According to the research, the migration of supply chains and the continued adoption of remote production workflows led to the immediate need for more cloud-native solutions.
Cloud and IP-based live video solutions provider TVU Networks has seen a 243% increase in its software-as-a-service (SaaS) over 2020, according to its research.
Based on an analysis of key measures and product usage from thousands of customers across all business sectors, research from TVU Networks, looking at global media and entertainment industry trends over the course of 2021, has noted a massive shift towards the migration of the entire media supply chain to the cloud.
The year also saw IP network delivery solidify its place as the preferred content distribution method for the media and entertainment industry, with a 20% increase in usage of the TVU Grid IP-based video switching, routing and distribution solution this past year compared with 2020. The study noted video usage experiencing a meteoric rise as evidenced by media organisations using a TVU content distribution platform to manage and distribute their video content. Content creators helped propel a near 752% increase in hours of downloaded video in 2021, using AI and cloud-based TVU Search. Search proved pivotal for finding live feeds for all major news events, such as the Capitol Riot, the Impeachment Trial, the Summer Games in Tokyo, and the Dubai Expo 2020.
Observing drivers, TVU pointed to remote production gaining significant traction and stated that it is now seen as a solid and more cost-effective alternative to in-studio and on-location production.
Looking at highlights throughout the year, TVU pointed to successfully transmitting live 8K video over the 5G mmWave band during the Mobile World Congress held in Shanghai. It created a 5G-based private network in the cloud at the China Unicom booth with two, portable TVU 5G Rack Routers. Premier A/V supplier, Ibertelco, connected Portuguese telco, NOS, with TVU Networks to supply video-over-IP delivery solutions at the country’s first 5G–enabled football stadiums, Lisbon’s Estádio da Luz and Estádio José Alvalade. Several TVU One mobile transmitters, the TVU Anywhere mobile app, and TVU transceivers were used to deliver live 5G video from the pitch. During a Liga NOS match, a roaming reporter covered the victory celebration and transported the holographic version of the winning team captain for a post-game interview.
Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks, said: “The impact of the pandemic on the media and entertainment industry cannot be overstated. It necessitated an evolution that would have taken a far longer time, roughly five years in our estimation, under business-as-usual conditions. Customers are seeing first-hand the advantages of adopting cloud-based solutions to enhance or replace their traditional broadcast workflows. As the cloud continues to disrupt production paradigms, the benefits are clear: lower cost, faster to air, increased flexibility, and greater monetization opportunities. The overwhelmingly positive response to TVU Channel since its launch in October has exceeded our expectations. We have a major TV broadcaster that’s deployed the platform and is using it for all programming on a new channel it launched, as well as the backup channel for their existing on-premise channel to protect against any unexpected disruption. The platform is already supporting hundreds of thousands of viewers.”
In addition, TVU said that as broadcasters migrated rapidly to a remote production model, it has continued to roll out cloud-native and SaaS-based live video solutions in 2021, and the company also said it saw strong traction in its transmitter business. France 2 and France 3 upgraded 15 of their TVU One mobile transmitters out of a 60-unit fleet. Its flagship TVU One with 5G transmitters and the company’s Media Services business were relied on to cover several major events, including live streaming from the Formula 1 São Paulo Grand Prix 2021 and the 2021 NFL Draft.
TVU Media Services experienced strong demand for its equipment rentals for major events, live content search and clipping platform and data services. Through its partnership with FedNet, broadcasters could access live video vantage points for streaming or story creation from the Capitol Riot and Impeachment Trial. TVU Media Services offered extensive support for the Summer Games in Tokyo, including equipment rentals, 24/7 live camera shots from around the host city and sports venues, 5G with unlimited data and on-site technical support, the company added.
