A lively first day at BroadThinking 2012 provided ample evidence that the challenge of delivering TV over broadband networks is a hot topic for broadcasters. The morning session focused on the current state of broadband networks in Europe, followed in the afternoon by a closer look at some of the techniques that can be used to deliver video over those networks. All presentations generated plenty of discussion, illustrating the fact that these are live issues for broadcasters.
More than 80 delegates are attending the EBU event in Geneva, representing broadcasters, industry vendors and network operators. Presentations in the first session included an analysis of current and likely future broadband network requirements, from Detlef Eckert of the European Commission, and a presentation from Ericsson about the capability of mobile networks to transport video. Conviva and the BBC showed how they could measure the end consumer experience of the audience watching video over the internet.
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| Discussion panel at BroadThinking 2012 and (right) Detlef Eckert, European Commission | ||
In the afternoon the focus switched to presentations on the relative merits of adaptive streaming based approaches and dedicated CDNs (Content Delivery Networks). Qualcomm’s Thomas Stockhammer explained in detail the workings of MPEG DASH, the new standard for adaptive streaming over the internet. Jet-Stream’s Stef van der Ziel predicted the fast growth of the adaptation of CDN technology by telcos and updated the audience on the pros and cons of CDN technology. There were also reports on the work being done in two European projects: the OCEAN project, which is investigating open CDN interfaces, and the P2P-Next project which looks at the use of peer-to-peer technologies.
All presenters agreed on the fact that the current state of the internet is not suited to large scale high quality networks and that there is a need for a lot of investments and technical developments before this is the case. BroadThinking 2012 continues tomorrow. Presentations are available to EBU Members from the event page.