business today
around using wireless routers? Well yes,
simplistically, and no, if one considers the
As digital TV penetration increases rapidly before the
matter of efficacy. Let’s never forget that we
analogue signal is cut off in the none too distant
are talking about an industry whereby people future, saturation rates are growing less spectacularly.
pay for things - it’s not good simply for
Whilst residences are typically two- or even three-TV
service operators to stream content to any
environments these days, they are most certainly not
device that may be anywhere. Someone has
had to have paid to receive it to their home
multi-STB houses. The second or third TV is usually a
and it’s a fair assumption that they would pay small screen that boasts an in–built Freeview tuner.
extra in order to experience it anywhere they
Now that is great news for digital TV adoption as a
wanted it (and preferably not where the guy
whole but for pay-TV providers this doesn’t help
next door who wasn’t paying for it wanted it).
And in any case the best option may not be to
matters if homes are still stubbornly taking only one
stream it anyway, but instead use the STB as a STB to watch premium content. The one platform
hub by which mobile and portable devices can
strategy will certainly conquer this, allowing
connect to for access to the content. The
subscribers to be able to use a mobile/portable
concept is known as side loading and is
gaining a increasing traction in the mobile TV
platform on which content can be loaded to or
and video market as it overcomes a lot of the
streamed to at any point around the home.
major bugbears of wireless broadcast, that is it
surmounts any quality issues associated with Verimatrix was keen to point out that there manage their subscriptions services. Even
transporting large data packets over wireless, was a need for technology suppliers such as though it was really a proof of concept, the
is quicker than wireless, is less expensive, and itself to be able to guarantee the delivery of iPhone looked an excellent, arguably better,
widens the potential reach of platforms that content to any device anywhere. The company platform for management as it offered the
can be used to experience the concept. would say that its core business is IPTV; but it ability to use touch technology to browse -
And so at IBC there was a plethora of firms would also say that it is IPTV anywhere as something not really feasible on the big screen
wanting to show off their commitment to the long as there was the correct protection at home. In fact the iPhone or portable device
concept of one platform. And the most envelope. That said it did allude to the fact may actually supersede remote control devices
encouraging thing was the fact that they were that there may be some challenges in order to as well as being an alternative delivery
all talking about sending over multiple facilitate this concept seamlessly and for platform.
platforms the same content; the same movie, operators to develop a comprehensive business But these scenarios only work in a business
the same sports game; the same news clip. case that involves mobile. sense if the mobile device respects the
For example, Ascent Media demo’d its Viia But of all of the companies who were business rules that operators would like to set.
platform that enables content to be delivered displaying one platform, arguably at the It’s a challenge but, as NDS demonstrated, one
to any platform at any point. The solution has vanguard of the revolution was NDS. Best that can be overcome. Whilst technologically
been provided for some time now and has known for conditional access, content security smart, this is also potentially business smart.
been taken up by companies such as Sony and and middleware, NDS took advantage of IBC One of the things that operators need is an
Paramount who are able to add key metadata to address some of the real and correct edge, a differentiator and there is a whole lot
to their content stream and then distribute as concerns that Verimatrix had and also showed of so-what from users who can’t really see the
and when they require. Ascent sees a just what flexibility a compelling service difference between service bouquets. Well how
particular huge opportunity in sports over should have in terms of being able to take about operators being able to offer subscribers
mobile platforms, wherever they are used, content wherever you want it. That is to say to services supporting technology such as that
especially with highlights and archives. It also not just transfer it to a mobile device in the from NDS whereby the multiplatform element
regards iTunes as a very interesting delivery ‘classic’ portable scenario, but also to transfer is actually the smart-card enabled USB stick?
platform for such use. it to PCs and even USB sticks whilst There’s therefore no need for cash strapped
Harmonic was another firm pointing out preserving totally the DRM constraints that users to fork out on extra screens: they just
the importance of iTunes as a delivery the content had built into it. Well not an take the USB stick to their laptop or whatever.
platform for content onto all devices as it ordinary USB stick to be honest; one with a History tells that when financially times
displayed its one platform wares at IBC. In smart card embedded within it. But it does are tight, one of the last places that people
particular, it highlighted its recently show that the content going into the home TV stop spending is TV (and entertainment in
announced Rhozet transcoder which has seen (or STB to be more accurately) can be general). But operators would be foolish to be
use by a number of operators adopting both a transferred to almost any platform whether complacent. There is still going to be huge
fixed and wireless strategy for the same connected to the home hub or not. pressure on discretionary spending at end user
content. The company was very aware of the And there’s more potentially coming out of level. Anything that is cost-effective as well as
need to be able to support its customers’ - the NDS stable as it showed off its Snowflake being innovative will be extremely attractive.
broadcast operators that is - aims in delivering middleware on an iPhone. The middleware - And priced correctly, one platform services
any content to any platform. that admittedly takes some getting used to - is may be the thing that addresses the needs of
Even though mobile platforms accounted designed to give users a more intuitive both the viewer and the operators. No less
for less than 5% of its current activities, experience as they interface with content and than that will do.
IBE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER 2008 7
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