"Next Generation TV" as an opportunity: Innovative customer services through 5G Broadcast
Next Generation TV: ORS CEO Michael Wagenhofer emphasized the potential of 5G Broadcast at the Austrian Media Days 2021. Photo: Johannes Brunnbauer
New transmission technologies such as 5G Broadcast enable TV platforms to provide innovative customer services. At the Austrian Media Days (Österreichische Medientage), ORS CEO Michael Wagenhofer highlighted the potential of interweaving linear TV with digital moving image services for the changing TV market. Afterwards, a high-profile panel looked at how distribution and TV consumption will be shaped in the future, and how technology will be the key driver.
Usage of moving images: Anywhere, anyplace, any device!
The global trend toward increased use of TV and streaming is also clearly noticeable in Austria: Daily consumption of moving images in this country is already at 4 hours and 40 minutes. The drivers of this development are digital devices such as smartTVs, smartphones and tablets on the one hand, and on-demand content on the other, where users can decide for themselves when, where and how they want to consume it.
Linear TV, however, remains the most popular form of moving image consumption despite digital competition. Streaming is not displacing TV, but rather contributing to a growth in usage that would not be possible with conventional TV alone. Among younger target groups in particular, linear TV reach can be almost doubled by the reach achieved in catch-up.
5G Broadcast - Opportunity and Challenge
In view of the increasing mobility of TV consumption, the 5G Broadcast transmission standard has been developed, enabling seamless navigation between linear TV and streaming. To push the development also in Austria, ORS has been conducting its own 5G Broadcast test operation in Vienna since 2020. The goal is to accommodate the functionalities in commercially available smartphones in a few years, in order to supply young target groups in particular with live and linear moving images "to go".
Next Generation TV - Combining platforms and networks intelligently
In order to keep pace with the drastic increase in mobile and time-shifted consumption of videos and moving images, national terrestrial broadcasting networks needs to innovate. " This is the only way to smartly combine the advantages of the respective networks and platforms and to present content in an IP-capable way on all common terminal devices," Wagenhofer emphasized. In addition, the regulatory framework must provide the space to better respond to digital customer needs.
In the subsequent panel discussion with Silvia Grünberger, Matthias Lorenz (A1 Telekom Austria), Michael Ogris (RTR) and Michael Wagenhofer (ORS), it was worked out what the future direction of travel for the economic implementation of Next Generation TV in Austria might look like.
The panelists agreed that the trends highlighted by Wagenhofer necessitate a cooperative approach by all stakeholders in order to keep value creation within the country in the context of moving image use and not leave it to Netflix & Co alone. "5G Broadcast can become the catalyst of an ecosystem to ensure a contemporary user experience that secures the competitiveness of Austrian TV broadcasters," Wagenhofer summed it up.