The shapes of things to come - New developments in set-top technology - June/July 2016 - Digital TV Europe
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June/July 2016 The shapes of things to come New developments in set-top technology
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pIFC AMC DTVE JunJul16.indd 1 25/05/2016 10:33
Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
Contents June/July 2016
12. Thinking outside the box The shapes of
things to come
New developments in set-top technology
Ultra HD, voice control, smart home functionality and the ability to monitor your blood
pressure. The leading lights of the set-top box industry tell Andy McDonald what the next
advances in STB technology will bring.
pOFC DTVE JunJul16.indd 1 26/05/2016 19:45
18. Wireless world
Growth in the number of devices that can be used to play back video means that more demands
than ever are being placed on domestic WiFi networks. With 4K UHD TV and VR on the way,
the problem is only going to get worse. Stuart Thomson looks at possible solutions.
18
24. Cloud cover
As operators recognise the limitations of traditional in-home service provision we are starting to
see a steady rise in cloud technology adoption. Adrian Pennington looks at the development of
three key cloud TV applications.
24
30. ANGA COM 2016: the preview
With ANGA COM due to kick off in Cologne on June 7, Digital TV Europe looks at some of the
technologies on show and talks to ANGA COM managing director Peter Charissé about this
years highlights.
33. Cable Congress 2016: the preview
Digital TV Europe looks ahead at some of the highlights of this year’s Cable Congress in Warsaw.
30
Regulars
2 This month 4 News digest 34 Technology 38 People 40 Final analysis
Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net
1
p01 Contents DTVE JunJun16v3am.indd 1 26/05/2016 19:58
This month > Editor’s note Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
Issue no 326
Published By:
Hub of the home
KNect365 TMT
Maple House
Pay
149 Tottenham Court Road
TV operators’ investment in equipment that sits in the home
London W1T 7AD has always accounted for a huge part of their overall expendi-
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5000 ture. It is simply extremely costly to invest in the set-top boxes and gateways
Fax: +44 (0) 20 7017 4953 that are needed to deliver video and broadband services to their subscribers.
Website: www.digitaltveurope.net At the same time, residential hardware remains the key touch-point in op-
erators’ relationships with their customers, and few are ready to relinquish
Editor Stuart Thomson their role as the provider of the box – or boxes – in the home.
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5314 This month we look in detail at operators’ involvement in the home and
Email: stuart.thomson@knect365.com the various technology-related choices they face in delivering an ever growing array of services
to multiple devices.
First, to what extent does it make sense for operators to continue to use the set-top box as a
Deputy Editor Andy McDonald
key tool in differentiating their services from those of competitors? Does the branded consumer
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5293
premises device have a value in itself as well as enabling operators to provide a measurable and
Email: andrew.mcdonald@knect365.com
guarantee-able quality of service?
This issue of Digital TV Europe will look in some detail at the evolution of TV operators’
Contributing Editor thoughts about the set-top box, including plans to invest in next-generation devices and to deliv-
Stewart Clarke er services via a wider range of low-cost streaming boxes.
Delivering content to a single set-top box is no longer enough to satisfy consumers who
Contributors increasingly also want to view TV shows on their smartphones and tablets. This month we also
Kate Bulkley, Andy Fry, Adrian Pennington, look at the issue of service providers’ involvement in consumer premises WiFi as a means of
Adam Thomas, Anna Tobin, Jesse Whittock delivering content around the home.
As demand for the ability to consume content everywhere in the home grows, operators are
expected to ensure that high-bandwidth services like 4K UHD video and virtual reality gam-
Correspondents
ing can reach multiple devices wirelessly. We look at how they are tackling the need to deliver
France: Julien Alliot; Germany: Dieter
high-bandwidth in-home connectivity for multiple applications – including but not limited to
Brockmeyer; Italy: Branislav Pekic
video.
An alternative to investing in expensive new set-top boxes or gateways is to try to deliver as
Sales Director Patricia Arescy much as possible from the cloud. In this issue of Digital TV Europe we also assess the growing
Tel: +44 (0) 20 7017 5320 importance of cloud technology in delivering mainstream TV services, focusing on three key
Email: patricia.arescy@knect365.com applications: cloud-based DVR, targeted advertising and the overall user experience.
Also in this issue we look at all the recent key industry and technology news, preview some of
Art Director Matthew Humberstone the technologies and conference highlights of the forthcoming ANGA COM show in Cologne,
and look ahead to Cable Congress in Warsaw at the end of June. l
Publisher Tim Banham
Printing Wyndeham Grange, West Sussex
To subscribe to this magazine or our
daily email newsletter please visit
digitaltveurope.net/registerhere
© 2016 Informa UK Ltd
All rights reserved
Stuart Thomson, Editor
Reproduction without permission is prohibited
stuart.thomson@knect365.com
Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net
2
Q&A: Tor Helge Kristiansen,
EVP, Principal Architect, Conax
Tor Helge Kristiansen, EVP Principal Architect, Conax, talks about the evolution of multi-device, UHD and OTT TV content security.
What key challenges and new requirements are emerging in cable rapidly working towards meeting these requirements, and particularly
operators’ content security requirements? on the STB and TV, we now see a dramatic improvement in security
The biggest challenge is still related to the complexity of the levels through the introduction of new chipset designs. There is still a
ecosystem due to a heterogeneous device market. To satisfy device long way to go for open devices, as they currently do not provide many
and content-hungry consumers, today operators are expected to hardware security mechanisms that can be employed to implement
provide a consistent and rich user experience on any device selected a Secure Media Pipeline. MovieLabs’ ECP is a very clear signal from
by the consumer. Smartphones, tablets and browsers are increasingly Hollywood that security is to be taken very seriously going forward,
vertically integrated into vendor ecosystems, while in order for an and more important than ever for operators to choose a security
operator to successfully deliver OTT content to such devices he provider that can handle security from a holistic standpoint. Clearly,
needs to cope with variances in video encoding formats, streaming you need a lot more than just a DRM!
formats and DRM technologies. Balancing the need for security and
convenience of use in such a complex ecosystem is a tremendous task How much investment should operators need to make in the area of
for any operator. security?
Good content protection security is still the most important element
What do multi-play operators need to do to secure their content and in ensuring healthy revenue streams for operators of any size. The
ensure customers can view it inside and outside the home? ability to collect payment from consumers accessing your service and
As open consumer devices are increasingly vertically integrated into eliminating non-paying consumers’ access to the content or service
vendor ecosystems, they also come with pre-embedded platform is vital. While availability of good platform DRM clients limits the
DRMs such as Widevine, PlayReady and FairPlay Streaming. Deeply necessary investment on the device side, it is increasingly important
integrated into the devices with decent security levels, they provide to invest in strong, scalable security back-end solutions to cope
operators with a good means for securely delivering OTT content to with the complexity of addressing multiple devices with multiple
these devices. It does however force operators into using multiple DRM DRM options. There are an increasing number of secure and flexible
systems in their back-end systems, creating significant complexity solutions available from experienced security providers such as Conax
in the overall security management of the system when ensuring that enable operators of all sizes and varying levels of resources to start
customers are able to view content in and out of the home. a secure and more advanced services operation to satisfy the growing
When using platform DRMs, the operator has little to no control of demands of content and device-savvy consumers.
the security level of each device being used and platform DRM options
differ in terms of the business features offered, making it harder for To what extent do the security requirements of pure OTT services
operators to set up consistent service across a multitude of devices. differ from broadcast and pay TV?
Since the number of attack points in these complex ecosystems is We’ve seen different policies evolve within the content industry
increasing, it is very important to invest in a security solution that regarding security requirements for OTT content, changing quite
ensures holistic protection of the both the content and the service. a bit over the last years. Six to seven years ago, many studios were
quite reluctant to embrace pure over-the-top content, as the market,
To what extent are security issued around UHD TV content resolved? business models and choice of technology were still quite immature.
Hollywood studios have, through the MovieLabs consortium, issued With OTT/multiscreen content consumption increasingly more
a set of recommendations called Enhanced Content Protection. common, the industry has become more commercially and technically
These recommendations are now gradually becoming mandatory mature and most operators offer TV Everywhere services. Security
requirements for 4K and UHD as well as early release window VOD requirements have become more standardised and we’re in a
content. The MovieLabs ‘ECPs’ describe security mechanisms covering transition where the latest technology trends are driven by OTT and
a holistic security approach and mandate use of hardware based streaming services, like 4K and virtual reality. However, as the business
security, Secure Media Pipelines and forensic watermarking, amongst grows, the market for hackers is also becoming more appealing. Thus,
others. Complying with these stringent requirements means basing the industry is far stricter on 4K requirements and hardware regarding
devices on a new type of security architecture with significant more security, adding a new level of security requirements compared to
hardware security backing than historically used. The industry is traditional broadcast and pay-TV solutions.
pXX Conax Q&A DTVE JunJul16v2st.indd 1 25/05/2016 11:22
News > digest Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
News digest
> 4 EC to enable content levy on OTT players > 6 Vodafone sees progress in con-
verged services > 8 Google to launch VR platform > 10 iPlayer loophole to close
EC to enable content levy to be imposed on Netflix-type services
By Stewart Clarke & contributions are imposed on John Enser, a partner at me-
Stuart Thomson > services based outside the tar- dia law firm Olswang said the
geted state, these will be levied introduction of a quota for
The European Commission only on revenues raised in that on-demand content will be con-
has confirmed that it will oblige targeted state. troversial: “In an on-demand
on-demand services such as Net- Netflix responded to the environment, the prominence
flix and Amazon Prime Instant Audiovisual Media Service Di- obligation is likely to prove high-
Video to ensure there is at least a rective proposals by saying that ly controversial and subjective –
20% share of European content “established in a different Mem- it already invests in European it will be interesting to see how
in their catalogues. The EC has ber State but targeting their na- content, and that a European this is enforced, and whether a
also said that EU member states tional audiences”. programming quota will not ‘European works’ genre in a list
will be able to ask on-demand Netflix, whose European op- boost production in the region. of genres will be enough.”
services to contribute financially erations are based in the Neth- “Our members around the The directive also calls for a
to European content creation. erlands, could therefore poten- world love European program- loosening up of advertising re-
The EC in May published its tially be obliged to contribute ming, that’s why our investment strictions placed on TV broad-
revised Audiovisual Media Ser- to domestic production in, for in European programming, casters, which was welcomed
vices Directive, which contains example, France. including Netflix original titles by industry groups representing
the new proposals. The EC made it clear that the created in Europe, is growing,” linear channels and advertisers.
The revised directive calls for obligations on promotion of Eu- Netflix said. “We appreciate the Jan Isenbart, president of
on-demand services to “reserve ropean works would not apply Commission’s objective to have sales house industry body EGTA
at least 20% share for European to players with “no significant European production flourish. said the proposals “delivered
works in their catalogues and to presence on the market” and in However the proposed meas- some much needed flexibility”,
ensure adequate prominence of particular, to “companies with a ures won’t actually achieve that.” but do not go far enough.
such works”. low turnover”. In addition, states The subscription video-on-de- “There are still too many
In addition, member states may waive obligations on some mand giant has started making specific rules that only apply to
will be authorised to impose services where imposing them a select number of originals out linear broadcasters,” he said.
financial contributions in the would be “impracticable or un- of Europe and noted that it is “We believe that more ambition
form of direct investments or justified by reason of the nature “actively looking for additional could still ensure a more level
levies allocated to national film or theme of the on-demand projects”. playing field, enabling the sus-
funds to on-demand services in audiovisual media services”. The European Commission’s tainable production and financ-
their jurisdictions – and also, in The wording of the revised plans attracted mixed reactions ing of original, premium Euro-
certain circumstances, to those directive indicates that where elsewhere. pean content.”
BFMN Business and RMC. Altice SFR Presse, SFR Sport, SFR News, 2016 football championship, and
France acquired its stake in NextRadioTV SFR Play and SFR Family – in April. BFM TV Paris, which will launch
last year for €670 million through SFR Sport, an anchor TV service in October. I24 will become an HD
CAB > SFR media plan a partnership with the group’s comprising five channels, will be channel. SFR Play is a live and
Altice-owned telecom and cable founder Alan Weill, who will retain the vehicle for SFR’s coverage on-demand service built around
operator SFR has completed the a 51% stake in the group until of the English Premier League. SVoD offering Zive. Separately
acquisition of Altice Media Group 2019. SFR plans to build on the SFR News will include the existing SFR saw its revenues drop by 6.1%
France, which owns print titles acquisition to create a convergent BFM TV, BFM Business and Israeli in the first quarter to €2.57 billion,
L’Express and Libération as well media and telecoms company. i24 channels, as well as two new with its residential revenues hit by
as a 49% stake in NextRadioTV, The group announced plans for services – BFM TV Sport, which discounting. SFR’s EBITDA also
owner of TV channels BFM TV, the launch of five media services – will launch in time for the Euro dropped by 9% to €851 million.
Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net
4
p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 4 26/05/2016 20:02
Digital TV Europe News > digest
June/July 2016
SFR managed to grow its fibre base Vivendi also revealed that Vivendi ter. The company had 3.6 million
by 66,000 thanks in part to migra- Content’s new mobile-targeted homes connected, serving 2.43 Events
tion from DSL, but its fibre and DSL offering Studio+, will be available million customers, which translates
base combined dropped by 61,000 in Latin America “in a few months” into 2.45 million cable TV RGUs NEM-New Europe Market
thanks to a DSL box shortage that thanks to a deal with Telefónica. and 424,000 premium TV RGUs, Date: 14-16 June
the company said had now been re- Vivendi holds a 0.95% stake in the it said. Internet RGUs amounted Venue: Hotel Dubrovnik Palace,
solved. SFR’s fixed customer base Spanish operator, which it views to 475,000 and telephony RGUs Dubrovnik, Croatia
droped from 6.52 million to 6.29 as a strategic investment that will to 441,000. The company aims W: www.neweumarket.com
million year-on-year, with ARPU enable it to expand its content to keep the number of connected
dropping from €34.30 to €33.90. distribution network, particularly in homes stable over the year and to Natpe Budapest
Its fibre base increased from 1.6 Latin America. Studio+ will have 25 achieve mid-single digit revenue Date: 27-30 June
million to 1.88 million. Mobile sub- mobile-specific original series avail- growth and high single-digit EBIT- Venue: InterContinental Hotel,
scribers dropped from 18.14 million able when it launches. Increased DA growth for the year. Budapest, Hungary
to 16.98 million year-on-year. losses at Canal+ have pulled down W: www.natpe.com/budapest
parent group Vivendi’s quarterly
SAT > Canal+ losses mount results. Vivendi revenue was more Ghana Cable Congress
Canal+ France lost 183,000 sub- or less flat at €2.491 billion, down Date: 28-30 June
scriptions in the first quarter, taking 1.4% in constant currency terms. SAT > SES in JV with K-Net Venue: Double Tree Hotel,
its domestic total to 8.276 million. EBIT was down 3.6% in constant Satellite operator SES’s media ser- Warsaw, Poland
The ongoing problems experienced currency terms to €213 million, vices arm, SES Platform Services, W: www.cablecongress.com
by the group in France were partly while net income fell down by has formed a joint venture with
offset by a strong international 27.3% to €99 million thanks to an Ghanaian communications technol- IBC 2016
performance. Overall the group unfavourable tax impact following ogy provider and telecom operator Date: 9-13 September
added 170,000 subscriptions in the the settlement of litigation with K-Net to bring content to Ghanaian Venue: Rai Exhibition Centre,
quarter, thanks to its strong show- Liberty Media. homes via DTH satellite TV and dig- Amsterdam, The Netherlands
ing in Africa, taking its total to 15.4 ital-terrestrial TV. The partnership, W: www.ibc.org
million. The group’s revenues to- which will contract capacity from
talled €1.328 billion for the quarter, Germany SES at 28.2° East to bring DTH Content Innovation Awards
down 3.1% despite a slight increase and DTT services to the country, Date: 16 October
in ARPU in France. The pay TV unit CAB > Tele Columbus up builds on an existing relationship Venue: Carlton Hotel, Grand
posted an operating loss of €59 In its first results since the between SES Platform Services Salon, Cannes, France
million for the quarter. Free-to-air acquisition of Pepcom, German and K-Net. The joint venture will W: contentinnovationawards.
channels in the domestic market cable operator Tele Columbus has use SES’s satellite capacity, K-Net’s com
performed better, with advertising increased its revenues by 5% in the teleport services and SES Platform
revenues growing by 11.5% year-on- first quarter on a like-for-like basis Services’ video platform services to MIPCOM
year thanks to strong audiences for to €116.1 million. EBITDA increased offer a unified bouquet of free-to- Date: 17-20 October
D8 and D17. International pay TV by 9.5% to €56.5 million. The air and free-to-view channels from Venue: Palais des Festivals,
revenues increased, thanks to the company added 12,000 internet across West Africa, as well as some Cannes, France
group adding 500,000 subscrib- revenue generating units and international channels, to viewers W: www.mipcom.com
ers in Africa in the year to March. 14,000 telephony RGUs in the quar- in the region.
OTT TV – THE NEXT PHASE
June 8, 4.45pm, Cologne Dorint Hotel
Conference Room London C
Anvato Chief Evangelist Matt Smith in conversation
with Digital TV Europe Editor Stuart Thomson.
Come and join us!
Register with patricia.arescy@knect365.com
p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 5 26/05/2016 20:02
News > digest Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
and broadband revenue offsetting chief technology officer Alexandre
Global Wrap Poland decreased voice revenues. Group Fonseca, cited by local press, it is
EBITDA was PLN865 million, up the first 4K box to be certified by
US cable association the NCTA SAT > Polsat growth 3.6%. The group posted a net Mediaroom, the Microsoft-originat-
and leading operator Com- Pay TV operator Cyfrowy Polsat profit of PLN179 million. ed operating system now owned by
cast have launched an all-out had 16.532 million revenue-gen- Ericsson that is used for the Meo
assault on regulator the FCC’s erating units at the end of March, service. Meo said customers will
plans to force cable providers with 5.893 million customers, the Portugal also be able to access 4K content
to open up their set-top boxes group reported. The operator grew spanning nature, culture and other
to competitors. The NCTA its total base of contract services IPTV > PT launches 4K box genres available via the Hispasat
described the FCC’s set-top box by 2.8% year-on-year, with its mo- Portugal Telecom has launched a satellite position. Meo customers
mandate plans as “complicated bile internet base growing by 14.7% new 4K Ultra HD set-top box and will have access to a dedicated 4K
and backwards-looking” at a and pay TV RGUs increasing by has unveiled plans to offer a wide channel to watch the Euro2016
time when the TV world was 3.5% thanks to strong multiroom range of 4K sport content as well football championship, including
moving away from a hard- sales and strong OTT sales. Multi- as other 4K channels and on-de- the opening match between France
ware-centric world to one that room customers grew by 9.8% to mand content. The Altice-owned and Hungary, as well as the quar-
relied on apps and IP delivery. 957,952 out of a total pay TV base operator, which provides services ter-finals, semi-finals and final, in
According to projections from of 4,560,267. Cyfrowy Polsat said under the Meo brand, has launched 4K. The operator will also offer the
Digital TV Research, OTT that 18%, or 1.09 million, of its base the MEOBox4K, enabling its Champions League final between
TV and video revenues in the were now multi-play customers. fibre cutomers to view a range of Real Madrid and Atletico Madrid
Asia Pacific region are set to Cyfrowy Polsat’s revenue grew by sports and lifestyle content, the from Sport TV in 4K. Meo is offer-
rocket to US$18.4 billion (e16.5 1.3% during the first quarter to operator said. The box is based ing on-demand nature, fashion and
billion) over the next five years, PLN2.284 billion (e0.5 billion), with on a Broadcom chipset and has a other content on-demand via its
up from only US$5.7 billion stronger ad sales, equipment sales 1TB hard drive. According to Meo fibre network.
last year. Advertising will be
the key revenue source for
OTT services, bringing in over Vodafone sees progress in converged services
US$8.7 billion by 2021, a US$6
billion increase on the figure By Stuart Thomson > Vodafone plans to launch
for last year, according to the the cloud-based TV service in
research outfit. International Vodafone had 9.4 million TV the UK and Italy this year and
cable outfit Liberty Global has customers at the end of its fi- has designed it so that it can be
completed the acquisition of nancial full year, out of a total ported to multiple markets.
Caribbean operator Cable & of 13.4 million fixed broadband The company is also plan-
Wireless Communications, customers. ning to ensure that mobile video
combining it with its existing Just over half (51%) of the services are available wherever it
LiLAC group to create what company’s customers took a lephony with high-speed broad- offers mobile voice, according to
the company describes as the high-speed broadband service at band and TV on the former Ka- chief technology officer Johan
leading TV, broadband and tele- the end of March. bel Deutschland cable network, Wibergh.
coms firm in Latin America and Vodafone said that 1.5 million which was launched in Novem- Speaking on an analyst call
the Caribbean. The integration customers had subscribed to its ber, had attracted 54,000 cus- on the results, Wibergh said
of Cable & Wireless Commu- Vodafone One converged offer- tomers by the end of the period. that Vodafone would deliver
nications means that LiLAC ing in Spain, which combines Overall, Vodafone added TV from its private cloud to
now serves 10 million video, mobile telephony with broad- 414,000 fixed broadband cus- low-cost boxes. He said that the
voice, broadband and mobile band and TV on the former tomers in the course of the product could be deployed once
customers in over 20 coun- Ono network, at the end of the year, and added 426,000 to its and then subsequently sold “in
tries. Discovery has taken a quarter. The company said that, next-generation broadband net- many markets”.
majority stake in FoodFood, the combining the Ono network works. Some 21% of the compa- Referring to video plans for
Indian culinary network. The with its fibre joint build-out ny’s revenues now come from Vodafone’s mobile business,
deal sees Discovery join forces with Orange, it now reached 8.5 its fixed network activities. Wibergh said that the com-
with Indian foodie star Sanjeev million premises in Spain with Vodafone said its long-de- pany’s goal was to have video
Kapoor, who will be a minority fibre or cable. layed UK TV offering was in available everywhere it is pres-
shareholder in the channel and Vodafone’s equivalent offer- “field trials” with “plans to ent that voice is available, with
stay on as a presenter and ing in Germany – Vodafone Red launch later in the current cal- a “continuous experience” of
ambassador. One – combining mobile te- endar year”. around 10Mbps.
Visit us at www.digitaltveurope.net
6
p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 6 26/05/2016 20:02
SECURING
THE CONNECTED FUTURE
The world of video is becoming more connected. And next-
generation video service providers are delivering new connected
services based on software and IP technologies.
Now imagine a globally interconnected revenue security platform. A cloud-
based engine that can optimize system performance, proactively
detect threats and decrease operational costs.
Discover how Verimatrix is defining the future of pay-TV revenue security.
www.verimatrix.com/verspective
p07 Verimatrix DTVE JunJul16.indd 1 25/05/2016 11:41
News > digest Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
CAB > Rights sharing deal said that the agreement was a key to strike a deal. The Portuguese deal leaves MTG with no further
Service providers Nos and Vodafone step in ensuring that sports content football championship is broadcast interest in CTC or its operations. The
have struck a deal to share their was available to all operators. Voda- on the Sport TV channel owned by sale will result in MTG provisioning
national and international sports fone Portugal CEO Mário Vaz said Nos and Portuguese businessman for a total negative non-cash impact
content. The deal is designed to en- that the deal represented a “very Joaquin Oliveira, although Benfican of SEK1 billion (e0.1 billion) in its sec-
sure that football matches based on important and decisive” step for the home matches have been exclusive ond quarter financials, mostly due
rights held by each company, as well company as it allowed to “fulfill the to the Benfica TV channel. to accumulated currency changes
as distribution rights to sports chan- promise to bring our customers the and an adjustment to the fair value
nels and football club channels. The content they value”. Nos secured of the holding when compared with
agreement will take effect from next the rights to Benfica’s matches at Russia the value on the balance sheet as
season, ensuring that all customers the end of last year in a €400 mil- of the end of the first quarter. MTG
of both operators will have access to lion deal, beating competition from PROG > CTC sale complete said it would use the proceeds of the
Benfica Channel and Benfica home Portugal Telecom/Meo. Portugal Modern Times Group (MTG) has deal to reduce its borrowing levels
matches, regardless of the channel has experienced ongoing problems completed the sale of its 38% stake and fund the development of its
that transmits the matches. The in reciprocity of sports rights. In Feb- in Russia’s CTC Media. The Swed- business. The sale was forced on it
pair said that their agreement could ruary, Meo pulled Porto Canal, the ish-based free and pay TV group by Russia’s media law that restricted
be extended to other operators in channel of the FC Port club, from received a total of US$123 million foreign ownership of domestic
Portugal. Nos CEO Migual Almeida Nos’s platform after the pair failed (e110 million) for the stake, and the media assets to a 20% ceiling.
Google Daydream virtual reality platform to launch this autumn
By Andy McDonald > have an ‘orientation centre’ bled apps,” said Bavor.
built in and touch controls – a “But we knew it was just a
Internet giant Google is set to demonstration video of which start, because there’s a limit
launch a mobile VR platform was played to I/O attendees. to how much you can do, how
this autumn that will encom- In terms of apps, Bavor immersive an experience you
pass smartphones, a reference named a number of partners can create with some cardboard
design for a headset and control- that will bring immersive appli- and with phones that were real-
ler, and apps. These specs include a high per- cations to Daydream, including ly only meant to be phones. We
Announcing the plans at the formance sensor for accurate The New York Times, Wall Street wanted to create something that
Google I/O developers confer- head tracking, displays with a Journal and CNN – “so you will has the best attributes of Card-
ence in Mountain View, Califor- fast response time to minimise be able to experience the world’s board but is also comfortable,
nia in May, Google’s vice-presi- blur, and powerful mobile pro- news like you’re actually there.” richly interactive and far more
dent of virtual reality Clay Bavor cessors. The Google exec added that: immersive.”
said that Daydream will include “There are going to be a lot of “Hulu, Netflix, HBO, even Commenting on Google’s
“all the ingredients you need to Daydream-ready phones,” said IMAX are bringing their librar- announcement, analyst group
create incredible, immersive VR Bavor. ies to Daydream so you’ll be able CCS Insight’s vice-president,
experiences”. “In fact Samsung, Alca- to watch shows and movies in a Americas, Geoff Blaber de-
“Over time Daydream will tel, Asus, Huawei, HTC, LG, virtual cinema, or an immersive scribed Daydream as “phase
encompass VR devices in many Xiaomi, and ZTE all will have 3D film in a virtual IMAX thea- two” in Google’s mobile virtual
shapes and sizes. But today is smartphones that are compat- tre.” reality ambitions and said “the
about how Daydream will ena- ible with the Daydream-ready The plans are set to build on scale of Android coupled with
ble high quality VR on Android spec. Several will be available the early gains Google has made content, service, computer vi-
smartphones,” said Bavor. this fall.” with its Cardboard VR headset, sion and AI assets puts Google
The latest version of Google’s Google has developed a ref- which it launched at Google I/O in a strong position to become a
mobile operating system, An- erence design and is working two years ago. leading force in virtual reality.”
droid N, will include ‘VR Mode’, with partners across the eco- “Cardboard has done some “Google has learned a lot
a development that is designed system to develop headsets that pretty amazing things. There from the more than five million
to offer high-quality virtual real- will “work seamlessly with Day- are millions of them out there Google Cardboard devices that
ity performance along with low dream-ready phones” – several in the world in all shapes and have been shipped so far. It will
latency. of which will also be available sizes. We’ve enabled thousands be hoping its new Daydream
Google has also created a set of this autumn, said Bavor. of developers to build their first reference design will help its
phone specifications for virtual The controller that will work VR app and users have installed Android partners go head-to-
reality called ‘Daydream-ready’. alongside these headsets will more than 50 million VR-ena- head with Samsung’s Gear VR.”
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8
p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 8 26/05/2016 20:02Q&A: Dr Neale Foster, ACCESS Europe
Dr Neale Foster, COO and VP Global Sales, ACCESS Europe talks about multiscreen TV, appealing to the right audience and the
value of data.
To what extent have pay TV operators overcome the challenges posed to reach these captive social audiences and alternate revenue streams
by seamless multiscreen TV service delivery and what do they still need beyond the traditional TV subscription and advertising models. Players
to do? within the media and entertainment sectors are experimenting with
The emergence of web-based content has transformed the TV industry practices that include targeted advertising and using social media to
into a multiscreen world as consumers increasingly realised the appeal increase skinny bundle subscriptions.
and flexibility of TV Everywhere. Most Pay TV operators have responded
by integrating scalable, high-performance solutions to enhance the What do operators need to make sense of the vast amount of data
traditional content offering, drive profitability and fight churn through the potentially available to them from digital distribution?
support for new consumption models and today’s sophisticated display There is a vast amount of data that operators could collect, but what
devices. creates the most value for them lies in aggregating and analyzing
The next step is optimisation. In order to deliver a satisfying consumer the right set of data to obtain actionable insights. Information about
experience, pay TV operators should focus their efforts on these four key consumers’ viewing habits, the devices used to access services and other
actions: harmonising the user experience across all supported devices; personal data that would provide relevant information to help operators
integrating enhanced measurement offerings; driving usage, ROI and develop personalised content catalogues, services and offerings are key
profitability and reducing operational overheads. deliverables in enhancing the user experience.
The “Privacy by Design” debate is alive and well, so operators need to
How far are TV operators able to differentiate their service primarily be very careful in their data collection and analysis to avoid becoming
around the user experience and gain new subscribers? intrusive. ACCESS Twine enables the TV industry to aggregate data on
The proliferation of connected devices, most notably mobile, has fashioned consumer habits and device usage, as well as facilitate the deployment
a culture of constant connectivity and changed the way consumers think of highly targeted content catalogues, personalised search and discovery
about content consumption. Now, it all comes down to universal access options while respecting consumer privacy.
to personalised services, as personalisation contributes to an enhanced Employing a standardised measurement system ensures operators
user experience and more consumption, translating into higher customer can use familiar metrics throughout their business – an important step
satisfaction. To achieve this, operators need to focus on analysing the in optimising and personalising services. This is complex to achieve in-
right data to accurately understand consumer viewing habits and trends house, so employing a measurement partner to flexibly pre-integrate
and apply these insights accordingly to tailor their offerings to secure measurement capabilities into offered solutions is the preferred option
customer loyalty and attract new subscribers. of many operators.
For instance, by deducing from data aggregation that OTT viewers would
watch more content if their favourite programming was automatically What should operators prioritise in applying this data to practical uses
synced with their mobile, providers could use automation services to and why?
satisfy consumers and upsell additional complementary services. Operators should prioritise applying data towards generating an
enjoyable multiscreen user experience. The proliferation of connected
What are the challenges posed to operators by younger audiences devices and systems used to access content is driving an increased
turning to social media networks and other digital platforms and how tendency for consumer ‘switch screening’ with over 70% of online
can pay TV operators adjust? adults in the UK using another screen while watching TV, according to
Factors like viewing location and type of device are undergoing a dramatic a recent IAB UK study. While the active presence of these other devices
shift. With broadband penetration reaching over 80% in Europe and creates risks of distracting consumers away from TV content, there
60% in the Americas, the plethora of personal device options capable of too are opportunities to extend viewer engagement, and a seamless
delivering video content is moulding consumption habits, most notably multiplatform interface is the key to giving consumers a flexible, on-
among younger audiences as 11 to 15-year olds watch half the amount demand option that can be optimised across all connected devices.
of live TV per day as adults, according to a 2014 research by the UK TV Additionally, it’s particularly important that the user experience is
regulator Ofcom. personalised on smaller screens. With fewer content and service options
Social media has grown to become an important source of video able to be featured on smaller screens, it’s critical that those that are
entertainment, prompting pay TV operators to look at alternate avenues highlighted are the ones likely to be chosen by the consumer.
pXX Access Q&A DTVE JunJul16v2st.indd 2 24/05/2016 19:53News > digest Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
called HBO España. HBO said its English Premier League games SES-5 satellite at 5° East.
Slovakia Spanish service would launch with and those from the Champions Viasat will also be launching a
an extensive catalogue of premium League. There will also be coverage new Ultra HD set-top box from
CAB > New Horizon content including current series of football from Spain and Italy. Samsung, as well as a conditional
Liberty Global-owned UPC Slovakia such as Game of Thrones, True With sports rights – and notably access module enabling customers
has launched the group’s advanced Detective, Veep, Silicon Valley and Premier League rights – increasing- with an Ultra HD TV to see the
TV offering Horizon. The service will a variety of HBO movies, docu- ly expensive, MTG has segmented channel. The channel will initially
offer a new user interface, internet mentaries and other series. HBO its offering across free and pay TV. be available to all Viasat satellite
TV services, seven-day catch-up TV España will also offer new series TV3 Sport HD launched earlier this customers with sports channels in
and the MyPrime video-on-demand from other TV series providers. year and MTG also has a dedicat- their package. Viasat Ultra HD will
service with 1,600 titles available. Vodafone customers will be able ed e-sports channel, eSportsTV. feature selected live sport events
UPC Slovakia already offers the to access HBO España from their Separately, MTG is to launch from the UEFA Champions League
mobile version of Horizon, Horizon Vodafone TV service and also the first Ultra HD channel in the and other MTG sports rights spe-
Go, which has been available in the via mobile devices, tablets and Nordic market. Viasat Ultra HD cially produced in Ultra HD.
country since May last year. computers. will be a premium sports offering
that will launch in time for the
autumn sports season, according Switzerland
Spain Sweden to the group. MTG has teamed
up with satellite operator SES CAB > UPC drops Cablecom
CAB > HBO to launch SAT > Sports for MTG and electronics giant Samsung to Liberty Global’s Swiss unit UPC
HBO has struck a deal with Voda- Modern Times Group (MTG) will launch the channel, which will be Cablecom is dropping the name
fone in Spain for the launch of its launch a new premium sports broadcast via satellite in Sweden, Cablecom from its brand. The com-
planned streaming video-on-de- channel in Sweden. The Viasat Norway, Denmark and Finland. SES pany said that the name change
mand service in the country, to be Sport Premium channel will have will broadcast the channel via the reflected its switch from being
BBC iPlayer loophole to close, scope to trial pay services
By Stuart Thomson viewers to watch iPlayer content five years from 2017-18.
& Jesse Whittock > through user verification. Other key measures in the
“The government thinks White Paper, many leaked in
The UK government has com- there is a case for iPlayer to re- advance of publication, include
mitted to retaining the current quire verification – i.e. access the creation of a unitary board to
Licence Fee model of financing should be conditional upon ver- replace the BBC Governors and
the BBC for the coming 11-year ification of licence fee payment the BBC Trust. The BBC will be
Charter period, while pointing – so that individuals in other responsible for appointing “at
to a number of areas where a countries, and those in the UK of the next Charter period, and least half” of the board mem-
subscription model could be not paying the fee, cannot ac- to consider whether elements bers.
trialled, according to the White cess licence fee funded content of subscription could provide The White Paper also calls for
Paper published in May. for free. The government will a more sustainable funding Ofcom to be made the external
The government has said discuss verification and other model in the longer term”. It independent regulator for the
it will “modernise the current options with the BBC and look said subscription would be in- BBC, while the National Audit
licence fee system to make it at the best way of implementing troduced “for additional services Office will become the BBC’s
fairer” including closing the this, including through regula- only”, and that the “BBC may financial auditor. The remuner-
‘iPlayer loophole’, introducing tions if needed. It will be up to therefore lead further develop- ation for BBC talent that is paid
more flexible payment terms the BBC to determine whether ments, pilots and exploration of over £450,000 will be made
for lower income households this is an appropriate means of elements of subscription in the public.
and enabling the BBC to make charging international viewers,” second part of the Charter peri- The BBC Executive will set
its content portable so that UK it said. od, if justified and required, in strategy and deliver services,
licence fee payers can access While rejecting a subscription order to inform the next Charter while Ofcom will issue licences
iPlayer while travelling to other model, the government said it Review process and for potential and regulator editorial standards
EU member states. welcomed “the BBC’s commit- wider roll-out in the next Char- as well as regulating commer-
The changes proposed by the ment to develop and test some ter.” cial activity and market impact
government could include the form of additional subscription The licence fee will be in- and will monitor and review
ability to charge international services during the first part creased in live with inflation for performance.
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10
p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 10 26/05/2016 20:02Digital TV Europe News > digest
June/July 2016
solely a cable operator to a provider com-backed Cinetrade/Teleclub for satellite. The ONT is consolidating al pay television distribution strate-
of converged services including failing to offer rights to football and about 10 Tunisian channels in a gy. We look forward to accelerating
mobile entertainment communica- ice hockey competitions to rival TV single package aired from the 7/8° the growth of the business through
tions. The operator will henceforth platforms at non-discriminatory West position. Nôomên Elfehri, investment in exclusive content
be known as UPC in both Switzer- terms. Swisscom and Cinetrade say Tunisia’s minister of communi- rights and supporting its develop-
land and Austria. Liberty Global they comply with the law and that cation technologies and digital ment as it expands into new territo-
combined both country subsidiaries the high levels of investment they economy, said: “The launch of this ries.” Cirkus launched in 2013, and
under a single management team have made in sports justify the cre- national project is a vehicle for ITV’s initial investment was made
led by Eric Tveter at the end of ation of an expanded sports offer- Tunisia’s sovereignty in the field of a year after.. Cirkus has launched
2014. Separately, UPC is launching ing via the Swisscom TV platform. broadcasting. Viewers will be able with Boxer and Com Hem in the
a new infotainment programme, The operator said it would study to enjoy a diversified and quality Nordic region, and has branched
UPC News TV, in Switzerland. The the judgment and would appeal line-up of Tunisian content.” out from drama to factual with the
magazine presented by Sandra Zot- the fine with the Federal Adminis- launch of the Curio brand.
ti has already existed for nine years trative Court and, if necessary, the
in Austria and will now be broadcast country’s Supreme Court. UK IPTV > TalkTalk down
weekly in both countries. TalkTalk lost 14,000 TV customers
OTT > ITV takes Cirkus in the fourth fiscal quarter, despite
IPTV > Sports rights fine Tunisia ITV has taken a majority stake in bouncing back in overall reve-
Swisscom has said it will appeal Cirkus, the best-of-British on-de- nue-generating unit additions from
a fine imposed on it by the Swiss SAT > New platform mand service. The UK broadcaster the cyber attack and data leak
competition regulator for allegedly Tunisian state broadcaster the was already a minority shareholder, last October. The company added
prohibiting the fair marketing of ONT has struck a multi-year deal but has now upped its ownership 148,000 RGUs in the quarter to
sports content via pay TV in the with satellite operator Eutelsat to level in the streaming service. Mar- March. On-net customer additions
country. COMCO has imposed broadcast a new subscription-free tin Goswami, ITV director of pay were flat over the quarter, but
a fine of CHF71.8 million (e65 TV platform across North and West and distribution, said: “Cirkus is an TalkTalk reported its lowest ever
million) on Swisscom and Swiss- Africa via the Eutelsat 7 West A important part of ITV’s internation- quarterly churn at 1.3%.
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p04-06,08,10-11 DTVE News Digest JunJul16v5st.indd 11 26/05/2016 20:02Technology focus > Advanced set-top boxes Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
Ultra HD, voice control, smart home functionality and the ability to monitor your blood
pressure. The leading lights of the set-top box industry tell Andy McDonald what the
next advances in STB technology will bring.
Thinking outside
the box
IPTV operator Post Luxembourg announced
Over-the-top and into 4K it would launch a 4K set-top from Netgem,
The set-top b o x
market is
at a pivotal point in its history with shifts in
Many of the developments that we are seeing
in the set-top box market today rest around
the STB N7900. Last year, France’s SFR also
launched La Box Fibre Zive de SFR, a 4K Ultra
HD gateway that runs on its fibre network.
technology posing existential questions about cloud functionality, the integration of over-the- “4K is being used as a way to market the
what role these devices will play in years to top services, sophisticated search and discovery services and the boxes, and get people onto
come. features, and the addition of 4K. premium packages, but there isn’t actually a
The rise of the streaming device market has According to Ovum, 4K Ultra HD set-top lot of 4K content out there, especially for linear
led some to hint at a light-touch, cloud-focused adoption in Europe will climb rapidly in the broadcast,” says de Renesse.
future where the set-top will be reduced coming years as a proportion of overall DTT, Technicolor’s chief technology officer,
to a dongle hidden behind the TV. Others DTH, IPTV and cable set-top box sales. In 2015, connected home, Jon Walkenhorst agrees
claim that the advent of IoT and smart home 4K UHD capability was present in just 1.02% that while there is 4K awareness among its
technology will start to change the basic role of of the 39.36 million set-tops sold in Europe. customers, there is not “radical adoption” of
the set-top box. This will rise to 27.62% of 41.70 million units the technology yet. He puts this down to a
However, against a backdrop of continued sold in 2020, according to the research firm. lack of original content and the bandwidth
consolidation amongst the set-top box makers “I think we’re seeing a lot of changes around requirements needed to deliver Ultra HD.
themselves, recent moves by some of the 4K. Now a lot of pay TV operators are pushing “These technologies tend to be more IP
biggest operators in the TV space hint at the 4K set-top boxes, so there’s a new generation video-based and less QAM-based. DSL today
continuation of high-end, sophisticated device of boxes coming in since the beginning of is typically not enough bandwidth to deliver
deployments. the year or the end of last year, especially in those. So I think we’re going to see 4K and
Sky's next-generation entertainment service, Europe," says Ovum practice leader, consumer Ultra HD become more ubiquitous as IP
Sky Q, represents a ground-up rebuild of Sky's technology, Ronan de Renesse. delivery becomes more ubiquitous,” says
set-top offering. Meanwhile, Liberty Global “What’s interesting is that most of them tend Walkenhorst.
CEO Mike Fries announced on the company's to be on IPTV – so IPTV-type set-top boxes or Technicolor works with major operators
Q1 earnings that its next-generation set-top hybrid IPTV set-top boxes rather than maybe including Telefónica and in France it provides
platform, dubbed ‘project Eos’, would be satellite or cable," he adds, acknowledging Sky Canal+ Group’s compact, 4K-compatible,
“faster” and “provide more functionality than Q with its 4K functionality as an exception. over-the-top box, the Cube S. “We’re seeing
today’s Horizon box” – all for a cheaper price. Recent launch news seems to bear this theory our skipper box and our zapper boxes become
But away from these headline-grabbing out. In May Portugal Telecom launched a new smaller, almost to the point of the size of a deck
developments, what are the broader future 4K Ultra HD set-top box, the MEOBox4K, for of cards,” says Walkenhorst.
trends that are taking hold of this space and fibre customers. In March, Vodafone Spain He claims that, informed by devices like
what changes should we expect in the long- officially launched a new 4K UHD set-top Roku and Google’s Chromecast, customers are
term? aimed at its XDSL base, while a month earlier now looking for little boxes that will slot easily
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12
p12-14,16 STBs DTVE JunJul16v5st.indd 12 26/05/2016 18:05Digital TV Europe Technology focus > Advanced set-top boxes
June/July 2016
into the TV, with the value-add coming from taking off in set-top boxes. Why do you have
the addition of features like apps. The advent of IoT to use a remote control? Sometimes for just
“If we look at a traditional MSO, they’re flipping up through channels, it’s the easiest
looking at boxes that they can place [in] The evolution of the Internet of Things (IoT) is way,” says Humax commercial director,
numerous [places] around the house. For something that promises to take the traditional Graham North.
example, if you have a consumer with three set-top box into new territory – though this is Humax is a global set-top box provider and
TVs in North America, versus a consumer with territory that is already being explored by major its customers include DirecTV in the US. In the
one TV in Europe, you’re more concerned with tech companies like Amazon. UK it makes boxes for the Freeview and Freesat
how do I get those boxes to connect.” The e-retailer’s Echo hands-free platforms, as well as a 4K-compatible YouView
He says that the “much broader speaker and Alexa Voice box that it provides as the high-end TV option
question” that certain operators are Service technology already for operator BT. Discussing the firm’s current
looking at is how to apply multi- let consumers in the US strategy, North says “we used to just be [about
node, multi-repeater technologies play music, access news the] set-top box but now we have gateway teams
and how to extend wireless and weather reports, order a and we have teams looking at new technology
connectivity. He also foresees a move pizza or even turn on lights like IoT, so we’re moving into new areas.”
to more immersive, interaction- as part of a smart home At recent trade events the firm has
based experiences. “If you can walk system. Apple is reportedly demonstrated a complete IoT service, with
into a room and say ‘turn on the TV’ looking to develop a similar cameras and apps. “We can offer a complete
or ‘tell me what the temperature is’… device using its Siri voice white label package to an operator,” says North,
that could come from the box [with] assistant technology, and the describing a cloud-hosted IoT solution that
the box as an IoT hub or controller.” potential has not been lost on “works quite seamlessly with the set-top-box”.
traditional set-top makers. Describing the real-world implications of
“We’ve all seen what this kind of offering, North gives the example
An Arris design (left), Sky Q (above) Amazon’s trying to do with of someone ringing the doorbell while you are
and Amazon Echo (right) represent Echo, initially in the States. watching TV. “It pauses your TV, brings up a
new directions for CPE devices. We see that type of technology picture of someone on the doorstep.” Another
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13
p12-14,16 STBs DTVE JunJul16v5st.indd 13 26/05/2016 18:05Technology focus > Advanced set-top boxes Digital TV Europe
June/July 2016
application is using the camera and TV link-up of the Reference Design Kit (RDK). Originally “We focused on set-tops, next was RDK
as a sophisticated baby monitor, he says. conceived as a common framework for Broadband and now that community is trying
Arris’ chief technology officer, customer operators to power set-top boxes, the focus of to figure out the software profile for the next
premises equipment, Charles Cheevers, the software bundle has since broadened out. connected devices in the home. That’s the
agrees that connectivity is key to the future of Driven by a roadmap determined by a multi-year journey,” says Steve Heeb, president
the set-top box. “I have a 10-year view that the community of more than 275 companies, the and general manager of RDK Management.
set-top doesn’t disappear all together, because initial RDK-V (video) software for STBs has While RDK for the set-top has won big
it’s never going to disappear. But one thing that recently been supplemented with a new RDK backing from the likes of Comcast and Liberty
could happen is that every room has a wireless software solution available for broadband Global, Heeb says it is RDK-B deployments,
device in it, and the wireless device could be gateways called RDK-B (broadband). rather than RDK-V, that are tracking ahead
something as unobtrusive as possible.”
With better WiFi and Bluetooth connectivity,
Cheevers sees the potential of the set-top box Roku’s Now TV box reflects industry shifts
as an “IoT hub” that could have implications
that extend into health, wellbeing and medical Sky is gearing up to launch a new Roku-powered market, as well as bring increased appeal to the
applications. [If] someone is sent home from Now TV box later summer that will give users current Now TV market,” says Ferrone.
hospital he is typically sitting in front of the TV,” access to live linear TV channels for the first The new iteration of Now TV box speaks to
says Cheevers, explaining that a set-top could time, alongside on-demand content. the continued evolution of viewing habits – a
interact with the censor on medical devices to The new device, which the companies first wave of change that Roku will also continue to
do tasks like monitor blood pressure. announced back in January, will further a benefit from in markets outside of the UK.
partnership that dates back to 2013 – when Sky “Broadcast standards are quite geographically
launched its first Now TV box and inadvertently specific. This will be a box designed for the UK
Gateway to the future kick-started Roku’s operator partnership market but there are several other markets
programme. that use standards and technologies not so
For many industry-watchers it is the gateway, Roku’s vice-president of pay TV, Andrew dissimilar from the UK,” says Ferrone. “Roku is a
not the set-top box that will take centre stage Ferrone, says that the new Now TV box marks globally scalable platform, so certainly it’s been
in this brave new world of smart-home an evolution of the product, which was last designed with that in mind.”
capabilities. For Technicolor’s Walkenhorst, upgraded in 2015, offering a revamped user Indeed, the US-based company is already
as intelligence moves toward the gateway, a interface and a “leap forwards” in terms of making in-roads in markets like Australia, where
certain level of commoditisation will take place search and discovery. Telstra partnered with Roku last year to offer
in the set-top box space. Adding in linear channels also recognises the its streaming service and player, Telstra TV, to
“What we’re seeing more [of] is requests to “importance of free-to-air in the UK market”, consumers.
enhance the gateway and less to enhance the and the “positioning of the Now TV service as In the US, Time Warner Cable started trialling
set-top box,” he says. “We’re seeing set-top a viable pay TV option”, according to Ferrone. TWC TV in late 2015, offering its pay TV service,
boxes becoming less and less advanced and Since the launch of its standalone over-the- unbundled from its traditional set-top box,
we’re seeing our gateways becoming more top offering, Sky has been keen to stress that through Roku streaming devices. Charter and
advanced – more radios, more capabilities, Now TV is not cannibalistic to its core business. Comcast have since followed suit with Roku
more memory, more CPU capabilities.” At the recent TV Connect conference in London, apps for their respective Spectrum and Xfinity
At the recent TV Connect conference, Sky’s director of business development and TV services.
Deutsche Telekom’s UK head of business partnerships, Emma Lloyd, said that 90% of “Consumer behaviour is undeniable. Roku
development, Jon Carter, predicted that IoT will Now TV users had never considered a Sky streamed 5.5 billion hours last year – that was up
disrupt “where value is, how it’s captured and service before – a statistic also cited by Ferrone. from three billion hours the year before and so
the relationship you have with your customer” However, by bringing together linear free- with change comes challenges, but with change
and said that from later this year its Speedport to-air channels – watched, if research is to be comes opportunities as well,” says Ferrone. “The
router will have smart home capabilities built believed, by an ageing viewing population – with market never stops changing. What we try to do
in – paving the way for its use in applications the on-demand Roku channels favoured by is enable operators to bridge that gap to this
like energy management and security. millennial viewers, Sky is likely to appeal to a new streaming world by providing them with the
“Our view is actually it’s the router [that] is wider audience with its new box. platform for distribution, driving engagement
the most natural and most obvious place in “I don’t know if I can quite comment on and ultimately driving monetisation through
terms of providing the level of quality of service shifting demographics, but certainly we think advanced services.”
in terms of consistency of experience for the that it will have an appeal to a broader
customer,” said Carter, who dismissed the
smart TV as not having enough “headroom” to Roku’s box for Now TV
be used as a smart hub. addresses changing
The increased promise of the gateway can viewer habits.
be seen elsewhere in the development path
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p12-14,16 STBs DTVE JunJul16v5st.indd 14 26/05/2016 18:05You can also read
