Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) October 2018 Volume 35, Issue 9 | Page 24

24 Anevia and Viaccess-Orca are providing audiences with an ultra-low latency live streaming solution: Anevia supplying the encoder side of the solution, while Viaccess- Orca the secure video player. The combined Anevia and Viaccess-Orca software has been optimised and integrated to reduce latency and allow streaming at as close to real time as possible, said the companies. The solution, driven by user frustrations at watching live broadcast such as sporting events on a slight delay, will allow audiences to live stream everything with sub-second delay. This is in stark contrast to the up to eight-second broadcast standard delay and the between 30 and 60 seconds with other traditional over- the-top (OTT) systems, the companies added. Vewd Atom brings OTT to legacy set-top boxes Vewd, a smart TV, over-the-top (OTT) software provider, has introduced Vewd Atom, an OTT solution that brings today’s most important apps and streaming experiences to operator devices previously incapable of accessing OTT services. Aneesh Rajaram, CEO of Vewd, said: “Vewd Atom ... offers all of the modern features potential cord-cutters actively seek while reducing the technical burden on operators. Not only can we help reduce churn, but we can also strengthen the value of pay-TV by adding OTT services to hundreds of millions of devices already in the field. This creates the perfect win-win scenario for operators to continue to grow their business.” Next Month @ X-Platform 5G/LTE Broadcast PANELLISTS Chong Siew Loong CTO StarHub Michael Cronk Chairman, Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) Peter Bithos CEO, HOOQ Broadcast TV & social media create powerful synergy to engage audiences In a world where global populations are digitally connected around the clock, broadcasters are increasingly finding it advantageous to use social media to reach out to their audiences. Shawn Liew reports. T IMAGES Anevia, Viaccess-Orca provide ultra-low latency live streaming solution October 2018 The consumption of TV content has evolved to a stage where the overall TV viewing experience is interwined with social media immersion. V has entered the realm of social media. While the likes of Facebook and Twitter were once platforms primarily for the display of individualistic ideas and expressions, they are now allowing their users to stream content previously available only on traditional TV platforms. In fact, as social media platforms continue to compete with broadcast TV for eyeballs, they can plausibly be viewed as the biggest threat to the latter, suggests RV Krishnan, VP graphics, APAC, Vizrt. He tells APB: “Broadcasters have to start looking at ways social media can be leveraged for their own benefit, harnessing synergies and its potential to further their own goals by building loyalty and expanding reach.” Understand your audience, he urges, because social media appeals to a younger demographic profile who have different needs and consumption patterns, compared to mainstream broadcast viewers. The sheer volume of short-form content, instant appeal and shareability are primary considerations for video on social media, according to Kirshnan. The downside is how the ubiquity, huge volume of content and their source can erode confidence and the integrity of the content. “This is amply illustrated by the recent spate of fake news and debates questioning the veracity and authentic- ity of such content,” he explains, while highlighting why the brand of broad- casters is so important in this instance. “By virtue of being a brand and hav- ing the ability with long-form produc- tions, to delve deeply into a subject and expose different facets of discussions, broadcast TV can capture a significant share of audiences who want trusted sources for their news. Broadcasters can leverage the lack of trust in social media to maximise their own viewership.” ❝ Broadcasters have come to terms that social media platforms are here to stay and it is best they acknowledge their wide and pervasive appeal to young audiences. ❞ — RV Krishnan, VP Graphics, APAC, Vizrt Krishnan also observes how broad- casters are increasingly exploiting the synergy with social media, by engaging with their audiences on multiple plat- forms. Beyond this, broadcasters are continuing to engage and build brand recognition with viewers who may be outside of their mainstream broadcast network — by drawing them to program- ming based on verifiable content while stroking their curiosity for a deeper analysis of events. Another content genre where social media and broadcast TV enjoy a close synergy is sports. Fans look for updates and the latest news on games, outcomes and fixtures on social media, while live matches continue to be predominately viewed on high-quality large screens. Broadcasters thus can maximise their viewership through loyalty programmes, including pushing stories, news, game highlights, player profiles and teasers to draw viewers to their own programming, says Krishnan. “Broadcasters have come to terms that social media platforms are here to stay and it is best they acknowl- edge their wide and pervasive appeal to young audiences,” he adds. “They will need to engage with the young, socially- aware generation at their own terms, leveraging the very tools that they use to reach out to them.” Another point to note, Krishnan emphasises, is the omnipresence of