FROM THE INDUSTRY
delivery – and then going the extra mile beyond that.
Staying Device Strong in a Shifting Industry For over 20 years, digital television has been widely distributed through coaxial using QAM. Broadband services were also brought through the coaxial cable using DOCSIS, with some QAM delivery of TS live video still remaining to this day. Service providers had a deep understanding of how the technology worked after relying on it for two decades. IP video delivery has emerged as the natural path to sunset legacy technology and have a unified delivery over FTTx and coaxial with DOCSIS. Since 2020, multiple service providers have seen their subscriber numbers going down. However, it’s clear from the success of FAST channels that viewers still enjoy a linear television experience, but they also expect third-party applications to be available at the push of a button. For service providers who own and manage set-top boxes (STBs), the goal is to become the customer’s go-to device when watching TV: the coveted “HDMI1 spot.” That means ensuring their own linear service works perfectly over IP
This is further complicated by the fact that third-party video apps can have a negative effect on a provider’s main service. In independent testing on real STBs, Witbe observed several instances of Netflix causing errors when viewers tried to exit it and return to linear programming.
It is now more crucial than ever for multi- channel service providers (MVPD) to stay ahead of the competition and leverage the “new ways” to watch TV alongside the more traditional ones. They face the primary competition of direct-to-consumer smart TVs and streaming devices that arrive with pre-installed apps. Handling Third-Party Services on STBs When consumers use an STB, they expect it to have third-party video apps like Disney+, Netflix, and Peacock. Providing access to these services is essential to successfully becoming the main TV watching device in a household. Viewers also expect these services to work perfectly across devices and will hold the STB provider responsible if they don’t. It doesn’t matter that these apps are provided by completely different companies. The burden lands on service providers to ensure that streaming quality is consistent.
It is now more crucial than ever for multi-
channel service providers (MVPD) to stay ahead of the competition and leverage the “new ways” to watch TV alongside the more traditional ones.
May 2024 Volume 46 No.2
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