Media Alert
Irdeto Hosts Executive Panel on the Future of TV Everywhere During NAB 2011
Carlsbad, Calif. — 4 May 2011 — Irdeto, a global software security and media technology company, recently led a roundtable discussion examining the TV Everywhere movement during the NAB 2011 Show in Las Vegas. Addressing an audience of nearly 40 senior-level industry executives, a distinguished panel comprised of representatives from Irdeto, Intel, Adobe and two market intelligence and consulting firms debated the trends, threats and opportunities that accompany TV Everywhere.
Moderator David Canellos, SVP of Global Sales & Marketing for Irdeto, opened the panel with an introduction to TV Everywhere and the host of viewing options that range from traditional pay TV to converging IPTV technologies like multi-room DVR and Internet-enabled connected TV. The concept of TV Everywhere is one example of how technology, corporate ownership changes, strategic alliances and new market entrants will drastically change the television landscape.
"TV Everywhere is shaping up to be a battleground between rights holders and cable companies," Canellos said. "The question now becomes, — who will win?"
Will Richmond, president and founder of Broadband Directions LLC and publisher of VideoNuze, answered, "The industry is struggling to measure the value of TV Everywhere, but the business case for the movement exists because it's required for everyone — from operators, to networks to studios — to stay relevant. Conflict might not be avoidable, but equal opportunity exists for all involved: if consumers are willing to invest in OTT devices, TV Everywhere can actually be the mechanism to relieve operators of the CAPEX burden of the set-top box."
Bill Rosenblatt, president of GiantSteps Media Technology Strategies and editor of Copyright & Technology, agreed, adding, "The default case among operators has historically been to offer everything at a fixed price, which won't be sustainable in the future. With the open approach to TV Everywhere, operators have an opportunity to rethink outdated business models."
Clearly, widespread broadband availability and the advent of multi-screen viewing has opened the door to TV Everywhere and radically changed the way content is consumed, created and monetized. In this Media 3.0 world, new strategies will have to be deployed to attract customers and maintain subscriber loyalty. Canellos outlined four hurdles that exist for operators and content owners in the race to TV Everywhere, which include scalable publishing and rights management, monetization, flexibility and content production costs.
"Outside of those challenges, it is paramount to focus on the content itself: if the content has value but is unrestricted and not protected, the opportunity to monetize it is lost," Canellos said, asking the panel whether operators can strike a balance in providing open distribution of premium content while maintaining its integrity.
Todd Greenbaum, senior product manager for Adobe Systems, weighed in saying, "Securing content while ensuring a positive consumer experience is possible, provided operators lower the barriers to access for consumers. Solutions like Adobe Pass (Adobe's newest offering) enable TV Everywhere by establishing maximum secure access with minimum customer disruption."
Jan Steenkamp, vice president of Business Development for Irdeto, cautioned that HD content to the PC will be a bit slower to market. "Studios are holding back approval, likely because platform security isn't where it needs to be," Steenkamp said.
Irdeto's ActiveCloak for Media dynamic security solution was recently introduced to address this challenge, an offering the panel agreed would grant operators long-term control over their TV Everywhere services.
Canellos concluded by asking the panelists where the set-top box fits in a TV Everywhere world.
VK Shankar, technology architect & strategic planner for Intel Corporation, offered, "The set-top box can certainly remain relevant in a TV Everywhere world, provided the hardware and software capabilities of the set-top box platform allows operators to blend broadcast and broadband content seamlessly and deliver them securely."
Steenkamp foreshadowed that, "TV Everywhere will drive set-top boxes to become virtual software implementations on any device."
Rosenblatt summed up his thoughts by saying, "TV Everywhere requires 'thinking outside the set-top box.'"
Video excerpts of the executive panel will be posted on the Irdeto website. For more information on Irdeto's solutions for TV Everywhere, visit www.irdeto.com.
About Irdeto
Irdeto is the most innovative software security and media technology company in the world. Through its dynamic security and monetization technologies, the company allows new forms of distribution for broadcast/broadband/mobile entertainment, and for the world's most popular app, eStores and consumer devices. Co-headquartered in Amsterdam and Beijing, Irdeto employs 1000 people in 25 locations around the world. It is a subsidiary of broad-based media group Naspers (JSE: NPN). Please visit Irdeto at www.irdeto.com.
For further information please contact:
Alex Rassey
Irdeto
+1 760 496 8238
alex.rassey@irdeto.com
Katie Judd
Racepoint Group
+1 781 487 4656
kjudd@racepointgroup.com
