Realising the full benefits of hybrid broadcast and broadband

Bob Pank#

Author: Bob Pank#

Published 1st April 2011


We are all clear that there is a great deal of momentum in pay television at the moment. Alongside that driver, though, there are others which are dramatically changing the way consumers watch television. These include the desire to watch programmes at a time of their choice not that of the broadcaster (and in the room of their choice), and the use of other devices – laptops, smartphones, tablets – at the same time as watching television.
I think it is clear that the way forward is a hybrid solution of broadcast and broadband. For linear television, broadcast transmission – terrestrial or satellite – is clearly the most bandwidth efficient. But for viewing content on demand and advanced interactivity then IPTV is an elegant solution. IPTV operators are increasingly looking for partnerships with broadcasters to deliver hybrid solutions, and similarly broadcasters are keen to find broadband delivery partners.
Technically, broadband speeds and capacities are increasing to be able to support such a sophisticated service. DOCSIS 3.0 for data over digital cable is now a reality, and telcos are building ultra high speed infrastructures using fibre to the home or fibre to the cabinet.
For it to succeed, though, it has to tick all the boxes. That means delivering a rich experience to the user. The service provider will want to reach all the devices in the home, not just the television receiver.
By providing an all embracing service it means that the operator can deliver a branded service to the laptop or tablet. One concern about hybrid systems is that the user experience may be felt to be more complicated than it is worth for many consumers: an integrated offering gives the service provider the opportunity to deliver a common look and feel, as well as tying the user in to the brand identity.
The other long-promised benefit of the digital home is that all content will be treated equally. Alongside television services from the operator (linear and on demand) the consumer should be able to access internet television (such as YouTube) and also their own, locally-stored content, whether that is downloaded material on a home server, a wedding video or their own home movies.
At CES this year, Technicolor introduced a new device we call Media Encore, which we see as a model for the future. It is a sophisticated device, with the intention of providing the simple but powerful experience which will engage with consumers.
Such a device will be based on the core platform of a set-top box with multiple tuners for terrestrial or satellite services, and the ability to stream different channels to different rooms. On top of that must be added an advanced broadband gateway, able to support VDSL at any speed, with ethernet and wireless routers, and all of the necessary firewall and password protection. It should also provide local storage of content, with the option of connecting additional external disk drives to build the required server capacity.
Finally, it needs to detect user-generated content on connected PCs or Macs and ship it around the home. That content can also be stored securely, either on the home hub server or in a cloud service.
Offering any content to any device implies transcoding. The consumer experience should be to select the content on any device and it immediately appears. To achieve that requires the home gateway to detect the device and its capabilities, then perform the appropriate transcoding, in real time, transparently.
Multi-screening – using a tablet, laptop or smartphone while watching a television programme – is very common now. Where several members of a family are watching the same programme on the same screen, each may have their own second screen, commenting to their own circle of friends. The effective hybrid service will link each individual screen with the broadcast, offering additional information, including direct links to services like IMDB, within a common branded interface. They can be open third party devices or a linked hardware tablet such as the Technicolor Media Touch.
The concept of the hybrid broadcast/broadband service is still relatively new, but it seems clear that it is the right route forward for integrated content delivery. The technology to support it is well under way: the Technicolor Media Encore was demonstrated at CES in January 2011, and we are now actively seeking partners for real-world trials.
The final step is for IPTV providers, network operators and broadcasters to forge the necessary partnerships. Once this happens, then the goal we have been talking about for a decade will finally be realised: to deliver the content the consumer wants, at the time it is wanted, in the place it is wanted, and on the device it is wanted.

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