Aspirations and Challenges of OTT Video Delivery

The pandemic has had a significant impact on content demand and supply and has also forced broadcasters to think creatively to enable immediate scaling up and scaling down as needed

FREMONT, CA: While the world returns to normal, the changes in the media industry are permanent. Work-from-home mandates significantly enhance OTT platform watching and usage. Daily and weekend viewership became less distinct, and peak daytime viewing hours also shifted. People who worked from home were expected to be more available and to work longer hours. Because viewers were not constrained by business hours, content consumption was observed well into the early morning hours, especially on mobile devices. With a rising audience, broadcasters struggled to meet the demand for new content.

Latency and sports

The streaming of live material, particularly sports, has resulted in a never-ending struggle with latency. Unlike satellite networks, which may delay feeds by up to 10 seconds, OTT networks may experience delays of 30 to 90 seconds. Given that a best-case scenario stream lags behind satellite networks by a few seconds, Sharp inquired whether a suitable low-latency option exists. There is no solution to latency because there are various options – free-to-air, satellite, cable, and over-the-top (OTT) – but no substantial advancement.

The key to monetizing from content

Based on customer behavior during and after the pandemic, digital platforms with integrated education, e-commerce, and IoT smart home solutions are among the new options for monetization. Current monetization approaches employ a personal, one-on-one approach instead of viewing television as a large screen in front of a family, as younger generations desire more significant interaction and interactivity than older generations. Younger generations lean towards entertainment, while older generations like to lean back and watch television.

5G as an enabler

5G networks are becoming more common in the region and have enabled OTT and entertainment. Content already exists for 5G; from a technological standpoint, 5G provides greater flexibility and opportunities for additional features and functions. 5G reduces latency and delivers increased capacity and speed capability. Therefore, it can handle 4K footage wirelessly, enabling several broadcast applications, primarily for remote production and quicker content delivery.

Cloud

The conversation then shifted to cloud computing and its many benefits. With SaaS integration, cloud services can boost scalability and save expenses. However, the region's data sovereignty legislation is a significant disincentive for broadcasters seeking to maximize the cloud's potential. Cloud-based analytics are shared with other vendors and returned to the nation of origin for processing. It is acceptable to secure the data and recognize its sensitivity but must acknowledge that data is practically everywhere today and must accept the cloud.