Robert Guest

Robert is VP Product and Content at ACCESS Europe, with a focus on HTML5 platforms and media sharing solutions, including industry specific extensions such as HbbTV and W3C Vehicle APIs, so that ACCESS customers can deploy standards based state of the art products. He has been involved in projects with major customers in both automotive and TV and ensures a customer focused development strategy for ACCESS. His role involves working with telcos, middleware suppliers, STB OEMS, automotive tier 1s and automotive OEMS to ensure that ACCESS products deliver the features needed in these fast evolving markets.
Connected TV

Is Chromecast disrupting the multiscreen industry or just a gadget supporting today’s use cases?

Posted on by Robert Guest

Google Chromecast

Google’s recent launch of the Google Chromecast dongle has been all over the new: plugging a simple dongle into your TV and using your smartphone and tablet as a remote opens new doors for the industry.

So what is it? It’s really a pretty simple small dongle that can be plugged into a TV HDMI port to enable OTT content to be watched on a connected TV all controlled by your Android or iOS device – and most important of all it’s only $35. It supports both HTML5 and Flash, making it compatible with virtually all video content available online. It was sold out in hours on Google Play, proving that there is enormous demand for user-friendly tools that enable the consumption of Internet content on the TV.

However, security is an issue. Commentators discussing Google Chromecast report that it lacks any kind of basic password control: once plugged into the TV, Chromecast can be controlled by virtually anyone that comes by.

The idea that any device can become a remote for connected TVs is not new, popular standards such as Digital Living Network (DLNA) already provide this kind of functionality. Many TV’s support DLNA and operators are beginning to use DLNA to provide exciting new multiroom and multiscreen experiences without the requirement for additional hardware. These new use cases are supported by the DLNA Premium Video Guidelines, which have been designed to support operators and content owners looking to provide secure multiscreen experiences.

While DLNA already incorporates security requirements from Studios and Operator, the Chromecast device is still lacking such functionality. Operators can utilize DLNA distribution and utilize HTML5 and Responsive Design UI as the developments standards to launch exciting multiscreen experiences.

It’s going to be interesting to see if Chromecast can work with biggest players in the broadcast landscape. Until it can, it will remain an interesting gadget rather than a full-fledged connected TV environment. We believe that right now the most important impact of Chromecast is in adding impetus to the effort of operators working towards providing the high-quality multiscreen experiences controlled by the set-top-box and extending to all other connected devices through the browser.

Connected TV

Parks Associates examines multiscreen video security challenges in new white paper

Posted on by Robert Guest

Parks Associates Whitepaper
A new Parks Associates white paper, “New Market Realities in Content Delivery”, looks at the security challenges that need to be faced before multiscreen is ready for primetime.

Parks comments that: “in an arena where content has seemingly ruled, consumers, instead, are the driving force.”

The paper looks at how security and multiscreen interacts for operators, the content industry and the consumer. A key finding in the Park Associates paper is that :”Smart TV manufacturers will hold a prime seat at the table if they develop a future- proof roadmap that allows for affordable upgrades to their own technology.”

Parks also provide a reminder that usability is key, stating: “While the evolution of connected CE devices causes consumers to expect to view the content of their choice on any device, at any time, and anywhere, the multiple options threaten to create an environment that is too technologically difficult for the average consumer to navigate.”

If you would like to receive a complimentary copy of the white paper, please visit: http://eu.access-company.com/whitepaper-download.html

Connected TV

DLNA and HTML5 combine to meet multiscreen challenges

Posted on by Robert Guest

dlna_html5_graphic
The number of connected devices in households is growing fast. According to The NPD Group, the number of connected devices per U.S. Internet household has grown to 5.7, up from 5.3 devices just three months ago. And Cisco predicts that the global number of connected devices is set to exceed the number of humans this year.

The consumer wants to use all these connected devices to be able to interact so that content can be accessed on any device anywhere and anytime. What we’ve seen so far is that operators have launched piecemeal content sharing, for example for the PC or iOS devices. What the industry now needs to do is to deliver complete solutions that provide a one-stop-shop for all multiscreen requirements. Not only does this mean creating a service that works on every screen, it also means delivering advanced and compelling UIs that answer the needs of today’s consumer and also protect and enhance the operators brand.

Fortunately the combination of DLNA and HTML5 provides a powerful and simple route to providing playability and interoperability on almost all devices. An added bonus in the US is that DLNA is the first connectivity solution to receive FCC validation as a suitable industry standard for cable operators that need to meet the FCC mandate for IP connectivity.

This means that operators using our solutions can meet important regulatory requirements and at the same time deploy exciting, next generation TV-centric multiroom and multiscreen services that are secure, and interoperable with other systems.

If you have any comments, thoughts, opinions, or concerns surrounding the multiscreen industry we’d love to hear from you!

Joerg Eggink
Global Product Director, Connected Home

Connected TV

IHS Screen Digest report puts multiscreen monetization under the microscope

Posted on by Robert Guest

At ACCESS we are producing solutions to drive the success of multiscreen deployments. We are also aware that the business models to drive multiscreen are not yet solid – so to help drive multiscreen monetization debate forward we asked IHS Screen Digest to look at the issues surrounding monetization. The result is a white paper ‘Unlocking and Securing Multiscreen’s Monetization Potential’, now available at http://mediapilot.access-company.com/screendigest.html.

The IHS Screen Digest paper sites ‘insurance’ as the main driver of present multiscreen deployments, with monetization some time I the future. IHS Screen Digest states this as follows: “Pay-TV multiscreen is not a reaction to eroding subscription bases, or revenue loss in the present. It is a form of insurance, and secures the future where consumers continue to purchase high-value pay-TV subscriptions.  … In pivoting their extensive content offers beyond the set-top, operators can protect the future of the subscription income stream, place subscriber acquisition on firm footing, and monetise wide- reaching content distribution in proactive, incremental fashion.”
In addition, the report identifies the three following technologies as key to driving multiscreen success: DLNA, HTML5 and security.

Key findings of the report include:

  • OTT has so far had little or no discernible impact on subscriber numbers (see graph below)
  • OTT is not affecting marginal revenues from operators’ advanced services
  • Consumers content spend is still predominantly on Pay-TV subscriptions
  • DLNA, HTML5 and security are the three key technologies key to multiscreen success

IHS_graphic
Our work in producing DLNA and HTML5 solutions and our collaboration with CAS/DRM partners means that we’re playing a key role in all three technologies that IHS Screen Digest identifies as at the heart of enabling the multiscreen revolution.

Although the report finds little hard evidence of OTT yet hurting the TV operators, when I’m talking to customers they are pretty sure that Pay-TV VoD buy rates are lower when a consumer has OTT. Our research also suggests that OTT ARPU is in almost all cases considerably greater than incremental Pay-TV VoD ARPUs.

Putting together what the report says with what I’m hearing anecdotally it’s clear that Pay-TV operators are in a strong position. However, it’s critical that they guard against OTT chipping away at their customer base and VoD revenues. The best way to do that is by deploying powerful DLNA and HTML5 powered VoD, OTT, multiroom and multiscreen services that at least match their OTT rivals in terms of both usability and content breadth. If they can do that their natural advantages of existing strong content relationships, scale, QoS and customer care combined with the cross marketing and discounting they can offer to cross-sell VoD and OTT services to their existing customers will ensure that Pay-TV operators will continue to prosper relative to their OTT rivals.

 Joerg Eggink
Global Product Director, Connected Home
ACCESS Europe GmbH

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