Build vs. buy might not be the oldest dilemma in the streaming technology book, but it’s close. And when it comes to complex live streaming, the horns of that dilemma are particularly pointed.
The streaming technology market is typified by off-the-shelf, line-of-business applications that do a few things very well, but are extremely difficult or impossible to extend if they don’t do exactly what you want. That lack of customization can be a dealbreaker.
On the other hand, for a broadcaster (or large enterprise, or betting company, or …) to build its own streaming platform from scratch requires a daunting investment of time and resources—resources that would be much better spent on their core business proposition.
So let’s dig a little deeper into both buying and building, as well as look at a middle path that offers media companies the best of both worlds.
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Why is it so important to communicate the value of technology solutions to potential buyers? How will this improve their decision-making or outcomes? Because beyond the ever-present sales and marketing imperative is a more important driver: media businesses can’t fully benefit from the ecosystem of the future without understanding its significance.
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Many years ago, digitization offered a panacea; a mechanism to rid the world of analogue and proprietary digital video tape formats and make content more easily accessible and exploitable. Using supposedly non-proprietary encoding schemes, the content became independent of the physical media, so future migrations would be easy. Robotic data libraries and control software automated many processes, removing the need for many staff. Carefully annotated and indexed content using new DAM systems would make assets inherently exploitable, watermarking would offer protection, and early speech-to-text processing would make for the richest set of metadata.
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The unbelievable pace with which our industry is changing requires media companies to think ahead and develop robust strategies that help them stay ahead of the curve. As audiences consume content in new and ever-changing ways, there are now many tough challenges and exciting opportunities that all media companies need to be ready for. We are seeing more and more organizations evolving their workforce and workflows to survive and thrive.
Future-proofing a video distribution strategy does not have to be complicated. Here are four simple steps to consider in today’s constantly shifting business environment.
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While the shift from ground to cloud playout is well under way, there are several roadblocks on the path to a fully cloud-based infrastructure that will leave the broadcast industry in a transitional phase for years to come. Here, we delve into those obstacles and propose a hybrid approach for this interim period that allows broadcasters to continue utilizing their existing on-premises equipment, while reaping the benefits of cloud technology.
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Media content delivery generates a lot of logs. This is a fact well understood at G&L, since we facilitate the distribution of audio and video content, live and on-demand, for some major broadcasters and official bodies to end users. We know well that log data has no lesser commercial value than the content itself. Log misdelivery can lead to short-term profit losses for streaming and broadcasting service providers. These issues can affect advertising exposure assessment, long-term planning, and more. Providing accurate data and analytics alongside our core services is our dedication, duty, bread and butter.
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In today’s fast-paced business environment, automation has become an indispensable element in project management. The advantages of automation are extensive and diverse, encompassing everything from reducing costs and increasing productivity to optimizing performance and streamlining workflows. When it comes to implementing solutions for SaaS automation, there are numerous advantages in choosing a cloud-based service, not only in controlling CAPEX expenditure, but also in the flexibility these systems can offer.
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Unless you are a hermit, you cannot fail to have noticed all the talk about AI at the moment. It is everywhere.
If you believe the hype, then we are all doomed. The machines are ready to take over, and there will be no need for any human to do any work ever again. We are all rather more cynical than that, and we know deep down that we can probably hang on to our jobs at least for a while.
For a long time now, we have known one fundamental thing about computers. They are good at dull, repetitive tasks, while people are good at creative tasks. And, despite the reports in the popular press, AI largely conforms to that rule.
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In an uncertain world, it pays for broadcast vendors to refocus their activities on what really makes them distinctive. And one way in which they can do that is to outsource some of their design, manufacturing and integration needs to a dedicated ODM provider, says Densitron’s SVP Product, Peter Semerak.
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We believe there’s a once-in-a-generation opportunity for telco and pay TV providers to diversify their retail offer, by moving beyond quad-play to ‘omni-play’ and beyond super-aggregation of video content, to the aggregation of our increasingly smart lives.
By ‘aggregating more’ operators will be able to increase customer loyalty and raise ARPU, from services as diverse as multiplayer live gaming and home security, to smart domestic energy management.
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