OTT Broadcast

OTT Broadcast is a new technology specification which has the power to evolve the world of video content delivery by combining broadcast and streaming technologies, which have until now existed as two very separate entities.

OTT Broadcast Background

OTT Broadcast is powered by a consortium of Broadcast and OTT technology companies, driven by an intellectual curiosity and interest in problem solving to offer versatile, unified and cost-effective broadcast solutions aligned with consumers’ media expectations.

Many OTT Broadcast Forum members contributed to developing the OTT Broadcast infrastructure as part of the Copenhagen testbed of OTT Broadcast, (DVB Scene Issue 55). OTT Broadcast partners in this Copenhagen testbed are: mediathand (technical lead), Open Channel, ProtelevisionAalborg University of CopenhagenStrategy & Technology Ltd (S&T)DekTec Digital Video with valued support from France 24 (live feed signal) and SES (uplink teleport for Astra 19.2E).

Why OTT Broadcast?

Broadcast and OTT technologies are often characterised as opposite paradigms and have to date been considered mutually exclusive. This isn’t surprising as the technologies are very different, serving different needs and requirements in their respective ecosystems.

OTT Broadcast technical leader mediathand has many years of combined experience working with broadcast and OTT technologies for both R&D and production, and the truth is that both paradigms are far from perfect in serving the needs and requirements of today’s consumers, and even less so in the future.

That doesn’t have to be the case.

Imagine if you could merge the best of the two paradigms to create common ground and technology synergies between Broadcast and OTT to address those shortcomings. What if combining these technologies could deliver more cost-effective media processing and distribution for a richer and more convenient viewing experience?

Combining the best of these two paradigms of established, well-known technologies with best practice thinking enables us to manage the media challenges of tomorrow with yesterday’s technology. 

OTT Broadcast ensures that scenario is no longer just hypothetical.

Introducing all-IP technologies to the broadcast technology ecosystem elevates the standard one-to-all broadcast distribution model to include more advanced OTT services, for example the significantly more dynamic and effective one-to-many multicast distribution technology provided by OTT feeds.

OTT Broadcast streaming can also be delivered to all screens with higher AV quality, on a larger scale and still at a moderate cost in this software-defined, (managed) broadcast network, in contrast to a traditional best effort (unmanaged) unicast OTT distribution. In the world of OTT Broadcast, this combination is referred to as Smart Distribution.

How Can We Help?

If you think OTT Broadcast could help your business or if you’d like to find out more, then please get in touch.