By Simon Trudelle, Senior Product Marketing Director, NAGRA
OTT TV services are increasingly important to pay-TV service providers as they deploy multiscreen offerings to complement their core services and to compete more effectively with Internet-based rivals. But delivering them over consumer electronic (CE) devices like PCs, tablets, smartphones, video game consoles, and smart TVs presents several significant challenges regardless of the operator's network type - whether telco, cable, or satellite. Many of these challenges result from the fact that - unlike the pay-TV set-top-box environment - service providers do not have control of the open devices, which use a wide range of operating systems and standards.
CHALLENGE #1: KEEPING CONTROL OVER DEVICE PLATFORMS
Service providers are dependent upon strategic and technological decisions taken by device manufacturers and software providers. This can leave them vulnerable, for example, to changes in browser platforms used on PCs and to the Android and iOS operating systems of mobile devices. This can also mean that multiscreen TV applications that worked previously may suddenly stop streaming content, creating havoc with subscribers and leading to calls to customer-care
centers, dissatisfaction with the operator, damage to its brand, and loss of revenue. Rather than cement and strengthen the relationship between pay-TV service providers and their customers, OTT TV - if not deployed carefully - could potentially end up undermining customer confidence.
The latest example of this kind of potentially disruptive change is Google's decision to implement the HTML5 Encrypted Media Extensions (EME) standard to manage DRM content in the Chrome browser, while phasing out support for the Netscape Plug-in API (NPAPI). The withdrawal of support for NPAPI - on which Microsoft's Silverlight streaming media application framework and its PlayReady DRM depend - will affect pay-TV subscribers whose service providers use these players to provide video content within a Chrome browser. Given that the share of the Google Chrome PC browser users is estimated to be more than 52% of a typical pay-TV operator's subscriber base and that Silverlight and PlayReady are widely used by some service providers, this potentially presents a very significant challenge. For example, Google's decision led Sky and BT Sport to encourage their subscribers to move from Chrome to Firefox or Internet Explorer.
The theoretical solution to the problem is greater OTT standardization, which would enable service providers to increase their efficiency and reduce the risk in delivering OTT services. While there has been some technical progress in simplifying streaming formats, codecs, and DRM, the reality is that standardization is an ever-evolving process that brings alignment over time but is not the panacea to all market needs in the short term. A more pragmatic approach is required.
CHALLENGE #2 : KEEPING CONTROL OVER CONTENT SECURITY
Service providers also need to ensure that content security standards are not compromised by choosing a vertical, per-device, per-platform and per-browser vendor approach, and that content licensing complexities are not increased by having to deal with multiple DRM vendors. Pay-TV service providers should not forget that the very Silicon Valley giants (i.e. Apple, Google, and Microsoft among others) that sometimes unilaterally define their proprietary technologies are also their competitors in delivering OTT TV. As a result, dependency on the strategies of these companies increases business risk levels for service providers.
CHALLENGE #3 : KEEPING CONTROL OVER THE TV EXPERIENCE
Another fundamental requirement is the provision of a consistent set of pay-TV-centric features and use cases, available across all devices and platforms. Such capabilities are best provided by a secure player, with features such as multiple audio tracks, subtitles, dynamic advertising, and trick modes, as well as use cases such as casting or sharing between devices. As well as streaming standards and DRMs, it is important to include the overall and consistent control of the TV experience delivered across multiple devices that also interact with each other. Understanding the longer-term implications of technical decisions related to OTT and multiscreen TV content delivery and their impact on business is absolutely key for the success of service providers.
To find out more about making the most of your OTT service, download our new white paper Optimizing Multiscreen TV Delivery with a Secure Video Player and contact us at dtv.nagra.com to see how we can help.
Tags OTT; multiscreen
Our related products Cloud
JoinIn
Medialive
Most recent headlines
17/02/2025
TVBEurope talks to the team who brought a piece of broadcasting history back to life on BBC Wales last night
By Jenny Priestley
Published: February 14, 2025 ...
17/02/2025
Eligible studios will receive the relief directly from their local authorities, with no need to submit a claim
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 17, 20...
17/02/2025
As DEI initiatives come under pressure in the USA, supporters of Rise, which promotes diversity in the media and entertainment sector, discuss the continuing im...
17/02/2025
EIB Global loan will partially fund SES's continued O3b mPOWER medium earth orbit (MEO) fleet expansion enabling additional capacity worldwide. O3b mPOWER s...
15/02/2025
At Nielsen, Business Resource Groups (BRGs) play a critical role in nurturing a ...
15/02/2025
Innovation to empower creativity: Explore the latest in Lightroom
Rob Christensen February 15, 2025
0 Comments
Whether you want to remove distracting ...
15/02/2025
Wisycom, a worldwide leader in RF technology and provider of wireless solutions, announces a new distribution agreement with EQUAPHON. An Argentinian profession...
15/02/2025
DPA Microphones, the leading manufacturer of high-quality microphone solutions, is pleased to welcome Nicholas Nick Mariano and Vincent Vince Divine to the ...
15/02/2025
Tuxera, a leading provider of quality-assured file systems and networking solutions, will showcase how Tuxera Fusion SMB enables unprecedented performance for m...
15/02/2025
Bitmovin's latest Video Developer Report indicates an increasing role of AI, the slow adoption of next-generation codecs, and continuing challenges when it ...
15/02/2025
When Michelin Enterprises set out to promote its prestigious Hotel Guide in the new Sleepless in the Kitchen , campaign, veteran German/Slovenian gaffer Robert...
15/02/2025
Formula E, the world's first all-electric racing series, revolutionizing motorsport with cutting-edge technology and a commitment to sustainability has sele...
15/02/2025
Agile Content, a global leader in TV and video technology solutions, announces its rebranding to AgileTV.
The transition to AgileTV stems from a commitment to ...
15/02/2025
Hiltron Communications will promote the latest additions to its range of satellite communication products, systems and supporting services at GovSatCom 2025. Th...
15/02/2025
Following the success of the original Airglow Booklight, DoPchoice debuts a new addition to their inflatable line the Float. This lightweight, inflatable, round...
15/02/2025
LAS VEGAS Marshall Electronics has announced that it will debut its newest camera controller, the RCP Plus, at the 2025 NAB Show at Booth N2649 between April 5 ...
15/02/2025
ATLANTA Gray Media has named Blake Sebo as the next general manager of KTUU and KYES, Gray's NBC and CBS affiliates in Anchorage, Alaska....
15/02/2025
KOKKEDAL, Denmark DPA Microphones will feature its new CORE+ technology for distortion-free microphone sound at the 2025 NAB Show, April 5-9, in Las Vegas....
15/02/2025
SWANSEA, U.K. QuickLink will launch StudioPro-NDI and StudioPro-3, two new models of its QuickLine StudioPro video production platform, at the 2025 NAB Show, Ap...
15/02/2025
Live From 2025 NBA All-Star Game Weekend: After 25 Years, Turner Sports All-In F...
15/02/2025
NASCAR Driver Cam on Max Embraces Cloud-Based Workflow for 2025 Season Chris Brown of WBD Sports says Mobii will play key part in delivering signals from the tr...
14/02/2025
Last month, we officially launched the Spotify Partner Program, a powerful new m...
14/02/2025
From an island off the coast of Lutruwita to the global stage in France SBS & ...
14/02/2025
The future of electro-optical/infrared (EO/IR) land systems is evolving so that ...
14/02/2025
Here are 5 reasons why you should attend ISE 2025
Discover more about Calrec: Learn more about Calrec's legacy of innovation in broadcast audio solutions ...
14/02/2025
World Radio Day: On the same wavelength
By Graham Murray, International Sales Manager at Calrec
To mark World Radio Day, Calrec's International Sales Ma...
14/02/2025
DALLAS and TYSONS, Va. Tegna has concluded a broadcast rights agreement that makes Tegna's KFAA in Dallas the exclusive local television partner of the Dall...
14/02/2025
Amazon's Prime Video has released a new app for Apple TV that the streamer said delivers an improved streaming experiences with faster scrolling, improved s...
14/02/2025
CLEVELAND Telos Alliance announced a software update for its Axia Quasar XR and SR line of audio-over-IP (AoIP) mixing consoles and will show the offering at th...
14/02/2025
Puget Systems Returns to HPA Tech Retreat 2025 with New Analysis Tools for Puge...
14/02/2025
Glass Animals: Tour of Earth Uses Blackmagic Live Production Workflow
Brie Clayton February 14, 2025
0 Comments
80six deploys Blackmagic URSA Broadcas...
14/02/2025
A dispute between Paramount and Youtube TV that would have pulled CBS stations and Paramount's cable channels from the streaming service has been temporaril...
14/02/2025
Colourist Deidre (Dee) McClelland details how she helped shape the distinct look and feel of whimsical Oscar-nominated stop-motion film, Memoir of a Snail
By C...
14/02/2025
BitFire said it intends to introduce forward-looking services that simplify the launch of live production workflows, and enhance real-time collaboration
By Jen...
14/02/2025
The claim by the liquidators is the latest twist in the ongoing saga of the companys collapse at the end of 2021
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: February 14, ...
14/02/2025
A carriage dispute between YouTube TV and Paramount could come to a head today (Feb. 13), with the virtual pay TV provider threatening to pull all of the progra...
14/02/2025
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. LG Electronics USA has opened a new in-house, state-of-the-art virtual production studio at its 360,000-square-foot North American headqu...
14/02/2025
NEW YORK In a bid to help local broadcasters find new ways of monetizing their content, the Coalition for Innovative Media Measurement (CIMM) and TVB have relea...
14/02/2025
WASHINGTON Three Democratic U.S. Senators have sent a stern letter blasting FCC Chair Brendan Carr for the weaponization of the agency for attacking broadcast...
14/02/2025
Years after launching the streaming service Apple TV+ in November of 2019, Apple has finally released a version of its steaming app for Android devices....
14/02/2025
FOOTHILL RANCH, Calif. Red Digital Cinema will make its V-RAPTOR [X] and KOMODO-X camera systems available with Nikon's premier Z Mount, providing filmmaker...
14/02/2025
DAYTONA, Fla. The Fox Sports production of this year's Daytona 500 will see the addition of a few new tech elements and the continued unfolding of the broad...
14/02/2025
Watch Bryson Battles Blind Audition on The Voice Get a Four-Chair Turn Michael Bubl said the Boston Conservatory at Berklee musical theater senior might have...
14/02/2025
2025 Daytona 500: FOX Sports Looks To Ride Super Bowl LIX Momentum Into NASCAR S...
14/02/2025
14 Feb 2025
VEON's Kyivstar and the Come Back Alive Foundation Raise USD 2....
14/02/2025
Max Renews THE PITT, Starring Noah Wyle, For A Second Season
Max
Warner Bros. Television Group
The Pitt
New Episodes Of The Medical Drama From John...
14/02/2025
This year, Technicolor proudly celebrates 110 years of shaping the magic of cinema pioneering color, visual effects, and innovation that bring unforgettable l...
14/02/2025
NBA All-Star: More Games, More Teams, More Music, More Sound From the Court Turner Sports' team will deploy familiar tech to capture all the audio By Dan D...
14/02/2025
LIV Golf Continues To Innovate With Drones, Data-Driven Graphics, and All-Access...
By Simon Trudelle, Senior Product Marketing Director, NAGRA
