Special Report
her content to be available on every screen buzzwords at World TV, which has recently look that much different than they did 5 or
and every device. As a result, broadcasters launched 14 channels of multicultural 10 years ago. But look closer and you’ll see
have partnered with companies capable of content on Verizon’s Fibre-to-the-Home that there are a multitude of differences.
repurposing their content for all these IPTV platform. Before, we were serving single-channel
platforms and standards, as well as acquiring With more platforms capable of broadcasters. Now our customers include
the necessary rights and obtaining the distributing the sea of international content multi-channel broadcasters as well as telcos,
necessary local expertise and information to now available, television bouquet operators cable companies, broadband TV providers
successfully integrate each market around are advancing their international and content creators. Playout and
the world. The result is a smooth, global, programming strategies and using origination rooms have sprung up next to
multiplatform distribution solution. international channels to differentiate the monitoring suites, and new staff help
A global solution doesn’t just refer to themselves from their competition, and clients manage multiple playlists as well as
geographic coverage. Former satellite service carefully focusing on certain groups with graphic insertions and disaster recovery
companies like GlobeCast are leveraging larger numbers of subscribers. A year ago, systems. IPTV and Mobile TV headends now
their relationships with broadcasters around cable and other platforms didn’t know where occupy large parts of the equipment bays,
the world to bring content from their home the ethnic communities were. Now, they do with HD and SD content being encoded into
markets to new regions, as globalisation and international content is becoming multiple formats and added to a made-to-
increases and international programming crucial to their line-ups. measure mosaic index screen before being
gains a following. In Europe and North However, as crucial as this new delivered by both satellite and fibre to the
America particularly, high levels of programming might be, bouquet operators bouquet operator.
immigration and the consequent are finding value in calling on experienced IPTV is just one of the many evolutions
diversification of the viewing audience has global broadcast companies such as the broadcast world has experienced and it
meant that international programming can WorldTV to manage the influx of certainly won’t be the last. For the service
not only differentiate one operator’s line-up international content. The idea is not just to providers to not only stay relevant but to
from another, but can fill a true gap in the deliver the content itself, but to perform add true value they must continue to
market. Here again, the transition from a most of the heavy lifting - such as contract anticipate and respond to the needs of both
DTH environment to an IPTV scenario has negotiations, marketing, promotions and broadcasters and platform operators.
been an interesting one. research. It’s an interesting challenge: on Content, as ever, will remain the most
As an example, GlobeCast has operated one hand, the international programmers, important differentiator and being able to
WorldTV, a satellite platform for who are huge in their home countries, are deliver it, in terms of quality and quantity, is
international programming, in the United unsure how to enter the daunting US key to increasing subscriber numbers and
States since 1997. As new platforms such as market. On the other hand, cable, the telcos, revenue. However it is the customer
TV-over-ADSL and Broadband TV arose, wireless and satellite companies are experience - based on the choice of
rather than intensify its efforts to hold on to uncomfortable with how to handle and deal channels, as well as the level of control and
DTH GlobeCast embraced the opportunities with international content, marketing and interactivity that will attract and retain the
that IPTV has to offer and took advantage of negotiations. So, service providers have audience to make the numbers add up in a
the underserved nature of ethnic become the glue as both sides look to build meaningful way. We must remain globally-
programming in the United States. As a relations and create that bridge. minded and technically-savvy to reach our
result, rights aggregation, content bundling To the untrained eye, the master control ultimate goal - adding value for every player
and repurposing have become the new rooms of the service providers today don’t in the television game.
IPTV revenue
broadcast content generally does not work
programme makers and advertisers who seek
when watching time shifted or recorded
deeper, more engaging and more lucrative
enhancement
material.
relationships with TV viewers. With
• Synchronising the red button accurately
interoperable content and broadband service
through interactivity
to a 30 second advertising spot requires close
delivery, we will see a new IPTV experience
integration between the system playing out
emerge. On demand video assets and
the adverts and the network operator’s EPG or
potentially Internet video will augment and
Continued from Page IPTV 21.
triggering system, and is often impossible on
enhance traditional TV, driven by an
with ‘push’ TV, either using a red button link
IPTV networks.
inherently interactive consumer experience
directly or via a channel menu controlled by
The Miniweb interactive platform solves
where web-style transactional and
the broadcaster. Wrapping interactive
these issues by resolving a ‘TV Key’ embedded
personalised services become the norm.
sponsorship around high audience
in the video stream to a specific interactive
Miniweb is changing the economics of
programming can be very valuable, but what
service, thereby driving usage. The viewer
interactive TV, and by making available
is the call to action? To formulate an answer
simply enters the TV Key using their remote
shared services and content, is helping IPTV
we need to first realise that red button
control and accesses the appropriate
operators to realise successful interactive
interactivity is limited in a number of ways,
interactive content be it video or wTVML.
business model. As operators increasingly
including:
With IPTV operators sharing a common
take advantage of the revenue generating
• After a red button invitation is removed
interactive service platform, and common
potential of these services, the possibilities
from the screen, the viewer has no
content and triggering, the interactive TV
for broadcasters, content owners and
mechanism to get to the service should they
business has the potential to enter into a
advertisers will only be limited by their
want to.
completely new era that will be characterised
creativity to use this new medium to best
• Red button interactivity when linking to
by massively reduced costs for broadcasters,
support their business goals.
september 2008
iptv 25 guide2iptv
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