TiVo’s recent webinar, titled “TiVo IPTV Webinar – How to Solve for Operational Complexity”, delved into the challenges and opportunities in the IPTV industry. Led by Rebecca Jackson from Caretta Research the discussion featured insights and experience from panelists Patrick Ferguson, Head of Global Product & D2C Operations, TiVo Platform at Xperi, Brent Smith, Chief Strategy Officer & Co-Founder at Evolution Digital and Steve Beardslee, Vice President, Broadband & Video Services at the NCTC.
During the discussion panelists highlighted the shift of the viewer towards online platforms, and how operators are placing increased importance on managed services, and have a growing reliance on technology partners for development resources.
TiVo’s Managed IPTV Platform, which came from the acquisition of MobiTV, is highlighted as a solution which allows operators to rapidly launch branded pay TV services. The panelists underscored the significance of flexibility, integration, and a focus on total cost of ownership for operators in the evolving media and broadcast space.
The webinar also discussed the implementation and benefits of a new IPTV solution, emphasising the importance of customisation, cloud-hosted experiences, and a global roadmap, highlighting how Xperi’s strategy of leveraging it’s portfolio to provide a comprehensive video ecosystem and monetisation platform, with the potential to scale can benefit even small operators.
Steve Beardslee remarked “when a smaller or mid size operator gets back into cable or starts to deliver video services, they come to us. And so that’s been very synergistic between TiVo and the NCTC. But it’s also been a nice surprise that this – the economics of a managed solution – has allowed some operators to get into the video business who would not otherwise have been able to do the CAPEX investment required.”
The conversation underlined the importance of a core set of services that could adapt to various EU regulations and country-specific nuances while maintaining a centralised strategy. The technology was designed to support deployment models that catered to unique requirements of different countries, making it possible to solve operational complexities and remain relevant in the market.
“In Europe, where IPTV has seen several iterations, operators are facing challenges in keeping up with technology trends. Unique markets, such as the Alt-net space in the UK and Germany, require turnkey solutions to augment existing strategies or enable new video services” Patrick Ferguson continued “combining platforms like TiVo Smart TVs and TiVo’s IPTV and automotive solutions could create valuable synergies for the European market.”
Finally, the discussion revolved around the challenges and opportunities of video service providers in the face of rising costs and the need for scalability. It emphasised the benefits of IP-based distribution, the potential for monetisation beyond traditional methods, and the significance of providing a personalised and engaging customer experience.
“The change to IP has allowed us all to basically benefit from having standardised products in terms of CPE instead of this very large, expensive PVR concept, which was really where the industry had headed. You’re now dealing with little streaming devices. We developed a tool for operators to take advantage of services like TiVo, which have the discovery, the search, the ability to find content across all platforms, whether it be the operators, video service or the over the top providers” Brent Smith explained. “The bottom line is that consumers want choice. What they’re challenged with right now is finding that content. And, while we’ve created this ubiquitous portability with IP, you still need some way of aggregating content, finding it and not spending, half an hour on the on the couch, trying to find something to watch.”
The focus of the discussion was on leveraging technology and partnerships to deliver a comprehensive, cost-effective, and customer-centric video service offering. The importance of becoming relevant and ensuring a return on fiber investment for new entrants in the alt-net space was also discussed. An end-to-end managed service platform was suggested as a key differentiator in the European market. The service was expected to lower costs, increase revenue, and enhance agility for operators, allowing them to adapt quickly in a dynamic market while simplifying operations with added support.
Watch the full webinar here:
Contact us at getconnected.emea@xperi.com if you have any questions.
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