[opendtv] Re: a peek at MDTV business models

  • From: "John Willkie" <johnwillkie@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • To: <opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
  • Date: Wed, 21 Jan 2009 10:09:11 -0800

Craig;

Actually, I think the industry is just a bit more flexible than your views
in 1997 would lead one to believe, particularly traffic systems.

As a practical matter, the era of proprietary interfaces is over.  What will
need to happen is BXF (SMPTE-2021) being modified to deal with the new data
elements.

However, I think the first blush will be integrated systems doing all badly,
rather than working well with others, judging by what I'm hearing.  It's
somewhere between "denial" and "bargaining."

John Willkie

-----Mensaje original-----
De: opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:opendtv-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] En
nombre de Craig Birkmaier
Enviado el: Wednesday, January 21, 2009 5:51 AM
Para: opendtv@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Asunto: [opendtv] Re: a peek at MDTV business models

At 4:07 PM -0800 1/20/09, John Willkie wrote:
>Actually, it's hard to imagine that there will be -- at least initially --
>much more than simulcast.  M/H is great technology, but the equipment to
>send traffic maps, presentation graphics, and interactive services just
>doesn't exist, not is the connections between automation, traffic and
>business systems and "new media systems."

All of the required technologies exist, however, you can't buy this 
stuff from traditional broadcast equipment vendors. Waiting for the 
usual suspects to build the infrastructure into existing broadcast 
automation, business and master control systems is a certain 
prescription for faiure.

Rather, it is time for broadcasters to re-think how operations are 
handled in the REAL digital world.

I say this not to muddy the waters, but rather as someone who worked 
on this problem for a number of years, during which I presented a 
number of papers at SMPTE conferences, describing the fundamental 
requirements for controlling DTV emissions.

Broadcasters must stop thinking in terms of programming linear 
channels and inserting commercials into them - that business is 
dying...

Sorry Tom.

In a paper presented at the 31st SMPTE Advanced Imaging Conference in 
February of 1997 I defined the problem as follows:

"The business of digital television broadcasting is the management of 
the data multiplex that feeds
the 19 megabit per second channel, so as to maximize the revenue that 
can be produced at any
given moment in time."

I went on to define this as a Information Technology problem; one 
that will be managed not by a person sitting and verifying that the 
automation/master control system functions properly, but rather as a 
sophisticated bit server with multiple sources of bits that will vie 
for delivery based on their value at any given moment in time.

The paper can be viewed here:

http://www.pcube.com/pdf/databcst.pdf

All kinds of input sources already exist to feed this server. There 
are DOT traffic cameras, any number of web based mapping services, 
and the sophisticated traffic routing systems run by GPS based 
services such as Tom Tom, Garmin and OnStar. A stations web site can 
be the source of all kinds of information that can be delivered via 
the M/H service. The stations news department has tremendous 
resources that could be used to create M/H content in addition to 
traditional linear newscasts.

Then again, all of this stuff already exists and is being delivered 
to my iPhone - on demand - today.

"Linear Thinking" will kill any chance for M/H to become a viable service.
 
 
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