Chris Halton

Mobile Wireless Data using TV Signals: A few asked for the link to the calculator demonstrated @ ATSC. https://lnkd.in/eFeWtJ6U

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STREAMING BUNDLES: Is the cable box making a comeback!? Subscriber churn remains an issue for SVOD services – 42% of US streaming subscribers report that they “'regularly subscribe, cancel and resubscribe,” according to Ampere’s Media Consumer survey covering 1Q24. But bundling streaming services can have a significant impact on mitigating the issue. Ampere cites Disney subscribers as an example: Consumers who had previously churned and then returned to take the Disney+/Hulu/ESPN+ bundle are 59% less likely to churn within 12 months than those who take Disney+ alone, based on 1Q23 sign-ups. Ampere also found that US resubscribers skew younger (aged 18-44), are more likely to be in family households, and are typically avid media consumers. And with that wide media diet, the cohort is 40% more likely than average to exhibit signs of subscription fatigue and 21% more likely to desire unified access to content across different services. Which makes bundles, Ampere concludes, a key strategy in subscriber retention. The cable box is making a comeback! This time, it's on your mobile device$!

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Amagi Corporation FAST Report #11 Grabbing the remote control: What's on FAST? 🔎 Key takeaways from the report > Discover the three critical pillars of FAST measurement and strategies to optimize them. > Learn how unlocking the potential of O&O FAST channels drives better revenue opportunities. > Zoom in on global Year-over-Year growth in monthly active users, ad impressions, and HOV. > Get a closer view of trending genres across diverse geographies. Here is a link to the full report: https://lnkd.in/dxpzPKBS #fastchannel #revenuestreams #linearnetwork #digitalisation #amagimedia #mediadevelopment #mediatrends #cloudmigration

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Folks, If you wondering how to get your CI program started, then join Fouad Benyoub - his session will start shortly! You can also catch it later on via simulcast. join us free - https://vcapax.vfairs.com #competitiveintelligence

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Customer feedback and reception have been overwhelmingly positive since we launched our Gen-IC Cloud Intercom service at the start of the year. Transitioning production workflows from on-premises to cloud-based tools is not always smooth, and getting crews and personnel fluent with new systems can come with many teething challenges. However, one of the main pieces of customer feedback we get is how intuitive Gen-IC is to use especially with the self-serve SkyPort portal. Moreover, the users of the system continue to work with the same virtual clients or physical panels (hybrid systems) that they have come to love for many years. This results in much lower deployment costs as no user training is required. Gen-IC is our first product venture into managed cloud services, and it’s hugely rewarding to hear that it is enabling our customers to save time and money, making productions as efficient as possible. Read more in this InBroadcast write-up Phillip Izzard: https://lnkd.in/eKTDUWGK

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https://lnkd.in/eMMkBc_v The concept of rApp is defined by Open RAN. The rApps are software application designed to run on the Non-Real Time RAN Intelligent Controller (from now on the Non-RT RIC) to realize different RAN management and optimization use cases in an automated way, with control loops on a time scale of one second and longer. Ericsson extends the scope of the rApps to purpose-built RAN in addition to O-RAN definition. Ericsson defines four main rApp categories: Network evolution rApps Network deployment rApps Network optimization rApps Network healing rApps #rAPP #RAN #Automation #ORAN

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"I think the word 'cell site' goes away," AT&T Zeiler said. "I think this pivots to a world of CU, DU, RU. Servers and access points." Under AT&T's agreement with Ericsson, the operator is planning to shift to an open radio access network (RAN) design which breaks the RAN up into three main blocks: First is the radio unit (RU) atop a cell tower, which receives and handles customers' radiofrequency signals. Next comes the distributed unit (DU), a box often near the tower site (sometimes at the foot of it) that is mainly responsible for the "baseband" functions that process those signals. Further away is the central unit (CU) that looks after the control plane – essentially the network's traffic cop.

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Paris 2024 will be the first edition of the Games to trial an AI-powered end-to-end 8K livestreaming system from OBS into an 8K HDR, 60-frames-per-second (FPS) stream in milliseconds to CTV devices around the world #Paris24

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Please, stop calling it cable. Cable bundled networks, and new streaming bundles are being announced by the day, but these new bundles are not replicating cable, nor are they replicated the incentivization structure, security, and limited access points of cable. Does that mean bundles are bad? Not at all. (Spoiler alert: people LOVE bundles.) But we need to be better with our verbiage. Yes, the pay TV business model was built on a collection of channels that were bundled into a single consumer product. And, yes, this corporate arrangement loosely approximates some version of that strategy. But this reductive theorizing about bundling completely ignores the key differences between the economics of streaming and pay TV. When we talk about cable we are referring to a very specific incentive structure, a very specific unified product, and a very specific relationship between supplier and distributor. Pay TV bundling, after all, was traditionally a leverage game, in which the weakest channels in a seller’s package (like Freeform or truTV) rode on the coattails of the strongest (e.g., ESPN or TNT). For distributors, it was worth paying for a few dozen barely watched networks in order to secure the ones that subscribers couldn’t live without. These days, however, the line between distributor and supplier has all but evaporated for most of the streaming juggernauts. And owning the relationship with a customer—having their viewing data, credit card information, geolocation, etcetera—is the coin of the realm. Rather than pursuing a singular focus on creating content and selling it to Charter, for example, Warner Bros. Discovery is concerned with interface technology, algorithmic recommendations, and editorial curation on homepages, all of which help the company utilize its shows and movies to attract and retain subscribers—and, over time, serve them ads. Even if some of the same players are still around, the business incentives have changed dramatically from the halcyon days of cable. To wit: In the cable era, the original differentiator was scarcity—both the limited pathways to access video content and the small number of in-demand networks that consumers were willing to overpay for to watch their favorite shows. Streaming widened the aperture by multiplying the number of pathways and flooding the marketplace with content, which made it all seem more indistinguishable. Cable companies were stable and static businesses, whereas streamers must constantly worry about month-over-month churn. Now again, that's not to suggest bundles are bad. The Disney+/Max bundle is a great idea (and an even bigger win for Disney). The Peacock/Apple TV+/Netflix bundle helps all three companies for very different reasons. And, as we all know, we as customers LOVE bundles. But please, stop calling it cable.

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In 2024, one of the standout discussions revolved around the evolution of remote production and integrating private 5G networks to bolster connectivity. Read more 👉 https://lttr.ai/ASRJd #5G #Celona #Haivision #VidOvation

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https://lnkd.in/eKMeePJa D2X Multicast Broadcast Disaggregation System Architecture supports an SFN underlay RU Category (A) and SFN Wide Area RU Category (B), From perspective RU on a symbol-by-symbol basis under control D2X scheduler via eCPRI protocol messages D2X virtual frame (1000ms) is constructed. First VFS Bootstrap + L1 Signaling (1 + 2) time domain I/Q is sent to I/Q DAC, upconverted RF, PA. Then emitted antenna air interface aligned GPS 1PPS to begin D2X virtual frame. The D2X virtual frame (1000ms) shows highlighted (red) the virtual sub-frames with a mixture of D2X services for SFN underlay and the SFN wide area topologies. The remaining virtual sub-frames have only SFN wide area D2X services. The D2X scheduler eCPRI protocol messages for RU Type (A) sub-frames. The virtual sub-frame SS (3 + 4) is sent from cloud to RU D2X sites (1, 2, 3). Then all PRB for a symbol with D2X services (5) for wide area SFN are sent. Then RU generates three duplicate symbols for each sector (A, B, C) of SFN. Then for all VBP the PRB for D2X services (5) geo-targeted for SFN underlay is sent with eCPRI signaling to direct to a specific Site RU and sector. These are inserted by RU shown in the correct sector as signaled to complete a symbol. This process repeats for each symbol of a virtual frame with SFN underlay D2X services. If virtual sub-frame has only SFN wide area D2X services, then the SFN sectors are generated and the next step for insertion SFN underlay is skipped by D2X scheduler for each symbol of the virtual sub-frame. This is only an example the D2X scheduler, and algorithms are not specified in D2X standard. Only L1 signaling syntax and semantics for receivers (UE) and eCPRI messages to enable innovation using D2X harmonized 5G NR and aligned using O-RAN principles. #D2X #ORAN

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INSIGHT of the week: bundling now done directly by OTT content providers We had seen distributors like Verizon (US), Free (France) bundle OTT services together at aggressive rate. Today Disney and WBD have decided to bundle their services together. We already had Disney bundling Disney+ with Hulu+ and ESPN+, it now moves the needle with MAX. Question will be: what is the added value of pay TV distribution if the bundle can be done without them? Maria Rua Aguete Magnus Svensson Andreas Waltenspiel Colin Dixon https://lnkd.in/g_VjNi-6

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What are the differences between linear TV, CTV, and advanced TV? 🤔 As technology continues to reshape the way we consume content, it's crucial to understand the distinctions between linear TV, connected TV (CTV), and advanced TV. 📺 Here's a breakdown of the key differences: Advanced TV platforms, including CTV, leverage the internet for content delivery, offering viewers on-demand access to a wide range of programming. In contrast, linear TV relies on conventional satellite or cable connections, with scheduled programs and limited viewer control over content timing. CTV and other advanced TV platforms provide interactive experiences, such as polls and targeted ads, fostering greater viewer engagement. 👋 Linear TV, on the other hand, typically lacks interactive features. Advanced TV technologies like CTV enable precise audience targeting through data analytics, allowing brands to tailor ad campaigns based on specific interests, demographics, and viewing habits. As we navigate this evolution in TV viewing experiences, how do you see these changes impacting advertising strategies and consumer engagement? I'd love to hear your thoughts on the future of TV content delivery and viewer engagement! #TV #CTV #Digitalization #Technology

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Rakuten Symphony is so appreciative to AT&T for being included in its network simplification transformation program. Thank you to all the AT&T executives who have given us this chance to be part of an industry-changing program. Mike Dano's article captures so many aspects of what is required to be successful in an undertaking like this. It starts with the fundamentals of using different words to describe what is being done. "I think the word 'cell site' goes away," AT&T's Todd Zeiler said. "I think this pivots to a world of CU, DU, RU. Servers and access points." Before we built mobile networks. Today we start building distributed data center operations where the primary user is a mobile network. We see so many parallels between how AT&T is approaching this and how Rakuten Symphony already approached it. The hope is we can discover an industry blueprint that can make sense for the whole of telecom to be able to follow and accelerate the change to being a truly software-driven cloud-native operation. From Mike Dano's below article when describing the vendors involved "One is Japan's Rakuten Symphony. According to The Mobile Network, AT&T counts roughly 7,000 users of Rakuten Symphony's Site Manager software within its own and its contractor construction teams. The software automates parts of AT&T's site deployment processes." To listen to the full discussion between Yigal Elbaz and Sharad Sriwastawa at MWC BCN this year click here https://lnkd.in/e5ErFYJg To learn more about Rakuten Symphony Site Management solution click here https://lnkd.in/eq8Bsx27

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I do think as an industry we over complicate things. At 43Twenty (shameless plug), we do a lot of work with great companies banging on great stuff in the streaming space. HOWEVER, when learning about a new client’s products and solutions, I’m often met with nifty buzzwords and jargon that completely flies over my head. And I ain’t no dummy. My approach now is “yeah (client), but why does it matter?” or “why should I care about _________?” Once we play this rigmarole a few times, I’m able to unearth the magic of our clients offerings in a way that real humans (aka non technical decision makers) can understand. Content ends up being compelling, impactful, and digestible….you might even consider it…wait for it…”thought leadership.” TLDR: when it comes to telling your brand’s narrative, be a 3 years old and ask “why” “why” “why”. After you do that a few times, you get to the thing that actually matters.

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