❝ It is important to keep in mind that it is not the network that makes OTT content vulnerable to piracy but the security framework within the device itself . ❞
November 2016
X-PLATFORM 25
UHD and HDR , and paired with improving broadband infrastructures , Fetner predicts a “ significant and growing appetite ” for 4K / UHD HDR content .
He concludes : “ HDR is an emerging technology for video content , but we believe it will be the new standard for home entertainment , and will enhance our existing 4K / UHD library . In addition to 4K / UHD and HDR , we have made HD streaming quality and Dolby 5.1 sound available for many titles on Netflix , giving consumers the choice over the kind of entertainment experience they want .”
To deliver 4K / UHD content , one of the primary requirements is high-speed Internet , which is still considered a privilege in some countries in Asia . This may go some way in explaining why 4K / UHD content is only available in selected countries in Asia — Japan and South Korea included .
For regional OTT service providers HOOQ and iflix , whose services are available in countries such as Indonesia , Thailand and the Philippines among many others ; the priority remains to provide their subscribers with good content , service and experience .
4K / UHD , for the moment at least , is not on the agenda , as “ fast and reliable ” Internet is yet to reach a level of wide availability in Asia , and as there continues to be an overall lack of high-quality broadband infrastructure .
The spokesperson continues : “ OTT streaming is driven by bandwidth and the data requirement to deliver 4K / UHD content is heavy . Even though 4K / UHD services are an interesting and exciting proposition , it ’ s not our priority at the moment .”
HOOQ , on the other hand ,
by paul davis
It ’ s no secret that major sporting events are one of the main driving forces behind the success of live streaming services . Over the past few months , we have seen online viewing figures leap to unprecedented levels through a succession of major international sporting events .
A key factor behind this success has been the ability of broadcasters to monetise their live streams using server-side ad insertion , which allows ad breaks from the original linear feed to be replaced when viewed online . This breakthrough opens up a huge amount of inventory in a way that sits very well with the user ’ s experience of live TV , the ad stitching being completely seamless and frame-accurate .
Broadcasters and advertisers also benefit from the fact that new ads can be personally tailored to suit the interests of each viewer . However , personalisation would be wasted if ad views could not be tracked . Client-side
offers features to ensure that its subscribers can enjoy an “ uninterrupted viewing experience ”, including a custom setting for the subscriber ’ s viewing-quality preference , as well as a bandwidth indicator to access Internet connectivity and adaptive streaming to maximise available bandwidth , according to a HOOQ spokesperson . Again , no plans are afoot to introduce 4K / UHD services in the near future .
Although some operators are timing the launch of 4K / UHD content to match their expectations for mass adoption , Irdeto ’ s Harvey recommends that operators can implement strategies and platform upgrades incrementally to integrate 4K / UHD into their business models . “ This will allow operators to grow their 4K / UHD offering in line with consumer demand , while carefully managing the required investment in equipment , impact on business models , and the greater security and technical requirements ,” he elaborates .
However , delivering on OTT platforms poses another issue — piracy . And it is crucial for service providers to protect their content from headend to end-devices . Irdeto ’ s Burghard stresses : “ We believe content owners need to be able to combat the problem on piracy because the Internet and online piracy is becoming an issue in certain markets , and is hurting legal businesses .
“ Operators need analytics and insights to understand where piracy is happening , what people are viewing , so that they can modify their services to deliver a more legal and compelling service , which is also needed for their customers . Especially for content like sports and movies , there is no business model to the market if the operator
tracking complements server-side stitching to provide real-time analytics , resulting in a true broadcast-standard streaming experience for the viewer , and an industry-standard form of ad measurement for the broadcaster / advertiser . These factors have contributed to view-through rates soaring way beyond 95 %.
Another benefit of live streaming is the relative ease with which live channels can be deployed . Many rights-holders for the 2016 Summer Games , who were keen to make the most of their investment , launched additional online-only channels , which allowed them to live stream every minute of every sporting event .
Looking ahead to the 2020 Games in Tokyo , live streaming will dwarf the 15TB per second peaks that Akamai announced this year . Japan is a key market in this development as it boasts the fifth fastest Internet connection speeds in the world .
But it ’ s not just one-off sporting events that are driving the region ’ s surge in live streaming .
❝ It is important to keep in mind that it is not the network that makes OTT content vulnerable to piracy but the security framework within the device itself . ❞
— Petr Peterka , CTO , Verimatrix
does not secure its content well .”
To help content owners tackle the piracy issue , Irdeto developed the Irdeto Tracemark forensic watermarking solution , which is designed to allow content owners and licensees to trace the source of content piracy and take the necessary actions to stop illegal distribution .
Earlier this year , Irdeto also launched Irdeto Rights , a digital rights management ( DRM ) solution , with support from China DRM . Offered alongside the Irdeto Tracemark , the solution secures and accelerates access to video entertainment for Chinese consumers , including 4K / UHD content .
The security underlying mass distribution of 4K / UHD content must not only provide anti-piracy protection , Harvey explains , but also act as a solution to quickly identify piracy and shut it down if it does occur . He adds that piracy intelligence analytics are necessary to understand the threat landscape in order to determine the next steps in mitigating or eliminating the piracy threat .
Designed to provide the support of traditional anti-piracy services , Irdeto ’ s online piracy detection enables operators to use the piracy intelligence with a holistic view of content consumption within a viewing area , and guides their content acquisition strategy
to ensure that customers ’ demands are met .
“ An essential strategy that operators need to put in place would be to develop a strong partnership with a security provider that will not only help to secure their distribution platforms , but also empower them to continually adapt and grow with the changing times ,” Harvey concludes .
Acknowledging the demand for 4K / UHD content will grow in coming years , Petr Peterka , CTO at Verimatrix , explains that “ progressive ” operators are taking advantage of this opportunity “ to get ahead of the competition by offering higher quality content to grow their business , differentiate their services and prevent subscriber churn ”.
While OTT may be becoming the go-to platform for viewers today to obtain 4K / UHD content , Peterka emphasises that it is important to keep in mind that “ it is not the network that makes OTT content vulnerable to piracy but the security framework within the device itself ”.
This can partly explain why MovieLabs , an independent nonprofit organisation founded by Disney , Paramount , Twentieth Century Fox , Sony Pictures , Universal and Warner Bros , has issued a set of specifications for enhanced content protection due to the op-
Live streaming pays off with server-side ad insertion
Yu Ishikawa of Itochu Cable Systems , stated : “ Live streaming in Japan has been expanding rapidly — not only for one-time sporting events such as baseball , tennis and golf but also the linear delivery of 24 / 7 sports and news channels .”
“ Regarding advertising , though broadcasters and advertisers have enjoyed a certain amount of success using pre-roll , the pristine experience of in-stream dynamic ad insertion ( DAI ) is increasingly attracting the attention of operators and advertising agencies .” portunities 4K / UHD will present to pirates for redistributing highquality content .
These stringent guidelines , according to Peterka , translate into three pillars of 4K / UHD content security : Hardware-based security ; trusted software security ; and forensic watermarking .
Peterka recommends that operators adopt a multi-pronged approach in addressing the different types of threats while protecting their 4K / UHD service revenue , so that they can establish a secure , end-to-end chain of custody .
To protect 4K / UHD content against threats of illegal redistribution , Verimatrix is offering the VideoMark forensic watermarking toolbox for video tracking and forensic identification .
A component of the VCAS Ultra solutions for both broadcast and VoD applications , VideoMark is integrated as a hardware component in major chipset families and enables rights owners and pay-TV operators to maximise the revenue potential of high-value content , including 4K / UHD . The integration of a new Live Profile version further extends the same level of protection for live sports events .
Peterka concludes : “ Watermarking specifically will become an essential component of all OTT services that deliver premium content , because there is no other known technology capable of identifying individual streams and sources effectively .
“ Although the solutions are transparent to the viewers , the inserted marks are more visible and faster to extract , which means that retroactive action can be taken as soon as illegitimate streams are detected , shutting them down before any significant loss of revenue has occurred .”
Properly applied dynamic ad insertion offers views more access to live TV online that they have ever had before , said Yospace .
It ’ s easy to see why live streaming is proving to be so popular , both for the viewer and the broadcaster . The viewer has access to more live TV online than they have ever had before and , through properly applied DAI , they are able to sit back and enjoy a true broadcast experience .
Meanwhile , the broadcaster is able to build a closer relationship with its audience and benefit from the ad revenues that relationship brings . Viewing records will continue to be broken from one major live event to the next up to and beyond the next Summer Games , which is very good news for all concerned .
Paul Davis is Manager – Communications , Marketing , Commercial , at Yospace , which is demonstrating dynamic ad insertion at the Itochu booth at Inter BEE 2016 , which is taking place in Tokyo from November 16-18 .