20 MANAGEMENT
January-February 2017
Content , choice and multiple devices : It ’ s all about the customer experience
by menno koopmans
As viewers become increasingly demanding — watching what they want , when they want to and on whatever device they choose — content providers are looking to find new ways to monetise their offerings and raise the levels of interaction .
Watching “ television ” is no longer a linear experience and while it is true that terrestrial , satellite , cable and Internet streaming services are all competing for space on our TV , laptop , mobile and tablet screens , viewers are consuming content in multiple ways — that is , watching TV and using Twitter , or watching a game show and using a smartphone app to participate .
It ’ s all about the content
For content providers , the guiding principle is that viewers care about the content and not where it comes from — whether that is a set-top box ( STB ), a pay-TV provider or the Internet . So how does this affect content providers ? How can they ensure viewers get the best experience and , as a result , properly monetise the content ?
Ultimately , it is about the content and how viewers interact with that content . It is no longer a question of switching on the TV and using the remote control to channel surf . Instead , it is about having the full functionality at your fingertips to find exactly what you want to watch .
The role of the remote control
What it comes down to is simplifying the user experience , and often that is accomplished through the remote control . If the remote control is easy to use , content providers have a better chance of getting their content appearing where it should be .
But what about navigation ? For STB operators , searchability is key . Whether that is accomplished by using spoken words through voice control , hand movements through gesture control , or keys and track pads through more traditional control methods , the remote control forms the basis for finding and interacting with that content .
Where does ease-of-use begin ?
Taking a step back , setting up the remote , especially a universal re- mote that controls everything from the TV and DVD player to the STB and games console , can also be a stumbling block for users . While many users might get installers to set up the remote control during the initial installation process , what happens when components are added to the stack , or if remotes get broken or lost ?
It starts with the remote control
Most TV viewers want a remote control that is easy to use . But therein lies the paradox : Users have more content , more services and more devices than ever before , but they want less complexity and have fewer keys on a remote control while maintaining their levels of choice .
The challenge that content providers , and by extension manufacturers , have is ensuring that ease-of-use . It begins with the remote control and , if successful , interactivity and monetised content could be just the click of a button away .
Menno Koopmans is Senior VP , Subscription Broadcasting at Universal Electronics .
Ideal Systems builds new HD studios and control rooms for Metro TV
Indonesian 24-hour national news channel , Metro TV , has selected systems integrator Ideal Systems to design and build its new HD studios and control rooms .
Established 16 years ago , Metro TV today operates more than 50 terrestrial transmission sites across Indonesia , with the new HD studios to be enabled for full HD productions .
The installations will include graphic solutions from Vizrt , as well as a newsroom computer system and MAM system from Dalet . Dante network protocols will also deliver uncompressed , multi-channel , low-latency digital audio over IP .
Mirdal Akib , director of technology at Metro TV , explained : “ We selected Ideal Systems based on their extensive and successful track record for building studios and delivering state-of-the-art broadcast technology solutions across Asia . Critically , they [ also ] have a full local office in Jakarta with local systems design and support staff .”
With a TV audience of ap- proximately 240 million people , Indonesia is a key market for Ideal Systems , who has continued to invest heavily in the archipelago , revealed Fintan Mc Kiernan , CEO , Ideal Systems , South-east Asia .
This includes the opening of a new multi-storey office in Jakarta last year , alongside the delivery of a number of key broadcast projects to Indonesian broadcasters .
Mc Kiernan said : “ It is great to see the success of our investment and the great work being done by our local team , headed by country manager Awan Setiawan . As a result , we are now fully set up to design and deliver enterprise turnkey studio projects in Indonesia .”
Fintan Mc Kiernan ( right ), CEO , Ideal Systems , South-east Asia , with Mirdal Akib , director of Technology , Metro TV . Ideal Systems is designing and building new HD studios and control rooms for Metro TV in Indonesia .
SAM has appointed Village Island as a reseller partner in Japan for its full range of IQ Modular , routing and multi-viewer solutions .
SAM pursues global growth
Building on a successful 2016 , Snell Advanced Media ( SAM ) has made a number of key announcements aimed at consolidating its global growth .
In Asia-Pacific , SAM has appointed Village Island as a reseller partner in Japan for its full range of IQ Modular , routing and multiviewer solutions . Village Island , a provider of audio-visual and broadcast solutions to Asia-Pacific , will also be responsible for promoting SAM ’ s IP and 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ) infrastructure products to broadcasters and telcos in the region .
What drew Village Island to SAM , in particular , is the latter ’ s IP approach , revealed Michael Van Dorpe , president of Village Island .
He explained : “ SAM ’ s IP approach enables customers to transition to IP in ways that are uniquely suited to them , their customers and their business . Whether it ’ s HD , 4K / UHD or a mix of media types , SAM ’ s cutting-edge IP routing system works with any multi-cast stream format , compliant with SMPTE
An integration of archive asset management and workflow storage
The TMD Mediaflex-UMS media service applications are now integrated with Quantum ’ s Xcellis workflow storage .
Designed to manage the lifestyle of media content , including creation , digitisation , repurposing , enrichment , delivery , publishing and archiving , Mediaflex-UMS , in combination with the StorNext-powered Xcellis storage , now provides a “ powerful and collaborative solution ”.
This , said TMD , includes a cost-effective archive to preserve content and maximise its value over the entire lifecycle .
The end-goal , added Justin Elkerton , TMD ’ s CMO , is to make rich asset management and archiving simple to implement . He continued : “ Media enterprises can now buy TMD ’ s range of
2022-6 and 7 , TR-03 and TR-04 .”
In Europe and Latin America , SAM has made a number of key appointments . David Medina joins SAM as account manager for Spain and Portugal , reporting to Carlos Ferreira , sales director , Southern Europe , SAM ; while Carlos Moura is SAM ’ s new solution architect in Latin America , reporting to Felipe Andrade , regional director , Brazil .
Before joining SAM , Medina ’ s 12-year career in the broadcast industry saw him take on technical and sales roles for the likes of Grass Valley , Riedel , Lawo and Axon .
For Moura , also an industry veteran with 14 years ’ experience in the broadcast industry , his responsibilities include designing solutions that align with customer needs . He is also charged with developing quotes , demonstrating products and working with key customers , systems integrators and channel partners , to maximise the benefits of SAM ’ s products and solutions in their existing and new projects .
media service applications and Quantum ’ s storage systems — often from the same certified distributor — and get to work protecting their archives straight away , confident that the software and hardware are already integrated and ready for user applications to be defined and that the systems will operate seamlessly .”
Calling TMD a “ great fit ” with Quantum ’ s Xcellis workflow storage , Anniek Snauwaert , director , Technology Alliances , Quantum , concluded : “ This partnership brings to customers a combination of highly scalable and costeffective archive solutions with effective media management throughout every stage of the content lifecycle — from conception to creation , to delivery and archive , to repurpose and re-use .”