At a session of today’s Digital Broadcasting Symposium, Charles Sevior (pictured right), Chief Technology Officer of EMC’s Emerging Technology Division told delegates there is “huge diversity in the modern media industry.”
“Audiences are consuming content wherever they find it, as long as it comes to them in a consistent and reliable fashion,” Sevior said.
Sevior’s company EMC provides data storage solutions for broadcasters across the world that are robust enough to help those broadcasters deliver that consistence and reliability.
EMC provides “simple, agile” data storage that reduces data centre and hardware costs and is scalable and adaptable to the content demands being placed on the service by consumers. Data storage, protection and content management are some of the products offered by EMC
In the same session, Simon Fell (pictured above), Director of Technology and Innovation at the EBU talked about how an EBU innovation is aiming to “bring the best of the internet into radio broadcasting.”
A software tool developed by the EBU uses a cross platform authentication standard to allow audiences to move between their devices without losing their favourite content.
“Linear broadcasting is not enough any more,” said Fell. “The traditional broadcasters’ user experience needs to change. Anyone’s device should be a window onto the interactive media experience… The way to achieve that is by standardization.”
The innovation allows users to move information between HbbTV, Online broadcasts and Digital Radio connected devices.
“How do we unify consumer usage across all devices? The answer is the EBU’s Cross-Platform authentication, an open standard that will form the basis for personalised services.”
It uses cross platform authentication to link my user profile so that a user can synchronize their tv watching, then later pick up what they were watching at the point they left it on my tablet device. Consumers can also pass on information on what they are watching and listening to, to other people in their social networks. The linkages are achieved via tokens and authentication servers.
Anyone using a connected digital radio can log on and authenticate via facebook or any other social media profile, which then enables that radio to link to their account. Once authenticated the user can tag a song and it goes to your personal list of favourite tracks.
“It is all about the experience of hybrid radio, because we think this is where things are going in the future. You can share your favourite stations or songs, or listen to songs, stations or podcasts recommended by friends using push notifications and alerts.”
More information about the EBU innovation is at EBU.io.
“We would like to see this spread around the world for stations that can see benefits of using it,” said Fell.