Content drives the CES trend setters

The ubiquity of the TV screen and forecasts on its evolution retained the premiere mantle at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. Yet new strategies of getting content onto that screen emerged (again) as the hottest pieces of discourse from the podium to the show floor.

The ubiquity of the TV screen and forecasts on its evolution retained the premiere mantle at this year’s CES in Las Vegas. Yet new strategies of getting content onto that screen emerged (again) as the hottest pieces of discourse from the podium to the show floor.

Keeping up its shift from a mega gear and gadget show, CES is now firmly a destination for networks and media companies to push new streams of content consumption.
The strongest announcement was the launch of Dish's Sling TV service which offers live and on-demand television delivered via the internet to television sets, computers and mobile devices.

Taking its cues from competitive VoD offerings and attempting to lure the digital natives audience, the satellite provider unveiled the web-based offering that includes ESPN and a slew of other popular networks for US$20 a month. The package effectively undercuts the average household bill for cable and satellite services.

Sling TV is part of the tidal wave of offerings coming from digital, telecom and media companies in the year ahead. The competitive onslaught is part of a bid to circumvent the growing numbers of so-called cord-cutters, who have ditched subscription  offers in favour of cheaper streaming alternatives.  According to streaming devices provider Roku, over three billion hours of content were streamed using its devices in 2014, nearly double the amount in 2013.

Dish executives said Sling TV would complement streaming services like Netflix and Hulu. Established cable and satellite groups are expected to rapidly introduce more flexible offerings to lure or retain subscribers.

Speaking at CES, Verizon Digital Media Services,  chief marketing officer James Segil forecast that 2015 would mark an inflection point where traditional broadcasters shift to IP-based distribution.

"If you don't offer flexibility to customers, you're going to narrow your reach," Segil said. Verizon also announced that it would launch an over-the-top (OTT) bundle this year, with 20 to 30 channels.

Meanwhile, the game changer Netflix said at CES that all of its recent content is being made in HDR 4K, including Marco Polo- its mega budget new series. The investment in the emerging format is all part of being a few steps ahead of the broadcasters, ensuring that they cannot compete on content. 

"We are working with people across the entire platform of content from shooting, editing, mastering, grading and colouring to coding and delivery, and with TV manufacturers to render that on the screen. We have the influence to ensure our big content like Marco Polo is captured on HDR and is delivered properly," said Netflix, Chief Product Officer, Neil Hunt. Netflix forecast that in a three- to five-year time frame, more than half the televisions sold will be HDR 4K televisions.Netflix also announced that it would start a new programme to identify TVs with the best Netflix experience - from picture quality to the Netflix app - and give them an official 'Netflix Recommended' label to put on the box, and in stores.