Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) March 2018 Volume 35, Issue 2 | Page 40

40 X-PLATFORM
March 2018

Smart TV just grew smarter

How today ’ s consumers feel when they view or interact with what they see on their TV sets , and whether the experience is engaging and easy to navigate , shapes the “ TV Experience ” today , suggested Aneesh Rajaram , CEO of Vewd .
Having had 15 years ’ experience in delivering over-the-top ( OTT ) software for some of the leading consumer electronics brands , Vewd now wants to help define the TV Experience with the launch of Vewd OS , an entertainment operating system designed for smart TVs .
Rajaram told APB : “ We now see smart TV as being the most important platform for long-form content , because people don ’ t want to watch movies and TV shows on their mobile phones .
“ So , it makes sense that Vewd OS leads with video . Beginning
with a cinematic home screen , Vewd OS really immerses the viewer in video . Static app icons give way to dynamic thumbnails , giving users a real-time overview of content .”
He also sees a shift from appcentric display to video-centric display of content in 2018 , where viewers relate to content instead of just a static display of apps .
Opportunities also abound in Asia-Pacific , where technologies such as HbbTV emerges , as Rajaram explained : “ This means there ’ s an opportunity to provide a good linear TV experience blended with OTT content . Doing this now will give viewers a more cohesive and seamless viewing experience between all content sources .”
At the heart of Vewd OS is Vewd Core , a software development kit ( SDK ) that provides an
HTML5 rendering engine . “ Vewd Core is the industry ’ s most chosen third-party HTML5 SDK . It ’ s proven and shipped on tens of millions of devices , and comes with all the robustness and dynamism of core Web technologies ,” said Rajaram .
Vewd OS also enables the cloud-launching of apps , a “ great win ” for Vewd ’ s content partners , he described . Rather than asking consumers to download an app , they can see video choices from each content company immediately , thus enhancing content discovery .
As to how artificial intelligence ( AI ) can further augment this process , Vewd is “ watching the space closely ”, Rajaram said , before adding : “ Already , Vewd OS lets consumers ‘ favourite ’ everything , from apps to specific videos . These are great signals we can use
❝ We now see smart TV as being the most important platform for long-form content .❞
— Aneesh Rajaram , CEO , Vewd
when it comes time to recommend content .”
Going back to HbbTV , he believes ad replacement is one of the most valuable benefits broadcasters can derive from the standard . “ Because you can dynamically insert IP content into the broadcast stream , you can unlock all of the targeting and personalisation that comes with IP technology and this , of course , applies to serving more targeted advertising content .”
Another of Vewd ’ s key goals is to help broadcasters monetise their content . For instance , the company works with South Korean network Arirang to bring the latter ’ s content to viewers all over the world through Vewd Snap , which allows content owners to create and submit a TV app in minutes .
Rajaram concluded : “ Increasingly , broadcasters are content
owners who can monetise their content globally , and with our tools , any broadcaster can service their expatriate populations globally .”

Verimatrix enhances OTT security with AWS as cloud partner

To enhance revenue for network-connected devices and services , Verimatrix has announced an API integration between its MultiRights OTT multi-DRM ( digital rights management ) security solution with Amazon Web Services ( AWS ) Media Services . The integrated solution is available through AWS Elemental MediaConvert and AWS Elemental MediaPackage .
The cloud-based AWS Media Services provides users with the capa bility to ingest , process , package and deliver content at scale . With this API integration , pay-TV operators , broadcasters and over-the-top ( OTT ) providers will be able to process and deliver video streams for broadcast TV and multi-screen devices with security , scalability and simplicity of cloud-based solutions , said Verimatrix .
Tom Munro , CEO of Verimatrix , told
APB : “ Media companies have been changing their workflows by incorporating cloud technology to better streamline their workflows . We are also seeing a shift in how video is created and distributed . More video content is now being stored in the cloud , which is also a more efficient way for operators to share their resources .”
Designed to unify rights management across networks and devices for OTT video delivery , MultiRights OTT is equipped with the ability to manage different DRM implementations across HLS ( HTTP Live Streaming ), Smooth Streaming , and MPEG- DASH content formats .
By installing MultiRights OTT , operators can deploy multi-network services with a platform that accommodates evolving security regimes and business models while ensuring differentiated multi-screen video
Tom Monrue , CEO of Verimatrix : The integration of MultiRights OTT with AWS Media Services strengthens Verimatrix ’ s “ cloud strategy for the broader workflow that includes analytics and watermarking ”.
services across all device categories . In addition , the multi-DRM solution brings set-top boxes ( STBs ), consumer devices and HTML5 browsers under a unified rights management security umbrella to enable “ secure premium ” content playback .
“ We have been focusing on developing next-generation technologies ,” Munro added . “ The Verimatrix MultiRights OTT API inte gration with AWS Media Services
strengthens our overall cloud strategy for the broader work flow that includes analytics and watermarking .”
Live video workflows combine encoding using AWS Elemental MediaLive , and packaging , origination and encryption via AWS Elemental MediaPackage with MultiRights OTT . The AWS Elemental MediaConvert file-to-file video transcoding service can be implemented with MultiRights OTT , creating on-demand assets for both broadcast and multi-screen delivery .
MultiRights OTT can be deployed onpremises , as a virtualised instance hosted inhouse by the provider , or via the Verimatrix Secure Cloud hosting and management service . The multi-DRM solution is also able to provide optional video watermarking and cloud-based analytics for premium video services .

TVT brings localised expertise to diverse Asian market

What do you think are some of the key requirements of broadcasters in Asia today , and what opportunities can you see for TVT in the region ? Jason Ho : Broadcasters of all types need to be sure that they are primed to deal with the fast pace of change , including the continuing rise of over-the-top ( OTT ) and ondemand , the growing internationalisation of TV across the region — and indeed across the globe .
As broadcasters expand their offerings to include more content for other regions and move into new markets , it is critical that they get their approach right at a number of levels . Aside from the obvious technical obstacles broadcasters face when taking their content with new markets , there are a variety of cultural
Jason Ho ( right ), the newly appointed vice-president of sales , Asia , TVT , explains to APB why TVT can play a role in the continued transformation of Asia ’ s broadcast industry .
barriers and compliance challenges to surmount — and this is particularly true within APAC .
Preparing a broad range of foreign content for linear broadcast , OTT , catch-up TV and video-ondemand ( VoD ) requires a blend of cutting-edge technical processes and highly-skilled people with expertise that spans regulatory compliance , format versioning , craft editing and a host of other content management skills .
Operators starting this journey need feet on the ground with longstanding experience to prepare content that meets local market expectations in terms of quality , tone , translation , presentation and reflection of native values — and that is where TVT comes in . We play a key role in providing expertise for global TV brands navigating the local regulatory environment and cultural nuances .
Across APAC , TVT has solidified its position as a leading content services provider for major international players moving into new markets , with a strong presence from Australia to Indonesia to South Korea to Malaysia to Singapore to Japan and beyond , and we hope to continue this momentum across the region .
Delivering IP cloud technologies is one of TVT ’ s key offerings . In your opinion , how is IP and cloud continuing to reshape broadcast infrastructures , particularly in Asia-Pacific ? Ho : The broadcast industry is rapidly embracing IP and adopting a more software-centric approach , and the journey towards virtualisation is no longer a case of if ,
but rather when . However , given the fragmented nature of Asia ’ s broadcast technology landscape , the adoption rate of IP technology differs vastly across the region .
Certainly , network infrastructure capacity and associated costs will make large deployment initially a challenge to roll out , but as this cost reduces you will see broadcasters move away from traditional baseband infrastructures . This has started to happen with early adopters , but is not widespread yet , mainly due to the evolution of standards and interoperability issues .
Nonetheless , broadcasters across APAC need to plan for the transition to IP-based systems after a careful consideration and analysis of how IP can best address their current and future needs .