The future of the digital broadcasting industry received a powerful push for deregulation from the exiting Vice-President of the European Commission Neelie Kroes. Addressing IBC 2014 in Amsterdam, Kroes conveyed frustration over copyright hurdles that were impeding industry development. “My dream is a market that is open, borderless and competitive. Stimulating a sector that pushes innovation, creativity and culture,” she told IBC delegates.
Kroes suggested that Europe should “embrace the single market,” on digital issues adding that copyright reform was crucial to allow the proper flow of European innovation in broadcasting.
“Today broadcasters spend years on paperwork to clear licences, so they can show material in other EU countries. That’s expensive enough for the established players; new innovative players can’t afford it at all. Only those with patience and deep pockets can afford to negotiate that maze,” she said.
Kroes added that it was “time for a change” in regard to flexibility to international viewing access. “Many people ask me, why can’t I pay to access my favourite TV show when I travel? Or watch the match of my favourite football team from back home? And I just don’t know how to answer them.”
The keynote from Kroes set the tone for the annual event, which has attracted over 54,000 attendees seeking insights into the future of electronic media, technology and video content. This represents approximately 3% increase compared to 2013.
Key themes emerging across the conference and exhibition is the growing take up of over-the-top TV (OTT) services. Being dependent on the quality Internet access, mass-market OTT adoption was initially limited to the USA and other Western countries. However, the geography of OTT deployment and adoption by consumers is rapidly changing.
According to survey data from SPB TV released at IBC, consumer demand for OTT in emerging markets such as Brazil, India, Mexico, Nigeria, Russia, South Africa and Ukraine is growing in “leap and bounds” as users find it a convenient way to access video content. The report found that PC/laptop remained the dominant platform for OTT and other online video services with 41% of frequent viewers using it. This compared to 25% for access via smartphones, 17% for tablets and 18% for connected TVs.
The OTT content delivery technology is also rapidly evolving and is well represented at IBC 2014. Today, many new deployments opt for HLS and plan for MPEG-DASH transition in the near future. MPEG-DASH adoption is driven not only by traditional OTT operators, but also by broadcasters deploying HbbTV version 1.5 systems.
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Specialist IPTV systems integrator focusing on service providers and enterprises. CombiTel offers unmatched value to its clients based on its unique mix of skills and many years of experience in both Telecommunications and Broadcasting. We have a proven track record and happy customers in Australia and New Zealand.
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