IBC 2014 Trend Summary

IBC 2014 Trend Summary

International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) is trade show that is attended by content providers, broadcasters, content creators, equipment manufacturers, technical and professional associations.  IBC 2014 attracted around 55000 visitors. Majority of the exhibitors were from Western Europe and Scandinavia followed by Asia and North America. Unlike the year before. interest in Android for set top boxes and TVs was on the decline, instead a lot of vendors and operators were looking at RDK and Open TV 5 as a preferred platform.

Like the previous years, there was a lot of buzz around over the top (OTT) based video delivery. Many OTT solution providers showcased end to end solutions for carrier OTT.   Many solutions like multiscreen and companion screen were also demonstrated in the show. These solutions enable end customer to watch video in a seamless mode. It is an ongoing trend from last year. Social TV and second screen applications were prominent in helping drive more engagement by TV viewers and hence chances for monetization by the service providers.

Cloud based media workflow was a new trend at the IBC this year. Several companies showcased platforms that could manage everything from content production to distribution over the cloud. Significant presence by Amazon and Microsoft was also noticeable in the area of cloud base media management.  Overall the show validated the growth potential of the market for value added services (such as social TV and second screen), adoption of cloud and shifts of interest from android to RDK and opens TV 5 for STBs and TVs.