, and Corporate &

digital cinema course for those

Marketing Communications.

who would see their future in

The school also provides Top-Up

single camera production. “But

courses and Foundation Degrees.

I do not see these as separate

“Over the last couple of years

cultures,” reports Barr. “After all,

we have made some significant

you need to be familiar with both

improvements and equipment

technologies in order to use them

purchases,” explains Keith

in the most appropriate way.” He

Heyward, technical support

adds, “I’m very careful not to say

group manager.

that we train students to be, let’s

“We have changed from our

say, drama directors. We train

studio-based server editing system

them to tell the story – and that

to an Avid ISIS 5000. This enables

story could be news, sport or

us to play in from the timeline, but

any other genre.”

also allows students to work on

Alongside their coursework,

material from networked editing

students have the opportunity once

suites. We have also built

a year to broadcast a range of

a second studio.”

programmes on a Freeview channel

Another campus improvement

to allow their productions to be seen

has centred on an extensive fibre

by a wider audience.

network. “This is an asset in many

TVBEurope 15

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Workflow ways, but it has particularly helped the journalism

users to explore and investigate deeper than any

students to bring together localised OB content

course can do in the time available. All delegates

Soho Editors saw a lack of creative opportunities.

After listening to customers’ feedback,

for the News Day programmes. That news

take home a course manual and the training

“Having left university or college and

environment has also been boosted by

media, so they have everything they need to

perhaps taken a certified course, how are you

the installation of a TriCaster Studio and

continue learning at their own pace.”

expected to learn how to be a better editor?

Panasonic cameras.”

Swedish view Sweden’s Stockholm Academy of Dramatic Art – a part of Uniarts – offers a three-year BA course for TV producers and an MA programme in film and media. The Diploma programme centres on practical work such as editing and interviewing, but also involves theory, including the development of new formats.

“The courses are conducted by industry professionals who have a good record in the field, rather than those with just tuition skills,” says Tinna Joné, head of the Film and Media department.

In order to graduate, students are required to make several productions in different genres which are evaluated by teachers and external producers. The Academy also has its own channel, StDH-play, where students can show the result of their work.

Accredited courses But it’s not just broadcasters and colleges that offer training. Brian Cantwell, managing director at Soho Editors Media Group, reveals that demand for courses has been steady for several years. “What has been noticeable is the transition from one software manufacturer’s solution to another. Also, the growth of the subscription model operated by most NLE software manufacturers has opened up customers to new workflows and opportunities they might not have previously accessed. Take the Creative Cloud, for example. Customers may sign up because they want Premiere Pro, and soon realise they also have a wealth of professional software packages included, for instance, After Effects and Photoshop.”

Cantwell’s company, with classrooms in London and Manchester, offers manufacturers accredited training courses for Adobe, Apple, Avid and Blackmagic Design. It will also provide training at other locations, and will devise a fully tailored course, designed specifically to a customer’s requirements.

“Traditionally, most courses are designed to teach delegates a new tool set,” explains Cantwell. “This is very important, as a lack of knowledge about the applications can severely restrict the creative process. However, that is only the beginning. Learning a new tool set empowers

16 TVBEurope

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Workflow

Bournemouth University’s media school has equipped a studio for its journalism students In August 2014, we launched Inside The Edit, the world’s first online creative editing course. This software-agnostic course is unique, and focuses purely on teaching the craft of editing. Skills that will take someone a great deal of time to learn are now available online and compress ten years or more of experience into a few months study.”

Mentors Broadcast hire company, Procam, has also embarked on a major initiative. “Training is key at

To remedy that situation, the Dalet Academy was

“We know from discussions with our customers, partners and competitors that when we try to recruit staff and find engineers skilled in video, IT, or aware of the business applications of the technology, it’s rare to find resources that tie all of this together” Ben Davenport, Dalet

Procam,” asserts John Brennan, Group CEO. “We

launched in January to provide free and relevant broadcast education. Davenport states that the Dalet Academy will feature a broad range of topics, from complex media manipulations to advanced, end-to-end workflows, with input from a substantial number of seasoned contributors both from Dalet and the industry at large.

“Using the academy.dalet.com URL, our goal is to create a one-stop-training centre where our customers and partners can find a variety of educational material to meet their needs.”

already have an established in-house training

The tools will include Bruce’s Shorts, the highly

programme that, over a two-year period, see

Warner sees the increasing convergence of IT on

successful weekly video where Dalet’s chief media

trainees start as drivers before moving into

broadcast as an important area for training. “On

scientist Bruce Devlin explains a complicated issue

the kit room. Our partnership with the MAMA

the one hand, there are broadcast engineers

in a short, two-minute presentation. In addition,

Youth Project started in 2014 when we donated

with excellent skills and qualifications, but who

Dalet’s Blog gives non-product-specific insights

£100,000 worth of HD equipment. We’ve now

have little to no broader IT knowledge in terms of

about trends in the industry, emerging technologies

extended our support by offering its graduates a

software, networking, IP, and so on. Conversely,

and even some of the politics of standardisation

13-week place on our training programme.”

there are highly qualified IT professionals well-

in the sector. Alongside these features will be

versed in all aspects of IT, but who lack a basic

Dalet’s white papers, industry articles, case studies

understanding of broadcasting.”

and free webinars.

Trainees will get to know over 2,000 different pieces of broadcast equipment before developing their understanding of how best to

To meet those needs, the IABM training courses,

create quality video and audio. “Each trainee

which generally run for two days, are designed

Sporting chances

will be provided with a hand-picked mentor from

to address both the needs of new entrants to

In January, The National Film and Television

Procam’s staff, who has had 20 years experience

broadcast and the up-skilling of existing broadcast

School (NFTS) in the UK launched a unique Sports

in the broadcast industry. The mentors will be

engineers in the new technologies.

Production diploma course in partnership with

with them every step of the way to answer

independent sports producer, IMG. The 12-month

any question, provide sage advice and make

Cross expertise

course, starting in January 2016, will equip students

sure each trainee’s development is tailored

Describing online training features in Dalet’s

with editorial skills required to produce live sports

to a career path that matches their individual

educational programme, Ben Davenport,

and events coverage, highlights content and

strengths,” explains Brennan.

director of marketing for the company, points

other material. It includes a four-week internship

out that a recent survey showed the average

at the IMG Studios.

Upturn means training

broadcast engineer is 50 years old. “We know

Steve Warner, training manager, IABM, agrees

from discussions with our customers, partners and

IMG understands the strategic value of skills

there has been an increase in demand for

competitors that there is difficulty in recruiting

development and nurturing the brightest

courses. “Historically, when budgets are tight or

staff, whether broadcast, post, production or on

new entrant talent,” states Tim Ball, IMG’s

there’s an economic downturn, one of the first

the vendor side. More importantly, when we try

head of production. “Therefore, we are

things to be cut is training. Now, as the broadcast

to recruit staff and when we find engineers skilled

very pleased to be collaborating with NFTS

industry slowly recovers, the need for training is

in video, or skilled in IT, or aware of the business

to introduce this innovative diploma and

becoming more important. This is also vital as the

applications of the technology, it’s rare to find

foster the next generation of television and

number of engineers dwindles, due to retirement.”

resources that tie all of this together.”

digital sports professionals.”

“In a rapidly-evolving media landscape,

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Workflow

Ericsson’s French Dome

“Giving good quality and good services for production and post production and non-linear playout is key” – Jérôme Monteil

George Jarrett reports from Ericsson’s new Mediadome facility in Paris

T

hrough a cunningly judged sequence of acquisitions and a laudable willingness to back its development plans with hefty

investment, Ericsson has expanded from its pay-TV core onto the front line of global content delivery.

The consolidation moves involving Technicolor Broadcast Services, Red Bee, and Mediaroom triggered a complete change of corporate face, and the launch of its Paris Mediadome is strong verification of its long-term intent in the area of mobile

The studio has nine Sony robotic cameras and a seven-person gallery

broadband and non-linear media in general.

The Mediadome is not a Red Bee Media clone,

channel; France 24, where we put in five studios

For example, the signals are above you and the

it has one huge sitting tenant (Canal+ Overseas),

and automation for production; TV5, where it

network is under the floor,” he added.

and its HQ is in an old printing house, which offers

did the production, post and playout elements;

seven tons of floor strength per square metre.

and the Canal+ free to air channels, where

holds all the broadcast kit. The second one

we built a technical room and re-built the

holds all the IT stuff, the MAM, virtualisation

playout side,” he said.

and storage, and all the software glue and the

Many of the 200 Ericsson personnel (Canal+ also has 200 people on site) were at a previous facility in St Cloud, and Jérôme Monteil, head

“And then we did all the work at the

Technical room one, oozing good practice,

interface to customers.

of sales in France, explained how the move had

Mediadome for Canal+ Overseas and ourselves.

“This was built by Ericsson architects and

been planned.

In a five to ten-year period, technology changes

developers. The company stands at number

“Over the last two years we took on five

a lot, but the experience we accrued in the

five in the world for software development,”

big systems integration jobs: at the BFM news

systems integration work we could use here.

said Monteil. “We wanted to keep control of the

TVBEurope 19

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Workflow software glue and the customer interface. We

“More and more we see them searching

do a lot of pre-processing to minimise any

for a model for being domestic and more

hardware necessities.”

international, both in the production and

The big difference from St Cloud is the

distribution of content. In France it is not so

“Five years ago, a playout room of this size could only handle six channels” Jérôme Monteil, Ericsson

dominance of IT workflows, so much of the pre-

easy, and the English spoken countries are

opening training centered on the architecture

far advanced,” said Monteil. “With Red Bee

and designing the media workflow. Linear

and EBS (Ericsson Broadcast Services) we

playout via satellite is the bread and butter,

can consider we have a presence in eight

but for how long?

countries, but Ericsson itself in Telcos and IT is in

This will involve the other hubs. EBS had locations

180 countries. I would not say we will be present

in the UK, Sweden, France and Holland, and

Managing the media is also managing the

in 180 countries, but the expansion into other

now provides services in Australia, Germany

workflows in terms of non-linear and the

territories is key.”

and Spain. All will be connected. Red Bee has

“We created a global media centre.

preparation for that,” said Monteil. “You can

A major factor in France has been outsourcing

30 people in France working on access services.

trigger workflows to prepare for non-linear, but

some contracts, in both the Dome and in

Monteil identifies that area, plus creative

it is difficult to be sure about what will happen.

customer locations.

services and metadata management, as

Everybody is looking for the right business model

“We have ten sites in Paris, and if we are in the

three business strengths that Mediadome

and at monetising their content. Netflix is really

customer location, then we are in the customer

building that. But with video, people are used

location. For locations that are pure ‘Ericsson’,

needs to develop.

to not paying.”

the idea is to build something that is scalable

discovery. We really have to think of more

“Red Bee is recognised worldwide for content

enough to put workflows between the sites so

services globally,” said Monteil. “As you saw,

Game changers

we can manage the load, the services, and skills

the production and post production parts are

While many companies seek that elusive business

at each site,” said Monteil. “Today, we manage

interesting. Production alone is not our field.

model, Monteil believes Netflix and Amazon

the interface through our own architecture

For current customers we can do any post

will change the game radically. Meanwhile,

and software development, but we have some

production, but there is not a specific reason

Ericsson’s customer base wants something else.

partners in terms of MAM.”

to develop it massively.”

20 TVBEurope

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Workflow Jérôme Monteil: “The more you focus on live and quality, the more you will have to produce some parts yourself”

In The Iceberg Mediadome, safely away from the Seine, offers

booths. Any Ericsson customer could use the

full back up to all the French broadcasters,

post production facilities, but they are 80 per

who have their HQs nearby. The building is an

cent used by Canal+ editorial teams at present.

office block on top of a much wider footprint 3,000sqm TV facility, locally called The Iceberg.

The studio has nine Sony robotic cameras

The rooms are all based on Avid Media Composer systems and supported by Avid Interplay PAM (Production Asset Management)

and a seven-person gallery. Canal+ uses

and ISIS shared storage. Ericsson manages

it almost constantly, for soccer, NBA and

its own dark fibre so time to market – global

magazine show purposes.

delivery – is very fast, via either SDI or IP. A third

From Ericsson’s facility claims, the studio gallery and studio are the production part, but the Canal+ studio set is not currently

technical room exists to handle rack expansion by another 30 channels.

The playout room is a beauty. Currently, it puts

removable. For any client wanting production

out just under 30 channels, and has a capacity

time Ericsson would have to book to suit

of 60. The majority of signals are HD, file-based

Canal+ schedules and bring in special sets.

working with incoming content stands at 80 per

Mediadome has 11 editing rooms, two sound

cent, and tapes were evident. There are four

mixing rooms with Pro Tools, and four speaker

pods at each end to add live event channels.

Monteil and Ericsson are eying the huge melt

This leads to providing all the technical elements

connected devices, with 15 million of them

between the distribution modes. The big issues

so Mediadome can also develop services in

pushing video everywhere, and all the networks

are time to market, and generating quality

production and post that it has not cracked

will be obsessed with video. We will play in this

content that is exclusive.

or defined yet.

field,” said Monteil.

“The more you focus on live and quality,

“To have a complete media brand, media

Asked what differences he detected between

the more you will have to produce some parts

channel, is something we want to develop.

the Telco and media markets, he said: “It was

yourself, and to promote them with trailers, which

Giving good quality and good services for

the number of suppliers but that is changing now

means some post production,” he said. “If you

production and post production and non-

with all the consolidation. If we recall the success

have that link to the editorial teams, then you

linear playout is key, and it is fundamental for

of GSM and wireless networks in the 1990s it

have an acceptable offer. We need to add on

the future. Clearly, we can feel that Ericsson is

became the standardisation that was very clear

top of that, for sure, the non-linear part.”

there to invest: in 2020 there will be 50 million

and straight between the different bricks. Here in video and broadcast the standardisation is probably not as mature as amongst the Telcos.”

Monteil points to huge amounts of technical and editorial metadata strangling the standardisation process.

“Very often things are customised across the habits, culture and the way broadcasters are working, so when will we have a complete mature world standard in the video space like we had in the 90s at the start of wireless networks?” he said.

Where then can Ericsson use its brand muscle?

It already delivers 2.7 million hours of TV content in 90-plus languages for 330 channels. This all comes with 200,000 hours of captioning.

“We saw it with the systems integrations we did. If you talk to a supplier as a global brand, which wants to invest, it is always easier to leverage and propose to the broadcaster that it may be more difficult to get technology alone,” said Monteil.

“We would like to act like that, talking to suppliers, to get the best for broadcasters locally, through our knowledge and global brand.”

TVBEurope 23

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

The installation of professional broadcasting equipment in remote locations provides ready access for live interviews for news and other organisations

Workflow

Down the line via IP With IP increasingly being used by broadcasters, Philip Stevens investigates how one service provider is utilising the technology

“We offer a complete package that includes

Last year, Globelynx laid out plans to expand

everything needed to manage these activities

its business model by selling its services right

– such as high definition cameras, lighting and

across Europe – and even further afield. At the

the network infrastructure required to link the firm

same time, it wanted to reach out to overseas

to the broadcaster community,” explains chief

broadcasters directly.

executive, David FitzGerald. “When a TV producer

“However, we found that we were being

ong gone are those days when live interviews

calls an interviewee to request a live or recorded

held back by our existing technology, as we

with politicians, business executives, charity

discussion, it is then a simple matter to book the

were relying on a legacy SDI system for the

leaders, analysts and others had to be

airtime through our online booking system.”

transmission of our services,” reports FitzGerald.

L

conducted in television studios. Now, it is common

The Globelynx booking system confirms the

“There circuits have a high bandwidth baseband

to conduct those ‘face-to-face’ discussions from

interview details instantly online and by email and

capacity, typically priced on a per-kilometre

considerable distances – with the interviewee

ensures that the interviewee’s camera is switched

basis, so the further the data has to travel,

seen in the environment of his or her own office.

to the right broadcaster at the agreed time.

the more expensive it becomes. Obviously,

Of course, that means the installation of

Founded in 2001, the company became part of

professional broadcasting equipment in the

the Press Association ten years later. Its stated mission

this is a particular problem when it comes to

remote location and the booking of circuits

statement was – and remains – to consolidate its

to meet transmission schedules, and one

position as a leader in the provision of in-house video

were needed to fulfil its expansion plans, Globelynx

company that provides such services is

and broadcast solutions for enterprises and live

turned to Easynet, a global managed service

London-based Globelynx.

interviews to TV news broadcasters.

provider, to replace the existing baseband network

international expansion.”

To find a solution and provide the upgrades that

24 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Workflow with a fully managed IP broadcasting service.

broadcasters – a cumbersome and expensive

Efficiency through automation

“We selected Easynet because of its track record

exercise. Using the Easynet IP domain, the

Another key element that Easynet provided was

delivering HD quality IP broadcasting services to

company is now able to deliver direct to national

an automation solution that enables Globelynx

well-known brand names, such as Sky News, Sky

broadcasters in countries around the world on a

to have greater control over how broadcasters

Sports News, MTV and Comedy Central,” confirms

24/7 basis, without having to link via London.

make their bookings, while reducing the amount

FitzGerald. “The company has also proved that it

of human resources needed.

can provide fully-managed international services

Better service, a lower cost

that can monitor pictures as well as data.”

Easynet’s answer provides an end-to-end solution

would previously go to a web page and book

In order to arrange an interview, a broadcaster

that converts the baseband SDI signal at the

in a time, which would then require the paths

Flexibility of IP

client’s end, transmits it across the IP network, and

for the video transmission to be built manually.

John Cullane, head of media and broadcast at

then converts it back at the broadcaster’s end.

Easynet was able to put in a complete platform

Easynet, picks up the story. “As soon as you begin

As part of the process, Easynet examined

to automate this process, as well as improve how

to go international with SDI circuits, they start to

Globelynx’s existing networks to identify the

get incredibly expensive, as well as offering less

hardware, providers and cost models that would

functionality than IP. The use of IP gives flexibility, and

be best suited to the project. The result of this

has been greatly appreciated by Globelynx’s

offers symmetrical access to deliver high quality bi-

survey was a final solution that offers savings of 50

broadcast clients which include Sky News, CNBC

directional feeds at low bandwidths, with dynamic

per cent compared with other alternatives.

and Bloomberg Television. “This will make it much

formatting options and potential for simultaneous

Cullane explains how the changes have

broadcasters find the right people to contact.

According to FitzGerald, this arrangement

easier for them to arrange interviews. There’ll

delivery to multiple locations to aid the production

enabled Globelynx to transform how it does

be an improved, searchable database where

process. It also enables the use of networking

business and reduce its costs. “The new IP

broadcasters can search for experts in particular

components familiar to non-specialist IT teams.”

architecture reduces human intervention and

topics. So if there’s a major news story on, say

The previous technology utilised by Globelynx

manual switching through the use of an automation

Japan, they can insert ‘Japanese economy’ into

meant broadcast links had to be routed through

scheduler and Quality Checking via Easynet’s Video

the database, and up will come the available

London, and then delivered back to the

Network Operations Centre (VNOC).”

experts on that topic for them to book.”

TVBEurope 25

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Workflow He continues, “This new service enables Globelynx to share real time HD content across a secure IP network, fully integrated with cameras at, currently, 80 sites. Moving to IP gives Globelynx a strong competitive edge in next generation content delivery through its built-in security and vast capacity. Additionally, when compared to legacy technology, a new IP-based network will deliver significant cost savings, as well as offering enhanced levels of reliability.”

FitzGerald concludes, “Digital media has led us to expect instant, flawless multiplatform delivery. More of us are watching news on our tablets and PCs, and now if we read a story on Twitter, we’ll frequently head across to a news website to validate it with text or video, then to another site to source a different perspective.

Globelynx customers include Sky News

With video content expected to make up 79 per cent of the world’s online traffic by 2018, there’s

Cullane explained more. “Once the broadcaster

the Easynet VNOC.” He adds that this also

more demand than ever for real time interview

schedules the booking, from that point forward,

makes the service much more scalable, so

content, and more places than ever to access

the actual creation of the video, and making

Globelynx no longer needs to provision twice

it. We’re confident that the switch to Easynet’s IP

the path live is all done through an automated

the resources in order to double the number of

Broadcasting will help us strengthen our foothold

service platform, under the careful monitoring of

bookings it can handle.

in this dynamic industry.”

26 TVBEurope

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Feature

Uncovering the magic of post and restoration Melanie Dayasena-Lowe met the executive team at BBC Studios and Post Production to take a behind the scenes tour of its facilities in Elstree and South Ruislip since its move from the iconic Television Centre BC Studios and Post Production (BBC

Simon Webbe and Kristina Rihanoff rehearsing

such as this like to have an outside space that

S&PP) in Elstree was a hive of activity last

the American Smooth.

they can do rehearsals in and filming so it’s good

B

December with shows like Strictly Come

As Mark Lewis, operational compliance

that we’ve got that as an extra offering. We’re

Dancing, BBC’s Sweat the Small Stuff and Sky’s

manager, explains, BBC S&PP has been

refurbishing all of our dressing rooms. It’s important

A League Of Their Own on site.

inundated with shows since its move over from

to have that softer element of the studio as well.”

Taking a tour behind the scenes meant walking down the corridors of Holby City,

Television Centre to the Elstree site in spring 2013.

At the BBC Elstree site, in Studio D, series 9 of A

Once the Sky show had finished, the studio was occupied by ITV’s Stars In Their Eyes. “Once a

past the glittery backdrop of Strictly Come

League Of Their Own was in production and the

production is in, they are in for the duration. They

Dancing, and even catching a glimpse of

set really fills the space, explains Lewis. “Productions

can then really concentrate on the content rather than on the mechanics,” he adds.

Other recent projects under its belt is post work for Strictly Come Dancing, It Takes Two, Tumble and Children in Need. John O’Callaghan, head of studios and post production, explains: “We’ve built our post rooms around projects. We did the Winter Paralympics across the road. We did the studio bit for Sunset + Vine for Channel 4 and built edits all around it and then took the kit out afterwards.”

Highlighting the advantages of being able to offer studio space and post services on the same site, David Conway, managing director, says: “Not many people are doing it and it differentiates us from the Soho fixed model. It suits a lot of people for efficiency reasons to be on the same site or

BBC S&PP’s Digital Media Services business has been working on the restoration of Miss Marple

near to their studio.”

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March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

The DMS business moved to the new permanent facility in South Ruislip in early 2013

Feature HD galleries at the George Lucas Stages (15,000sqft) to support large-scale entertainment productions. It’s now the biggest studio space in Europe with permanent HD galleries. “In addition to the stages we look after here, we have an ancillary block comprising dressing rooms, green rooms, production offices and storage areas for scenery and lighting,” explains Lewis.

Stages 8 and 9 were refurbished between Autumn 2012 and February 2013 before BBC S&PP moved into the new site. Having invested heavily to update the Elstree site, Stage 8 and Stage 9 (7,500sqft HD studios) were transformed with new laser levelled floors and permanent HD galleries and improved dressing room facilities for talent. This was done to ensure all the areas

A diverse portfolio

are well equipped to host any size or type of

BBC S&PP has a 50/50 split between handling BBC

television production.

projects and those for other customers. “Year on

“At the same time we were also operating

David Conway: “It’s now me having to come up with a lot of blue sky thinking rather than just implementation” portacabins containing kit from TVC. Lewis

year, it depends on the mix of shows we win and it

studios back at Television Centre (TVC) so

believes this is a much better offering compared

depends if you measure it on volume (number of

we had a lot of shows there coming in that

to the space you would have in an OB truck.

shows) or value (revenue),” adds Conway.

So how do they make it clear to the industry that they aren’t solely a BBC facility? “If you go back four years or so, there was a bit more uncertainty but now I think it is clear, particularly that we do a lot for Channel 4, ITV and Sky and

“We’re formulating a strategy to go back to TVC to make it a success while thinking about what the commercial model is here at Elstree Studios” David Conway, BBC S&PP

people are much more aware. We would like to get the message out more that we are offering post production to a variety of customers,” explains

we were still supporting. We had almost a

There are three control room galleries for Stage

John O’Callaghan, head of communications.

mobile satellite team coming here, shifting and

8 (production, lighting and sound), which have

When it comes to bidding for work on BBC

lifting kit out of TVC. Wherever possible from an

been transformed and kitted out with ex-TVC kit

programmes, BBC S&PP bids the same as any

efficiency point of view and because the kit in

since BBC S&PP moved in. Conway says the work

other company would. O’Callaghan adds: “Even

TVC was really good (the latest HD equipment),

that needed to be done before they moved in

with the BBC work, we do generally have to pitch

we tried to reuse and repurpose what we

for the galleries wasn’t about purchasing kit but

and fight for every bit of work we get.”

had already. It was a really busy period,”

was more about systems integration, which was

says O’Callaghan.

carried out by Dega Broadcast Systems along

The BBC Elstree site contains Elstree Studio D while at Elstree Studios BBC S&PP takes up about

Stage 8 has been home to Pointless while

with BBC S&PP’s in-house technical team.

50 per cent of the site and manages Stages 8

Stage 9 has played host to Sweat the Small Stuff,

and 9 with access to George Lucas Stages 1 and

Celebrity Juice and Never Mind the Buzzcocks.

Strictly Come Dancing last year, and alongside

2. It has also designed and installed permanent

The gallery for Stage 9 consists of permanent

the area occupied by the Big Brother house, is

Close to George Lucas Stage 2, home to

28 TVBEurope

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Feature

BBC S&PP designed and installed permanent HD galleries at the George Lucas Stages (15,000sqft) to support large-scale entertainment productions a large expanse of land, which

strategic and commercial issues

Elstree Studios plans to expand

I was heavily involved. It’s now

into. Supported by the Hertsmere

me having to come up with a lot

Borough Council, which owns the

of blue sky thinking rather than

Elstree Studios site, it is rumoured

just implementation. It’s been an

that plans are afoot to build a

interesting couple of months and

brand new set of stages as well

it’s such a vibrant time of the year

as ancillary spaces like additional

because of the volume of studio

dressing rooms. “The local

shows. It has been an exciting

authority are really behind it and

time to take over.”

want to expand the site further

So, what are his ambitions for

into a bigger production village,”

the company moving forward?

comments Lewis.

“There’s some pretty ambitious things we need to do over the next

New leadership

couple of years. We’ve still got to

With so much activity for BBC

take the studios business back to

S&PP, it’s been a busy couple of

TVC or reopen TVC so we have to

months for Conway since taking

make that a commercial success.

over the helm at the commercial subsidiary in October 2014.

With an investment banking

“We’ve got to think about what we’re going to retain here at Elstree Studios because we

background, he had previously

will retain some level of presence

served on the company board

here. We’re formulating a strategy

as a non-executive director, while

to go back to TVC to make it a

working as the BBC’s head of

success while thinking about what

investment and major projects in

the commercial model is here at

BBC Corporate Finance. Prior to

Elstree Studios.”

becoming MD he had been chief

The redevelopment of TVC is

operating officer for BBC S&PP.

underway and it’s starting to look

“As COO I had a broad sense

like a building site, according to

of the whole business and

Conway. The designs are fully

headed up the business support

approved and the strip out work

side of things.”

has begun. “It’s really taking

When asked how his new role

shape. We, and the developers

differs, Conway remarks: “It’s not

Stanhope, are getting excited

radically different. Clearly I was

about the plans for the wider site.

very familiar with the business.

They’ve locked in some other

When we were looking at

anchor tenants like Soho House.”

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March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature Creative media hub

There’s a small area in the middle where we

technologies so we can compare and contrast

O’Callaghan adds: “There’s a real aspiration for it

have an interest in the same thing, for instance

different tools for the same job.”

to be a creative media hub. I wouldn’t be surprised

with file-based delivery. We’re pooling our

if you see productions cluster around there too.

knowledge with a set of people who are experts

previously worked for EMI Music, stresses the

There’s a lot of affection for the building.”

at file-based delivery. We have complementary

wealth of expertise and knowledge across the

The plan is for BBC S&PP to go back to TVC in 2017. BBC Worldwide is expected to be the first to return there in spring 2015.

As well as looking at what’s already on the agenda, Conway is conscious that he also needs to look at other growth opportunities over and above its existing capacity.

“It doesn’t just apply to what you’ve seen here but also in our Digital Media Services (DMS) business. While it’s easy to understand how you grow a studios business, DMS is a constantly evolving area because media types and formats are constantly evolving. Because it’s a technology business, DMS has to adapt all the time.”

“Even with the BBC work, we do generally have to pitch and fight for every bit of work we get” John O’Callaghan, BBC S&PP Dedicated facility So next stop: South Ruislip to see BBC Studios and Post Production’s Digital Media Services facility firsthand. The DMS business moved to the new permanent facility in early 2013 and it will remain there with no plans to move back to TVC. And how do the two parts of the business in Elstree and South Ruislip interact? That was a question for Charles Tugendhat, director of DMS. “People who are making programmes in studios, even if it’s the same companies [Endemol, Freemantle] are not necessarily the same people making decisions about archiving or tape digitisation. We often end up talking to the same company and it’s only at the David Conway level that he might be talking to someone who has a view across both.

“There are a number of opportunities where our skills come together. In particular, that’s around the edit village, managed services of a post production type nature.”

Clive Hodge, the current head of operations for DMS, adds: “Studio technology is very different from film restoration technology. We each have our own experts in those areas.

Tugendhat, who is new to the BBC and has

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Feature Lift and shift DMS is also an expert in restoring old machines and keeping them running. “For a lot of them you can no longer buy spare parts from manufacturers so you’re having to cannabilise machines. We have the expertise to bend working machines to play tapes that were never recorded properly in the first place,” he explains.

Ex-TVC kit was brought over to the new site and Hodge describes the brief as “lift and shift”. “Two years on we’ve added hosting and storage which is new to us here. The main benefit was to leave behind 20 years of infrastructure and cleanse the operation of all the old technology, which was unreliable or stopping us from doing what we want to do. We were based on four different floors in

BBC S&PP provided full studio and post production services for the ten year anniversary and 12th series of Strictly Come Dancing Charles Tugendhat: “If we’re digitising people’s assets, it makes sense we then store it in the right way”

team. Hodge, one of their most experienced staff members, is leaving at the end of March 2015 and will be succeeded by Keith Nicholas who has over 20 years experience in broadcast having worked for the BBC, Walt Disney and MTV. “I hope to bring my perspective on different areas I’ve worked in

three different buildings and while technically that

“We have the expertise to bend working machines to play tapes that were never recorded properly in the first place” Charles Tugendhat, DMS

because I’ve worked for distributors, broadcasters, the BBC and facilities companies,” explains Nicholas.

When asked how the new job is going, he quips: “It’s like a wardrobe of shoes that you’ve previously

was ok it was a challenge even for communication

worn. Everything we do here are things that I’ve

between staff.”

worked on before.”

The Rank-Cintel MK III machine brought over

Another experienced member of the team is

adds. “I think there’s a general lack of awareness

from TVC, dating back to the late 1980s, was

Kevin Shaw who is lead technologist and has 20

on what the rate of loss is for formats that people

retained for handling small formats such as

years experience as a colourist and in restoration.

think are safe. A lot of people see drives and

8mm and 9.5mm. The team says it can produce

DVDs as safe but in our experience that’s far

better results and is more versatile than modern

chain for media assets with a particular

from being the case, probably even less safe

equipment. It has also been modified over the

strength in film restoration and large scale

than tape. Tape also suffers from mould and

years to do things it was never intended to do. It

digitisation activities.

degradation. A proper storage service saves

is even used to handle people’s home movies.

DMS operates at all levels across the value

Tugendhat highlights some of the services

you from that. You may have saved it on one file

Walking around the South Ruislip facility, it is

they provide. For instance, DMS provides a

format but there’s a change and a file format

clear that DMS’ portfolio is extremely varied.

tape duplication service for BBC Worldwide. “When

goes out of favour. Suddenly you have these files

Its work includes restoring footage of Winston

they sell programming abroad to customers that

in an obsolete format and there may not even

Churchill’s funeral for the BBC and the restoration

can’t accept files, the content comes to us and

be a way to read them anymore.”

we produce a tape from it. We produce thousands each month, it’s a large scale operation.”

In terms of optimisation, DMS can handle

Tugendhat continues: “With the move to file-based delivery, if anybody requests a copy

of Miss Marple for BBC Worldwide’s DVD and Bluray release in North America.

In terms of growth plans for DMS, it has already

of an asset which has been delivered to the

invested in the storage side of its business. “If we’re

content that requires some work to be done to it,

BBC as a file that sits on a database, we are the

digitising people’s assets, it makes sense we then

for example compliance (technical or editorial).

mechanism that will reach that end customer.

store it in the right way. Building that up as a service

“It could be language, cutting to length or

They’ll request it from BBC Archives, they send

in its own right is important,” says Tugendhat. “We

removing ad breaks. Or it could be restoration.

the file to us and we send it where it needs to

also want to expand our customer base.”

As we go beyond HD, the quality may have

go. Our job is making sure it gets to customers

been acceptable 20 years ago but it’s no way

in the right way.”

near acceptable now,” Tugendhat explains.

The team at DMS are very proud of having

Nicholas agrees: “The growth part of our business is doing work with third parties, not for the BBC. It has been very good work but we

a dedicated facility that is designed for their

would like to offer more of those services to third

Secure storage

specific activity. “If you draw on the distinctions

parties. There is a wealth of work to be done to

Once DMS has worked on the content, it is

between the TVC infrastructure compared to the

get content ready for broadcast and many

returned to the customer or stored. The long term

structure based around data flows that we’ve

other platforms that customers want to distribute

security of the asset is an important aspect, he

got today, it is such a step forward,” he remarks.

their media on.”

32 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Feature

Les Editions Montparnasse, an independent DVD distributor, has launched its own VoD service

Make or break time for Ultraviolet in France

a service that started only a year ago. It took two years to reach such levels in the USA and in Germany, where the system was launched around the same time as in France, the rate is of an average of 3.3 rights per account holder.”

That said, the number of account holders in France remains lower than elsewhere in Europe.

The UK is, by far, the fastest growing market in the region, numbering 1.54 million active Ultraviolet

The EST cloud-based and non-proprietary service is making slow but steady headway in the French market and should gain momentum now that Carrefour has come onboard and launched Nolim Films. By Catherine Wright

accounts and in Germany, Switzerland and Austria, UV accounts have topped 223,000, nearly double the gaul take-up.

For Caillaud, France’s slower adoption rate is due, in part, to the lack of a widespread and comprehensive number of UV titles. Unlike the UK,

s DVD sales plummet, film and TV

A

time acquire rights to stream, download and

where Talk Talk’s streaming service Blinkbox [then

producers around the world are

share the cloud-based content with up to five

owned by Tesco] launched its own Ultraviolet

increasingly shifting to various Electronic

family members.

offer alongside Sainsbury’s Entertainment and

limit their revenue loss. One of the most

service has also started up across Europe. It

Christmas, France’s retail stores have been slower

promising propositions out there is the Ultraviolet

launched towards the end of 2013 in France and

on the uptake. But Caillaud has high hopes that

digital locker system for electronic sell-through.

a little more than a year later, according to figures

this will improve since Carrefour just announced

A standard endorsed by most of the American

released by the Digital Entertainment Ecosystem

its own Ultraviolet video-on-demand (VoD)

studios – with the exception of Disney, which

(DECE), the consortium that supports the system,

service, Nolim films, which launched in

has launched its own proprietary system – the

it numbers 116,000 account holders, with an

late January.

UV service is meant to enable consumers to

average of 4.1 rights per account user, which

Ease of use remains an issue, and a number

buy digital content stocked on a central

means that each user has either downloaded

of potential partners have voiced concerns over

cloud, which they can access from a variety

or streamed an average of four films or TV series

the complexity of the system. But, according

of devices using a redeem code. Customers

during 2014. According to Yves Caillaud, Europe

to Caillaud, these concerns have now been

buy a digital version of any designated UV title

region managing director for the DECE: “The

addressed and the service has greatly improved

available on a physical disc, and at the same

usage per account holder in France is high for

since it first launched.

Sell Through (EST) services in order to try and

Launched several years ago in the USA, the

Dixons’ Cinemanow, in the weeks leading up to

TVBEurope 33

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature “We have made it much easier for customers

price ranging from €8 to €12 per month. Crucially,

recent press reports, it managed to attract 100,000

to access their content library from their set-top

Netflix’s service does not include its flagship series

gaul customers in the first couple of weeks after

boxes. The service is much more flexible than it

House of Cards, which, in France, remains a Canal

the launch, mere estimates that the American

was when it first launched. For instance, in the

Plus exclusive. But it is nevertheless bound to

company will not confirm. But even if it did, they

beginning, users had to enter their redeem code

seduce a wide number of customers. According to

should be put into context: quite a few subscribers

twice to access the content. Now all they have to do is enter it once from a special page. We have also relaxed the parental control features that were virtually impossible to implement in a set-top box environment.”

20

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Another problem is the lack of French titles.

You gotta be kiddin me. How many instruments does this Rx thing show realtime?

The system has yet to be endorsed by gaul content owners. “They were waiting for a large retail store

ruments

PER CHANNEL

to come onboard before committing to the SD

service,” Caillaud justifies. With Carrefour’s own UV

closed caption 608/708 VI, WST, loudness

SDI Optical SFP

store up and running, it is likely that a number of big French players could now become involved.

3G

For Les Editions Montparnasse, an independent

HD

DVD distributor that has launched its own VoD

audio AND video test and measurement full logging

up to 4 separate analyzers up to 4 simultaneous eye pattern up to 4 separate generators web browser

1920 x 1080 HDMI/SDI rasterizer output

service, Les Manufactures, there are other reasons

ACTUAL RASTERIZER OUTPUT

for not signing up to the system. The company’s founder and CEO Renaud Delourme, who also

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heads l’UNEVI (Union de l’édition numérique et vidéographique indépendante), a lobbying organisation representing small independent

I HAVE GOT TO GET ONE FOR MY FACILITY

distributors, is rather scathing: “Most of the small to medium independent companies like ours have rejected UV as a viable alternative. The cost of

SO MANY APPLICATIONS

coming onboard is too high for us and we don’t always own both VoD and DVD rights for all our titles, which is a prerequisite for UV.” Like other small French companies, Les Editions

e·s so much in it ther

Montparnasse has seen its revenue plummet as a result of collapsing DVD and Blu-Ray sales. The high definition format never took off in France and hardly ever made up for the decline in DVD sales. Recent figures released by the CNC – a sort of French BFI,

nd audio T&M video a

but much better financed – show that global video sales in France plunged by 14 per cent in 2014, with DVD discs dropping by 14.2 per cent and Blu-Ray by O.6 per cent. This is a collapse bound to gain speed as new enticing streaming services hit the market.

Much awaited, Netflix started up in France last September amid plenty of controversy.

Headquartered in Amsterdam, it avoids paying taxes which go towards subsidising French films and TV series – a much-criticised strategy in the country of the ‘Exception Culturelle’. Gaul rulers have, since the end of the Second World War, protected French culture and films in particular against English-speaking competitors, through

8 input support t 4 channel input t SDI & Optical (SFP) t Up to 16 simultaneous instrument display per channel t Exceptionally easy to use Interface t Audio and video test and measurement combined t A range of modules including eye / jitter t V-Chip presence & on-picture indication t Loudness with audio bars & Loudness history t AFD on-picture display with settable markers t 99 presets t On-picture closed captions display & data monitoring 608/708 WST OP47 t Audio channel mix down to L/R for surround sound checks t DOLBY® monitoring & decode t DOLBY® generator t Manual multi-frame grab or trigger on fault with playback t Sync & Async input t Reports & error logs on user settable events t Local, remote & web server access & control t A/V status screens t Test pattern generator t Reporting of checksum & other protocol related errors ensuring content is transferred error-free t Ancillary data analysis, monitoring and logging t Lightweight & compact t Cost effective t Energy efficient t Made in England

a series of complex tax and quota measures.

However, the American streaming service has announced that it is producing a French drama series called Marseilles in an attempt to woo gaul politicians, producers and customers. The service is available on telco Bouygue’s set-top box for a

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34 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Feature were bound to be enticed by the free one-

But as Apple will not release any figures, the

month trial offer Netflix trumpeted with its massive

number of subscribers is hard to estimate. Most

marketing clout. A more relevant figure would be

sources evaluate it to be well above the one

the service’s churn rate at least a couple of months

million mark.

When UV first launched, some concerns were

after launch which is, of course, totally confidential.

also raised over the sharing of data in the cloud,

According to Caillaud, Netflix’s subscriptionbased VoD service does not compete directly

as the service is non-proprietary, contrary to iTunes.

with Ultraviolet and is therefore not a huge threat.

But according to Caillaud, such fears were quickly

“French legislation has imposed a set of rules called

abated. “Very little data is shared on the cloud and

Chronologie des médias that every content retailer,

none of it is of a sensitive nature. No credit card

even Netflix, has to respect. For subscription-based streaming services, there is a 36-month delay between the theatrical release of films and what

Les Editions Montparnasse founder and CEO, Renaud Delourme

Yves Caillaud, Europe region managing director, DECE

As the Ultraviolet service is an electronic sellthrough proposition, coupled with the buying of a physical disc, it can show films four months after their

the customer’s name and his or her list of films.”

It is therefore make or break time for Ultraviolet in France: either gaul content owners, encouraged

they can sell. That means that unlike Ultraviolet, it cannot show recent movies,” he explains.

numbers, for instance. Basically, all that is shared is

Arguably, the most serious competition comes

by the Carrefour launch, and the efforts made

from iTunes, Apple’s own proprietary electronic

by the DECE to simplify and reduce the costs of

sell-through service.

the system, come onboard, or they remain on the

The Store, which initially sold only music,

sidelines and lose out on a opportunity to move

launched its video streaming and EST service

from physical to digital without too much revenue

across the French market in 2006. Subscribers can

loss. But if they don’t make up their minds very

Canal Plus’ own streaming subscription-based

access content from Pixar, Disney or Lionsgate and,

fast, UV will have little chance to establish itself in

service. The French broadcaster launched it at least

more importantly, French content owners like TF1:

France. In order to attract customers here, you

four years before Netflix started its own, in fairly low-

it boasts up to 85,000 films and 300,000 TV series,

have to offer French content, a rule that even the

key fashion. It numbers around 520,000 subscribers.

including gems like True Detective.

Netflix’s of this world can’t ignore.

theatrical release, according to French legislation.

The same 36-month rule applies to CanalPlay,

TVBEurope 35

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature

TVBEurope at CES 2015 Adrian Pennington headed over to Las Vegas to check out the latest trends at this year’s International Consumer Electronics Show (CES) ood news for consumer electronics (CE)

G

firms. Global spend is on the rise, up one per cent on 2013 to just over $1 trillion,

estimates the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA). Further good news is that UHD displays are shifting ahead of expectations, comprising 11 per cent of global sales in 2015 (Futuresource Consulting), so it was no surprise to see every brand majoring on 4K sets at the CES show.

In recent years, manufacturers have struggled to find margin on TV screens and the concern with 4K was whether consumers would actually see the benefits of buying new screens. The dominant argument since CES 2014 has been the call for

BK Yoon, co-CEO, Samsung

better looking pixels, not just more of them. This call has been heeded by the formation of the UHD Alliance, a global coalition of film studios (Warner

HDR comes to the fore

challenges in implementation across the

Bros, Fox, Walt Disney), TV brands (LG, Sony) and

Dolby has been one of the leaders in this space

production pipeline and at retail.

tech companies (Dolby, Technicolor) plus Netflix to

with HDR post process Dolby Vision, which has

create standards for premium UHD. Criteria includes

been used to remaster a number of titles on

single exposures but what’s not in place is

high dynamic range (HDR), wider colour gamut and

the FilmLight Baselight system including Edge of

colour grading and the whole post production

immersive 3D audio although the exact specifications

Tomorrow and The Lego Movie. While these can

and distribution chain,” said Arris engineering

need thrashing out in the coming months.

be streamed from services like M-Go or Netflix,

fellow, Sean McCarthy. “How do you insert

Panasonic’s prototype of the first 4K Blu-Ray

SDR (standard dynamic range) content like

there’s a way to deliver titles at a level of quality

player was another brick in the wall of a 4K

advertising into a HDR programme? How does

representative of what people want to see,” Roland

home ecosystem.

a TV know the content has switched? If there is

“What the studios are realising is that now

Vlaicu, VP of consumer imaging, Dolby told the panel session HDR: Hollywood’s New Creative Tool.

There were warnings that wider adoption of UHD Alliance specifications will face

“Existing 4K cameras can capture HDR in

a big difference in brightness how quickly does the eye adapt?”

36 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Feature He warned: “There will be confusion in the

but prevalent in 2015 ranges, are HDMI 2.0 and

market which could slow down purchases if the

HEVC, both technical requirements for delivering

communication isn’t thought through.”

richer on-screen pixels.

Scott Mirer, VP, device partner ecosystem at

2016 will be the inflection point,” noted Steve

to consumers and it has nothing to do with

Koenig, director of industry analysis, CEA. “It may

the technology. We don’t have experience

even be difficult to find a 1080p set as the price

with how to talk about HDR’s benefits to

premium for 1080p is small.”

consumers and we don’t have convergence on how to implement it.”

It is to be hoped that the Alliance expands to incorporate others – notably Chinese TV

Mark Turner, VP of partnership relations

makers who are a growing influence – although

and business development for Technicolor,

as Futuresource Consulting’s senior market

declared a need to establish UHD standards.

analyst Jack Wetherill observed, the Alliance

“When it comes to colour space, how

can be seen as an attempt to counter the

high is HDR and how wide is wide colour

Chinese by differentiating product from what

gamut? How do we make sure it’s an

is seen as inferior quality, and certainly

interoperable standard? There’s a lot of work

cheaper, screens.

to be done.”

“Chinese brands are posing questions for

CES 2015 showed that UHD has definitively

Liquid Image’s Ego LS 800 wearable cam will record HD at 30fps, while simultaneously live broadcasting over Verizon’s LTE network

“Production is shifting over from 1080p and

Netflix, agreed: “HDR is hard to communicate

the industry, forcing Korean and Japanese

arrived as a display format. Overall, screens

brands to rethink strategies,” said Wetherill.

are getting thinner, larger (average screen

Chinese brands including Skyworth, Hisense, TP

size worldwide is now 41-inches compared to

Vision grew more than 20 per cent in 2014. The

33-inches in 2008) and richer in contrast and

Chinese domestic market alone is worth over

colour as well as resolution. Lacking last year,

20 per cent of the global flatscreen market.

EDITORIAL PLANNER 2015 2015 will see TVBEurope attend and cover more of the key events on the broadcast media industry calendar. Following the successful redesign of TVBEurope, we have developed a more comprehensive list of features for each issue over the coming year, and will be launching a dedicated section covering the latest developments in OTT, multiscreen, and TV Everywhere: TVBEverywhere. Our Opinion and Analysis and Features sections will deliver the big stories every month; Workflow will continue our bedrock coverage of UHD, 4K, IT/ IP infrastructures, and pre and post production insights; and our Business section will provide a regualr analysis of the marketplace, and all of the key M&A activity. Our Audio for Broadcast coverage will now be present in every issue and major sports/live broadcast events will be reported on throughout the year.

For all advertising and sponsorship opportunities, contact the sales team: Europe Ben Ewles: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000, bewles@nbmedia.com, or Richard Carr: +44 (0) 20 7354 6000, rcarr@nbmedia.com, USA Mike Mitchell +1 631 673 0072, mjmitchell@broadcast-media.tv

Issue Date

April

Exhibitions/ Events Coverage

Feature

Audio for Broadcast

• BVE 2015 • NAB 2015 show issue

• Beyond HD: 4K and UHD challenges • Virtual sets forum

• UHD audio

• NAB review

Sports/Live broadcast

May

• TVBE conference review

• Satellite TV focus • Audio for broadcast special • Sound mixers forum

• Sound mixers forum

• 2015 UK election

June

• Angacom focus • TV Connect insights

• OTT multiscreen • Acquisition focus: lighting for TV

• Audio & outside broadcast

• Summer of sport OB focus

• Mics/ monitors/ consoles

• Wimbledon 2015

• Channel in a box forum • Broadcast 2020: visions of the future

July

August

September

• IBC preview

• IBC show issue

December

• Quality control forum • IBC show issue: product showcase

• Audio for broadcast special • IP technology forum

October

November

• Broadcast graphics forum • IBC product preview

• TVBAwards

• Acquisition focus: all encompassing • Transcoding forum

• Media Asset Management forum • Archiving and storage roundtable

• Broadcast audio feature

• Rugby World Cup 2015

TVBEurope 37

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Feature Japan’s Toshiba, absent of new UHD models,

It’s worth noting the presence of

Sony, Philips and Sharp have adopted Google’s

could be a casualty.

autostereoscopic TV. In particular, Stream TV

Android TV platform while LG and Panasonic

Networks has made deals with Izon and Cello

continue to use Mozilla’s Firefox.

Aside from remastered movies, 4K content

“With Googlecast, you can throw content

announcements were thin on the ground. DishTV’s

Electronics to add its glasses-free 3D tech to

unveiled a service in the US; Netflix announced

their TV product lines. “We’ve been waiting for

from the mobile device to the TV and even have

support for HDR later this year; and Sony declared

4K panels as they have 8 million pixels and we

an app for your smartwatch so you can

that all its TV shows are either currently being shot in

can use those extra pixels to create depth and

control the TV from your wrist,” explained

4K or “will be shot in 4K soon.”

separation of images for glasses-free-3D viewing,”

Sony COO Mike Fasulo.

Sharp, Panasonic and LG were showing

explained CEO Mathu Rajan.

Samsung UHD TVs are based on the Tizen

8K screens, targeted more at the Japanese

Smart TV remained a key theme albeit with less

OS, which is also used in its smartphones and

domestic market where 8K broadcasts tests

of a fanfare than previously. Approaches vary. In

would allow users to sync and share content

are set to begin next year.

recent months some of the leading brands, like

between Tizen devices via Wi-Fi. “This is a bold

‘Analyst IDC reckons the global Internet of Things market will exceed $7 trillion by 2020’ Quantum dots for contrast Other initiatives to deliver greater on-screen contrast and colour included displays with Quantum Dot technology. It seems manufacturers have yet to crack the cost of producing OLEDs and are placing their bets instead on QD LCD displays which work by inserting a layer of nanoparticles between a display’s backlight and colour filters. The result is much improved contrasts and a wider colour gamut at a fraction of the cost of OLED. However, viewers won’t see the benefit while content is still produced to match the old Rec. 709 standard. Upscaling technology in QD sets is a workaround although the results can look unnatural and over saturated. One of the goals of the UHD Alliance is to standardise around Rec. 2020 but until content is produced in that format, a TV’s ability to display extra colour gamut will be wasted.

Sharp had another solution. Its self-titled Beyond 4K 80-inch set uses a pixel-splitting technique that, when applied to 4K resolution, is claimed to create 66 million subpixels, which is 42 million more than a standard 4K set. “It approaches 8K resolution,” claimed Sharp’s US marketing chief, Jim Sanduski, while cinematographer Wally Pfister (The Dark Knight) talked about how the technology shows off his work the way it is meant to be viewed.

OLED wasn’t entirely absent. Panasonic had an impressive OLED prototype and LG is boldly putting $600 million into OLED development at the same time as releasing sets with QD. Its 65-inch Art Slim, a 4K OLED curved TV, was a showstopper - it weighs only 35 pounds and is as thin as a smartphone. “Unless OLED costs come down dramatically, QD will suffice,” said Wetherill.

38 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Feature and potentially expensive investment, but they could reap the rewards if they are able to align these operating systems with that of their mobile phones,” stated Wetherill.

VR camera tech Much in the way CE vendors attempted to seed content into the 3D space by retailing affordable 3D video cameras, so VR hardware developers need content to encourage sales.

Several consumer friendly 360-degree video cameras have been released recently including the Giroptic 360cam, Geonaute, Ricoh Theta, VSN Mobil V.360 and Kodak Pixpro SP360. To the mix add Samsung Project Beyond, a camera designed to work with the Samsung Gear VR

Drones continue to trend with sales expected to top $1 billion by 2018

headset, which captures 360-degree video in 3D.

Internet of Things needs a meaning

IC Real Tech’s Allie camera can create a 720-degree view by stitching two 360-degree camera feeds together. The Allie Play, Home and Pro video duel lens cameras cost from $500 to $3,000 and can stream live footage or record two hours of video to an SD card, or the cloud.

Sony went after GoPro with the FDR-X1000V action camera, which shoots 4K (3,840 x 2,160) at

“Another new frontier is smart fabrics.

We’re starting to see this pop up, but it’ll be more than five years for this to be a mass market” Jack Cutts, Consumer Electronics Association

The wearables category is part of a much larger fabric of sensorised objects loosely called the Internet of Things (IoT). By some accounts it’s a huge untapped opportunity.

Analyst IDC reckons the global IoT market will exceed $7 trillion by 2020, up from $1.9 trillion in 2013.

There were keynotes harping on the theme.

30fps from a fixed 170-degree Zeiss Tessar lens. It’s

Intel CEO Brian Krzanich said: “The last time we

on sale in March for £328 along with a cheaper

saw a wave of change this big was 20 years ago today, in 1995, with a revolution in consumer

HD version, the HDR-AS200V. Sony plans to mass produce its new OLED-based

computing with the Pentium processor and first

record HD at 30fps, while simultaneously live

SmartEyeglass. The prototype, developed by

commercial browsers.”

broadcasting over Verizon’s LTE network. Other

Sony Mobile, is independent of the Sony group

action cams can live-stream video over Wi-Fi.

developing the Morpheus VR head mounted

include computers that will interact in three-

The camera plus LTE unit costs £200 and is only

display. It uses two forward-facing projectors built

dimensional space, see and hear using depth,

available in the US.

into see-through glasses to overlay augmented

sound and facial recognition sensors, and

reality video and data. It can only display eight

become wire-free.

Liquid Image’s Ego LS 800 wearable cam will

Drones incidentally, continue to trend, with sales

Characteristics of the current revolution

Samsung plans to IoT-enable all of its hardware

approaching 425,000 and $130 million in revenue in

shades of green at 419 x 128 pixels but even

2015 and sales expected to top $1 billion by 2018.

at that low resolution, text displays clearly. The

by 2020. It is even developing a sensor that can

glasses have a forward-facing camera for

distinguish between 20 different scents.

A wearables mania “This time next year will be the beginning of

recording images as well as use by Android apps.

Epson’s Moverio BT-200 run Android 4.0 from a

the wearables mania,” suggested CEA’s director

wired smartphone-like controller and provide a

of business intelligence Jack Cutts.

full-colour image in the centre of the user’s field

“The TV in the house will work as a hub for IoT,” said co-CEO BK Yoon. “It will emerge as a very important device in the lives of consumers.”

There are a number of standards bodies

of view. While not yet commercially available,

looking to join up the smart home. They include

of total CE market revenue, valued at $1 billion.

Epson was inviting developers to build an AR

Apple Homekit, Thread (Samsung and Nest)

“By the end of 2015, we expect it to be 2.3 per cent

library for the product and demoed versions

and All Joyn (Qualcomm) but there is no

of the total market worth $5.1 billon,” he added.

equipped with video games and Netflix.

single standard covering all parts of the chain

In 2013, the wearable market was 0.5 per cent

Most of this business is in the fitness sector but

These types of AR glasses provide a solution

smartwatches (often with a fitness element) are

between Google Glass and the fully immersive VR

quickly catching up. Apple’s imminent release

experience provided by devices like Oculus Rift.

of a smartwatch is highly anticipated.

Bizarrely, wearables worn inside the body

from sensor to cloud. Inevitably, some of this will consolidate.

Shawn Dubravac, CEA chief economist, said, “the focus should be on what is technologically

Smart eyewear is predicted to show 10x

represent an untapped market. “Implantable

meaningful. Should we digitise it? How should

growth to 2018, outpacing fitness trackers.

technologies is something we should keep an

we use it? The challenge is to make sure that the

“Smart eyewear will eventually rule CE

eye on,” Cutts suggested.

information influences behaviour.”

Look out for a more in-depth look at the IoT

wearables,” predicted Cutts and by CES

“Another new frontier is smart fabrics. We’re

2016 “we’ll just be getting to where virtual

starting to see this pop up, but it’ll be more than

and what it means to the TV and service provider

reality takes off.”

five years for this to be a mass market.”

industry in a future edition of TVBEurope.

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TVBEurope 41

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

TVBEverywhere

Providers going OTT to futureproof business models Daniele Tricarico, senior analyst at Pyramid Research, explains how OTT providers are pushing paid services in emerging markets to futureproof their business models

T

he commitment to become a global

2014

19 million accounts

2019

103 million accounts

provider was possibly the strongest message from the recent Netflix investors’call, where

Reed Hastings and Ted Sarandos highlighted the company’s growth strategy. The interest of Netflix

Forecasted emerging market* OTT SVoD growth Source: Pyramid Research: *LATAM, Africa and the Middle East, Central and Eastern Europe and America APAC

for markets outside the US, not only Europe but also emerging markets other than LATAM where

prevalent across these territories, we are witnessing

increasingly introduce SVoD options for high quality

it is already available, shows that there is global

the emergence of hybrid models whereby

of experience and premium/HD content, with the

potential for paid OTT video, subscription-based

advertising-funded content serves to increase

objective to drive monetisation and futureproof

video on demand (SVoD) and transactional

reach and penetration, and premium content is

business models. For China, we expect SVoD

video on demand (TVoD).

delivered via SVoD and TVoD to boost monetisation

penetration to increase from seven per cent in 2014

and futureproof the business models. In household

to 13 per cent of households in 2019. Given this

markets regions for paid OTT video suggests

penetration terms, we believe that some kind of

potential, it is not surprising that Netflix has expressed

that many of the hurdles to legal, paid OTT video

OTT SVoD will be in use in 6.4 per cent of emerging

an interest in entering China. In spite of high barriers

development – widespread piracy, low credit

market households by 2019. We expect paid OTT

to entry, Netflix admitted that it would like to

card penetration and consumer familiarity with

revenue (SVoD and TVoD) in emerging markets to

operate a small service in the country centred on its

online payments, and the poor performance of

expand from $1.2 billion in 2014, or only 2.3 per cent

original and other globally-licensed content.

broadband networks – have been overestimated.

of pay-TV revenue, to $6 billion in 2019, or 9.2 per

For example, while credit card has been a

cent of pay-TV revenue. Across emerging markets,

other cross-national providers operating in Europe

challenge for Netflix in LATAM, the company has

there is $18.8 billion up for grabs in 2015-2019 for local

(i.e. Wuaki TV), may be Eastern Europe. Poland

successfully introduced alternative payment

and international providers.

and Russia offer a good environment with plenty

Our research into the potential of emerging

A more immediate opportunity for Netflix, and for

methods such as prepaid cards. In many markets,

China, Russia, Brazil and Mexico offer the most

of fibre in the ground. These markets are already

fixed broadband speeds have also become less of

scale and growth potential. These are the markets

seeing good traction in the OTT space. In Poland,

an issue, thanks to the bandwidth-saving efficiencies

that also offer the most promising environments for

the AVoD/TVoD Ipla passed four million users,

generated by CDNs, caching and ABR. Furthermore,

the formation of sizeable online video audiences,

while Russia’s AVoD IVI, which has TVoD and SVoD

in some emerging markets such as Russia and China,

and offer the most potential to segment offers. In

options for premium content, has one of the largest

but also in the major urban areas of Brazil, telcos

addition, regions that are linguistically uniform, such

customer bases among OTTs worldwide, with a

have been undergoing extensive fibre deployments

as LATAM and to a lesser extent the Middle East,

monthly audience of 12 million to 16 million unique

for some time, pushing average connection speeds

will provide significant potential for OTT providers to

users. The Middle East has also been rumoured as a

to levels that are often higher than developed

target multiple markets that are culturally close.

target region for a Netflix entry for some time.

economies in Southern Europe.

In a recent study, we have forecasted OTT SVoD

In regional terms, starting from a higher base,

The high cost of content means that OTT

LATAM markets will reach the highest household

business models relying on advertising revenue

to grow from 19 million accounts in 2014 to 103

penetration levels in 2019 (Mexico 17 per cent,

streams have become difficult to sustain globally.

million accounts in 2019 across the emerging market

Brazil 14 per cent). Emerging APAC will also see

regions of LATAM, Africa and the Middle East,

significant traction, from one per cent of households

content anytime and anywhere increases

Central and Eastern Europe and America APAC.

in 2014 to seven per cent in 2019. Growth in APAC

in emerging markets, paid OTT services will

While advertising-funded OTT video will remain

will be driven by China where the local OTTs will

become more commonplace.

As consumer demand for premium

42 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

TVBEverywhere

Understanding connectivity is the key to IPTV and VoD delivery Anthony Kingsnorth, COO at Custom Connect, follows the shifting track of content distribution

What is crucial is that whilst we as consumers

like financial services, to see low-latency, high

constantly strive for higher quality video delivered

bandwidth options in action.

on demand, with content producers attempting to over-burdened global network infrastructure will

Supporting business aims with connectivity

reach near-unsustainable levels.

Content providers should look at their business

meet those demands, the pressure on the already

objectives and how they can be met with ontent distribution is taking on an

C

Meeting the challenges

connectivity. How does connectivity influence

entirely different perspective as it moves

The FIFA World Cup last year is a perfect example

them, and what are the requirements of global

increasingly into the cloud, onto new

of how the video and broadcast landscape has

regulation? Managing costs and reducing risk are

devices and firmly away from more traditional

changed. For most leading CDN operators, it was

also essential to determine the connectivity needed

broadcast channels and platforms. This presents a

the biggest sporting event ever in terms of total

for each content category.

challenge for all media organisations, broadcasters

video traffic volume. For the broadcasters who

and content delivery network operators who are

depend on the network to deliver jitter-free, high

languages and formats should ensure they have

trying to meet customer needs, maintain their

quality video to customers, there is a real concern

their own connectivity profiles. The average latency

competitiveness and commercial sustainability,

that internet connections will be unable to support

of a standard trans-Atlantic connection is 60-80ms,

and scale their operational footprint to match the

future events attracting worldwide attention.

which is fine for enterprise applications, but too slow

requirements of a video-on-demand shaped future.

for media distribution.

IPTV is increasingly becoming the distribution channel of choice. A report released earlier this year stated that paying IPTV subscribers in Western Europe are set to overtake paying satellite TV customers in 2018, while forecasting

CDNs delivering video content in different

It is challenging to ensure the infrastructure

‘Paying IPTV subscribers in Western Europe are set to overtake paying satellite TV customers in 2018’

between consumer locations, data centres and partners is of a high enough standard, in particular across multiple international locations.

Implementation of ‘Five-9s’ (99.999 per cent)

that IPTV subscriptions will climb by 7.5 million (38

availability is challenging and resource-heavy if

per cent) between 2013 and 2020.

in more than one country.

This is no surprise given IPTV’s flexibility which

Another option is content delivery from

enables consumers to watch what they want, when

Not only do network providers have to guarantee

outsourcing. Outsourcing through high

they want, on a wide range of devices from iPads

that the network is free from latency issues, but also

performing CDNs such as Akamai, Amazon,

and Android tablets through to Google Glass, if

that the live action starts instantly on the customer’s

CloudFlare or Google is usually cost effective

the latest predictions are to be believed. Media

device of choice. Any delay could result in the

and delivers unrivalled operational reliability,

organisations are readjusting their strategies by

customer abandoning the service and migrating

whilst shortening the time-to-market for new

adapting the content they offer to new mediums

to a competitor.

services and content developments.

while still ensuring value for advertisers.

But content, particularly across international

Content providers in the US are increasingly

One of the most significant factors is the

networks, has to travel long distances - from the

turning to pay-per-use models, which allows them

sustained demand for premium, high quality

original source in the data centre via the CDN,

to pay for the actual bandwidth used, rather than

content. Some operators, and increasingly

through the ISP network, and eventually to the

the capacity, but here in Europe legacy carriers

content producers, are building their own content

customer. And if it is being syndicated, the content

have found it difficult to set up billing systems

delivery networks (CDNs) using a software defined

publisher has to publish and distribute the content

that accommodate this idea. As a result a hybrid

networking (SDN) approach to meet demands. This

from various parties which adds an additional

model is more common: 50 per cent of the peak

is set to grow as customers increasingly expect the

layer of complexity.

load dimensioned bandwidth is bought and the

delivery of exceptional quality broadcasting.

A customer’s own internet access is beyond

actual usage is invoiced.

the control of content providers or operators, but

Connectivity should be right at the top of

to broadcast programming in ultra-high quality, but

they can exercise control over other points in the

the agenda for all IPTV, VoD and other content

there is still little indication when it will reach the mass-

process by implementing effective solutions. Google

delivery strategies.

market, and we may have to wait for the next major

and Netflix are good examples of well managed

international sporting event, such as the Olympics in

content delivery, but fellow providers could look

reduces risks, and is cost efficient, it will keep you

2016, to see it launched in earnest.

for inspiration in other, time-sensitive sectors,

ahead of the game.

Waiting in the wings is 4K, the much-hyped answer

If it supports the objectives of the business,

44 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Forum

All systems go for 2015?

Philip Stevens moderates this month’s forum looking at issues facing Systems Integrators

With a need to stay ahead of all the technological advances across the industry, Systems Integrators (SIs) are in a good position to keep a finger on the pulse of trends and developments. So, what challenges will 2015 bring forth for SIs? Will IP take off in a big way? To discuss these and other issues, we’ve brought together (in alphabetical order) Kalvis Baumanis, managing director of Hannu Pro; Steve Burgess, CTO, Megahertz; Jonathan Hughes, ATG Danmon’s head of system Integration; Rainer Kampe, managing director/CTO, Broadcast Solutions; Kevin Moore, managing director, Eurotek; Malcolm Robinson, director of operations, Broadcast Networks; Alex Shrank, systems architect, VSC Design; Tomas Vesely, broadcast project director, Visual Unity.

In the 2014 forum, most participants expressed confidence for the year ahead. Did the last 12 months see the progress you envisaged?

Baumanis: As always it could be better, but in general, projects foreseen for year 2014 were implemented. Comparing with 2013, this is a good sign showing investments flowing in to broadcast technology.

Burgess: Last year started slowly with several projects being delayed, but towards the end we did pick up a number of significant orders for the UK and overseas market. 2015 has started with a very healthy order book.

Hughes: We had a very busy year, active on projects in the UK and overseas. Demand is strong

Kalvis Baumanis, Hannu

Stephen Burgess, Megahertz

here in the UK where we have been active on a range of projects for ABS Broadcast, Arqiva, the

Besides our traditional strong core business of

BBC, Intervideo, Trinity Broadcast Networks and a

building OB vans and SNGs, our new business

very high profile central London system which we

areas, sport arena multimedia infrastructure and

are not at liberty to talk about yet. We have also

engineering services, started successfully and we

seen a high activity level in the Middle East with

expect them to prosper.

strong demand from customers around the region.

Kampe: Absolutely! We enriched our portfolio

Moore: Yes, we did see some improvement in the market, and the number of projects being

to six business areas – outside broadcasting,

discussed for 2015 has increased, so hopefully

satcom, broadcast facilities, mobile surveillance

we’ll see a continuing recovery in our sector.

solutions, sport arena multimedia infrastructure,

Robinson: As always business is an ever

as well as engineering and innovation services.

moving concept, and we have successfully

TVBEurope 45

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Forum delivered a number of key projects

and international events. In the UK,

from playout systems to OB vehicles.

the next is the general election.

I think a lot of people used the

Moore: In our market, it is a mix

year to gain some ideas for budget

of both. Most clients are still working

setting, as we have provided a

through the effects of the downturn,

large number of quotations that

so are spending as little as they can

have not developed into projects.

on new technology, and upgrading

I believe the industry itself is moving

where possible. But in some areas

through an interesting time as

we are seeing moves to new

we settle into HD broadcasting,

technology, particularly in OTT and

while still pushing technology and

on-demand services.

innovation to continue to drive the

Shrank: This will depend upon a

“IP is very thrilling, but clients want to be sure and see it really working with the same robustness as existing traditional baseband implementations” Kalvis Baumanis, Hannu

market place forward. The term

number of factors, such as where

‘good enough’ seems to have

they are in the technology cycle,

become more commonplace!

how new the current investment is,

considering 4K. The absence of

and what is driving their business. If

agreed standards is limiting the

awarded a place on the BBC

a company is considering a major

deployment of this technology.

systems integration framework we

refurbishment, then it is always sensible

have subsequently been awarded

to look at what technology is on the

to purchase and install proven

some contracts within this and we

horizon, but some customers may

technology, but they are looking

have also been busy completing

be driven to adapt new technology

at the available upgrade paths

other projects in the UK and overseas

by immediate business needs. Most

on new products to allow IP

for new and existing customers.

customers will initially look to upgrade

connectivity.

2014 saw an increase in the number

if that will satisfy their medium term

of ongoing support contracts that

requirements, but some may adopt

more conventional devices will

we provide to customers. This is

new technology if they are at the

be replaced by software, routers

becoming an increasingly important

point of a major reinvestment.

will be exchanged by network

Shrank: Yes it did. Having been

part of our business and something that more and more customers expect from Systems Integrators rather than the traditional model of ‘sign-off and handover’.

Vesely: My expectation for the availability of more IP-based technology was not fulfilled, as the product launches announced at the beginning of the year were mostly postponed.

Where technology is changing rapidly, are clients generally opting for upgrades or new installs?

IP technology is discussed a great deal at the moment.

What are your clients requesting with regards to this technology?

Baumanis: IP is very thrilling, but clients want to be sure and see it really working with the same robustness as existing traditional baseband implementations. Last year was promising for IP, but in reality there were no solutions to really work. Hopefully next year will bring more real ‘fruits’.

Burgess: Upgrading existing systems

Burgess: Within the DSNG

to HD is still a significant part of our

market, IP is now the standard

business. But, at the same time, we

with smaller trucks. Larger DSNGs

did see a number of orders for new

and OB trucks are still based on

systems, where customers took a

traditional technology, although

decision that the upgrade path was

all have an increasing amount of

not economical, or the project is to

IP connectivity and infrastructure.

fulfil a new business requirement.

We have customers looking at IP,

Many projects are driven by national

particularly when they are also

Kevin Moore, Eurotek

Hughes: Clients are still opting

Kampe: In the future, more and

switches and complete systems will be connected via network cables – so IP will become a major part of system integration. The demand for reliable and safe running systems will increase in the future.

Alex Shrank, VSC Design

46 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Forum Currently, there is an element of uncertainty towards the direction of the IP-shift and on the consequences for our customers’ business. But once these questions are being answered, the advantages on costs, maintenance and flexibility will promote the market breakthrough of IP. To be ahead of the development a dedicated team at Broadcast Solutions works solely on IP-technology.

Moore: As mentioned earlier, OTT and second screen is a big topic, as are IPTV distribution systems for in-house viewing and signal distribution. We are also seeing quite a lot of interest in IP for contribution and distribution links.

Robinson: IP is full of nonsense at the moment. In its basic form, it’s a point to point transportation method which has been around for a number of years, as a full blown infrastructure it’s full of unknown

Jonathan Hughes, ATG Danmon

Rainer Kampe, Broadcast Solutions

Malcolm Robinson, Broadcast Networks

Tomas Vesely, Visual Unity

complications, but this is steadily becoming a little less hazy. Give it time and we will see all of these innovations naturally find their place. At this stage, why be the first, what does it really bring to your day-to-day job at the moment? Sure it may have commercial and operational benefits in the future, but so far I have not seen this in a viable working scenario. This said we are working with the key players to ensure that when the solutions are deemed fit for purpose we are ready to offer a professional, unbiased and knowledgeable viewpoint to our customers, enabling them to make informed decisions.

Shrank: High bandwidth file-based connections, such as those between storage systems and edit clients or servers have been standard using IT platform technology. But 10GbE and 40GbE routing alongside baseband 3Gbs SDI signals and hybrid multiviewer inputs and display handling is of key interest today and this is where the leading question is ‘how are these individual sources actually generated?’. AVB, as an interoperability standard, makes clients then consider if their

Beyond IP, are there any particular technologies that are more in demand today than two years ago?

media file processing and IP bridging. We also find ourselves asked to work in partnership with customers much earlier in the planning process than used to be the case, explaining the relative operational and technical merits of the various workflow options.

Kampe: High speed cameras are becoming

network is AVB-enabled or if they need a major

Baumanis: Delivery to different platforms would

increasingly common in sports production. In

infrastructure upgrade to handle it. The client’s

be one of them. Nowadays every broadcaster

our portfolio we offer different solutions from the

business sector, be it broadcaster, production

or operator implements OTT. For broadcast –

traditional 3x up to systems allowing 10,000fps.

house or link service provider, defines how each

more integrated, affordable and easy-to-use

And, of course, we always ensure that these

will evaluate the deployment of IP and the

live production systems are in demand. In

technologies are integrated seamlessly into

ROI it can bring.

general customers are asking for feature-rich,

the production flow.

Vesely: We can definitely see an increase in IP-based installations rather than traditional

all in one solutions.

Hughes: Software skills have become an

Robinson: MAM and OTT services are currently moving through some significant innovations,

audio-video base band, but still there are

increasingly important aspect of the systems

while cloud-based systems are pushing the

enough conservative customers not fully

integration business, and that demands a strong

operational desires further and further and

convinced to transition to IP, plus there are areas

understanding of the whole technical spectrum

making cost effective channels realistic.

where the technology is not yet available.

from baseband video and audio right through to

Shrank: UHD baseband SDI handling,

TVBEurope 47

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Forum typically as Quad-link, is now a real

together to negotiate over a widely

one of the challenges we are facing

and knowledge to attain this is the

requirement. The cost of acquisition,

accepted standard.

is the need for highly professional

challenge. The industry still has an

colleagues in all departments and in

appetite to do things correctly and

editing and local display of UHD is

Moore: No real demand for 4K as

not prohibitive, thus the adaption of

yet, other than some small islands

all our international subsidiaries. Some

that’s where a good SI can make

the more costly core infrastructure

in graphics and post, although the

of these new markets need different

a difference. If you are building a

to pass the required bandwith is a

newest crop of 4K capable cameras

solutions, tailored to their climatic

house you make a decision on a

real consideration.

is fuelling some demand.

conditions, workflows, educations or

commercial basis on whether you

budgets. We face two tendencies

use an architect, surveyor, structural

Vesely: There is definitely a

Robinson: 2014 saw limited

boom of digital cameras used

enquiries about 4K, but we are seeing

within our business - standardisation,

engineer or design yourself. They

for acquisition and as file-based

some increase already in 2015.

wherever possible, and customisation,

all have pros and cons. Our industry

wherever needed. In both areas

is similar. If customers have the

specialist arena, but the interest

we follow the company’s goal,

correct knowledge base and

in UHD (3840x2160) is high. Some

that is to deliver turnkey solutions

resources then they will adopt the

manufacturers’ early adoption

that fit perfectly to the needs of our

build to their own principle. If they

of 6G and 12G SDI link handling

customers – worldwide.

are looking for something different,

content is a reality it makes MAM systems more demanding as well.

Have you seen significant interest in 4K installations?

Baumanis: With 4K last year, it was

Shrank: 4K DCI (4096x2160) is a

provides a guideline for other

Moore: We are seeing increased

then that is where we come in. We

manufacturers to reach in advance

competition from international

can offer design services through to

of any official standards body

organisations, with pressure on

full turnkey solutions and everything

publishing guidance.

margins and labour rates. We also

in between.

Vesely: We can see the

see that many manufacturers are

talk, but no real implementation.

relevance of 4K currently only

reducing their in-house expertise,

keep pace with technology and

Now, again, this has restarted and

for acquisition – film or TV drama

and it is being left to Systems

standards to ensure we maintain

we believe that this year a few

production and subsequently in post

Integrators to figure out the details

the same high level of knowledge

test channels replacing 3D will be

production. We don’t see other 4K

on the technology. There has been

across product ranges to give our

started. At the same time, these

installations in our territory, apart

a considerable brain-drain in the

clients the best advice at all stages

customers will want to produce their

from Digital Cinema and preliminary

manufacturing end of the business,

of their requirements.

own 4K content.

DVB-T2/S2 transmission tests.

and it’s getting more difficult to

the same situation as IP – lots of

Burgess: We have delivered a 4K Links truck to a UK customer already and expect orders for a couple more 4K vehicles in the near future.

As mentioned earlier, the lack of agreed standards is dampening customers’ take up of 4K.

Apart from budgets, what challenges are you facing in 2015?

Hughes: 4K looks an attractive investment option for new-start-

Baumanis: Becoming more

up camera crews or production

knowledgeable in networking and

companies, but we have yet to

software solutions to be able to provide

see any significant interest from

the best possible services to our clients.

mainstream broadcasters.

Kampe: Of course, everybody

Burgess: Timescales are always a challenge. Event deadlines

talks about 4K these days, which

are usually fixed and any delays

is being pushed by the industry in

in the customer’s budget approval

the same way as 3D a couple of

process always squeezes the

years ago. But, in our view, 4K is

SIs timescale.

different and we expect that there

Hughes: With technology

will be a real breakthrough soon.

advancing rapidly we need to keep

That’s because 4K really brings

up with these changes so that we

some added value into the living

can provide our clients with the

room. In our opinion, the main

technical expertise to evaluate the

obstacle currently is the lack of

options placed before them and

standardisation – especially for

help determine the right technology

the interfaces and connectors.

to fit their needs.

Right now there are too many

Kampe: Besides our traditional

different concepts on the market.

existing clients – where we are

It is much to be hoped that all

very strong – we are constantly

relevant industry partners will sit

developing new markets. Therefore,

Shrank: The challenge will be to

Vesely: Our continuous

find product managers with

challenge, with the vast number of

detailed knowledge of their range

technology possibilities and merging

in many organisations.

of commercial and professional

Robinson: An SI’s role is to give

technologies, is to choose the right

a balanced innovative design

solution for the right purpose and

service to its customers. This has

not to follow only the price tag

never changed, and the roles

when you make your choice.

48 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Data Centre 2014

124.6 million

2015

154.7 million

2016

184.5 million

2017

216.9 million

249.3million

2018 Worldwide OTT SVoD paid subscriber forecast

Source: SNL Kagan

Worldwide OTT subscriptions on the rise

Research from SNL Kagan points to strong worldwide growth for OTT subscription video-on-demand services by the end of 2018. Norm Bogen, research director at SNL Kagan, offers a detailed insight into the company’s latest report

efore the turn of the year, SNL Kagan

for pay-TV cord-cutters and ‘cord-nevers’. HBO

Amazon increased its Prime subscription price

projected the worldwide over-the-top

has first-mover advantage here with experience

from $79 to $99 per year, but that includes other

(OTT) subscription video-on-demand

in Scandinavia (Norway, Sweden, Finland and

benefits beside the online video subscription

(SVoD) market should reach 124.6 million paid

Denmark), but others are joining the ranks.

service (ie, free shipping and e-books). Netflix

subscribers and $8.4 billion in revenue by the

Networks are evaluating OTT opportunities

announced a price increase from $7.99 to $8.99

end of 2014. From there it should grow to 249.3

cautiously as they do not want to alienate their

per month, but delayed the increase to current

million subscribers and $18.7 billion in revenue in

pay-TV operator partners. Still unknown is the

subscribers for two years.

2018. According to our estimates, North America

impact these standalone OTT services will have

leads the market with 59.8 per cent of total

on the pay-TV multichannel bundle. Some

Western Europe

worldwide subscribers in 2014, with the region’s

pay-TV operators are already trying to add Netflix

According to our estimates, Western Europe

share projected to drop to 37.7 per cent in 2018

content to their pay-TV bundles.

is the second-largest (after North America)

B

region today for online video subscribers and

as other regions grow faster but continue to lag

North America

revenues. Netflix, already in the United Kingdom,

North America is the largest OTT SVoD market

the Nordics and the Netherlands, launched in

current market leaders such as Netflix Inc and

today in terms of subscribers and revenue and

several European countries in 2014, including

Time Warner Inc’s HBO as they go expanding

should remain so throughout the forecast period.

France, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Belgium

into new markets, plus new market entrants

However, as mentioned, we project North

and Luxembourg. Netflix is expected to launch in

such as CBS Corp’s CBS and Showtime, and

America’s share of the total market to decline

additional Western European countries in 2015.

Starz. We believe that many content owners

as other regions grow faster. Two major players

Netflix competitors are also expanding into more

could follow HBO’s lead and deliver their own

in North America (Netflix and Amazon.com Inc)

countries, driving growth across Western Europe.

OTT SVoD services. This is part of the land grab

announced price increases earlier this year.

Wuaki, a strong OTT provider in Spain and the

behind North America’s number of subscribers.

Future OTT SVoD growth is expected from

TVBEurope 49

March 2015 www.tvbeurope.com

Data Centre 2014

$8.4 billion

2018

$18.7 billion Source: SNL Kagan

Worldwide OTT SVoD revenue forecast

the global SVoD market, with

UK, recently launched in France and plans further expansion in Italy and Germany in 2015. A plethora of other OTT SVoD providers, led by major media backers, are vying for a share of the market. Commercial TV network ProSieben’s Maxdome

‘Asia-Pacific, the world’s most populous region, also has the most TV households. We project subscriptions to the region’s OTT subscription video services to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 44.4 per cent through 2018 to 91.8 million subscribers’

estimated shares of subscribers and revenue both at just 0.1 per cent of worldwide volume. A lack of premium OTT content, limited consumer purchasing power and insufficient broadband access

is a significant OTT SVoD provider

in many parts of the region keep

in Germany, while other OTT SVoD

OTT services out of reach for

players are more commonly owned

most households, particularly in Sub-Saharan Africa. As a result,

by existing pay-TV operators — notably Sky plc’s Now TV in the UK;

Asia-Pacific

other players including América

several of the region’s main OTT

Modern Times Group MTG AB’s

Asia-Pacific, the world’s most

Móvil’s Claro Video, Telefónica SA’s

start-ups, including Nigeria-based

Viaplay in the Nordics; Vivendi SA’s

populous region, also has the

On Video and VIVO’s Vivo Play

iROKOtv and United Arab

CanalPlay Infinity in France; and

most TV households. We project

have stepped in to pick up the

Emirates-based ICflix, have seen

Prisa’s Canal+ Yomvi in Spain.

subscriptions to the region’s OTT

slack. Credit card penetration in

most of their paid subscribers

subscription video services to grow

Latin America is very low, creating

using the services from outside

Eastern Europe

at a compound annual growth

challenges in online payments for

the region, as local households

Eastern Europe today constitutes a

rate of 44.4 per cent through 2018

OTT video services.

either do not have the broadband

relatively small share of the global

to 91.8 million subscribers. Youku

OTT SVoD market, with shares of

Todou is a major OTT player in

Middle East and Africa

subscribers and revenue at 1.3 per

China, as is Hulu in Japan and Zee

The Middle East and Africa

a monthly subscription due to

cent and 1.1 per cent of worldwide

Entertainment Enterprises Ltd’s Ditto

region represents a fraction of

low income.

volume respectively, according to

TV in India. Due to price sensitivity,

our estimates. Russia and Poland

ad-supported OTT video is much

are the two leading markets in

more popular than OTT subscription

terms of number of OTT initiatives.

services in China, India and other

Most of the initiatives are backed

less developed countries. However,

by TV networks with established

as the middle class in these

positions (ie, Cyfrowy Polsat SA’s

countries grows, SNL Kagan expects

Polsat, Central European Media

Asia-Pacific to become the world’s

Enterprises Ltd, HBO, TVN S.A.,

second-largest region for OTT SVoD

Viasat). SNL Kagan expects the

services by 2018.

market to see significant nearto medium-term growth given

Latin America

the various OTT initiatives being

OTT SVoD services entered Latin

implemented by online video

America earlier than some of

providers. Ipla (Poland), Voyo

the other regions, with Netflix

(Czech Republic and Romania)

and TotalMovie ranking as the

and Viaplay (Russia) are some

major providers. However, late in

of the early market entrants. The

2013, TotalMovie exited the Latin

region is expected to experience

American market to focus on selling

dynamic growth in subscribers over

its online video platform to other

the next five years, at a compound

companies. That severely restricted

annual growth rate of 45.9 per cent

the growth of OTT SVoD services

through 2018.

in the region in 2014. However,

facility needed to stream premium content, or cannot afford

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50 TVBEurope

www.tvbeurope.com March 2015

Data Centre

Mobile and tablet viewing leads the way

Ooyala’s Q3 2014 Global Video Index highlights monetisation opportunities for broadcasters across the globe, with share of mobile and tablet viewing having increased 400 per cent in two years

obile and tablet viewing is expected

longer video. Tablet viewers spent 68 per cent

to reach 50 per cent of all online views

of their time watching video exceeding ten

by late 2015, according to Ooyala’s Q3

minutes, indicating that tablets are becoming

M

Viewing content

2014 Global Video Index Report. The report also

nearly interchangeable with TVs for long form

shows that mobile and tablet devices reached

video. Even mobile phone users spent 48 per

O Year-over-year, smartphone and tablet

30 per cent of all online video views during the

cent of their total viewing time with long-form

views more than doubled, showing a

quarter, representing a 114 per cent year-over-

content, which tends to be premium content

114 per cent increase

year increase.

such as TV shows, movies, news and sporting

O Smartphone and tablet video views

events. This trend points to new monetisation

made up just six per cent of all online

for their daily content, driven in large part by

opportunities for premium video publishers as

video views in Q3 2012. In eight subsequent

increased access to premium and live video

mobile devices are no longer solely for ‘snack-

quarters, growth has exceeded 400 per cent

content, especially international sporting events

sized’ content.

O Tablet viewers spent 23 per cent of their

Viewers increasingly are turning to the internet

and news of all sorts. The result is unprecedented

“Cloud-based TV has arrived. Broadcasters

time watching videos between 30 minutes

growth rates in mobile and tablet video

and content providers realise that, with the right

and 60 minutes long, the most of any device

consumption. Broadcasters and publishers who

approach, IP-delivered content can be more

O Connected-TV viewers spent 80 per cent

have access to this kind of consumption data

economical with higher return in terms of building

of their time watching video longer than

for their own content have a unique opportunity

and monetising audiences, compared to linear

ten minutes

to capitalise on this trend, particularly in mature

TV,” said Ooyala CEO Jay Fulcher. “What’s

markets where video-capable devices and

really exciting is the pace at which many of the

smartphone and tablet views ramp up in the

wireless broadband are ubiquitous.

most prominent players in the industry are now

morning and during commute hours; they dip

innovating and meeting their audiences where

as the work day begins and people turn to their

also shows substantial growth of long-form video

they are; with the content they want most,

PCs, rising again during the commute home and

consumption across devices. Connected TVs –

on the right screen, at the right time, with an

peaking at night. Generally, this is a universal

whether connected directly to the internet or via

incredibly rich experience.”

pattern, except in Latin America where video

Ooyala’s Q3 2014 Global Video Index Report

game consoles and other devices – were central

Other new statistics show consistent

gets very little play on phones and tablets during

to long-form content consumption during the

patterns emerging in the way people shift their

the day. Tablets remain the clear screen of

quarter. Viewers watched long form content,

video consumption across various devices

choice for web-delivered video in the evening

videos longer than ten minutes, four times more

throughout the day, and also in how weekdays

in every region, although on weekends when

than on tablets and almost ten times more than

differ from weekends when it comes to

they tend to be used only slightly more than

on mobile phones.

device preferences.

computers and mobile phones. The report also

More surprisingly, the report shows that all screens are becoming popular for watching

Mobile devices in particular see steady views throughout the course of a day. Globally,

shows nuances in daily device patterns that vary across continents.