There’s growing demand for flexibility in operations, cost reduction and ultimately, advances in the end user experience, says Robert Szabó-Rowe, EVP and GM, Live Production and Infrastructure, SAM

Our customers are increasingly looking at how they can evolve their infrastructures to adopt new resolutions and technologies, to address their business needs. 

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Robert Szabó-Rowe, EVP and GM, Live Production and Infrastructure, SAM

4K production is one area set to generate attention. We’re seeing an enormous change in sports production, with a growing demand to deliver 4K content to consumers, who are now getting ready for it in greater numbers.

As a result, our customers are eager to understand how they can enhance their offering with 4K as the likes of BT Sport and Rogers have already done successfully.

With technology evolving to enable IP routing, the debate around whether broadcasters should shift facilities from SDI to IP continues.

BCE is one example of a client that has recently undertaken a major IP deployment, providing more agility, competitiveness and above all, a future-proofed system.

We look forward to helping those within the industry gain greater clarity around the options available and how IP routing could work for them at IBC.

Business models for customers are changing rapidly, due to the influx of new entrants that are less traditional. Outside of the terrestrial broadcasters, we are seeing the growth of OTT solutions, delivering content in different ways to traditional mechanisms.

Younger consumers have more ways to view content available to them, with many now preferring second screen devices and on demand services over linear television.

Understandably, this is shaking up the industry. It is creating greater competition, meaning that broadcasters need to work harder to differentiate themselves. Alongside this, they are having to service more channels for less revenue.

There is a demand for finding more cost effective ways to process and deliver content, and do so with greater agility. The opportunities lie in offering more diversity in distribution and allowing customers to implement dynamic systems. Sports and live events continue to attract advertising investment, so we expect live sports production to be a key area for development in the sector.

This content was first published at IBC2016

The views expressed are those of the author.