New access technologies, be they IPTV or mobile TV, and the number of screens with which consumers interact in a day, are throwing up a new set of challenges for service providers, media owners and content providers. The onus is on the industry to package and present content in a desirable format, one that optimally leverages the screen or technology and ensures viewers have the best experience. Emerging viewing platforms are causing TV broadcasters to scramble to catch the viewer not only at home but also out of home. CNBC Asia Pacific, for instance, is currently part of a Jakarta-based trial sending signals to cars, because, as Jeremy Pink, president and managing director, CNBC Asia Pacific explains, the CNBC audience spends a considerable time out of home. “The whole idea is to catch people early in the morning when they are on their way to offices,” he said Pink, refusing to share further details. So is there any platform which CNBC is specifically targeting in addition to traditional TV viewing? “As content providers, CNBC focuses on providing content to our audience anytime, anywhere. So be it live, real-time streaming or video-on-demand across TVs, mobile phones, online etc, we are ready for it. For us, it’s less of technology and more of a consumer story. Maybe IPTV will be the dominant force or maybe the mobile phone emerges as a dominant access technology. But we want to ensure our production is suitable for every platform or screen,” he said. While broadcasters may be gearing up for every screen, IPTV has emerged as a strong contender in pay-TV platform terms. “Of the new access technologies, I would say IPTV has probably progressed more than the others – IPTV here being services such as PCCW’s now TV and SingTel’s mio TV services – as opposed to services such as PCCW Now.com and StarHub I View which are viewing of TV channels on the computer on-line; such services have yet to experience greater success,” says Gregory Ho, vice president and general manager – Animax Asia, SPE Networks – Asia. “The way IPTV is competing is smartly ‘old-school’. That is, in the selected few markets where it is making inroads to incumbent cable operators, the winning formula is all about selection of channels, exclusivity of key channels, customer service, pricing levels and packaging etc. and not so much about the interactive ability of the box. The interactivity aspect is more a bonus feature to the consumers, and acts as an increment to ARPU for the operators.” Ho added that mobile video in the form of 3G or 3.5G is slowly taking shape, although the technology is still too costly and the experience often not good enough for the consumers. “Online video is obviously a trend that can’t be ignored,” said Ho. “In China where some claim about 80% of broadband users watch movies or TV series on their PCs through the Internet. Though most of the viewing is pirated, it does show how great a demand there is for online viewing, and the habit is formed.” Says Ian Stewart, senior vice president Viacom Brands Solution International, MTV Networks Asia, “TV, PC’s, mobile phones…all are quite active. There is definite growth in online space with social networking sites. We see a big opportunity in this domain and actively participating. It’s not only about driving audience to our online brand or viewership for shows on TV but about expanding our reach and monetizing the initiative. We have worked on partnerships in this region with the likes of MSN and Baidu.” Jason O’Sullivan, vice president, Digital Media, ESPN STAR Sports (ESS) said there has been a profound increase in video-based online products in the last few years. “As a content provider, the online medium should be regarded as complementary to conventional broadcast platforms, instead of being competitive. In the Asia-Pacific region, IPTV has garnered huge interest in Hong Kong, where on-ground communication activity has achieved critical mass for IPTV services,” he said. Singapore-based Mock Pak Lum, managing director, MediaCorp Technologies points out that in Asia, mobile TV has been successful largely in Japan and Korea. Both of these countries have strong content creators and consumer electronic companies that make cellular mobile phones with the DMB or ISDB chipsets. Referring to the web, Mock mentioned that the number of websites offering video content online is on the rise. “Much of this content is free. Many content providers and aggregators are testing the online advertising model for these video offerings,” he said. And online viewing is definitely on the rise. For example, in Malaysia, Media Prima has seen a massive explosion of video consumption online. “Despite a challenging broadband infrastructure, Media Prima has seen 200% growth month on month since rolling out online Free Catch-Up TV in Q3, 2007 for the four private TV stations, and launching a new lifestyle portal Gua.com.my. Video is killer – it’s driving our page views, driving the interaction and driving the loyalty and returns. The growth is phenomenal and yes, much of the viewing happens during office hours – draw your own conclusions,” said Media Prima’s GM of internal portals, Paul Moss. Considering the transformation in viewer behaviour, Media Prima’s Ross said convenience is no longer a luxury, it’s a necessity. Thus any screen which provides that convenience, and delivers a “felt-need”, is transforming the viewing landscape. Referring to the latest trends, Mock said, “Apple has rolled out its version 2 of AppleTV which allows users to rent and buy movies and TV shows right out of the set top box without the need to first download the content on a computer. The service offers standard definition and high definition content. This is a breakthrough as it offers HD content to viewers with good broadband connection without the need to get a Blu Ray drive. On top of this consumers can also access YouTube from the Apple TV allowing them to watch all kinds of video content on the big screen.” According to SPE’s Ho, one of the recent trends noticed is definitely the rise of the portable media players (PMPs). Watching shows on PSPs, video IPods or video Walkmans is getting more common. “The content industry needs to find a way to get content onto these devices more easily for the users and make some money in the process,” he said. But MediaCorp’s Mock is clear that PC is a strong contender for alternative viewing. “Although we read about the many mobile TV deployments, the predominant new viewing platform is still the PC. The technology-savvy youth in Asia are flocking to YouTube and equivalent sites to look for mainstream and niche content. For example, many websites in China offer real time streaming of local Chinese television channels and video on demand content. Most of these websites use peer-to-peer technologies. This is possible because every PC today is powerful enough to decompress video up to HD quality. And the broadband take-up rate has also grown significantly. Another important factor is that much of the content is free.” From a media agency’s perspective, Andrew Carter, national tactical planning director, MindShare China said overall all new media access points are delivering new trends versus the traditional format. “Interactivity is driving the development contributing to a wider and more engaged viewing experience. From an advertising perspective real opportunities lie ahead in reducing wastage which previously was a fundamental flaw through the traditional route. Highly targeted campaigns can be implemented easily and effectively, although measurement and trading methodology will need to be consistently reviewed. The success of new media formats is based on content and accessibility,” he said. “The traditional family viewing model is slowly disappearing. Spending nights in front of the television as a family unit is fast becoming a distant memory. The development of P2P sites such as PPLive in China is, and will further revolutionize the way 15-24 audiences view television. With over 40,000 new subscribers in China downloading the necessary software each day, clients and traditional media owners will need to collaborate to ensure this traditionally hard to reach audience doesn’t become near impossible!” points out Carter. But from an operator’s perspective, Adit Harinasuta, StarHub’s head of services and solutions acknowledges that there is a shift towards greater interactivity and control for TV viewers, who are now able to decide when and how they want to access specific programmes. “Overall time and place shifting are very positive as they add more choice and more freedom in how and when people enjoy content, but we see it more as adding value rather than completely replacing the traditional elements of TV viewing. We believe that new media will complement traditional media,” said Harinasuta. MindShare’s Carter pointed out that historically television has been the consumer’s number one leisure activity. “I predict that this will not change dramatically as some media experts have predicted. As people lives increasingly become busier working and socialising for longer periods, viewers will incorporate new technology available to consume their daily fix. Depending on the demographic this will vary.” On TV consumption, Media Prima’s Ross said, “Overall yes, video and pictorial media consumption will increase. But not in simplistic ‘TV’ terms. If we simply add existing online viewing to existing TV viewing, then yes, the overall video consumption is increasing right now. However the types and platforms of video are likely to splinter, increase and change, thus creating a more fragmented environment.” ESS’ O’Sullivan feels that the outcome will be mutually complementary. “As technology or the access to technology increases, consumption via online and mobile platform will be important to the TV broadcast business,” he said. SPE’s Ho mentioned that traditional TV viewing has some inherent advantages that are hard to overcome by other platforms: it is the most easy-to-use piece of technology in your house, and the video quality is way above the other options until broadband gets a lot faster and cheaper. “For the audience sought after by advertisers, that 25-45 age group with above-average income, leisure time after a hard day should be easy, relaxed and lean back. That’s what TV offers to them,” he said. “In the longer term though, traditional TV viewing has to compete for the users’ leisure time as the emerging platforms get better, traditional TV may lose some share. But the total pie will also get bigger. For example, in a typical day currently there are at least a couple of hours that a person is without access to entertainment, such as in transit, waiting for someone, sitting at the airport lounge. Currently print media partially fulfills that void of access. But with the new access technologies, new media will be able to make inroads into these timeslots as well. So many media owners including Animax and AXN are also whole heartedly embracing new media whether it is launching services on mobile TV, IPTV and mobile WAP,” said Ho.