You might think it’s crazy of me, as the executive director of the world’s largest streaming technical association, to ask the question in this column’s title. But I think it’s actually important that we do a gut check every once in a while. Streaming is, fundamentally, just a delivery mechanism. In fact, one could argue […]
What’s the Point of Streaming? Read More »
As streaming has grown in demand and popularity over the last several years, a problem has begun to take shape. But don’t get me wrong, it’s a good problem: too much content. It’s not just the content on a single provider. Netflix, Disney+, WarnerDiscovery, and Peacock all have deep and rich libraries of content. But
Does Streaming’s Future Success Depend On Discoverability? Read More »
At the SportsPro OTT USA event in March, held at Citi Field in Queens, New York, someone said, “DRM is dead” and dropped the microphone. And although my gut reaction was to immediately dismiss that statement, I’ve taken some time to reflect, and I think it deserves some more consideration. DRM has always been a
Long Live (A Different) DRM! Read More »
If you spend any time in the streaming video industry, you’ll soon hear the word “delivery.” In fact, it’s used quite often to describe the technologies, processes, mechanisms, and vendors that are involved in transmitting bits and bytes of data in response to users’ requests for video segments. But the word “delivery” for video wasn’t
What Is Streaming Video ‘Delivery?’ Read More »
In late 2020, WarnerMedia made a rather startling, and some would say controversial, decision: It would stream its blockbuster titles, such as Wonder Woman 1984, at the same time they were released theatrically. And to top it off, there would be no extra charge to current subscribers of HBO Max. Evan Shapiro, a TV and video industry
The Evolution of the Movie Theater is at Hand Read More »
CDNs have always been a necessity in the world of streaming video. Although some streaming providers, such as Netflix, Apple, and Amazon, have continued to build their own delivery infrastructures, the majority of streaming providers utilize a combination of CDNs to ensure that their content is delivered in the best possible way to viewers. That’s
As Streaming Grows, the CDN Must Evolve Read More »
When the first government requirement to stay at home was issued, everyone in the streaming industry probably held their collective breath. First, because they knew that after one stay-at-home order, there would be more. Second, because it meant that people were going to do a lot more streaming. Although there was probably some trepidation about the idea
What Has the Pandemic Taught Us About Streaming? Read More »
Ask the folks at any web startup or any technology company that offers a cloud-based service, and they will tell you they play the “What happens if?” game all the time. What happens if one of our major data centers goes dark? What happens if network operators throttle bandwidth? What happens if all of our
Build Streaming Solutions for Tomorrow, Today Read More »
When broadcast television entered consumers’ lives in the mid- to late 1930s, it was very limited. There were only a few channels, with limited range, and even more limited content (sometimes just still pictures). Yet as television grew in both scope and popularity, content followed. Soon the airwaves were filled with scheduled video ranging from
Who Will Define ‘TV’? Read More »
If broadcast television taught us one thing about video content, it’s this: one size fits all. Whether you are watching from a television set, with a set-top box, or from a mobile phone that has HBBtv or DVB-H (or, now, ATSC 3.0) capabilities, it doesn’t matter. It’s the same signal. Unfortunately, the one-size-fits-all approach is
Not All Content (or Devices) Are Created Equal Read More »