• DPP produces new report ’Delivering the IP Future’
  • 5G, multicast delivery and edge computing among technologies explored
  • Upcoming DPP report to explore next-gen content supply chain

DPP IP

DPP: Released new report on IP and content delivery

The DPP has released a new report that aims to shed light on the technologies that will enable the media and entertainment industry to deliver an all-IP future for content distribution. 

UK media industry business network, The Digital Production Partnership (DPP) has published Delivering the IP Future with contribution from 13 DPP member companies.

DPP head of delivery and growth Rowan de Pomerai said: “The changing nature of video delivery is a topic that no media executive can afford to ignore.

“This new research combines expertise from 13 specialists to give an industry-wide view on the evolving landscape, that will help us all to direct our attention where it matters most.”

Technologies explored in the research include:

  • 5G broadcasting which could, in theory, replace or augment traditional over-the-air transmission
  • Multicast delivery which offers dramatic efficiency improvements over unicast when delivering the same content to many viewers
  • Peer to peer which aims to offload traffic from delivery networks by sharing content directly between viewers
  • Edge computing which promises new and exciting capabilities for delivery optimisation and personalisation
  • Content delivery networks which form a crucial part of today’s delivery infrastructure, and continue to evolve and expand

Last year, the DPP released a report on Preparing for an IP Future, in which DPP members examined the business challenges posed by the transition to full IP distribution of content, and one of the top challenges identified was peak load scaling.

A number of new technologies exist that may help deal with the demand generated by the largest scale viewing, such as major live events, yet the maturity and application of these technologies varies, and buzzwords abound, so understanding their true impact can be difficult.

DPP member company CenturyLink director of product management Rory McVicar said: “Our customers around the world are delivering video in unprecedented volumes, and exponential growth of IP video delivery is set to continue.

As content delivery moves increasingly online, content providers are moving their supply chains to the cloud. In the spring, an upcoming DPP report will explore the experience of those who are building this Next Generation Content Supply Chain.