Although IBC 2009 is more than a month away, many folks are already gearing up for the annual festivities. Below are some of the themes Motorola will focus on at the show, along with my own editorial comments. More to come on news announcements and demos in the weeks ahead.
- Bringing user generated and web content to the TV with a great user experience
This has many different implications depending on the television platform in use. However, beyond the technical issues, there’s also the challenge of integrating web-based video and traditional TV services in a workable business model. Part of this involves cross-platform apps that are both useful to a consumers and generate revenue for providers – ex. apps that provide more information and promote premium content and services, and apps that target consumers with customized offers online and off. - Driving revenue using Video-on-Demand, targeted advertising and advanced service marketing tools
Both VOD and targeted advertising are high on the priority list for operators. While most advanced advertising initiatives are still in the trial stages, however, VOD has grown by leaps and bounds of late. And it could bring in more revenue with new and effective content deals (like deals to offer entire past seasons of shows) and increased promotion. - Offering customers more video services without crippling current networks
Network management is certainly a balancing act, but it’s one that operators are actually pretty good at. There are tools for forecasting traffic, and many technologies for extending bandwidth as demand grows. - Managing content and network resources to reduce CAPEX and OPEX
Motorola refers to this as responsible network evolution, and it means using techniques to upgrade resources incrementally in order to support new services. - Enable media to be experienced beyond the home
Enabling portable media is as much about media processing as it is about portable hardware for playback. For example, how do you transcode content for mobile players? - Expanding services around the home using home gateways and advanced set-tops while increasing customer satisfaction and controlling costs
We are still in the early stages of defining how the home network should be architected. There are multiple platform options, from MoCA to IP, and multiple hardware schemes to consider. - Set tops and accessories with a reduced environmental impact
More to come on this theme, but I do know that Motorola (along with many others) is committed to reducing the energy consumption of set-tops and accessories.
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