How different is the media scene in Singapore and this region and how are companies coping with the challenges? Sameer Kanse, Business Head of Tata Communications’ Media Services, has some answers.
How do you see the media landscape today in regional and global terms?
If you look at the media environment today, it is transitioning from linear to non-linear delivery. The three key trends that broadcasters are working to embrace and innovate around include:
Fragmentation: As costs multiply with improved quality and format conversions, broadcasters are now looking to build a value proposition around the second screen that goes beyond video on the move. Consumer usage patterns are also an important factor here. The way people consume content ise also an important factor here. The way people consum content evolving over time, people are using multiple screens – whether its mobile phones, tablets, laptops or television screens – for a number of purposes. In many cases, mobile devices serve as the first screen.
Globalisation: Content produced on one side of the world is being consumed on the other side – American basketball now has an audience in China. It’s difficult to predict where the demand for particular types of content might come from driven by social media influence.
Customisation: There is a strong demand for greater integration of technologies to address interactivity, on-demand video and other emerging trends in a customer-oriented environment. As a result of these trends content owners are faced with the challenge of:
o Continuous changing formats and devices which means rapid burn out of investment cycles in technology platforms for content adaptation
o Massive storage requirements globally to cater to increasing heavy formats like HD / 4k etc. In-house storage can no longer support the volumes and in addition, there is need for disaster recovery sites. The conventional cloud storage options were meant for ‘database storage’ for applications and don’t adapt naturally to metadata rich video storage
o Need for efficient collaboration between global teams without compromising the security of content – e.g. for localisation of content for APAC regions but eliminating physical movement of tapes / discs which is susceptible to piracy. The complexity further increases when the global teams collaborating are not all in-house and there are third party production / post production houses involved
o Monetisation of content needs additional and refreshed metadata to the content. This is a manually intensive job which requires upfront investment with no ROI assurance.
Do you think the media scene is unique in Singapore and in the region? Do companies here face any peculiar challenges?
Media by nature is a global business and the Singapore media scene faces similar challenges as other countries. However, the scale of the problem does vary in Singapore. Issues around localisation are heightened for Singapore given that Singapore is generally the hub for localisation of content for say Philippines, Taiwan, Korea etc.
The government is also making efforts to attract media companies into Singapore in order to make Singapore the media hub of the region. The launch of Mediapolis is a step in that direction.
If companies are to look at Singapore as a media hub, the main prerequisite is good connectivity in and out of Singapore. Secondly, we need to cultivate and encourage talent in terms of IT and the creative stream. On the IT side, while there is strong connectivity in Singapore, given that SingTel and StarHub are the only two players in the market, the pricing is still significantly high to make it a competitive market. Additionally, there are very few service providers offering intermediate service portfolios in the region to attract broadcasters.
Another challenge is that the increased competition among content owners and broadcasters has led to a demand for highly reliable and highly efficient video networks. However, video traffic introduces stringent requirements around packet loss and jitter, making an off-the-shelf traditional tweaked data solution insufficient for video networks. Media providers, globally, need a purpose-built video network solution that can provide connectivity to key destinations, as well as premium quality and high levels of reliability on flexible commercial terms. With the right provider, media companies in Singapore can enjoy the benefits of a network architected for video.
Moreover, globalisation, as mentioned before, is a strong factor for consideration. Consumers want access to content as it happens – for example, we all want to watch the biggest sporting event live, as it happens, not the next day when it’s all in the papers or on the Internet. This is often a challenge for broadcasters when it comes to delivering content syndicated to TV or video-on-demand or online clients worldwide. Broadcast customers across the world are still receiving content, whether it’s an episode of a TV show or an event, through DVDs and hard drives or via unreliable web-based ftp transfers online. Real-time broadcast is a challenge and broadcasters have a new worry with piracy – they have to now compete with online streaming websites as well.
How are companies coping with these challenges? At what cost?
To address these challenges, companies are designing applications such as video over fibre, data warehousing, disaster recovery, news content gathering and other customised solutions for the print and electronic media, entertainment and corporate sectors.
Tata Communications is one such company that enables enterprises to transform business communications and improve productivity, business efficiency and competitiveness. We are a global provider of choice to the media industry for effective distribution, management and adaptation of video content across geographies and platforms. We bring two key solution suites in our media and entertainment service offering:
Media Movement: Enables the movement of media from origin to destination for live/ file-based distribution across TV as well as new media devices
Media Management: Provides applications for storage, management and adaptation of content, by linking up with key technology partners and providing one-stop-shop, hosted enterprise grade offerings
What kind of technologies can they leverage to grow their business?
There are different technologies and services in the market. Tata Communications created a Media Services (TCMS) division to help grow profitability while working across diverse digital formats and evolving delivery platforms. This dedicated division delivers a suite of solutions enabling media management throughout the value chain including creation, movement, workflow, asset management, security, storage and repurposing. These solutions coupled with ownership of strong international bandwidth and global data centres, provides the optimal combination to enable media companies to address challenges faced by them today.
Tata Communications’ global media delivery infrastructure includes:
o Enterprise digital media management platform: Manages content and workflow across the enterprise and globally among partners and suppliers through on-demand, cloud-based applications, storage, repurposing and media movement enabling a globally distributed media value chain
o Flexible network services: We offer a range of highly flexible network solutions, optimised for media. Our owned-and-operated infrastructure gives us the flexibility to accommodate large file requirements
o Managed services capabilities: Hosting, storage and security services are available on a subscription basis to reduce CAPEX requirements and minimise demands on in-house IT resources
o Next-gen CDN architecture: Our CDN platform was built to meet the demands of video and large file delivery. We offer leading capabilities for high-definition, on-demand videos, as well as a global footprint to reach millions of users worldwide
o On-going infrastructure investments: We are continually investing to expand our technology capabilities and infrastructure to support the needs of our customers, including ongoing functional enhancements and nearly one million square feet of data centre space worldwide to complement our leading network infrastructure
How can Tata Communications help media companies in the region? Can you give us specific examples?
Tata Communications’ Video Connect and content transformation services are very relevant to this region and can greatly benefit broadcasters.
Video Connect is designed to help broadcasters, studios and production houses deliver video content flexibly and cost-effectively to media hotspots worldwide. By leveraging Tata Communications’ global network infrastructure, Video Connect ensures permanent availability of bandwidth and seamless transmission of video at constant bit rates.
Signals are received from a playout room, studio or other facility and are transmitted over fibre on a DTM platform to Tata Communications’ nearest Video Connect Point-of-Presence (PoP) for seamless delivery. Video Connect offers an uptime equivalent to satellite by having an auto rerouting feature between Pacific and Atlantic routes in the undersea cable system for international connectivity.
With connections to the main media hubs and teleports of the world, including DIRECTV, DISH Network, RRsat, GlobeCast, auto rerouting worldwide and 24x7x365 connectivity, premium video reaches its intended destination irrespective of fibre cuts or outages. Video Connect’s on-demand and customisation capabilities also allow broadcasters to activate the service for special broadcasts and enable different feeds to be used for different time zones so that revenue streams can be created from local advertising.
Content Transformation is a managed transcode service that is aimed at the requirements of content creators that produce content for global broadcast audiences. The service is enabled by Tata Communications’ global network and hosted in our data centre infrastructure. This service offers content creators, service providers and media professionals an integrated end-to-end workflow for moving content files to the managed cloud environment and transcoding them into broadcast quality formats ready for immediate delivery and transmission globally. This drastically reduces the delivery time compared with traditional solutions that rely on the physical transport of media. The service incorporates Content Flow which is our solution for accelerated movement of large files.
Viacom18, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group, is currently using this content transformation service for the daily transcoding and delivery of HD Masters of leading Indian soap programmes to its customers in Pakistan for same-day syndicated play-out. Previously, Viacom18’s customers had to broadcast content from previous soap seasons, leaving a gap where some viewers could only obtain content from unauthorised sources to stay up-to-date with their favourite TV shows. Same-day distribution of play-out eliminates this problem, and maximises the value of the content for the broadcaster. In addition, this increases the value of the rights owned by Viacom18, allowing it to maximise the revenue generated from each show.
Tata Communications Media Services intends to continue to evolve its service portfolio with the launch of 3 new offerings in up-coming months:
o A media optimised content storage platform which will focus specifically on providing storage for metadata rich video storage both as an Overflow as well as Disaster Recovery solution
o A pre-built review & approve workflow for the media ecosystem which will enable review over time frame accurate proxies. The platform works across devices and incorporates the elements of Content Flow & Transformation to create one seamless end-to-end service
o A managed playout platform which will host playout infrastructure for customers including services & platform management. Coupled with Content Transformation and CDN capabilities, this service will be the single stop shop for customers for playout of content for primary as well as secondary screens
How do you see the media technologies developing two to five years from now? What shape it might take?
We see significant development in media technologies and these can be split into following key buckets:
– Technology / content creation trends
o Evolution of 4K will eliminate 3D and provide a viable alternative for a stress free and unaided experience (without cumbersome glasses)
o The set-top-box will move to the cloud with ‘any server equivalent’ device at the customer end serving the purpose of local cache DVR & pushing the button clicks to the cloud. This will also do-away with the remote control device which will be replaced by a smartphone
o TV technologies will evolve moving away from LCD / LED to LPD (Laser Phosphor Display). This will eliminate the ‘TV as a fixed device’ idea and move on to the concept of ‘Video Walls’ as one immersive experience for surfing, gaming, communications and video
– Content distribution and interactivity
o ‘Cutting the cord’ phenomenon which is very common in the US will spread to APAC challenging the business model of established DTH / cable, especially for players who haven’t started looking at their second screen play
o Many Google TV / Apple TV equivalent devices will completely change the ‘TV channel’ concept. Viewers will create their own TV channels based on their interest areas with content being syndicated from EPG (Electronic program guides) as well as the web subscription based / free access channels
o Advertising will become more targeted with the evolution of ‘personal interest’ based on-demand channels leading to better customer profiling
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