Robert Guest

The connected entertainment industry is currently under pressure like never before: there are more devices than ever, but time to market is shrinking – making it virtually impossible for operators to develop services that cater for all screens without spending months in testing before services are truly ready.

Unfortunately for operators, the consumer thirst for readily available video is far from being quenched, and the latest Over-The-Top (OTT) services are complicating matters by enabling updates to happen on the fly.

So how can operators compete?

The answer is simple: adopt a universal solution that adapts to all the devices they want their service to be compatible with. Luckily for them, this is readily available as a worldwide standard, and it is called HTML5.

HTML5 has been around for a few years, starting in the online world before moving into the broadcast space as digital TV started to become more prominent and connected applications became mainstream. Today, HTML5 is the only technology deployed across all chipsets and for all types of devices, independent of the underlying OS. When used for app development, it enables developers to provide a bridge across diverse hardware and software and can provide a unified platform for linear broadcast and full-IP services.

As the industry embraces IP-delivery of content to satisfy the consumer need for their content, their way, whether through smart TV portals or OTT platforms à la Netflix or Amazon Prime, HTML5’s hegemony is likely to become even more obvious in all parts of the world. In June, NBC News announced that 95% of all its videos are able to load within three seconds – achieved as a direct result of moving to HTML5 from older technologies. While this is only one example, it demonstrates how HTML5 can impact the accessibility of content, so it’s easy to imagine how big of an impact it can have, and is having, on the wider TV industry.

ACCESS has always strongly believed that standards have a central role to play in changing the way we consume entertainment, so it’s little wonder that we have invested so heavily in HTML5 for our NetFront™ Browser family. The launch of the Chromium Blink engine based NetFront™ Browser BE Software Development Kit (SDK) v2.4 for Linux and Android platforms only reinforces our commitment to HTML5, which we strongly believe to be a key component in the future of the video industry – from 4k to 8k and beyond.

The new HTML5 SDK supports features needed to quickly integrate a high performance Chromium based solution into a consumer product. It includes the Chromium Embedded Framework v3 for Linux platforms, an Android browser SDK for embedding into branded apps, an external media player API so that proven media solutions can be leveraged, and an external decoder framework enabling high performance hardware assisted rendering even when supporting standards such as EME/MSE. We deliver SDKs to our development partners and customers for a range of System on Chips (SoC), including Broadcom, MStar, Intel, Renesas, Amlogic and Socionext. Add to this support for the latest standards such as HbbTV 2.0.1, ARIB STD-B62/TR-B39, Freeview Play and YouTube on TV 2017 plus the in-built content protection with the Encrypted Media Extensions (EME). It is clear to see that the solution provides the answers to the industry’s current challenges – making content accessible as easily as possible, across as many platforms as possible and in the best possible format.

Now is the time for operators to fully embrace HTML5 and start to reap the benefits of a cross platform worldwide standard rather than developing and maintaining for a multitude of OS specific solutions. If you’re looking for insight into how HTML5 compatible browsers can help improve your services or launch additional ones, we would be happy to hear from you. From smartphones and tablets through to e-Readers, games consoles like the new Nintendo Switch, smart TV portals including Foxxum, 4K capable TVs like the new Hisense range, and automotive head units, we have shipped our technology in over 1.5 billion devices so we know what it takes to deliver the products that consumers desire.

To see NetFront Browser BE v2.4 live in action, please arrange a meeting with us at IBC 2017 (stand #14.D14) by contacting tv@access-company.com

Millennials and Generation Z’s will soon be the dominant age bracket, but these tech savvy consumers are already reshaping the pay-TV landscape. After years of steady growth and being relatively unchallenged, pay-TV operators in mature markets, such as Europe and North America, are facing the chop as younger audiences cut the cord.

Originally, the cord-cutting phenomenon was confined to the United States. However, in recent years it has crossed the Atlantic and the snip of the scissors is starting to resonate across Europe, with the hardest hit being the Benelux and Scandinavian markets as well as some areas in Central and Eastern Europe.

Case in point: Germany

Western Europe appears to be bucking the trend and Germany’s pay-TV market, in particular, has seen steady growth. Germany is one of the largest TV markets with the largest and best-financed public broadcasting system in the world. Since 2012, its pay-TV market has grown 30% and last year alone the number of subscribers increased to 7.8 million.

Of course, just because Germany’s pay-TV market is currently flourishing, it doesn’t mean operators should avoid looking for new ways to enhance their services to attract and retain subscribers. We will be attending ANGACOM in Cologne to discuss how German operators can retain a competitive edge in a market that is competing with an unprecedented number of service providers, by focusing on the following three points:

1. Getting to know the end-users’ needs better
   Consumers are using more sources than ever before to access content and this is creating an abundance of data, around 2.5 billion GB a day.  Operators need to harness this data to identify consumer’s habits and tailor their services accordingly. Besides the portfolio optimization, effectively utilising this data, operators can retain a competitive edge by driving personalisation and recommendation, which will ultimately enhance the consumer experience. For example, a fan of Orange is the New Black is more likely to be interested in Stranger Things rather than a period drama. However, by supporting the full range of public, private and premium content sources operators can offer easily more than “safe” options in order to let subscribers discover new content.
2. Providing easy access to both personal content and external sources
   In the TV Everywhere age, it is crucial that operators enable media distribution on all devices and between all screens. The proliferation of personal devices, such as smartphones, laptops and tablets, means consumers expect content to be available anytime, anywhere and on any device. Furthermore, end-users love to access content “right-away” without the need of remembering where to which content is available. Operators and content brands can cooperate to enable a one-stop solution for content consumption, applying a shop-in-shop system for the accordingly integrated brands as well as lowering the costs to reach the end-users. Thus, creating one solution to access all types of content from private to premium is key.
3. Not compromising on security
   Whilst operators need to provide consumers with seamless access to all types of content, they must also fulfil the latest studio obligations on security and content protection.

Enabling easy distribution of content across all devices of a service including e.g. place-shifting functionality and maintaining the necessary level of security is the key to providing such services without headaches. In 2014, we launched ACCESS Twine™ to address this growing requirement and to be able to apply multiple Digital Rights Management and Conditional Access technologies within one single solution. Last year, we also extended our partnership with Verimatrix to ensure that there is a future-proof solution that caters to all media sources and all devices without requiring operators to invest in costly solutions for each.

Whilst the cord-cutting phenomenon is a concern for pay-TV operators, there are steps that can be taken to recapture the eyes of the cordless generation. By using the right technology, operators can enhance their services and ensure they remain competitive in a rapidly changing TV landscape.

Multiscreen is here to stay, but in which format? According to our discussions at IBC 2016, the road ahead is still unpaved – although we are seeing the first signs of maturity. However, IBC was a perfect opportunity to debunk some multiscreen myths:

The set-top box isn’t dead

Ever since the advent of Over-the-Top (OTT) services, players around the industry have claimed that the era of the set-top was coming to an end. What we have seen at IBC proves that once more, these comments are premature. The set-top is undergoing a revolution, with local features being reassigned to the cloud, but it remains the most controlled environment – and as such, the most reliable and secure one – for operators.
Secure keys are being integrated directly within smart TVs, making control easier, while search and recommendation features are being handled from the cloud. Yet, consumers still see content as personal and save a lot of content to their PVR for future access as it does not expire in the same way as catch up services. This means that operators looking to offer multiscreen still have to take into account the importance of the set-top box as the user’s primary storage space for their personal library and look for ways to add value by providing access from other devices in the home.

Apps are not going to rule our video consumption in the near future

While it is clear that apps are becoming more commonplace, they are not replacing traditional TV viewing. Instead, different devices drive different use cases.  According to audience measurement company Verto Analytics, consumers are mainly watching long-form video on smart TVs and games consoles, while smartphones and PCs are used to access short-form content. This means that, while operators need to have apps in place, such as YouTube on TV, there is no such thing as an app vs operator environment threat in a multiscreen world – instead, they should be viewed as complementary.
Now is the time for operators to look for ways to maximise consumer time spent in their environment, and the best way to do so is to ensure that all content sources can be accessed via a branded environment – be it YouTube, the consumer’s PVR library or any third party source. Consumers want to be able to easily access content; the shorter the journey, the more likely they are to use the operator’s platform. This is why HTML5 and responsive design, which can be leveraged via our NetFront™ Browser family, are now the industry’s standard; while HbbTV, WebKit and Chromium Blink are replacing custom solutions to facilitate integration with a wider range of devices.

High resolution content isn’t limited to large screens … but it needs to be secured

Ultra HD is rolling out and slowly becoming a mass-market proposition, and while it was expected that only large physically sized screens would be appropriate to render it, it is already becoming appropriate for smaller screens as well. Now, operators can look to include UHD within their multiscreen service offerings such as sports and other premium content, all delivered to any device at an appropriate bitrate and resolution.
Even though operators can now extend their offering across the users screens they still need to ensure that all content transported over their platform is fully secure to satisfy the content owners requirements. The adoption of solutions like Verimatrix’ Verspective, now integrated with ACCESS Twine™, can help address this issue by enabling operators to secure, monitor and analyse the security on their systems. This way, operators can ensure that they provide the required level of content protection for each device and network, in a completely transparent way for the consumer.

IBC 2016 confirmed our multiscreen beliefs. It is increasingly clear that operators need to bring their services together for ease of access by consumers and that seamless integration, most commonly enabled by HTML5 browser-based platforms is a key driver for mass adoption of multiscreen. We are now preparing for a future where consumers will be able to access all their content sources through a single, consistent application, watch content anywhere, at any time they like, and do this all securely.
To learn more about our solutions for multiscreen, please head to our website.