business today
One platform concept
stars at IBC
JOE O’HALLORAN reports.
At IBC there was a
predicted in 2006. Digging deeper into some
of the pronouncements, one would have
t seems funny now to think that plethora of firms wanting discovered some very interesting market
I
there were some who really feared
to show off their
research data pertaining to mobile TV usage
for the success of this year’s IBC.
commitment to the
patterns. The most general assumption for
Wasn’t it just going to really reflect
concept of one platform.
mobile TV is that one would expect that the
the perceived air of doom and gloom that vast majority of usage would have taken place
seems to have pervaded the industry for some
And the most encouraging
outside the home as people used their mobile
time now? Wouldn’t it show, writ very large
thing was the fact that
handsets to tune into content that they would
across noticeably emptier caverns at the
they were all talking about
have watched if they had been at home. But
Amsterdam RAI, exactly what effect the
sending over multiple
no: it transpired that at-home viewing is the
apparently endless collections of mergers and key application for mobile TV and also mobile
acquisitions were having on the industry?
platforms the same
video in general. In the latter case as people
Well, demonstrably no. The show was content; the same movie, downloaded content to mobile and enjoyed it
bigger than ever; in terms of not only the size
the same sports game;
at some spot around the home.
of exhibitors’ stands, the depth of the
the same news clip.
This presents the industry with some huge
conference offerings, the range of business opportunities. As digital TV penetration
briefings and other associated seminars but what kind of industry that we are in and just increases rapidly before the analogue signal is
also, most importantly, in terms of visitor how convincing the industry can be in terms cut off in the none too distant future,
numbers. Instead of realising the fears of of self promotion and selling the idea of the saturation rates are growing less spectacularly.
many who thought that the credit crunch next big thing. A prime example of this would Whilst residences are typically two- or even
would mean visitors forgoing their traditional be mobile TV. Two years ago the show was three-TV environments these days, they are
weekend in the ‘Dam, the show attracted 5% awash with companies promising that mobile most certainly not multi-STB houses. The
more visitors than the year before. Some TV would be the next big thing in 2008 and second or third TV is usually a small screen
achievement in these days and times. that this year virtually all of us would be that boasts an in–built Freeview tuner. Now
Many have tried to figure out what was the subscribing to mobile TV services. Well we that is great news for digital TV adoption as a
story of the show and how does it affect the know now that such predictions were not that whole but for pay-TV providers this doesn’t
industry right now. One of the key themes, well-founded and that the growth of mobile help matters if homes are still stubbornly
and arguably probably one of the key TV has been slower (if not all that surer) than taking only one STB to watch premium
attractions this year, was the emergence of the predicted in 2006. content.
one platform concept in TV and broadcasting. Yet it would be wrong to totally dismiss The one platform strategy will certainly
It’s important to remind ourselves of just out of hand as mere hyperbole all that was conquer this, allowing subscribers to be able
History tells that when financially times are tight, one
to use a mobile/portable platform on which
content can be loaded to or streamed to at any
of the last places that people stop spending is TV (and
point around the home. As some can imagine,
entertainment in general). But operators would be this is sparking huge interest right across the
foolish to be complacent. There is still going to be
broadcasting ecosystem, from device
huge pressure on discretionary spending at end user
manufacturers to content makers to
middleware vendors to conditional access and
level. Anything that is cost-effective as well as being
OSS developers. It seems a simple idea but for
innovative will be extremely attractive. And priced all of this to work, it has to work robustly,
correctly, one platform services may be the thing that
securely and effectively for both the viewers
addresses the needs of both the viewer and the
and the operators alike.
Now is this not happening already? Aren’t
operators. No less than that will do.
operators able already to stream TV content
6IBENOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008
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