Special Report
AUTOMATION
Netting quality in the video stream
BY JEREMY BENNINGTON
The streaming video project now has many variables, but the monetary equation’s root is video quality.
The streaming video era is upon us. Theadventof streamingvideotech- nology is not only changing how traditional TV delivery is accomplished, it also is transforming business models, subscriber experience and content availability. It is creating a “video renaissance” for
the broadcasting industry.
Why is streaming video technology transformative? What challenges does it solve?
What problems may it create? What can I do
about it? There are many questions, but one
thing is for certain: We must find ways of enabling content to be consumed on not just the
TV, but other devices and locations. Streaming video technologies make that possible and
cost-effective.
Industry transformer
Streaming video technology has not only
enabled almost anyone to provide any type
of content directly to the subscriber, it has
given the ability to change how we view
the subscriber.
Historically, the video industry developed
business models around a “television house-
hold.” This lumped all individuals in the home
into a single group, even though each had dis-
tinct viewing preferences, habits and purchas-
ing power. Also, it was hard to break down
the TV household because individuals shared
televisions. Similarly, early in the streaming
video era, content was primarily delivered to a
PC. It, too, was a shared device, although typi-
cally used by one individual at a time.
Intentional quality reduction
One of the biggest challenges streaming
video solves is the ability to provide content
to any device over nearly any network. One of
the biggest problems created when streaming
video is the intentional and unintentional reduction of quality due to limited network or
device capabilities. In many cases, the cause
and effect on the subscriber is unknown. This
unknown must be measured in order to better
understand what drives user behavior and how
service can improve.
Not only do we need to measure and understand streaming video service quality provided to the end user, we also need to ensure the
