Jan 2012 moving target for channel in a box
Have broadcast manufactures’ development, marketing and integration teams ever been more challenged to find a successful recipe to achieve broadcast innovation than with channel in box? A forward looking retrospective…
About 5 years ago new entrants had everything to gain from their innovations. As specialists, whilst addressing the emerging opportunity for lower cost channels from scratch, players such as Oasys, Playbox and Publitronic (now Grass Valley) gained new ground and changed the game.
In contrast the established and trusted video server and automation manufactures had to choose their moment more carefully. The very real threat of cannibalising their existing business and product lifecycles greatly affected their motivations and timing. Whilst for example Omnibus (now Miranda) and Snell entered the market early, Evertz (through Pharos), Grass Valley (ex Technicolor), Harris (recently acquired by Gores Group), Harmonic (Omneon) and Pebble Beach each took different approaches. Automation vendors have to be especially careful with the balance between their flagship automation and their own integrated playout devices. Others blend capabilities from elsewhere in their product portfolios.
It’s content validation and graphics I hear about most often as the cause of frustration. Step outside the box and very few really understand end to end graphics workflow in enough detail. This perhaps prompted graphics vendors Pixel Power, Vizrt and many new entrants to try and leverage their advantages too. Others such as Dalet and Cinegy have added self contained playout servers with integrated graphics to their newsroom systems.
The emergence of a new wave of playout service providers also complicated the picture. Service providers were early to deploy and trial channel in box technology, often with very little established operational best practice to build on. Service providers unexpectedly found themselves at the sharp end, trying simultaneously to meet their contractual service obligations whilst helping manufacturers to stabilise their new technology often live on air.
Playout is still perceived by broadcasters as their most commercially sensitive area. However, as linear and non linear content preparation and delivery converge further in 2013 perhaps the battle lines for channel in a box are already being re drawn. Today many Tier 1 linear channels actually require more complex playout infrastructure than ever before to securely serve new regions and platforms; adding interactivity and access services. These systems require multi-tenant facilities, improved ad management, facility control and monitoring to maintain service levels cost effectively. The emergence and increasing popularity of live IP delivery may yet challenge conventional playout for many less reactive thematic channels and for news.
Channel in a box was born in turbulent times, illustrating in practice many of the contemporary challenges in successfully blending IT and broadcast technology. For manufactures (note the number of changes bracketed above) and through the unprecedented challenges to broadcasters linear business models driven by internet and mobile delivery there is still a long way to go. (As an aside I think production solutions are about to undergo a similar transition).
Will 2013 bring stability and balance value engineering more effectively. What’s next from channel in a box and who is new to the game?
First published in TVB Europe
Follow Broadcast Innovation
