January has been a hectic month in the Digital TV Industry. There have been lots of developments, new products and exciting industry insights highlighting the future trends of 2019… And I’m sure you haven’t forgotten CES at the beginning of the year. This article is to help you stay up to date with all the news and trends that have happened so far in 2019…
CES
This year CES welcomed 180,00 attendees from over 155+ countries, where it showcased the most prominent and upcoming trends. CES saw the rise of artificial intelligence and robotics; this technology is increasingly being used for virtual assistants. The next product which took centre stage was 8K, this was a shock to consumers as 4K had only recently been released, but CES has hinted it is likely we will see this on the shelves in the near future. Last year there was lots of talk about 5G technology, and CES confirmed that big players within the industry such as Qualcomm, Intel and Samsung are investing a lot within this field, so you can expect to see this rolled out by the end of this year.
ATSC 3.0
ATSC 3.0 has been becoming more and more prominent within the past few years, and professionals are starting to recognise this as an essential standard for the future of the consumer electronics industry. A consumer study has shown that the new service delivering live, over-the-air TV could increase broadcast TV viewing and drive sales of new television receivers. Research found that 91% of consumers say they are either “interested” or “very interested” in using a service like ATSC 3.0, with consumers stating they believed it would enhance their live TV viewing experience. The biggest appeal for consumers is that it has improved audio features; this increases their viewing experience by making it more interactive and immersive. Key themes that purchasers view as the unique benefits of ATSC 3.0 are over-the-air signal access, customisation and interactivity.
Novatek and Vewd partner to create a turnkey smart TV platform
Vewd and Novatek have collaborated to enable the Vewd OS on chipsets to power Linux-based smart TVs. Adding the Vewd OS to Novatek chipsets provides manufacturers (OEMs), with a pre-integrated smart TV OS containing the most wanted advanced intelligent TV features. Key features from this partnership include:
- A fully customisable or turnkey Smart TV user experience
- A full catalogue of must-have global and regional streaming apps
- Leading support for hybrid TV technology
- EPG, integrating live broadcast or OTT streaming. This EPG is further enriched with both broadcast and OTT metadata and supports essential features such as ‘start over’ and ‘catch up.’
- Extensive platform data and analytics available through Vewd Cloud, allowing OEMs to complete access to critical consumer data
586 million OTT video service subscriptions globally by 2024
This month an exciting piece of market research surfaced, which stated that OTT services would accelerate their global expansion over the next five years, with over 310 million connected households having at least one OTT service by 2024. At the end of 2018, it was estimated around 200 million households had at least one OTT service within their home. For OTT providers to be successful, they must ensure that they understand their market and adapt to their device preferences, which are varied from country to country.
8K Association formed to help develop an 8K ecosystem
A group of the world’s largest leading display technology brands have joined forces during CES to form a new industry organisation: The 8K association (8KA). Founding companies include AU Optronics, Samsung Electronics and Panasonic. The organisation was established to achieve the acceleration of 8K TV developments, promoting 8K TVs and content, and encouraging service providers to develop 8K offerings. The organisation will focus on developing the entire value chain for 8K with the initial focal point on supporting the early commercialisation and adaption of 8K TVs.
Keep your eyes peeled on the DTVKit Newshub to keep up to date with all the latest industry news.
