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www.csimagazine.com
The magazine for global video
TV Broadcast • Streaming • Satellite • Cable • Hybrid
The leading media for video delivery technology
April 2019
8K TV
storytelling
Interactive
ATSC 3.0
Apple SVOD analysis
Streaming is entering a new phase
June 2016
• OTT, VoD, Cloud TV, Cable, Satellite, IPTV, DTT, IoT • The latest news, views and features
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Contents TV Broadcast • Streaming • Satellite • Cable • Hybrid
The magazine for global video
20 Interactive TV The leading media for video delivery technology
Will Bandersnatch popularise branching
www.csimagazine.com
TV Broadcast • Streaming • Satellite • Cable • Hybrid
The leading media for video delivery technology
April 2019 narratives and storytelling?
8K TV
21 Live OTT sports Editor
storytelling
Interactive
Goran Nastic
ATSC 3.0
How to improve the Quality of Experience
Apple SVOD analysis
Commercial
Streaming is entering a new phase
27 Blockchain in DRM Camilla Capece
The role it can play in future digital rights Daniel Torelli
June 2016
• OTT, VoD, Cloud TV, Cable, Satellite, IPTV, DTT, IoT • The latest news, views and features
1_Cover.indd 1 19/03/2019 10:59:19
05 News & analysis
28 ATSC 3.0 Design and production
Matt Mills (Manager)
Is it in danger of missing the boat?
06 Data corner: Apple SVOD Jessica Harrington
Assessing Apple’s video streaming service
32 Building live OTT Regular contributors
Live content distribution over the internet Adrian Pennington, Philip Hunter,
08 COVER STORY: DTC David Adams, Stephen Cousins,
Get ready for the next wave of (mega) Anna Tobin
direct-to-consumer services 34 CSI Awards 2019
All the categories in full Circulation
12 Low latency streaming Joel Whitefoot
A CDN mechanism for reducing latency 35 Media in the cloud
Accelerating file transfer in the cloud Accounts
Marilou Tait, Mohamad Saidani
13 Machine Learning
From ingest and metadata to 41 Industry column: 8K TV Editorial
recommendations, discover how media The DTG zooms in on 8K television tel +44(0)20 7562 2401
companies are increasingly relying on ML goran.nastic@csimagazine.com
43 Connected entertainment
Towards a more connected world Advertising
19 VPNs and geolocation tel +44(0)20 7562 4382
IP intelligence and geo-location is growing Daniel.Torelli@csimagazine.com
in importance
50 Technology corner: IMF tel +44(0)20 7562 2438
The DPP on the progress of the standard camilla.capece@csimagazine.com
Subscriptions
Editor’s report: tel +44 (0) 20 1635 588 861
perspectivesubs@dynamail.co.uk
Circulation manager: joel.whitefoot@
As OTT approaches maturity, the streaming market is entering the next phase in perspectivepublishing.com
its evolution. On the one hand, this will involve increasing business model
diversification, including experimentation with ad-supported tiers. DAZN is the Subscription rates
most recent platform to go down this route, and even Netflix is thinking about it Per year: Europe £88; UK £68;
Rest of World £98. Cheques payable to
in some shape or form. At the same time, a new wave of direct-to-consumer
Perspective Publishing
services is coming, led by some of the world’s largest media & entertainment brands that will Limited and addressed to the
further shake up the market. The two developments are not necessarily mutually exclusive. Circulation Department
Interestingly, these trends are coinciding with the launch of Apple’s long-rumoured and long-
awaited video streaming service, more thoughts on which can be seen on page 8 in the Printed by Buxton Press
analysis by Ampere’s Guy Bisson. Goran Nastic Managing Director
John Woods
Perspective Publishing Publishing Director
3 London Wall Buildings
London Mark Evans
2019 EC2M 5PD
www.perspectivepublishing.com ISSN 1467-5935
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 03
News news in brief How do broadcasters approach AV1? JP Morgan forecasts Much has been written about Stockhammer of Qualcomm “I’ve been talking to 160m Disney+ subs how the AOMedia grouping at the DVB World 2019, a broadcasters to understand Disney’s direct-to- could ruffle feathers with its gathering of the global DVB- what their needs are and I consumer streaming new AV1 codec whose spec based broadcaster community think the companies we had service could accumulate was frozen around NAB 2018 “With MPEG it was very come together work on AV1 as many as 160 million time. While the FAANGs are clear, there were go-to people. included profiles that are subscribers globally, thinks committed to deploying it, But here, who is doing the important for broadcasters. JP Morgan. Analyst Alexia and the four main browser legwork, where do I go to, So when I talk to Quadrani reckons Disney+ vendors are on-board, the big who supports me in all broadcasters, those looking at will ultimately be able to question is how AV1 might be these detailed issues? If I upgrading to a next-gen attract 45m subscribers adopted by traditional non- have a user case or a codec, this becomes an domestically in the US and internet/OTT players. problem how do I get into attractive path for them, even 115 internationally for a “There needs to be an this, how can I be heard? if it’s just in the back end. total of 160m subscribers, effort to support the Are things controlled or is it “There are companies who depending on when Disney ecosystem, because if really open?” have invested significant gets some of its content something gets broadly In reply, Nathan Egge of resources in building this and rights back. “We view adopted you need to work on Mozilla said that the process they have committed to streaming services as a maintenance and addressing of becoming a member of the deploy and those people will positive addition to additional use cases. And Alliance is very much open. be there throughout the Disney’s ecosystem,” someone needs to put “I think we have been as lifecycle of this format.” Quadrani said. Previously, forward the resources and forthcoming as possible to Egge noted that the large Moffett- Nathanson make sure these things are bring people in who have real streaming players chose AV1 estimated Disney+ could executed all the way to the concerns and make the not because it is royalty-free attract about 2.4m integration, support those format cover as many use but because it is technically members in the US by the who want to use the cases as possible, I think superior to alternatives, end of its first year. technology,” argued Thomas there is an openness to that. though this is up for debate. Bx-WiFi targets hotspot video congestion SYFY and Sky to debut ambitious new VR A new technology called Broadcast WiFi could offer and AR experience a way of solving the The SYFY is bringing a new devices. It will blend problems of wireless science fiction experience, elements of theatre, reception and transmission Eleven Eleven, in late May gaming and cinema in high-traffic venues like 2019, in a project influenced with immersive sports stadiums and music by immersive theatre, technologies. festivals. Global Invacom using storytelling techniques Tethered VR is partnering with that enable users to headsets will launch Edgewater Wireless view the action from on Oculus Rift, HTC Systems for the further multiple perspectives. Vive/ Vive Pro and development of Bx-WiFi, a Launching on various PlayStation VR, with technology they claim virtual reality platforms and a length over 90 enables live, high quality AR devices, the story is set minutes. Mobile VR and large-scale event video to test the consumer appetite devices (70 minute duration) interconnected characters streaming over an 802.11 for long-form scripted will launch on Oculus Go and and their stories, with over network. “This partnership content in VR and Samsung Gear VR. The AR 90 minutes of content could set a new record AR environments. version (also 70 minutes to explore. number for video Eleven Eleven will launch long) is developed for iOS Sky VR will partner with streaming to a device on with three custom devices using ARKit. SYFY in Sky territories in the each hotspot,” they said. experiences designed for Users will have the ability UK and Europe (Germany, Tested by the BBC, it tethered VR headsets, to control their experience by Spain and Italy) on the could compliment 5G. mobile VR headsets and AR following a group of release of Eleven Eleven. 04 April 2019 www.csimagazine.com
News
Sky continues OTT-focused evolution and news in brief
service integration with Comcast LTE-over-satellite
Chipmaker Sequans
UK-based satellite and Communications and
broadband provider Sky has aerospace giant Lockheed
long been one of the world’s Martin are enabling LTE
most innovative technology end-user devices to
companies and this track connect directly to GEO
record is continuing in 2019 in what they describe as
with the launch of the Sky X being the world’s first
streaming service in Austria “Sky X is not just a more solutions within AdSmart LTE-over-satellite solution.
and deeper integration with expensive version of Now TV, brings together For this purpose, Sequans
Comcast under the ownership nor is Sky X a poor man’s NBCUniversal’s Audience engineers modified their
of the US cable network. Sky Q, it represents the Studio advanced targeting existing LTE chips to
First to Sky X, an fundamental cannibalisation solutions alongside Sky’s enable a new LTE-to-
IP-delivered pay TV offering of a company’s core business, addressable advertising satellite communication
that is something of a blend which significant market tools. Sky was one of the specification developed by
of Sky Q and Now TV. changes have forced it first movers in Europe with Lockheed Martin to take
The app will be rolled out to do,” noted analyst addressable advertising with advantage of the huge
to mobile devices, Samsung Thomas Flanagan of its AdSmart solution, now satellite opportunity now
and LG smart TVs, PCs, and Rethink Faultline. over 5 years old, which developing for M2M and
PlayStation 4 consoles, as “Over two years ago, when breaks down customer IoT applications. Startup
well as through dedicated Sky first announced its plans demographics such as UbiquitiLink is also testing
hardware in the form of to take Sky Q broadband- age, postal code and technology with MNOs
the Sky X streaming only, we shouted from the viewing packages to better that could connect most
device (pictured). rooftops how the move was segment the audience for existing smartphones
The full Sky line up of live trendsetting and fearless – a advertising purposes. directly to a satellite.
channels and sports content term we don’t use lightly – Combined with Audience
is included, as are on-demand and still Sky remains the only Studio, it can target Canal+ rethinks SVOD
series such as Game of obvious tier 1 pay TV audiences through the strategy with launch
Thrones and movies, and operator embracing online widespread reach of French broadcaster Canal
popular channels from the video with such open arms. national TV, leveraging Plus has announced a new
likes of Disney, Discovery Sky, of course has the Comcast set-top box data in SVoD service called
and NBCUniversal. It also resources, reach and funding the US and Sky set-top box Canal+Series as a
comes bundled with to make such dramatic data in the UK for a total replacement of its folded
broadcast free-to-air (FTA) changes to its business model data set of more than 50 CanalPlay offer. Prices
channels, including ORF 1 & – even prior to Comcast million households. start at EUR6.99 per
2 in HD, RTL and Arte HD ownership – but increasingly Other initiatives are month, with tiers up to
among others. those operators which don’t already underway too. Sky 11.99 covering four user.
All three options are on a follow suit soon do so at their will be bringing Comcast’s The subscription will offer
monthly rolling contract with own risk,” Flanagan said. own voice interface to its 5,000 episodes across 150
fixed rates. The packages In related news, Sky and Sky Q box later this year, current series, with several
start at EUR19.99 a month, NBCUniversal are combining and its broadband new productions in the
with a EUR24.99 tier and a their advanced advertising customers in Italy will be pipeline. Around 90% of
EUR34.99 all-in package. platforms as Comcast pursues able to use Comcast’s xFi the content will be
Analysts expect Sky to integration opportunities now digital dashboard to manage exclusive to Canal Plus,
rollout its service in other that it has acquired the their home WiFi. Sky CEO including deals with
markets if it proves a success UK-based company. This Jeremy Darroch said clear Showtime and FX. It
in Austria. Sky’s footprint unification of capabilities benefits are flowing in both comes eight months after
currently covers the UK, marks the first joint directions less than six CanalPlay shut down.
Ireland, Austria, Germany, advertising initiative following months after his company Netflix, which starts at
Italy and Spain (that is Comcast’s acquisition of Sky. became a part of the EUR9.99/month has
expected to grow too). The new joint set of Comcast empire. around 5m subs in France.
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 05
Data corner
I Apple TV: Peeling
s Apple’s imminent launch
of an Subscription Video on
Demand (SVoD) service the
back strategies for
longest mooted product
launch in history? It certainly
seems like it. But where
a crowded market
there was once only talk,
the last year has seen real
progress, not least in original
production. Apple is now a player
of note alongside its FAANG (Apple
Apple’s upcoming SVOD service coincides
+ Facebook, Amazon, Netflix, with the streaming market on the verge
Google) peers. With just 29 shows
in production or development, of a new phase of business model
it’s still early days to derive too
much about its long-term strategy, diversification. Guy Bisson of Ampere
but clues as to where Apple will
position its offer are already
Analysis delves into the company’s video
apparent. And positioning is plans, strengths and weaknesses
key now that the SVoD and
streaming TV market is a pretty of streaming services households are rush. Apple’s move into original
crowded place. willing to take is capping out, at production is well underway, it is
Late market entry can sometimes be least in more saturated streaming ahead of both Facebook Watch and
a good thing, leaving the company time markets; and with studio majors all Google’s YouTube in terms of shows
to work out what works and what advanced with their own plans to in development (although both
doesn’t in a new competitive space. launch direct-to-consumer steaming Facebook and YouTube already have
But the issue for any new SVoD or offers, content acquisition is becoming a decent number of originals completed,
Advertising-supported Video on more difficult. where Apple has only two). But
Demand (AVoD) entrant is two-fold: The content challenge is one reason Apple is a minnow compared to
there is early evidence that the number that original production is the new gold both Amazon and Netflix in terms of
its forward production slate. And
Amazon and Netflix benefited from
being early market entrants with
arguably easier access to acquired
content at a time when studios and
other producers were eager to license to
the new buyers.
Apple’s trump card, of course, is its
device ecosystem. Reports suggest
Apple is likely to be creative in the
way it bundles access to its new
service with device ownership. That
will give it a turbo boost during early
launch. But content is the real key to
success and sustainability.
Looking at the production and
development slate for Apple suggests
it has Netflix and Amazon firmly in its
sights with a heavy push behind
scripted content. This contrasts with
both Facebook and YouTube, the
content slates of which skew more
heavily towards unscripted content.
06 April 2019 www.csimagazine.com
Data corner
Apple’s forward production genre mix
also points to a challenge to Netflix
and Amazon, with drama, crime, sci-fi
and kids’ content heavy in its
development slate, all mainstays of
the scripted output of the two SVoD
majors. By contrast, Facebook and
YouTube have much more documentary,
reality and light entertainment
in development.
Early reports of Apple’s launch plans
suggest the device giant has ambitions
for a global launch. But to date, its
production slate shows little evidence
of addressing global markets, or
leveraging local content for market
entry. Compared to its peers, Apple’s
upcoming production is distinctly
US. Only YouTube is close in terms
of its home-market focus. Netflix
long ago hit a 50/50 split between
domestic and international original
production and Amazon is already
at around one third international in
its forward production. Facebook
Watch has made international a
definite focus which, with its reality
and documentary mix, positions it
nicely in its own niche.
Apple’s US focus is not too surprising
given it will focus on its home market
for its initial launch, but it will need
to ramp up international original
production rapidly if it has any hope of
competing with Netflix and Amazon.
And when you’re playing in the high-
end scripted space, that is not a cheap
thing to do. Apple’s mooted $1bn
content budget may not get it far.
Streaming content business model
reaching its next phase
A number of trends suggest that the
streaming content space is on the
verge of an impending adjustment.
Consumer trends that point to SVoD
stacking fatigue, emerging market
power balances and the rapid expansion business model to date, and Apple’s model mix that Hulu has proved can
in number of players thanks to studio own plans suggest that subscription work. I’d say it would be foolish to bet
and platform-led initiatives, mean a new is key. But its own suggestion of heavily against Apple, but it’s going to
phase of business model diversification bundling services with devices could be an interesting journey given the
could be on the horizon. also open the door to experimentation current development of the streaming
Subscription has been the dominant with ad-supported tiers and a business TV market.
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 07
Cover feature
Streaming wars set to enter service, our wholesale
relationships will
continue to be an
the next chapter important distribution
channel. So, it will be
a priority to work with
As Hollywood majors near the launch of their our partners to deliver
a compelling and competitive
DTC services, more consumer TV choice than product that will complement
our wholesale distribution,
ever is offering operators a new opportunity to allowing us to reach the largest
re-aggregate on a blended content business number of viewers,” says
WarnerMedia CEO John
P
model, says Adrian Pennington Stankey. Similar agreements are
happening elsewhere, but the
ay-TV operators have emergence of services like Amazon’s relationships are becoming increasingly
long grappled with subscription hub.” strained as competition intensifies.
cord cutting but ‘cord Jeroen Ghijsen, CEO at user
confusion’ may be the experience specialist Metrological SVOD overload will strain existing
issue that offers them makes a similar point: “Aggregation of business relationships further
a new opportunity. video content is on the rise. Historically The explosive growth in TV choices has
The huge array of TV it was the MVPDs - and they are still seemingly escalated consumer
and video services available trying to bring as many OTT channels frustration. A Hub Entertainment
baffles many consumers, as they as possible into their video offerings - Research survey of US consumers last
are increasingly compelled to mix but now there’s competition from OTT July found consumers hungry for
and match services such as Netflix, streaming devices which unite a variety consolidation: looking for fewer
Amazon Prime, Hulu or NOW TV of OTT channels.” platforms — even a single platform —
and devices ranging from standard Roku, Netflix, Amazon, even Sling that will deliver their full array of
customer premise equipment to TV are slowly becoming what optional content in one place.
streaming players Chromecast, premium channel bundles were 15 years “The opportunity is for pay TV
Roku and Apple TV. ago, observes Tony Maroulis of Ampere operators to take advantage of this ‘cord
2019 is primed for SVOD overload as Analysis. “Netflix’s list of pay-TV confusion’ by providing a single
Hollywood majors near the launch of partners has grown rapidly, and platform that will build loyalty among
their D2C services. Disney+, an Amazon’s Prime Video has followed existing subscribers, bring in new
international rollout for NOW TV and suit, albeit a little bit further behind. consumers and even win back lapsed
another from NBCU join MGM’s Epix “Simultaneously we’ve seen a growth customers,” suggests Mark Evensen,
and AT&T’s WarnerMedia-fuelled in SVOD-stacking [consumer taking CTO at Amino.
direct-to-consumer (DTC) strikes. ITV multiple SVOD services], with some The research indicates the time is
plans an online paywall for its content if countries exhibiting very high stacking right: among respondents, more than
a united UK broadcaster service fails to rates amongst SVOD subscribers,” says twice as many would rather access all
fly. Then there’s Apple’s long the analyst. “As many as seven in ten their TV and video content from a
anticipated debut, among many others. US SVOD respondents take more than single provider (69%) than through a
The dichotomy is neatly put by one subscription OTT service, and range of sources (31%) “making it
Dimitar Serafimov, demand generation with heavy content hitters planning crystal clear that consumers long for
manager at OTT solutions developer their own DTC services this is likely simplicity when it comes to choosing
Cleeng: “The rationale behind the OTT to increase.” and managing their entertainment
surge is to give the freedom to Then consider this statement from choices,” says Evensen.
consumers to pick and watch their WarnerMedia’s chief exec about Laurent Maillot, marketing manager
preferred video everywhere, every time, balancing DTC with existing for pay-TV operator Orange agrees:
on any device possible. At the same partnerships. “While going direct-to- “Consumers are looking for some
time there are signs that the market is consumer gives us an additional flexibility. They prefer to have premium
moving towards consolidation mainly opportunity to reach audiences that content from different providers but
through a string of acquisitions and the aren’t part of a traditional subscription only one stop shopping. They don’t
08 April 2019 www.csimagazine.com
Cover feature
want multiple accounts.” “Integrating apps/OTT and live TV “By signing partnerships with DTC
He adds: “We are convinced that the behind one remote control can help providers, operators can create hubs
next phase of pay-TV strategy globally is showcase a broad range of targeted, and packages that will make the pill
about aggregated SVOD.” contextual content and significantly easier to swallow and give easy access
There are other trends too. While the enhance the user experience with to all the content they need. On the
number of content providers is growing second screen, voice control, and other side, operators will benefit from
to respond to a clear demand from universal search.” the fact that consumers will stay locked
consumers for more targeted video Whether from an operator or the likes into their environment and will be
content, many consumers want to enjoy of Roku, the bottom line is that willing to pay an extra dollar for the
that on the main TV screen. consumers are willing to pay for it if easiness of use,” Gai.
“SVOD is mainly a complement not a they can find and purchase their Viacom seems to have this strategy in
replacement to broadcast TV for end preferred content with ease of use and mind from the get-go of its first DTC
users,” argues Jorgen Nilsson, CEO at one billing system, integrated into a subscription service for MTV. Initially
Zenterio. “There’s a great opportunity single UI. available only in the UK, MTV Play is
for operators now, and it is a must for “You will see OTT look like pay-TV designed to reach the mobile screens of
them, to maintain the role of prime with prices going up and pay TV more millennials and Gen Zs will provide
provider of content and services to like OTT with prices and contractual long-form content experience in a
the home.” terms more like an SVOD service,” standalone app.
Yet OTT subscription fatigue is real. predicts Jean-Marc Racine, chief “We know there is a segment of
“The ‘Netflix 20 minutes’ is when you product officer at video software younger potential MTV fans who sit
spend a long time just deciding what to provider Synamedia. “From a beyond the basic pay-TV bundles,”
watch, instead of actually watching consumer’s point-of-view a [pay TV explains Arran Tindall of VIMN.
content,” adds Nilsson. “Users need aggregation] will be attractive because it Viacom nonetheless acknowledges the
and appreciate an easy way to discover will be less expensive to access several importance of Sky, Virgin Media and
content and manage multiple SVOD services plus linear programming BT and said it was speaking with telco
subscriptions in a straightforward and from one platform than if you shop for providers and other platforms about
consistent way.” the same content and subscribe to them future distribution partnerships.
The argument is that consumers need one by one.”
an aggregator to deliver an array of The benefit for pay-TV and OTT Stemming churn?
targeted content and services like providers, especially the smaller ones, A combined SVOD/pay-TV offer should
contextuality, second screen and voice of a unified TV hub appears mutual. help stem churn on both sides. As Gaï
control in a single user experience that “Users who want to watch shows and points out, whose company specialises
they can access without leaving the TV. movies from different producers need to in subscriber retention management for
“This will ultimately satisfy their multiply DTC platforms which makes OTT services, when Netflix and pay TV
desire for easiest access to their their bill quite expensive at the end of are packaged together, the pay TV
changing content needs,” says Ghijsen. the month,” says Cleeng’s Alexis Gaï. provider reaches more viewers who
want that SVOD experience.
Consumers can switch from a
schedule to an on-demand experience
within the same UI and an operator can
deliver the latest UHD (HDR)
experience for integrated SVODs.
Among other factors, DTC providers
can guarantee a high QoE for viewers
with pay-TV carriage, no longer being
reliant on an external CDN to deliver
their content to viewers.
“Operators can guarantee QoE on
their managed network,” says
Broadpeak’s Nivedita Nouvel. “DTC
content providers have the possibility
of following Netflix, for example, where
they would provide operators with local
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 09
Cover feature
or smart TV, as well as the APIs
Media majors launching DTC/VOD services underneath it for payments, DRM,
Company/service Notes etc,” says Ghijsen. “Similarly, where
Disney+ The big one. Disney will rely on exclusivity and custom, native implementations used
originals to help attract and keep customers when to be required, while the resources
it launches end-2019. Some estimate that Disney+ on the hardware were limited, now
could attract up to 2.5m users in the US by the we are seeing HTML5-based
end of its first year. Can Disney+ give Netflix a run cloud implementations.
for its money, in the US and internationally? Nonetheless, there will be pressure
on aggregators to keep pace with every
NBCUniversal Coming in early 2020, the company’s as-yet- new content provider and integrate or
unnamed service will employ a freemium model onboard them in an aggregated offer.
comprising a free AVOD part alongside an ad-free, This creates business and technical
subscription-based tier. challenges - and opportunities
NOW TV Under Comcast’s ownership of Sky, there are for vendors.
plans to take it global in 2020, building on a strong Zenterio, for example, offers its
brand recognition in the UK and Europe, though Zenterio Cloud and Zenterio TV
not so much elsewhere. solutions for premium OTT app
WarnerMedia Arriving later in 2019, it is expected to be one of integration, working with APIs to
the new leaders to emerge from the battle for the deliver unified search and discovery.
US market, under its new AT&T-defined, free- “The operator needs to find ways to
mium strategy. Rethink Research estimates it make all content available easily and
reaching 29.6 million SVoD homes by 2023. give the user the possibility to browse
different content providers seamlessly,”
Epix Now The MGM-owned service launched this February, says Nilsson. “This is mainly around
priced at $5.99 per month, offering a library of how the operator can control the UI/
MGM blockbuster films, four live EPIX channels, UX to maximise content consumption,
and original content, some in 4K HDR streaming. but there is a technical aspect as well to
Available stand-alone and via payTV. harmonise the metadata available from
T-Mobile (US) Original plan was to launch a disruptive OTT TV the different content providers.”
service nationwide, but gave up due to the huge Bringing IP and broadcast, together,
saturation now experienced in this space, choos- architecturally, is what Synamedia call
ing instead to become a DTC aggregator like Ama- Blended TV. “Whether the broadcast
zon Prime Channels. “Reality topped rhetoric,” as network is digital terrestrial, QAM, IP
analysts at TDG put it. multicast or DTH, operators require
next-gen platforms to aggregate services
ITV Hub+ ITV’s premium online subscription service. For
with unified metadata and content
£3.99 a month, users get all the features of the
discovery,” says Racine.
original ITV Hub, but with ad-free content and
downloads. Saw strong growth in 2018.
Unified search
Apple The long, long debut is almost here. Late is not Unified-search is considered a key
always bad, but it doesn’t suit Apple and might be component of the additional value
a sign that it is stuck for ideas to innovate in this provided by aggregators. Should studios
space. Much more analysis on pages 6-7 choose to keep all their content within
their proprietary ‘walled gardens’, the
caches to boost the quality of their myriad content and SVOD services. It value of a content aggregator will
video content. Combining local caching is becoming easier and easier as increase, reckons Ampere’s Maroulis,
with a CDN service is a win-win technology matures. “assuming the aggregator can provide a
situation for DTC content providers “With cloud-based technologies, all greater degree of convenience for
and network operators.” that’s needed is a browser and a the customer.”
Historically, it was difficult for platform that can take care of the Since there’s no difference in the
operators to setup their own back-end abstraction layer between the cloud and consumer’s mind about where content
systems to onboard and aggregate the underlying hardware, such as a STB comes from, “the ability to aggregate
10 April 2019 www.csimagazine.comCover feature
metadata and go from search to directly audience is increasingly
viewing the content is essential,” fragmented and weakening
stresses Racine. every year, linear remains
What’s important is for operators to mass consumption and
have the ability to react to consumers’ enables us to keep control
personalised, shifting content appetites of the TV. Our battle is to
— whether the consumer desires niche/ keep the user on our side.”
localised programming or international Maillot says Orange’s
content — with the tools in place to target is to offer the
track and measure real-time content maximum available content.
consumption, and modifying the “There are some services
content without disruption to which are a no-brainer, such
the network. as Netflix. With others there
“Simply put, related to the user’s are trade-offs to be done.
personal preferences, if an application Amazon is a competitor on
isn’t being used, then it should be the aggregation side and
removed,” states Ghijsen. “If an that’s an issue for us. We
application is being used often, it don’t deal with them now….
should be integrated into the EPG, maybe in future.”
so it appears as if it was just a There will be pressure for
broadcast channel.” a clearer distinction between
“The key for the operator is to remain content providers and aggregators. “Media giants with top-notch content
the main point-of-consumption for users “Hybrid models — where the same (HBO, Disney) won’t license to the
and make sure users can find all company is both content provider and likes of Netflix which will in turn strip
content they love in one platform rather aggregator — can work for very big SVODs of a chunk of their subscriber
than many different platforms,” says players, but has its challenges,” base,” says Cleeng’s Serafimov. “That
Nilsson. “This is the differentiator for outlines Nilsson. will increase competition among the
operators compared to DTC platforms.” “They will compete with their own best and will raise the overall quality
distribution channels, because a user of the service offered. That is always
Content mix could find the same content in various good news for the market and
Striking deals for the right mix of places, at different prices. Another the consumers.”
SVOD services is another factor. challenge is that there will always be “The winner will be the one that
Customisation and personalisation is some piece of content that users want makes life easiest for the end users
key here as there’s no one-size-fits-all but that is not available on a DTC store. by removing as many friction points
approach. Says Nilsson, “Different users It seems more likely that pure- as possible,” says Zenterio’s
will need a different mix in their UX so aggregators have a better chance to Tom Keaveney.
it is crucial that the operator can provide a complete content offer to end Because, ultimately, while the onset
aggregate as much content as possible users, and simplifying the discovery and of broadband, together with SVOD,
and be flexible in deciding how to access to it.” skinny bundles and DTC platforms,
present that. This way, every user can has resulted in more choice,
get the optimal mix over time.” The consumer wins… or do they? convenience and flexibility for users,
There are ‘must have’ services [like Inevitably, there will be casualties. it has also created something of a
Netflix] which consumers expect to get Many SVOD-only services (ad-funded, mess for both the industry and
access to, reckons Racine. “Don’t forget transaction- or subs-based) simply consumer in terms of app and platform
the importance of local channels either. won’t survive the aggressive content fragmentation. Now - as OTT matures
FTA content still attracts the lion’s origination strategy of Netflix or and the streaming industry enters a
share of audience. The combination of Disney. There has already been a lot of new phase in its evolution - the
these with catch-up and SVOD is where consolidation and quite a few failures in question is how the future of TV will be
pay-TV can differ.” the SVOD-only DTC space (Turner’s about deploying new integrated
“Linear and local TV is key,” agrees FilmStruck and the original CanalPlay). experiences that are truly personalised
Orange’s Maillot. “Local content has a Even Amazon is looking to cull some of and contextual while keeping in
good ranking… we will keep on its SVOD Channels to focus more mind some of these challenges from
distributing FTA channels. Even if the on exclusivity. both perspectives.
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 11Low latency
Hearing future voices delivery to client: MPEG-TS over UDP,
WebRTC and CMAF. The client then
from the past
generates a request (with the token) to
start the stream from the said edge
server. After the token is authenticated
“If a goal was scored without me seeing it - the edge server starts streaming the
content to the requesting client, using
did it really happen?” MPEG-TS over UDP.
and the adaptive bitrate concept should Once streaming has started, this
be implemented on UDP and not on low-latency CDN mechanism includes
TCP. Therefore, It is critical to develop special data exchange between the CDN
an streaming mechanism and protocol edge server and the served player, from
which handles MPEG-TS over UDP in which the edge server can conclude the
combination with WebRTC and CMAF current quality of the line and manage
at the last mile. The protocol is individual sessions.
H
enforced by an advanced CDN This mechanism of constant
technology and player’s SDK. monitoring, profiles switching and
ere is a scenario that Internal CDN Distribution. The CDN stream concatenation, implements a
only OTT subscribers architecture is unique and innovative, as pure adaptive bitrate policy while
are familiar with: you it introduces some patent pending maintaining a continuous connection to
are seating in your concepts for providing best streaming the client. The result is an optimal
apartment and serving decisions and performance AI quality of experience for the viewer,
watching a dramatic algorithms (which will not be both in terms of video quality, RTT and,
tight playoff game of elaborated in this article). most importantly, streaming latency -
your favourite team. Maybe even it’s the In this low latency implementation, with an average of less than 1-second
final itself. There is 1 minute to go and the use of ABR transport stream from the actual source feed in any
you are sitting at the edge of your seat discards the need for a packager. The unmanaged OTT network.
when suddenly you hear hysteric CDN’s Publish-Server gets from the
screams of joy coming from transcoder couple of TS in different Conclusion
your neighbours. bitrates and profiles. It is then pushes As the popularity of real-time live
You immediately realise that there these streams to the appropriate edge content, such as sport, reality voting
was a goal/buzzer-beater event, that servers according to Vimmi’s special and betting, is sky-rocking, and as the
your OTT service will be kind enough internal distribution algorithms, based network’s infrastructure, capacity and
to show it to you in 60 seconds or so. on consumption patterns, end-users’ quality are constantly improving, the
This 1-minute-long limbo-zone, of session management and overall system common chunked HTTP protocols have
knowing that your present is other load. This CDN ensures a sufficient become insufficient and the need for
people’s past, generates a variety of bandwidth between the CDN POPs low latency streaming solutions has
passing thoughts in your mind, starting and the publishing point for become a necessity.
from the obvious “which team actually accommodating the sum of all profile Low Latency CDN is an inevitable
won?” and “who scored?”, moving to levels of all channels. evolution of the OTT streaming
frustration such as “when do OTT Detecting Bandwidth Fluctuation and industry, and it is just a matter of few
services will finally provide a real-time Switching Between Bitrates. The low- years until it will become a mandatory
experience for their viewers?” and latency CDN mechanism treats a live requirement for any content service
ending in existentialistic insights such playback request as any standard provider which includes live content.
as “if a goal was scored without me playback request: the CDN picks the Vimmi can be found at NAB Show 2019
seeing it – did it really happen?” best Edge Server to serve the specific on SU8622
request (based on Vimmi’s CDN grid-
Low Latency CDN Mechanism computing algorithm), it then generates
Moving Back to TS over UDP. It is a and sends a token to the requesting
well-known convention that in order to client which relates to chosen Edge Eitan Koter is Co-founder &
Co-CEO, Vimmi Communications
reduce the streaming latency, chunked Server, the client and the request time.
HTTP protocols should to be discarded, Edge server support three protocol to
12 April 2019 www.csimagazine.comSponsored by:
www.csimagazine.com
Machine Learning in broadcast
Looking at how ML is being used in video contentMachine Learning
AI touches all parts of needed to act as conductors,
directing the process, ensuring the
algorithms deliver the results they
the video lifecycle would have achieved themselves
given the time.
Along similar lines, some movie
Philip Hunter examines some use cases of studios have been experimenting
with use of AI techniques to
Machine Learning in broadcast
A
automate production of trailers to
generate as much suspense and
I and its subsidiary Archive, which applied AI algorithms to anticipation as possible without giving
machine learning dredge the broadcaster’s huge archive away the plot. IBM Watson Media has
(ML) entered comprising 270,000 hours of video to been working with studios on movie
broadcasting well identify content meeting the tone and trailer creation, where the challenge is
over a decade ago style of its BBC 4 channel. This led to in conforming with particular
and have now 150 programmes being selected, rather requirements for context and tone,
infiltrated just less than 0.1% of the amount analysed, according to David Kulczar, the
about every aspects of the video which human observers agreed seemed company’s Senior Offering Manager.
lifecycle and even started to very much in keeping with the spirit of “IBM Watson created a movie trailer
determine what content is made in the channel, which is focused on for the thriller “Morgan,” says Kulczar
the first place. There is no single emerging arts, music and culture with a “To make the trailer, we essentially sent
killer application, with benefits fair dose of comedy. Watson to film school to train it
emerging more through This was a once off exercise whose extensively on what elements make a
coordinated application of different object was not to deploy AI on its own compelling horror teaser. Watson ran
algorithms and methods across for programme selection but to discover visual, audio, and contextual analysis on
workflows and production lines in how it could assist human editors to the film, to determine which scenes
a case of the whole being greater automate the effort of pre-selection were suspenseful, and arrange visuals
than the sum of the parts. from a vast archive. Two lessons were accordingly. The process to create the
We see this in metadata creation learnt, firstly that AI could provide trailer took about 24 hours to complete
where AI tools are cutting costs and valuable assistance, according to BBC — a significant reduction from what
speeding up the process through Four channel editor Cassian Harrison, typically takes around 10-30 days.”
automation, which in turn improves the one of two architects of the programme. He admits more work was needed
viewer experience by enriching search “AI can effectively analyse video before video producers can adopt such
and discovery. Users are more likely to content and edit and build its own technology at critical mass, especially to
find or be recommended something image sequences”, he says. develop clear frameworks for training
they really want to watch, possibly The second lesson was that AI in this AI and machine learning modules to
content they would not have searched context was a powerful tool only when meet the needs of production teams. “In
for directly. ML can be employed exercised judiciously by humans and order to power that training, modules
to home in on the most effective would be useless on its own. “With AI, will require troves of training data to
mix between more obvious you have to build it with humans,” says better understand everything from
recommendations (for instance, BBC Research & Development’s head unique sounds to identifying exact
based on known likes) and more of internet research and future services, objects or faces within a video.”
intuitive suggestions, akin to thinking George Wright, the other architect of Such advanced examples do
outside the box. the programme. “Without human exemplify how AI will progress in
It is also true that some AI based involvement, you would deliver quite a established domains of video creation,
ideas, such as artificial news anchors, poor output.” production and delivery, according to
might at first seem like gimmicks, but This is certainly true of such Aditya Ganjam at Conviva. A major
turn out to illuminate aspects of advanced applications where the driver he reckons will be the ability of
potential value, or give pointers to the algorithms are making the sort of AI and ML to uncover more signals, in
future. That was the case in the UK decisions previously confined to less time, than other techniques.
when the BBC staged an experimental humans, involving judgements with a “Without AI and ML techniques,
programme in May 2018 called Made subjective component through fuzzy providers must spend a considerable
By Machine: When AI Met The combinations of attributes. Humans are amount of time and effort to review
14 April 2019 www.csimagazine.comMachine Learning
data or configure and monitor manual decisions. Conviva has seen that a viewership will drop dramatically. This
alerts in order to predict successes or single pilot often provides the detailed is the case for content producers at all
detect issues with the streaming engagement data indicative of the scales, from casual uploading to
experience,” says Ganjam. show’s future success. Real-time analysis YouTube through to major distribution
“With AI and ML techniques, this at the pilot phase of publication also deals with Netflix. In fact, the big SVoD
process can be automated to proactively gives creators the opportunity to edit or players like Netflix and Amazon Prime
predict and discover, and reactively develop subsequent episodes based on insist their content suppliers label their
perform root-cause analysis. To those learnings. content in very fine detail and that can
consolidate and correlate across This can then guide ongoing only be done efficiently at any scale
devices, channels, social media requires development of the content where that with the help or AI tools.
scale and real-time responsiveness of an is under the service provider’s control, Algorithms similar to those used for
AI or ML engine,” he says. as well as how to promote it and target metadata creation are also being used to
Such AI based correlation across data individual customers. “AI and ML generate captioning and subtitling
sources enables analytics firms such as techniques can be used to tie a which have traditionally been time
Conviva to address the three customer to the content that would consuming manually intensive
fundamental issues of prediction, most resonate for them through deep processes. AI algorithms are automating
detection, and diagnosis in various analysis of their data, and the data of language analysis, translation and
contexts. “With detection, we are other viewers like them. The ideal is a speech-to-text, which in turn enables
looking at identifying events of closed loop where providers are both generation of subtitles and captions
importance, in real-time, to determine promoting and delivering content that in multiple languages. AI tools can
factors that can lead to a poor user excites their audience and ensuring that convert audio to text, so that the
experience when streaming. Finally, the experience of that content is at the words can be delivered aligned with
we’re utilising diagnosis to analyse all level of quality the creator envisioned, the video segments.
the hundreds of millions of possible all in real time.” Such audio to text conversion also
permutations for root cause of helps with content moderation, which
deterioration in quality in order to AI and the future of content has been a requirement for years but
recommend action a publisher can take While being an opportunity, AI also has become a rapidly growing burden
to improve the user experience.” imposes requirements that must be given recent proliferation of both
When looking at the implications fulfilled in order to remain competitive content and compliance rules, which
of AI and ML for content, the main and this applies not just to service vary significantly between countries.
goal would be to understand how data providers or distributors but also More advanced AI tools can now
can be used to decide what content content producers. In fact, it especially augment text analysis with sentiment,
to license or create, or at an even holds for content producers because image and object recognition, allowing
more granular level, how to tailor unless their assets are “AI ready” in the editors to detect more easily not just
content to be most impactful with the sense of having the fine-grained offensive language but also adult
target audience. metadata that makes them discoverable content deemed unsuitable for a given
On the business operations side, AI by contemporary search and audience or window.
and ML can inform investment recommendation algorithms, their Another area where AI has been
making an impact is colour matching
during the editing process. This
example again highlights how AI and
ML work best in combination with
human experts. As IBM’s Kulczar
stresses, there is the prospect of AI and
ML having a growing impact on the
nature of content itself. “Looking
ahead, AI and machine learning will
generate new, realistic audio and visual
content: think, voice overs, splicing
together manufactured shots from pre-
existing visuals, and automatically
sequencing shots into new scenes,”
Kulcar says.
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 15Machine Learning
How Machine Learning is using natural language; by asking
questions and providing a set of
search parameters that doesn’t
super-charging content necessarily include a title or actor’s
name. Conversational services not
only dramatically increase the
discovery for consumers number of searches a viewer
instigates, it also broadens the type
of search. With text search, the
automatically imported, and viewer will typically search twice a
By TiVo’s Charles Dawes
T
even then, a process of month, using show titles. With
random checks meant that Conversation, our research has shown
he terms Machine incorrect or incomplete content could this number jumps to an average of 26
Learning (ML) and slip through the net. queries and the type of search becomes
Artificial Intelligence In order to combat these challenges, more natural. Try typing ‘What is that
(AI) are quickly TiVo uses advanced machine learning movie with Peggy from Eastenders and
becoming two of the algorithms to assess the content that is Kenneth Williams?’ using text, and it
most talked-about imported from multiple sources and quickly becomes clear why the natural,
terms in the assign a confidence level to the content. conversational search is changing how
technology sector, but what do Only if it falls below a defined level of viewers access content.
they really mean for media? How confidence does a human editor need to Voice solutions rely almost exclusively
are media companies like TiVo get involved to check it. Content above on the data in the underwater part of
using ML and AI to make their the confidence level is able to be the iceberg along with the weighted
businesses and the businesses of automatically processed and ingested connections that form the basis of the
their customers more efficient? into the content database. TiVo ‘knowledge graph’, or proprietary
How do these technologies benefit machine learning content technology.
end-consumers especially as they The Metadata Iceberg – building It is this graph technology that is
sift through the ever more- out the detail constantly looking for more
complicated mix of content choices The content database is now bigger information, understanding the context
and content platforms available than ever before and requires a level of what it finds and is continuously
to them? of detail that many consumers will refreshing the content that forms one of
This article explores those questions never be aware of. The days of time, the core areas that Machine Learning is
as well as how TiVo has invested in ML title, cast and where content is playing making a difference for the consumer.
and AI throughout its workflows to help is no longer sufficient to meet the Without the sophisticated algorithms
super-charge content discovery. needs of the industry. A paradigm we that seek, sort, make sense and apply
use at TiVo for our content is ‘the structure to the vast oceans of
Content ingest and streamlining metadata iceberg’. The basic unstructured content we wouldn’t be
the process information is above the waterline for able to deliver on the promise that
Content ingest – or the process where everyone to see in the discovery consumers can ask questions such as
metadata aggregators like TiVo bring experience but below the waterline ‘What is the film where Olivia Colman
rich media into their systems – is the there is more information than you won an Oscar?’ or ‘What was the
starting point for preparing the content expect as themes, tones, product links, Friends episode at the beach?’ or ‘Show
needed for discovery engines. However, soundtracks, ratings, reviews and many me some TV programmes filmed near
it’s become increasingly complicated as other categories help to build out a me’, etc.
the needs for more and more resource that is fit for purpose in As part of any Conversation
comprehensive information has grown. today’s discovery systems. integration project, TiVo asks its
TiVo processes information from partners for entertainment sources
hundreds of sources every day but Making metadata voice-ready which are most relevant to their services
sources have different ways of collecting One of those discovery systems is and customers. By constantly updating
content information and different “voice-led discovery’ – an area where these sources, this ensures that the tone
formats, so it becomes difficult to TiVo’s Conversation product is a world and content of the service is maintained
ensure content sources align. Only leader. With voice-led discovery, and enables natural, conversational
recently could each content item be consumers are able to find content content discovery.
16 April 2019 www.csimagazine.comMachine Learning
second-by-second
start times of
programs so
recordings can be
corrected in near
real-time. This
enables a seamless
customer experience
where they can
replay a programme
from the start and
be assured that
they won’t have to
watch minutes of
unnecessary content
– or miss any of the
content they love.
Closing the
feedback loop
None of these
improvements and
advancements in
content discovery
would make sense
without the ability
to learn from the
There’s more to it than personalised content, twenty-one times consumers’ interactions as they find
collaborative filters more likely to view that content which and enjoy their content. TiVo applies
Now let’s talk recommendations. We’ve will have a total lift of fourteen percent advanced machine learning to the
become accustomed, as television more unique viewers and a 129% lift return path data we receive in order to
viewers, to have a user experience show in views overall. derive business insights that can help
us new things we might want to watch. service providers and content producers
When it comes to content The game is running late – what understand how their services are being
recommendations, because of the can we do? used. From being able to introduce a
myriad of choices out there today, In the past, a major problem that would new sense of serendipity into the
there’s a need to go far beyond the basic frustrate viewers on an individual level recommendations world through to
collaborative filters that show us ‘you was changes in broadcast schedules that helping get the right advertisements in
watched X, people who also watched X weren’t reflected in their personal front of the right consumers, machine
also watched Y so you should watch Y’. recordings on their video recorder or learning and AI will continue to have a
There are many personal reasons we DVR. More recently, this has become a profound effect on how entertainment
like to watch content and the much wider problem as service technology companies like TiVo do
algorithms need to be equally diverse. providers begin to implement start-over business. It will also continuously
These sophisticated algorithms need and network-based PVR solutions that change how consumers find the right
to be powered by machine learning as rely on accurately being able to start piece of content at the right time as the
the viewer progresses through the and stop recordings at the time when industry drives to create more and more
content discovery timeline. The systems they actually begin and end. In order to great television for us all to consume.
will gain more knowledge about a implement this at the speed and scale
viewer and tailor the content discovery that a multiple channel service requires,
journey to them individually. It’s this TiVo has been working with partners to Charles Dawes is senior
powerful personalisation that has implement machine learning algorithms director, international
showcased real results; users are eighty that are constantly looking at the marketing, at TiVo
times more likely to click on content streams to identify the accurate
www.csimagazine.com April 2019 17You can also read
