Viaccess

Video-on-demand market trends

Video-on-demand (VOD) is now experiencing a boom in viewer uptake and a rapid growth is expected. According to Ovum, VOD worldwide revenues will increase threefold in the next three years, to surpass €10billion by the end of 2011. This is being stimulated by new TV platform operators, with services such as IPTV.

Operators needs

The competitive pressure for broadcasters is increasing and VOD is a priority battlefield for them because the service is now a ‘must have’ for TV consumers. They may deliver their on-demand content using two possible methods: push VOD over broadcast or pull VOD over the IP network in a hybrid configuration.

The ultimate goals for the broadcasters are to reduce potential churn towards new TV platforms offering VOD services and also to generate up sell revenues with this new time-shifted content.

Push VOD technology brings several advantages to the operator:

• The solution is cost-effective as the operator re-uses its existing broadcast infrastructure and the content is pushed during the off-peak hours. The operator does not need any return channel
• The broadcasters can differentiate themselves from other TV platforms with high-definition quality VOD content
• The viewer experience is the same quality as for live-TV since the same network is used for both live and on-demand content
• The end users get better value out of their personal video recorder (PVR) enabled set-top boxes (STB)
• Push VOD is the only way to deliver on demand content in the geographic areas where broadband is missing.

The pushed content is expected to be premium content, such as blockbuster movies, so a robust protection solution is necessary.