Contrary to widespread belief, the bandwidth required for streaming live or VOD content at quality does not need to be in the multi-megabit domain. Research from content delivery network Akamai and test body Eurofins, suggests that 6-8Mbps is optimal for connected TVs with just 2-3Mbps needed for smartphones. This was for HD content only, which for mobile may well be good enough regardless of the arrival of 4K. The flip side is that viewers are used to a minimum of HD TV delivery via broadcast and expect similar or better quality video streams from OTT. A video stream that equates, at best, to an SD broadcast feed – may no longer be good enough. The Broadcast Bridge examines the findings.

The Broadcast Bridge assesses how far UHD has come and finds rollout hindered by being inextricably bound up with the complexities of High Dynamic Range (HDR). The industry was hoping for 4K consumer displays sales to kick up, driven with the UHD HDR broadcast of the FIFA World Cup from Russia, alongside many other major sporting events. 

The days of looking at bars and tone and calling it a quality check are long gone. The digital world makes it easier to playout and produce high quality. It can also be more difficult to identify errors. With this in mind, where in the playout and production chain should one perform quality-control checks?

The “Electric Dreams” anthology of Philip K. Dick sci-fi stories was produced on both sides of the Atlantic - which is fitting for a series that spans so many worlds of fantasy.

IT, software, Cloud, IP: these words have been at the forefront of the marketing messages of vendors at trade shows for years now. Are these new technologies but the tip of a revolutionary iceberg?

European broadcasters are joining forces to meet the ever-growing threat posed by online competitors and especially the Internet giants.

Western Europe is a diverse market for OTT where the big global players are gaining ground but face strong competition from both regional and local service providers. This has been confirmed by several recent reports which have also pinpointed a trend towards Direct-to-Consumer (D2C) delivery, cutting out intermediate tiers of distribution.

According to a recent survey, when TV viewers were asked about watching a favorite TV show, more consumers than ever say they watch that show on line. Is the broadcast of original content a key factor in that development?

"Ownership of connected televisions and streaming media players is accelerating while the availability of streaming content is simultaneously expanding. These combined forces will continue to drive increased adoption of connected devices within U.S. households,” John Buffone, executive director, Connected Intelligence.

As new formats like ATSC 3.0 and HDR along with digital operations and higher speed networks become commonplace, broadcast and video engineers need new ways to support and maintain these signals. Here is a preview of new test and measurement technology to be highlighted at IBC 2017.