Multiplatform Distribution of Content

Content distribution methods have evolved as the consumer demands changed and new technologies emerged.

Whether on a TV or an iPad, audiences consume content in many different ways. From linear TV, to time-shifted video, to the other side of the spectrum with platforms like YouTube and even Twitter. Audiences are no longer beholden to linear content and social media has drastically evolved the way in which audiences interact with both content and brand across multiple platforms. Audiences expect content to be available when and wherever they want it. In effect, they are engaging with and personalizing the content in a way that is unique and makes most sense to them. 

Content creators have a new opportunity to use this to their advantage and to the advantage of their brand. Incidentally, most audiences who engage with content across multiple platforms actually watch more TV content, which only underscores the significance of what’s happening in the media industry. Each platform no longer functions as a separate, discrete entity, but in fact reinforces the others and drives viewers to spend increasing amounts of time consuming media across all of them. 

The content creation, distribution, and reporting challenges of multiple platforms also represent huge opportunities. With the right tools, content creators can build their brand relevance, increase audience share, and grow ad revenue. It’s about enabling audience fluidity of movement between platforms to drive brand awareness and meaningful, measurable engagement. It’s also about understanding audience consumption habits in order to better leverage and monetize assets and resources across all of these platforms to develop new revenue streams and build brand stickiness. 

Methodology of distribution depends on what devices are being involved. A number of hardware and software solutions have come up to help meet consumer demand. The content is either shown as Television, or the Internet. Audiences expect content to be available when and wherever they want it. In effect, they are engaging with and personalising the content in a way that is unique and makes most sense to them. Content Creators have a new opportunity to use this demand to their advantage and to the advantage of their brand. The content creation and distribution on Multiple platforms throws open challenges and a huge opportunity. With the right tools, content creators can build their brand relevance, Its about enabling audience fluidity of movement between platforms to drive brand awareness and meaningful presence.

 Whether watching a TV or IPAD audiences consume content in many different ways.  From linear TV to time shifted video, the spectrum changes with platforms, like Youtube etc. If we watch a television then we must be ensured that it is well streamed .The content production  must be compatible with devices. First it was linear TV, then came the Internet and now the mobile. The mobile is certainly increasing its growth. Checking the audience behavior with different devices is very important. This is of particular relevance with news and sports audiences who have shown higher propensity for multi screen wage as timeline of content to these audiences is crucial. Building up a marketing engine that leverages content, specifically tailored to each platform in a way that reinforces brand, and delivers consistency of quality will let each platform reinforce others. 

Now some of the technical aspect.

Adaptive bitrate streaming is a technique used in streaming multimedia over computer networks. While in the past most video streaming technologies utilized streaming protocols such as RTP with RTSP, today's adaptive streaming technologies are almost exclusively based on HTTP and designed to work efficiently over large distributed HTTP networks such as the Internet.

It works by detecting a user's bandwidth and CPU capacity in real time and adjusting the quality of a video stream accordingly. It requires the use of an encoder which can encode a single source video at multiple bit rates. The player client switches between streaming the different encodings depending on available resources. The result: very little buffering, fast start time and a good experience for both high-end and low-end connections.

More specifically, and as the implementations in use today are, adaptive bitrate streaming is a method of video streaming over HTTP where the source content is encoded at multiple bit rates, then each of the different bit rate streams are segmented into small multi-second parts. The streaming client is made aware of the available streams at differing bit rates, and segments of the streams by a manifest file. When starting, the client requests the segments from the lowest bit rate stream. If the client finds the download speed is greater than the bit rate of the segment downloaded, then it will request the next higher bit rate segments. Later, if the client finds the download speed for a segment is lower than the bit rate for the segment, and therefore the network throughput has deteriorated, then it will request a lower bit rate segment. The segment size can vary depending on the particular implementation, but they are typically between two (2) and ten (10) seconds.

Source: http://cablequest.org/index.php/articles/item/7986-multiplatform-distribution-of-content

Source: http://cablequest.org/index.php/articles/item/7986-multiplatform-distribution-of-content