Opinion Article Abstract:
What challenges are broadcasters facing as they transition from traditional tape-based infrastructures to today’s file-based workflow?
One of the pivotal challenges facing broadcasters is interoperability. There are several standards appearing on the market to help solve this problem yet not one solution exists to meet consumers for content availability on new and diverse platforms. Today, consumers want to consume media whenever they want, wherever they are and broadcasters must quickly tackle the steep learning curve to deliver content on new platforms if they want to generate new revenue streams and keep in step with consumer demands.
The Interoperability Challenge When Transitioning to a File-based Workflow
By Scott Allen, Vice President of Marketing, AmberFin
The broadcast industry today is in the throes of change. Broadcasters are faced with the need to transition from standard- to high-definition services and, as they begin to do so, they are finding themselves faced with a host of new challenges. Not least of these challenges is the need to move from traditional tape-based infrastructures to today’s file-based workflow.
There are many reasons for the change that is happening. First is the inevitable fact that archived tape content will degrade over time; companies that do not change to a file-based system will ultimately face losing valuable content.
Today’s technology means that a file-based system is both cost-efficient and more flexible than older systems; it can enable better-quality product and more automation capabilities, saving valuable staff time that can be redeployed in other key areas. It minimizes the risk of human error and is critical to creating a strong link between the different islands of the production process, from production to post-production (editing and effects), to promos and playout.
This development is highlighting another of the industry’s challenges - interoperability. For the file-based workflow to really impact the profitability and effectiveness of the production cycle every part of the chain must be able to talk to every other part; broadcasters cannot afford to lose data, whether it is audio and video, timecode, closed captions or descriptive information.
There are several standards now appearing on the market to help solve this problem. Foremost among these is MXF, developed by SMPTE and including a number of industry experts. Most manufacturers now support MXF including both Sony and Panasonic’s latest tapeless cameras.
AmberFin, with its Snell & Wilcox heritage, is ideally positioned to help broadcasters deploy MXF within their organization, as it eases interoperability between systems and enables the easy re-deployment of existing content onto new platforms. Rather than requiring a broadcaster to rework their entire workflow from scratch, AmberFin’s iCR software applications can easily be tailored to a company’s existing workflow, making the transition as easy and seamless as possible.
The market is changing; it is no longer enough to produce content that will be aired on a fixed schedule. Customers increasingly want to consume programs whenever they want, wherever they are, and broadcasters must address the interoperability question if they are to deliver their content onto new platforms such as the Internet and mobile devices.
This evolution can happen as part of a wider strategy, especially for those broadcasters who exist within a larger company with a broader media portfolio. For these companies content creation is becoming more important than television signal broadcasting itself. One of the best examples of this is the BBC which now outsources its playout services in order to better focus on content creation.
In today’s market, almost anyone can broadcast some form of media content. It is no longer only the broadcasters who are putting content in front of the consumer. The Internet is open to all, and the least technically-minded consumer can upload their own videos to Internet sites such as YouTube. But as with the professional world, content is still king. Broadcasters have access not only to the best of today’s content but also to their full back catalogs; the question is how and when they will be able to translate that content to the new platforms that are gaining so much traction with the consumer.
Perhaps the biggest question around the new platforms is one of money. Although some companies have budgeted for the move to HD, this is only the tip of the iceberg. Broadcasters are now contemplating which other media platforms they should be building into their development strategy, what results they can expect and where revenue is likely to be made.
While it is clear that there is revenue earning potential and demand, the industry needs to realize the value of the content it already owns. There are millions of archived media assets with the potential to be repurposed for online, on-demand or mobile channels with the ability to generate new revenue streams through subscription, pay-per-view and advertising-based downloads.
But the challenges of interoperability between workflow solutions throughout the production chain of media content are different for every company and there is no right or wrong way to address them.
Every company in the TV, film and broadcast industry is now learning how best to apply new technologies to their production and digitization work to make it easier, faster and more cost-effective, and as is inevitable with a learning curve as steep as this, no one can be certain what the most successful methods will be.
Once these questions have been addressed, the file-based system can come into its own. It can then become a more cohesive group that can interact effectively within both new and traditional distribution channels in a way that is consistent and straightforward across the board.
There is no serial chain from television to Web. Instead, the industry must start to create studios that can do it all at the same time, taking content and outputting it to the right format for any platform. It is about having an end-to-end content repurposing solution for multiple revenue-generating platforms, maximizing the full potential of content by focusing on creativity without the need for specialist technicians.
The key factor is delivering archived content successfully on new platforms and being able to provide the optimum picture quality both at speed and cost effectively. Broadcasters must be able to repurpose their content quickly to meet consumer demand, but at the same time the process must be cost-efficient in order to generate the right returns. This is where AmberFin comes in by supporting that process with its iCR software to digitize new and archived content, breaking the bond between editing systems and storage, and enabling collaborative editing and content production for major content owners like Sony.
Finally, there is an enormous amount of potential in the content that already exists in the film and broadcast industries thanks to the growing consumer demand to access content whenever and on whatever device they choose. Ultimately, those content owners who plan to make its archived content available for all viewing devices will stand to benefit the most from these emerging revenue streams.
