Consumers star at IP&TV Forum
The way people watch TV is being transformed. Technology trends such as internet, gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets are fuelling significant and rapid growth and providing greater choice for consumers.
Consumer demand was at the heart of this year’s IP&TV World Forum in London.
The way people watch TV is being transformed. Technology trends, such as increased use of internet, gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets, are fuelling significant and rapid growth and providing greater choice for consumers.
The event, which ran from March 22-24, attracted more than 250 visionary speakers, including more than 150 online service providers, telcos, cablecos, broadcasters and content providers. The industry professionals came together to discuss how IP technology continues to change the TV industry and how it is keeping up with consumers’ demand for the ultimate viewing experience.
Surrounded by ubiquitous plasma displays, exhibitors were quick to point out the advantages of Smart TVs and TV applications, over-the-top and multiplatform TV services, as well as hybrid cable.
Giles Wilson, Head of Technology at Ericsson’s Solution Area TV, delivered a keynote speech to the forum. He says the number of companies whose representatives attended, exhibited or spoke at the event, and the range of their traditional backgrounds, showed how many players are already involved in next-generation multimedia content. He says the event also highlighted the power of the consumer to drive changes in accessing TV and audio visual content.
“Consumers want a rich user experience – one that allows them to find the content they want and watch it when they choose,” he says. “This time- and place-shifting is what is most important. Being able to schedule TV, going forwards and backwards in the schedule and to be able to access the content when out of the living room, such as on the laptop and mobile phone, is driving consumer satisfaction today.”
The broad spread of participants from all parts of the value chain ranged from Google, Netflix, YouView, Hulu, Liberty and Virgin Media to more traditional players and technology vendors.
Wilson says that content and distribution issues were big discussion points at the forum, with particular emphasis on the variety of channels, and rapidly-growing number of devices available to consumers to access video content.
“The consensus was that whoever understands the consumer best will be the winner in this intensely competitive area,” he says. The growing appeal of IP to service providers across a range of environments was another hot topic.
“Related discussions covered cable companies’ adoption of IP and hybrid cable services,” Wilson says. “The business potential of user-controlled and device-optimized personalized multiplatform access was another popular area of discussion.”
Consumer experience also featured prominently in Wilson’s forum address.
“What was once a technology-orientated industry is now experience-orientated, allowing end consumers of television to enjoy the content they choose when, where and how they want it – all on one consolidated platform,” he says.
Consumer demand was at the heart of this year’s IP&TV World Forum in London.
The way people watch TV is being transformed. Technology trends, such as increased use of internet, gaming consoles, smartphones and tablets, are fuelling significant and rapid growth and providing greater choice for consumers.
The event, which ran from March 22-24, attracted more than 250 visionary speakers, including more than 150 online service providers, telcos, cablecos, broadcasters and content providers. The industry professionals came together to discuss how IP technology continues to change the TV industry and how it is keeping up with consumers’ demand for the ultimate viewing experience.
Surrounded by ubiquitous plasma displays, exhibitors were quick to point out the advantages of Smart TVs and TV applications, over-the-top and multiplatform TV services, as well as hybrid cable.
Giles Wilson, Head of Technology at Ericsson’s Solution Area TV, delivered a keynote speech to the forum. He says the number of companies whose representatives attended, exhibited or spoke at the event, and the range of their traditional backgrounds, showed how many players are already involved in next-generation multimedia content. He says the event also highlighted the power of the consumer to drive changes in accessing TV and audio visual content.
“Consumers want a rich user experience – one that allows them to find the content they want and watch it when they choose,” he says. “This time- and place-shifting is what is most important. Being able to schedule TV, going forwards and backwards in the schedule and to be able to access the content when out of the living room, such as on the laptop and mobile phone, is driving consumer satisfaction today.”
The broad spread of participants from all parts of the value chain ranged from Google, Netflix, YouView, Hulu, Liberty and Virgin Media to more traditional players and technology vendors.
Wilson says that content and distribution issues were big discussion points at the forum, with particular emphasis on the variety of channels, and rapidly-growing number of devices available to consumers to access video content.
“The consensus was that whoever understands the consumer best will be the winner in this intensely competitive area,” he says. The growing appeal of IP to service providers across a range of environments was another hot topic.
“Related discussions covered cable companies’ adoption of IP and hybrid cable services,” Wilson says. “The business potential of user-controlled and device-optimized personalized multiplatform access was another popular area of discussion.”
Consumer experience also featured prominently in Wilson’s forum address.
“What was once a technology-orientated industry is now experience-orientated, allowing end consumers of television to enjoy the content they choose when, where and how they want it – all on one consolidated platform,” he says.
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