What lies in store for the broadcast industry in 2021?

With vaccines rolling out for COVID-19 in many countries there are signs of light at the end of the tunnel at the start of 2021. In the broadcasting industry, 2020 saw five years of evolution crammed into a single year as a direct consequence of the pandemic. In fact, broadcasting has been compelled to change more rapidly than in any other period in its almost 100-year history. Predicting exactly how things will play out this year is a challenge with broadcasters, service providers and vendors all rethinking where their new priorities lie. However, there are some things we can forecast with a relative degree of confidence. With that in mind, here’s what can be expected to impact broadcasting in the coming year.

5G for media and entertainment: from theory to practical use cases

In recent years 5G has very much been the talk of the technological town in general and increasingly in the media industry. People expect it to play a significant role in live production and contribution as well as distribution to consumers. There are trials and real-world 5G deployments and testing of media use cases going on behind the scenes. In this COVID-19 era, the role of 5G in remote production becomes even more relevant to cut production costs while complying with strict social distancing guidelines.

5G will revolutionize broadcast production and delivery

As you may know, the world of broadcasting is a constantly moving feast. Changes are happening all of the time. One significant change that’s always worth keeping an eye on is the ongoing deployment of 5G networks. In this article, we will explore 5G broadcasting, including how 5G networks are more efficient for mobile and the impact they will have on broadcasting specifically. And, of course, we’ll cover the widespread misconceptions. Let’s delve in, shall we?

TVU One with 5G Modems Case Study: Mount Everest

On May 27, 2020, a team of Chinese surveyors reached the summit of Mount Everest, sixty years after China first accomplished this feat. The climb was organized as a part of China’s mission to remeasure the height of the world’s highest mountain. There has been some question over whether the height has changed over the years.

Connect – on the move

The Connect segment of the BaM Content Chain® encompasses the moving of content, whether real-time (live) or file-based, within and between facilities. This covers a wide range of products and services including IP (and SDI) infrastructure, routing, interfacing and conversion, file-based delivery as well as bandwidth and connectivity services including internet, fiber, satellite, microwave, and cellular. Connect was already one of the fastest growing segments of the BaM Content Chain®, and the Coronavirus pandemic lockdown has dramatically increased demands on connectivity; according to the most recent IABM survey, Connect is the only BaM Content Chain® segment that is still growing during the pandemic. We spoke to IABM members about the drivers of change and trends in this BaM Content Chain® block, what effects they have felt to their business as a result of the pandemic, how they are responding, and what we can expect next in this dynamic sector.

5G Live: The Future of Live Video Production

Majority of us relate 5G to better video reception. And, thus overlook the real potential of video production, distribution and live video experience. Low latency, guaranteed bandwidth, location accuracy are some of the other key benefits that comes with 5G.

Parks Associates Data reports that 41% of US broadband households watch broadcast TV, and 72% subscribe to a pay-TV service that offers live, linear channels. And since this percentage is only going to grow, how can content producers leverage 5G to get a bigger market share?

The Impact of AI, IPv6 and 5G on Cybersecurity

Technology is transforming the world at a rapid pace. If you work on the cybersecurity front, you should not only deal with the reality today, but also have a vision of your long-term security strategy in the new era empowered by artificial intelligence, 5G and IPv6. As these technologies will have a profound impact on how we protect our data and digital assets in the future, we will take a close look at their specific implications on cybersecurity in this article.

Irdeto e-paper: The “Streaming Wars” give pirates the competitive advantage

Today’s consumers have an insatiable appetite for high-quality, on demand content. This hunger to watch what they want, when they want, and how they want, has fueled an explosion in new streaming services; the “Streaming Wars”. Now, in addition to the well-known players Netflix, Hulu and Amazon Prime, major studios and tech-giants such as Warner Media, Disney, NBC Universal, and Apple have all launched (or will launch) their own streaming platforms. As of March 2019, it’s estimated there were more than 300 over-the-top (OTT) video options in the US alone. That number only continues to grow.

The Role of CDN in the 5G Era

The arrival of the 5G era is generating a lot of buzz. One of the questions we hear often is: How will the implementation of 5G impact the existing CDN and in what ways? This blog is written to shed some light on this topic and explain how we believe the content delivery network (CDN) will evolve with 5G.

What lies in store for the broadcast industry in 2021?