April 2017 www . apb-news . com | APRIL 2017 | VOLUME 34 | ISSUE 3
NEWS & VIEWS 6 CREATION 22 MANAGEMENT 28 DISTRIBUTION 32 X-PLATFORM
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W O R L D I N B R I E F
Sports goes OTT ?
LONDON – Viewers in the UK and the US now spend 60 % of their viewing time on non-live TV , according to a survey by FTI Consulting . As sports remains a key draw , viewers in the UK are found to be watching sports on an average of five different devices — and six in 10 watch sports on their smartphones .
UHD Alliance defines 4K / UHD HDR spec / logo
BARCELONA – The UHD Alliance has released the ‘ Mobile HDR Premium ’ specification and logo for portable devices . According to the alliance , the designation will thus confirm that a device meets UHDA-defined performance criteria for resolution , dynamic range , colour space and bit depth , and delivers a “ consistent premium experience ”.
Mobile the choice of Chinese consumers
BEIJING – Chinese consumers are more frequently watching longform content on smartphones than connected TVs or computers . In a new study , Strategy Analytics also reported that Chinese consumers are now willing to pay for video content , primarily due to an “ increasing lack ” of free content in China .
PHOTO : ASIA-PACIFIC BROADCASTING UNION
All roads start with digital
As change continues to sweep the broadcast industry , broadcasters need to be digitally ready in order to face the challenges ahead , was the key message from ABU DBS 2017 .
OTT pricing out the pirates
SINGAPORE – They say old habits die hard . Before there was over-thetop ( OTT ), a generation of viewers were accustomed to online viewing via pirated sources . The challenge today for OTT service providers is to convince consumers to pay for something that they used to enjoy for free , said Marcel Fenez , president of Fenez Media , a management consulting firm .
Speaking to APB at last month ’ s CASBAA OTT Summit 2017 held in Singapore , Fenez said : “ Clearly , what has to happen is , firstly , an education process for consumers and , secondly , operators have to make their services better than the pirated ones .”
Great content should be a given , he added , while convenience to the consumer should be at the centre of all OTT strategies . “ The industry needs to understand the term of convenience because it has different aspects to it — convenience of location , of time , of payment and pricing .”
No OTT service will “ reach every one ”, but it will be the companies who better understand and adapt to consumer behaviour , and
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KUALA LUMPUR – The broadcast industry in the Asia-Pacific region is facing arguably the largest multifaceted transition in its history . As viewing habits continue to evolve , broadcasters are compelled to manage the rise of over-the-top ( OTT ) services .
Emerging technologies such as 4K / Ultra HD ( UHD ), 8K and virtual reality ( VR ), coupled with the transition to IP , are creating challenges and opportunities in equal measure .
In the Asia-Pacific region , one key aspect that will allow broadcasters to manage , and thrive in this multi-faceted transition , is unquestionably , the migration to digital terrestrial TV ( DTT ), said Dr Amal Punchihewa , director , technology and innovation , Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union ( ABU ).
Speaking to APB after the successful completion of the ABU Digital Broadcasting Symposium ( DBS ) 2017 in Malaysia last month , he said : “ Digital transmission should be considered as the most critical
Vinten microVRC
A new cost-effective controller for broadcast quality robotic movement
* ideally suited for the Vinten Vantage aspect in the [ multi-faceted ] transition , especially in Asia . Analogue transmission lacks return paths that can integrate with modern broadcast services .
“ Broadcasters who have not gone digital are slowly but surely losing their audiences due to not having mechanisms to interact , get analytics and build loyalty among audiences .”
Perhaps , governments and regulators should play a bigger and influential role in speeding up the Analogue Switch-Off ( ASO ) process in Asia , as Charles Sevior , CTO , Asia-Pacific and Japan , Dell EMC , pointed out . “ The process to go from analogue to digital began in Australia in 2001 , when digital test transmissions and trials were conducted , but it was not until 2008 did the Australian government announce the actual ASO date .”
Australia ’ s ASO was completed in 2013 , and broadcasters in the country are reaping the benefits , offering multicast and streaming
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