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Smartphones and tablets are revolutionizing the cable industry, enabling everything from voice activated interactive program guides to multiscreen delivery of subscription video programming. Mobile devices are even changing the way cable operators manage their field technicians. Attendees at the SCTE Cable Tec Expo last month in Orlando saw multiple vendors pitching workforce management tools that rely on tablets. The next generation will have a tablet customer management device that can provide instant information on the status of the network. That becomes much more of an application-centric, almost video game environment, Buckeye Cablevision CTO Joseph Jensen said at the opening general session. When cable programmers first began to experiment with Web video and mobile video, there was concern that new distribution outlets could erode ratings for their TV networks. But as Jim Barthold details in this eBook, there isnt as much concern these days about mobile video cannibalizing traditional TV networks. Instead, both programmers and distributors such as AT&Ts U-verse TV, DirecTV and Comcast are using tablets and smartphones as second-screen devices that can keep viewers tuned to linear networks. Comcast and NBCUniversal demonstrated the power of second-screen apps during their coverage of the Summer Olympics in London, using apps built for Apples iPad and iPhone, and Google Android devices to deliver companion programming to viewers. In addition to letting subscribers access thousands of hours of live and on-demand Olympic events, NBC used the apps to send alerts about major competitions that were about to take place, which helped it post record Olympics TV ratings in July and August. Verizon, Comcast, DirecTV, AT&T and other pay TV providers have developed some of the most useful apps for Google Android and Apple iOS devices that allow subscribers to use their mobile phone or tablet as a remote control. With its U-verse Easy Remote, AT&T is the first provider introduce a mobile app that lets subscribers use voice commands to channel surf. Thats a feature Google will soon launch in Kansas City, where it is supplying every subscriber that takes its new Google Fiber TV product with a Nexus 7 tablet that is designed to be used as the primary remote control. Adding recommendation engine software from providers such as Digitalsmiths to program guides will make mobile apps from pay TV distributors and programmers even more powerful. Instead of requiring subscribers to browse thousands of available live TV and VOD titles, distributors will be able to recommend content to subscribers based on their viewing history, and let subscribers receive mood-based suggestions. Smartphones and tablets will also create new advertising revenue streams for cable and satellite affiliates, and cable programmers. But as Barthold details in a story in this eBook, debate over rights issues could limit the amount of available content and the ad revenue potential from mobile programming until distributors and cable networks agree on a business model.

future of multiscreen programming

by Steve Donohue

editor /// Fiercecable

Platinum SPonSorS:

Gold SPonSor:

Ads Will Eventually Pay the Way for Free Multiscreen Service
1 August 2 012

Personalizing Multi-Screen Programming: The How Tos of Video Recommendations *Sponsored Content*

Multiscreen Content Rights a Twisted Path; but Theres an End in Sight

Multiscreen Video Services: You Dont Have to Go it Alone *Sponsored Content*

10

For MVPDs, Getting Video to Multiple Screens Can, and Must, Happen Now

11

Q&A: A Conversation With Andy Goodman, Director of Broadband Content for AT&T U-verse

15

You Cant Just Put Video Out There; You Have to Guide Viewers to it
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about business models and whether those ads are sold in conjunction with the linear TV ads or if theres another model that activates and monetizes the IP-enabled ads in and out of the home. It wont get there fast and the way it gets there wont be easy, warned Ed Haslam, senior vice president of marketing for YuMe. Video advertising in multiscreen is a lot more complicated than any other kind of advertising. The player size matters. The bitrate that youre seeing between the client like CableLabs, which has developed the Event Signaling And Messaging (ESAM) specification, are working feverishly on technology to make it happen. ESAM gets the ball rolling with a specification about how to splice ads into the network so a packager and encoder can communicate and substantiate that an ad is available for placement. Thats a good start in the overall space. The problem is the task is a lot more complex than sending the ad down to a set-top box. The operators that were dealing with are really considering delivering to (IP-enabled) devices so they can track and make a decision on which ads to serve based on the device, explained Chris Hock, senior vice president of product management at BlackArrow. Hock is looking at portable and mobile devices, which, while most multiscreen viewing is still happening in the residence, is difficult but not impossible. When a subscriber in Poughkeepsie starts picking his toenails in Peoria while watching his iPad, things become sequentially more difficult. The ads will surely follow the content thats going onto other screens in the home and out of the home (leaving) the question of the business model around that advertising. Is it an extension of local cable ads or something else or a hybrid of the two? continued Malamud. Thats a pretty important piece for both the advertisers and the content owners who, in many cases, are running the ads along with their content. Since a majority of multiscreen content is VoD, advertisers must be wary about when their ads will appear and

Ads Will Eventually Pay the Way for Free Multiscreen Service
by Jim bArtHoLd Nothing is free in the pay TV space; thats why its called pay TV. So when service providers talk of providing free multiscreen video service to authenticated subscribers, theyre not talking about giving away the contentthough that might be the case right now--what theyre saying is that they wont charge subscribers an extra fee to watch video on screens other than their televisions. In the end, what theyre also saying is they will find a way to monetize that service that likely will break all the rules of how pay TV operators are paid. While they do generate some advertising revenue, operators and service providers generate most of their revenues from subscriptions, said Cathi Kwon, group product manager of Adobes Publisher Advertising Platform. The bad thing about multiscreenat least from a revenue generation standpointis that operators cant charge higher subscription fees; theyve about maxed out that money tree. The good thing about multiscreen, from a revenue generation standpoint, is that its pretty much a fertile field for a new targeted advertising play.
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The technical capability for a service provider to run their local and regional ads just isnt there yet on the other screens in the home, said Jason Malamud, vice president and general manager of Verizon FiOS Media. It will get there and then it will become a discussion

While they do generate some advertising revenue, operators and service providers generate most of their revenues from subscriptions.
Cathi Kwon, GrouP ProduCt manaGer of adobeS PubliSher advertiSinG Platform

and the server matters. The CDN matters. The cookie information about both the user and the context is important. Its almost like a little remote sensor sitting there letting the ad decisioning engine know what kind of ad to display, what bitrate it should be streamed at, what the player size is, whats the best context for it. Its obviously something worth pursuing because a bevy of vendors, along with organizations

many have adopted programs that remove parts of their advertising load the longer the content sits on the VoD server. You wouldnt want to show an ad for some big movie four weeks after the movie premiered, said David Helfrick, principal consultant for IBB Consulting. There will be more value in showing an ad for something else. Because its a unicast stream you could know who the subscriber is, where they

are and what they just watched and whats in their queue to watch next. You could make a much more intelligent decision of what ad is right for that subscriber. It might take a little more work but, in theory that ad should be worth more to the advertiser, Helfrick said. And that, again, means that the service provider will need to demonstrate knowledge of an individual end user rather than
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the traditional household thats receiving cable content. This understanding will probably just lean on a progression of technology thats being developed for VoD and DVR recording, such as Nielsen C3 ratings. Most MVPDs, if theyre not working with Nielsen already, are looking in other directions to be able to quantify subscriber eyes. Multiscreen, by its very definition, forces an MVPD to break away from that residential service model and drill down to the individual within that residence. Thats not a bad thing, just different. Tablets and phones are really personal and you can make user profiles on a per-use basis, said Arnaud Perrier, vice president of solutions for Envivio. If you have two million users with individual profiles you can target content or apps that are on a personal basis and create playlists and deliver those on a per-user basis for millions of users. multiscreen network that the MVPDs are already building. If you already have a fully targeted unicast video delivery network to deliver content to tablets, smartphones, PCs, etc., do the same thing with the ad and build the ad architecture so you can truly do fully targeted advertising to individual devices, he said. Of course the technology to do this is not yet deployed. It starts with adaptive bit rate ad insertionitself still nascent and ramps up to full interactive cognitive ad placement across a plethora of devices. Were in multiple different trials right now with very large operators because they want to be able to prove to themselves and the advertisers that it is possible to build this true targeted ad architecture, Farassat said. When it starts, it will be fairly simple, he said. Its not going to know a ton of information about you but it will target to a device or a geographical area. As time passes, technology evolves, service providers become comfortable with the technology and advertisers become comfortable that they can make money targeting ads that dont blanket the entire country, the multiscreen advertising space will grow as well. Not only the ad would change but a pop-up might come on and let you press a button and get directed to a different place, said Farassat. All of that is on the table right now. The reason is its on the table but not being consumed is simple. When youre an industry making $80 billion in advertising on TV and youre worried about potentially cannibalizing any piece of that by offering that content online with ads or less ads, thats a difficult decision to make, said Adobes Kwon. l

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Sponsored Content

The trick is to be able to combine campaign management software and analytics to be able to really leverage that capability and create the content in the first place.
arnaud Perrier, viCe PreSident of SolutionS for envivio

Personalizing Multiscreen Programming: The How Tos of Video Recommendations

According to The Diffusion Group, 27% of broadband users own at least one tablet. Among tablet owners, 40% use their tablets while watching TV at least once a day, and 88% use them to watch video content online.1 Given the popularity of connected devices, Pay-TV providers need to ensure they have a personalized video recommendations solution that can be leveraged not only on the set-top box, but also in a TV Everywhere environment. recommendations on their mobile device or tablet that were rolled out on their set-top box. To fulfill these consumer expectations, video recommendations and other alternatives to the grid need the ability to recognize the type of device a consumer is using and what content the consumer has access to on each device.

And MVPDs used to think that regional ad placement was tough. The technology is in trials, Perrier insisted. The trick is to be able to combine campaign management software and analytics to be able to really leverage that capability and create the content in the first place. The trick, said Ramin Farassat, vice president of product marketing and business development for RGB, is to ride on top of the

ShaDow Me

the Perfect StorM

With more consumers buying connected devices and downloading Pay-TV providers applications, providers can easily increase the number of connected devices utilizing their services in the home without sending technicians out to complete the set-up process. This development makes it easier than ever before for Pay-TV providers to connect with subscribers, creating new opportunities to grow engagement and increase revenue.

To ensure accurate and consistent personalized video recommendations on all of a consumers devices, a solution must follow the consumer from device to device, tracking and managing the consumers behavior on his or her set-top box, tablet, mobile device, etc. Additionally, the solution should identify unique viewing behavior on a mobile device vs. a set-top box and deliver recommendations accordingly.

once hidden in the grid, blended recommendations help subscribers break out of the 4-8 channels they typically watch,2 creating additional revenue opportunities for Pay-TV providers. For example, a subscriber might not realize a new James Bond movie is available on-demand unless he or she stumbles across it in the VOD section. But if this title is recommended when the subscriber turns on his or her TV or tablet on a Tuesday night at 8 P.M., the Pay-TV provider can increase the chances of a VOD purchase and capture previously missed revenue. When content silos are broken down and consistent personalized TV Everywhere video recommendations are delivered, Pay-TV providers can up-sell and cross-sell their subscribers, regardless of device. As a result, Pay-TV providers should look at a video recommendations solution as a revenue generator, not as a hit to their already tight subscriber margins. l

increaSe arPu, not attrition

breaking Down the SiloS

Deliver a conSiStent viDeo recoMMenDationS exPerience

With the new opportunities created by connected devices come some challenges. Consumers are going to expect personalized experiences since they are using more personalized devices. Additionally, consumers will want the same high-quality personalized

Todays Pay-TV solutions bucket linear content, premium content and VOD into separate silos. The ideal solution goes beyond simply personalizing the experience by removing the silos around content, allowing subscribers to receive recommendations that blend all sources of available content. By surfacing relevant TV shows and movies that were

For more information on Digitalsmiths Seamless Discovery go to www.digitalsmiths.com

1. 2012 TDG Research 2. Digitalsmiths White Paper, Q4 2012 Video Discovery Trends Report: Consumer Behavior Across Pay-TV, VOD, OTT and Next-Gen Features.
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content to multiple devices wherever those devices might be but the content owners are obstinately standing in the way. Its not an exactly accurate portrayal of a tough space where operators and content providers find themselves facing complex deals that dont resemble anything theyve worked out in the past. It is still a difficult environment

Multiscreen Content Rights a Twisted Path; but Theres an End in Sight

by Jim bArtHoLd Consumers with multiple devices capable of receiving and displaying multiple streams of video content in multiple locations are being disappointed these days. As a rule, when blame is assigned for this, those with the content are first in line for the whipping. Generally I find these (multiscreen or TV Everywhere) solutions from operators very underwhelming because they over-promise and under-deliver. They have a very small percentage of the total amount of content thats available in my pay TV subscription, said Colin Dixon, senior partner-advisory, with The Diffusion Group. Dixon agreed the situation isnt nearly as dire within a connected home where MVPDs have won hardearned battles to distribute content. Outside the home, however, is another matter and thats where the content providers are to blame. The technology can do way more than many of the content providers are comfortable with, Dixon continued. That has led to a situation where the content providers are actually slowing down their partners, the operators, from doing things that actually their customers would really like but that the
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Just about everyone is going to be inconsistent on the amount of rights they have that are available across the platform.
terry denSon, viCe PreSident of Content StrateGy and aCquiSition for verizon

content providers arent happy with. Dixons view reflects one thats become popular around the MVPD space: vendors have built technology and operators are willing to deploy it to deliver multiscreen

Generally I find these (multiscreen or TV Everywhere) solutions from operators very underwhelming because they over-promise and under-deliver. They have a very small percentage of the total amount of content thats available in my pay TV subscription.
Colin dixon, Senior Partner-adviSory, with the diffuSion GrouP

and not surprisingly there is not a homogenous set of responses on the part of the programming community, said Steve Necessary, vice president of product development and management for Cox Communications. Theres progress being made there. Its not uniform by any means, but there are clearly some examples of progress there. One of those examplesin fact the boilerplate exampleis Comcasts overarching agreement with Disney on a bevy of multiscreen content uses. That deal, besides establishing the ground rules for other operatorprogramming relationships, also demonstrates how difficult it can be when content ownersor at least those with the rights to contenttry to lease that content to operators. It was a really hard deal to do because this was changing the game, explained Tom Blaxland, senior director of video product for Comcast. What made it most difficult

was that much of the agreement stepped onto new ground. We worked with definitions of things like what is the Internet, he said. A lot of the discussions covered where the industry is going, where the technology will end up and if were comfortable where the technology is going to be. It was really more ethereal brainstorming sessions rather than contentious back-and-forth between two companies. Contention between programmers and operators, at least on multiscreen, is not a big issue, operators say. Before we get to intellectual arm wrestling on it, there are two things that need to be considered: technology and the implementations of the solutions for any sort of mobility position and the underlying rights that the licensor actually holds, said Terry Denson, vice president of content strategy and acquisition for Verizon. On the first part, the parties must agree that the content will be available on multiple screens

as they exist nowlaptops, smartphones, tablets, etc.and as they might exist at some future point so that the assigned rights can automatically allow content to move to new devices and platforms when they arrive. Thats tough, but its not nearly as tricky or circuitous as the second part: assigning the rights in the first place, because its not always easy to determine who has what rights to what content and, in the end, what rights that programmer can legally license to the operator. A content provider that produces and owns the content is in the best position to actually license the rights to that content. A content provider that licenses syndicated programming for broadcast will only be as strong at the negotiating table as those syndicated licensesand the syndicators are going to want a piece of the pie from someone so that has to be part of the final agreement. The content provider that is a content aggregator such as a cable channel, has a really complex road ahead because there are rights tracing as far back as to payment of the programming actors and other staff through the syndicators and to the content owners before all that content is aggregated on a cable channel.
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Just about everyone is going to be inconsistent on the amount of rights they have that are available across the platform, Denson said. Denson pointed to ESPNa Disney-owned propertythat he said has done a terrific job over the past few years quietly securing mobility rights, cross-platform rights, TV Everywhere rights for almost all their content. That makes everyones job a little easier because theres a clear line of content ownership that makes it easier to understand whats being licensed, from whom and how much and what kind of payment will be made. In this case, ESPN has aggregated the content rights and the service provider can pick and choose which, if not all, of those rights it wants to lease. Even when the parties have successfully traversed the rights situation there are the new issues that need to be handled. The payment method for programming in a single screen world is easy: per-subscription or advertising or both cover the costs of producing the programs and paying the participants who make the programming happen. The advertising model requires measurement to quantify how many have watched what programming so that reimbursement can be determined based on those viewers. As multiscreen moves off the single screen and into a fragmented audience, measurement becomes trickyas does the definition of the value of the individual viewer as opposed to the household. The industry at large and Cox in particular are working on some activities with Nielsen to provide measurability because that is so key from a rates standpoint and an advertising perspective, said Necessary. Perhaps the biggest piece of the rights puzzle is the least tangible: logic. Both sides must agree what is logically the right price to pay for any given piece of content, to those who produced that content, to those who acted in the content, and to those who distributed it. There is progress being made on the logic front which is (understanding) that our customers are paying for the content and paying the service provider and the programmer so lets give them access to the content for that payment, said Necessary. Its not uniform by any means but there are clearly some examples of progress there. It is, said Denson, just another side road that must be traversed before the parties can move back onto the four-lane superhighway of spending money to get content. The navigation of the maze has become a little more complex but in the end the solution is far richer, more textured, than it has been historically. In the rights acquisition world, weve always worked against what we know and then some best guesses about what we consider are the key concerns. Then we manage to get to those key concerns in the future, Denson said. In short, he said, thats where the content rights process is right now: understanding the present and guessing the future. The jargon changes but the complexity of the negotiation doesnt really change, he said. Whats different today versus 10 years past is the extensiveness of the rights (and) thats been powered by an explosion of technologies and platforms that are far more interesting today than they were in the past. l

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Multiscreen Video Services: You Dont Have to Go it Alone
by Nikki gore, vP mArke tiNg, QuickPL Ay mediA Sponsored Content marketing and customer service. With a managed service deployment for multiscreen offerings, service providers can walk into a platform that has already been deployed a number of times. Typically, there will be years of history, learning, research and development that providers can take advantage of, without having to spend millions on CapEx and building new teams. In addition, managed services mitigate risks around ongoing operations: Multiple, complex Integration points are addressed by the managed service partner Future-proof technology as the managed service partner holds the responsibility of keeping up with devices, technology and standards Services can scale rapidly without having to make additional CapEx investments While the implementation of multiscreen video is a complex undertaking, service providers can increase their chances of success by not trying to boil the ocean. Looking to a managed service partner for the development and operation of key elements of a multiscreen service will help service providers focus on the things they do well: securing the right content, branding, marketing and customer service. The result will be the successful introduction of innovative multiscreen video services that will scale, contribute to the bottom line and, most importantly, keep subscribers from jumping to a competitor. l

The industry at large and Cox in particular are working on some activities with Nielsen to provide measurability because that is so key from a rates standpoint and an advertising perspective.
Steve neCeSSary, viCe PreSident of ProduCt develoPment and manaGement for Cox CommuniCationS

Going to market with a multiscreen video service is a complex endeavor. With the rapid adoption of multiscreen-capable devices ranging from smartphones and tablets to connected TVs and game consoles, service providers cannot afford extended development and implementation cycles. It is increasingly important that companies do not underestimate the complexity of the task at hand. Service providers who are already delivering television content often believe that they can extend out to multiple devices on their own. This can be a serious strategic and tactical error. The software and hardware integration and deployment involved just to make sure the content can be delivered and viewed on connected devices requires a capital and operational investment that is often underestimated. There is a broad shift taking place in the Pay-TV marketplace toward IP-based devices, toward software taking the place of dedicated hardware, and toward a more rapid innovation cycle than has occurred in the past. These trends mean there

is more to deploying a multiscreen video service than adding new encoding hardware, and the traditional skillsets geared toward maintaining fixed, highly-scalable and often proprietary infrastructure need to be augmented with skills of software development and deployment, among others. Distributing content using applications on a tablet, for example rather than to a physical set-top box requires a different approach to security and scalability. This means there are ongoing business processes that need to be implemented, measured and enforced. It is this operational complexity that has often been under-estimated by service providers who implement multiscreen video services. When considering how to actually implement the infrastructure to support a multiscreen video service, a managed service is often a good alternative to doing it yourself. By going with a managed service for the technical development and ongoing operations, service providers are free to focus on what they do best: product development,

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dont have it, it certainly works against you. Consumer expectations have been fueled by OTT purveyors and device makers who have put content on screens of all sizes and connectivity via multiple devices into their hands. The MVPD vendor space now has the challenge to make that video appear across whatever operating system and whatever screen those viewers might present and make it happen on behalf of their service provider customers. Some Android users have been unhappy with the lag between an application built for Apples iOS and Android and theyre not totally out of line, even though there was a good reason to reach for Apple first. iPad was the poster child and remains the poster child for tablets, said Necessary. Android remains a little more fragmented from a software perspective; all Android devices are not created equally when it comes to software. Doesnt really matter. People are buying more Android devices smartphones more than tabletsso vendors have to be ready to deliver the content to both operating systems. There is an evolution of devices

For MVPDs, Getting Video to Multiple Screens Can, and Must, Happen Now
by Jim bArtHoLd Thanks to over-the-top (OTT) video providers like Netflix, Hulu, Crackle and probably dozens of other companies, video is now commonly seen on devices other than televisions. Starting with PCs and laptops and moving quickly to smartphones and tablets, a moving picture is expected to be part of any broadband connection. For MVPDs, this means breaking away from the traditional linear TV model and adopting a multiscreen approach to reach and retain consumers who, some believe, are already leaving the fold. Weve concluded that its very important, said Steve Necessary, vice president of video product development and management at Cox Communications. In broad terms, its probably not the determinant (of whether a subscriber will stay with an MVPD or flee to OTT) but it clearly is one of those capabilities that if you

iPad was the poster child and remains the poster child for tablets.
Steve neCeSSary, viCe PreSident of video ProduCt develoPment and manaGement at Cox CommuniCationS

that fit the uses consumers want and there is an evolution of the software that has to happen to enable it, said Nate Williams, senior director and head of product marketing for Motorola Mobilitys Software and Services group. The Motorola platform takes that into account with a little prejudice in the direction of tablets. About 37 percent of folks are saying theyre watching TV outside the home on a mobile device: 60 percent are doing laptops; 30 percent are doing it on tablets, Williams said. Colin Dixon, senior partneradvisory, for The Diffusion Group Research (TDG) has been tracking this space and found similar trends. Forty percent of tablet users report using them while watching TV programs at least once a day, he said. These things are getting used a lot by consumers and the majority of them are watching video

on them. So how does the video get from the MVPDs broadband pipe to the portable/mobile device? MVPDs start in the home where after some hard-fought battles theyve won the rights to distribute their content to multiple screens. Theres a triad of folks that can empower this for consumers, said Williams. Theres the technology providers like Motorola that have software and hardware to facilitate the experience, such as the AnyPlay solution Moto recently launched with Comcast. The second stakeholders are the content owners and the studio system that looks at opportunities to monetize the content. Then theres the third party which are service providers. How and where the service providers deliver the content is the biggest question market right now for multiscreen service.

There is an evolution of devices that fit the uses consumers want and there is an evolution of the software that has to happen to enable it.
nate williamS, Senior direCtor and head of ProduCt marKetinG for motorola mobilityS Software and ServiCeS GrouP

Some of them are looking at a hybrid home gateway where they leverage the existing QAM-based video distribution architecture and transform those signals for IP delivery to multiscreen devices in the home, said Brian Cappellani, CTO of Sigma Systems. Thats OK as long as your vision of TV Everywhere is only in the house, he said.
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With the competition lurking outside the house, though, operators cant just offer multiscreen on home networks; they must provide a way for subscribers to get to content when theyre not at home. For Sigma, that means putting the content into the cloud and letting the network handle multiple digital rights management (DRM) streams and use adaptive streaming to break the content streams up for transit before reconfiguring them for viewing on the consumer device. MVPDs must adopt a new mindset and, in some instances, abandon what they currently believe about delivering content across their networks. They think because of the legacy infrastructure of their television business that they can just add on mobile and they realize very quickly you cant just add on mobile; there are so many variables and distinct elements you have to consider when youre delivering to any kind of external device other than a television, said Nikki Gore, vice president of marketing at Quickplay. Quickplays answer starts with the content. We can run it right from the very beginning all the way through transcoding, content management, publish it and distribute it right to the device, including doing work on the user interface and the application thats actually working on the device, she said. We apply the metadata and everything else that needs to be on that content and then push it all the way through so that it comes out on the device formatted specifically for that device, formatted for Wi-Fi or the data network, an iPhone or an Android, or a tablet or a smart TV or whatever the device is. MVPDs who already have their own content delivery network
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They think because of the legacy infrastructure of their television business that they can just add on mobile and they realize very quickly you cant just add on mobile; there are so many variables and distinct elements you have to consider when youre delivering to any kind of external device other than a television.
niKKi Gore, viCe PreSident of marKetinG at quiCKPlay

(CDN) and content management system can tap Quickplay for backend and encoding support. However the content is massaged and delivered, the process is complexeven for a company like Ericsson that cut its teeth in the mobile space. Ericssons multiscreen middleware product line delivers content from a

central facility to multiple devices, dealing with the content catalog, the user interface and managing the authentication perspective. One of our areas of strength is being a dominant mobile player and having solutions weve built for mobile platforms for years, said Ken Durand, head of content solutions for Ericsson Solution Area Media. Even so, delivering to devices running on iOS, Android, Microsoft and even RIM is no piece of cake. The good news is the multiscreen market is beginning to coalesce a bit in terms of the largest percentage of the market around either iOS or Android, Durand said. Thats the focus for getting things started and getting things launched. And, no doubt about it, things have to get started and launched. If the MVPDs dont know that, content suppliers whove been working with the same vendors to get their material together for multiscreen plays do. Elemental Technologies, a video processing software company

that last year won a very large deal with Comcast started by focusing on content programmers and helping HBO develop and deliver HBO Go. It also has worked with ESPN, Disney, Fox, and Viacom, among others, said Keith Wymbs, vice president of marketing. Elementals piece of the market focuses on preparing and delivering the content from the MVPD to the end user device. The primary proposition that we have is really one of solving the sheer volume of content that you need to produce to get to every device and every player, Wymbs said. As this market has exploded since the launch of the original iPad, it literally broke the existing core infrastructure for creating the content in the first place. It was a very specific problem that we looked to solve. Elemental settled on adaptive streaming as a way to efficiently

As this market has exploded since the launch of the original iPad, it literally broke the existing core infrastructure for creating the content in the first place. It was a very specific problem that we looked to solve.
Keith wymbS, viCe PreSident of marKetinG at elemental teChnoloGieS

deliver the content across broadband networks. That though, was complicated by a fragmented standards space where there was no one clear route to the end. Wymbs said that the industry is coalescing around MPEG-Dash as a way to use common encryption formats to create metadata. Even with the problems and complexity, one point rang out over and over: the MVPD future depends on how service providers handle this space and erode any inclinations any generation of subscribers might have to cut the cord. Even then, MVPDs face either a major threat or an opportunity in a new generation of cord nevers, said Matt Lieberman, director

in PricewaterhouseCoopers entertainment, media and communications practice. If theyre able to connect directly to the Internet and get the majority of the content through low-cost or ad-supported (OTT) services those people dont ever become subscribers, he said. Its not occurring yet but as we continue to see those types of demographic changes occurring, that could have an impact on subscriptions. And that, of course, is why it is a matter of table stakes to have a multiscreen play, said Coxs Necessary. Well always watch on the best screen we have access to but the interesting reality is that there are a lot of pretty darn good secondary screens these days. l
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available screen. There are cases where a TV isnt available or you may want to watch something on the go and were working on how to bring more video to the laptop, the mobile phone, iPad and certainly other devices in the future. Thats the multiscreen or classic TV Everywhere concept. Second screen is finding supplemental content to what is happening in the main video of a program or movie. Weve seen plenty of evidence that customers are watching TV with tablets or laptops and might wonder who that actor is. With second screen can pull up IMDb and get that information. Were trying to integrate some of that functionality, particularly in our tablet application, you can find more information about an actor or there are easy hooks into social experiences like Facebook or Twitter. fC: AT&T is closely tied to iPhone and iPad. What do you do about Android and other non-iOS systems? aG: We are absolutely focused on Android as well as iOS devices and not only Android but also the new Windows 8 platform as well. We are looking at multiple OS environments across mobile devices and other devices. There are times where the release of a given Android app or a Windows app might slightly lag the iOS application release but by no means does that mean were not equally focused on Android. fC: OK, so you mentioned three operating systems right thereiOS, Android and Windows. Doesnt that make you a little crazy? aG: It does. It definitely adds complexity to the issue. iOS is a consistent operating system environment across different device categories. There are challenges with Android because there are different flavors of Android on some different mobile phones. This leads us to sometimes go a little more slowly in new device categories where the OS environment isnt quite as settled like IP-connected TVs where there are a lot of operating systems and its not a consistent development environment. That may be delaying the industry a bit in deploying apps on IP-connected TVs. fC: No service provider is altruistic so youre obviously not offering multiscreen service without some way of paying back the investment. The obvious first place to get continued on page 19

Q&A: A Conversation With Andy Goodman, Director of Broadband Content for AT&T U-verse
With all-IP transport, AT&T U-verse was probably a little ahead of the curve when it came to blending video content across multiple screens besides the television so it seemed like a really good idea to have a discussion with Andy Goodman, AT&Ts director of broadband content to probe where the service provider has been and where its going in the multiscreen space.it has become a sound complement in areas where it has not built out its fiber network yet.

fierceCable: Wheres multiscreen going now that its pretty much accepted that consumers want to watch content on more than just their television sets? andy Goodman: Things are moving fast. Weve gotten beyond the trial stage and for the most part the industry is trying to move forward with this as a core part of the TV experience. There are still technical challenges, still rights challenges ahead of us, but the concepts are falling into place and as an industry were optimistic about this going forward. fC: Of them all, whats your biggest challenge? aG: Making sure that our customers know this is something thats available to them for free with their TV subscription. fC: Once they understand that, how are your customers reacting?
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aG: We see about 1.7 monthly unique users on U-verse.com today and considering the size of U-verse which is at about 4.25 million were seeing pretty good adoption among our customers. A lot of that is driven not solely by the video but by using U-verse.com as a way to enhance the U-verse experience as a whole. You can watch video but you can also program your DVR and find out more about the service and upgrade your service. Putting all of those activities in one place is what creates a sticky experience and enhances the value of the television service. fC: Isnt the end game to let people

There are still technical challenges, still rights challenges ahead of us, but the concepts are falling into place and as an industry were optimistic about this going forward.

watch video on any screenand the other things are peripheral? aG: We want to make the U-verse experience possible wherever and whenever the customer wants to watch it with VOD and increasingly with live content as well on any screen. At the same time, we want to take advantage of the qualities that best benefit individual screens. For example a tablet may offer a deeper experience around the video than you can find on television whether thats finding more information about a show, browsing photos, social activity, things weve found that the customers like to do sometimes while watching TV with a second screen. There are elements that work better on certain devices but we see the core video experience as consistent across all devices. fC: You touched on a somewhat confusing topic: second screen versus multiscreen. How do you view these two different but related opportunities? aG: To one extent multiscreen is about watching a show on the best

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important than that if thats possible. Multiscreen does make things easier for search and recommendation engines to winnow down the choices and target the right consumers because the targets arent groups of viewers in a household, theyre individuals connected with an IP-connected device like a smartphone, tablet, PC or even gaming platform. We bring a platform that incorporates personalized recommendations, very obvious, intuitive search, said Ben Weinberger, CEO/co-founder of Digitalsmiths. There are a lot of ways that you can discover content so we try to bring a holistic platform so that as all that content explodes across all these devices the consumer experience is elevated to where the content is truly finding the consumer, the consumer isnt getting frustrated. Easier said than doneand not even that easily said. Its tough enough to deliver recommendations to a user sitting in front of a TV where the platforms characteristics are known. Service providers now want their vendors to deliver guides that recommend content not only to the TV users but based on what the users are watching, when theyre watching and, importantly for the future of advertising, where theyre watching. That means the recommendation, like the content itself, must run across a multitude of platforms that range from iOS to Android to set-top boxes to Webbased or IP-based devices and be viewable on a variety of screens that are inevitably smaller than a TV but generallynot alwaysbigger than a smartphone. Its also imperative to search out the content and recommend it in a timely fashion because the period of time it takes the consumer to find the right piece to watch has an affect downstream with not only how much content they watch but how sequentially they watch the content, said Nate Williams, senior director and head of product marketing for the software and services group at Motorola Mobility. For Dish Network, which is more of a downstream service provider, recommendation is a challenge because a TV is a social device that has no idea whos watching it and cant recommend a show thats meaningful to the audience when it doesnt have a history of whos watching, said Vivek Khemka, vice president of product management. Whenever possible, Dish would like to take recommendations off the primary big screen and push them onto a second screenbe that a mobile device, laptop or some other IP-connected piece of equipmentwhere the individual user can be identified and targeted. Recommendation, Khemka

You Cant Just Put Video Out There; You Have to Guide Viewers to it
by Jim bArtHoLd An age-old lesson that cable operators grudgingly learned when Bruce Springsteen crooned about 57 channels and nothing on is coming back with a vengeance in the era of multiscreen video. You cant just put a ton of content on your TV or smartphone or tablet or PC or whatever connected device youre using without giving viewers a way to know what it is, where it is, and how to access it on any device theyre using. Even in the traditional world of multichannel TV there may be 400, 500 programming channels available to individuals and the reality is that most households have around eight TV channels in total that they watch. They dont know whats out there, Richard Dowling, vice president of product services for ThinkAnalytics said. To help solve that very rudimentary situation, MVPDs implement a search and recommendation engine that automatically remembers what viewers watch and makes recommendations based on that viewing history. In a multi-channel environment its a musthave, said Dowling. And in a multiscreen environment its even more
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There are a lot of ways that you can discover content so we try to bring a holistic platform so that as all that content explodes across all these devices the consumer experience is elevated to where the content is truly finding the consumer, the consumer isnt getting frustrated.
ben weinberGer, Ceo/Cofounder of diGitalSmithS

said, is definitely something were interested in, something that were

TV is a social device that has no idea whos watching it and cant recommend a show thats meaningful to the audience when it doesnt have a history of whos watching,
viveK KhemKa, viCe PreSident of ProduCt manaGement at diSh networK

pursuing and something thats not immediate. Its that tough. Vendors like ThinkAnalytics and Digitalsmiths, though, have accepted the challenge and are building applications that begin by understanding that the content will be running across a multiscreen environment and proceed to organize individual recommendations to be spread across multiple platforms. A recommendation will start continued on page 20
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continued from page 16 money would be advertising but that seems like that might be a tough nut to crack. aG: Advertising is an opportunity. Its part of every agreement that we look at for TV Everywhere. We are always very conscious of the advertising dollars that may be small today but as this experience grows in the future, we expect that the advertising will grow along with it. AT&T views the advertising model for TV Everywhere as an extension of the advertising model for television, including the affiliate avails that exist on TV. There are technical challenges with the advertising environment today-were all waiting for measurement to catch up--but at the same time there are opportunities where the advertising becomes a richer opportunity in TV Everywhere than in traditional television as we look at things like dynamic ad insertion. fC: Factually, TV Everywhere is not everywhere because you just dont deliver a full bundle of your available content everywhere. How do you bulk up your content so that it actually becomes U-verse TV Everywhere? aG: Every renewal that AT&T has done for U-verse over the last two continued from page 18 with the household account and be personalized to an individual subscriber on an individual device if thats what that individual wants. We can go to the next level and set up the accounts that they have and let them create another individual account, said Weinberger, noting that Digitalsmiths purposely stay away from all PIIs (personal identifying information) because we dont need the personal information to be able to give a really good recommendation. What everyone needs is an idea of what device is in play. The time it works best is when you have the full interactivity, said Dowling. Perhaps, though, the best way to figure out what shows to recommend is to have deep enough pockets that allow you to go beyond the engines themselves and do it the old-fashioned waywith a bevy of people. Few can do this like Comcast, which has a fully staffed editorial board that does nothing more than watch television and decide whats good, and then recommends programming to the right subscribers. I wouldnt call what we do a recommendation engine, said Tom Blaxland, senior director of video product for Comcast. A recommendation is generally a computer algorithm that goes in and looks at what youve watched in the past and recommends what you might like. We have that, but weve found that actually having an editorial team of humans who are TV experts who watch the shows recommend what movies and shows to watch greatly outperforms a recommendation

FierceCable
A recommendation is generally a computer algorithm that goes in and looks at what youve watched in the past and recommends what you might like. We have that, but weve found that actually having an editorial team of humans who are TV experts who watch the shows recommend what movies and shows to watch greatly outperforms a recommendation algorithm engine.
tom blaxland, Senior direCtor of video ProduCt for ComCaSt

Advertising is an opportunity. Its part of every agreement that we look at for TV Everywhere. We are always very conscious of the advertising dollars that may be small today but as this experience grows in the future, we expect that the advertising will grow along with it.

years has included elements of TV Everywhere and a multiscreen approach to content. Every deal that we do when it comes up is going to have digital elements to it. We will also look at doing side agreements outside our renewing cycle. Were now well beyond the trial phase where we are looking at TV Everywhere terms for multiplatform distribution, multiplatform advertising and business rules that run for the duration of our renewal terms. fC: It would seem sports and news would pave the way for live contentat least as far as consumer demand is concerned. Where do you stand on getting more sports rights? aG: I anticipate that well carry some live sports in the next few quarters. The initial push for live was around the 24-hour news and sports networks but were seeing that expand in some cases to some of the entertainment and nonfiction

outlets as well. fC: Finally, AT&T is not alone in putting content onto multiscreens. Most programmers have their own Web pages and their own TV Everywhere-like programs. Is that a problem for you? aG: As long as its tied to the MVPD subscription, were fully open to supporting an experience where an AT&T U-verse customer has a choice. Theres an experience that a customer can getchat rooms, non-video content, etc. that a consumer can get from a networks site and it doesnt necessarily make sense for us to build this into our environment. Theres also a very strong role for the MVPD to create an aggregated experience so customers know that they can go to one place and watch all their shows. Thats where we push U-verse.com, U-verse mobile, U-verse Tablets and other apps that may be coming in the future. l

algorithm engine. Of course, if youre not the worlds top MVPD you might not have the luxury of putting aside a chunk of staff just to watch TV and decide whats good. In that case, search and recommendation engines such as those being developed by ThinkAnalytics, Digitalsmiths and others will go a long way to stopping any future rock star from opining about thousands of channels on dozens of devices with no idea whats on. You do it one time with one

engine, said Dowling. Our engine has been designed from the ground up for multichannel, whether its in a box or a table device or a smart phone or on the Web or whatever the device is thats connecting in. Once its implemented, the shows that are available are the same in terms of the things that describe them and the users are the same or similar and the other parts are just pushing out to the other channels. If the engine is designed correctly to start with, it should be a very small piece of work to add pieces to it. l

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