From television to Any VisionA bold prediction for video over the next decade

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From television to Any Vision3

The highly personalized future of televisionVelocix Any Vision is an inspiring glimpse into the future of TV and video about a decade from now. The days of linear TV distribution, the rigidity of the live schedule, and a fragmented consumer experience are numbered.

Soon enhanced network intelligence, display surfaces, and content formats will enable a seamless and highly personalized consumer experience. Watch for these momentous developments:

Any surfaceNew screen technologies controlled by voice, gesture, and eye movement will allow any surface to display content for dynamic and responsive experiences. The shift to any surface, underpinned by new and enhanced network intelligence, will enable continuous content consumption.

Any showCuration will drive consumption. Accessing relevant content will be effortless. The experience will be personalized to each user adapting to time of day, scheduled activities, or to the mood, and there will be a blurring of the line between live and on demand content.

Any oneThe linear channels will evolve into brands, making it easier and faster for anyone to publish content to reach audiences. This will drive innovation in new and immersive content formats and enable scalable entry points for brand promotion.

With Velocix Any Vision, the possibilities of video content delivery and consumption will be limitless. And our vision can’t be realized soon enough in order to meet the overwhelming demand.

Pervasive displaysAny moment, at any place can be an opportunity for video consumption. Professional and amateur video content brands will be available on more displays and in more form factors. In novel settings, users will be untethered from watching TV on a piece of glass or specific screens bolted to walls. Instead, almost any flat surface will be able to render content.

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Mobile device projectionMany smartphones and tablets will be fitted with small projectors capable of achieving the color, resolution, contrast and performance offered by today’s high-end projection technology. As a result, users will be able to transform any flat, shiny surface into a potential screen.

Projection paint, which has seen significant advances in recent years, will be applied to surfaces and used as a physical projection screen. Even today, improved contrast, definition, and color fidelity—together with a continuous reduction in consumer cost—are making such options increasingly attractive.

Enhanced screen technologiesContinued innovation in screen technologies will enable screens to change size, shape, and location seamlessly. They will adapt to any location a consumer chooses and will accommodate all content format and types. Also, simpler and thinner displays that are flexible—even rollable—will enable more efficiency in consumer use of screens. Plus, with surfaces such as tables, mirrors and windows becoming displays, screens will meld with the environment.

Head-mounted displaysMoving forward, the cost and size of equipment enabling 360-degree video and virtual reality formats will be substantially reduced. Immersive viewing of content with head-mounted displays comparable to the size and shape of today’s eyeglasses or sunglasses will drive wide usage for virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) content experiences. Also, comfort, resolution, and isolation issues will vastly improve further driving mainstream adoption.

Holographic projectionMore and more smartphones and tablets will have built-in holographic projection technology. This will give consumers the capability to display 3D holograms in any place at any time.

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Any surface use cases• Consumers watching content projected on a surface could have the picture

follow them as they move around a room. As a result, television viewing need no longer be confined to a consumer’s home or screen.

• A documentary maker could adjust the screen size to show family and friends her latest creative efforts in the comfort of her own home. Later, she could bring the same screen to a studio where its size could be expanded to suit a public audience.

• With autonomous cars, drivers become passengers who will have more time to consume content rather than focusing on navigating city streets or a highway commute.

Responsive, immersive, and personalized videoAs Any Vision takes hold, consumer interaction with content—on whatever screen, whatever device, and in whatever location—will become more immersive, personalized, and responsive. It will no longer be limited by device and location constraints or tactile interaction with screens, and remote controls. Voice, gesture, and eye movement control will be part of the everyday experience. And, consumers will be able to seamlessly change their means of control.

Voice, gesture, and eye controlIn the future, video consumption will be genuinely hands free. While some viewers will still prefer physical interaction using remote controls or similar mechanisms, consumers will increasingly navigate using voice, gesture, and eye movement.

Indeed, voice control has already gone beyond mere remote controls and set-top boxes, and is embracing devices in the wider connected home. Market acceptance of these control technologies will only continue to grow along with their sophistication, which will increasingly be supported by intelligence around both choice and context.

Personalized and immersiveScreens will adapt to circumstances, use cases, and location. They will accommodate a range of consumption states—from public to private, small to large, individual or group. They will deliver shared public moments, as well as more intimate, private ones on any surface.

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Operators who have invested substantially in network capacity and quality of experience will achieve operational savings on CPE. For the user, less CPE will be required. In the home for example, set-top boxes will no longer be needed. Leading operators have already taken a step in this direction. Hybrid devices that perform multiple functions at once have been deployed. However, the lifespan of these hybrid devices will be short as the focus shifts to leveraging intelligence in the network.

Ubiquitous connectivity At home, at work, or on your way, with Any Vision it will no longer matter where content is accessed. All screens and devices will remain permanently connected, allowing full, uninhibited access to all content delivered by the operator. Users will always be able to stream content from any source.

Intelligence in the networkThis ubiquitous connectivity changes the game for operators, too. Most content-related services and functions will shift from customer premises equipment (CPE) devices to the network. By migrating intelligence to the network, operators will be able to launch new services more quickly, improving time to market. At the same time, the logic and intelligence in these devices will move increasingly back into the network, letting operators drive rapid change and innovation.

Enhanced user experienceThe move towards the network will provide greater visibility and control over all devices, providing not only expanded choice but also an enhanced user experience. Screens, not set-top boxes, will be at the core of user consumption. Powered by enhanced network intelligence, the consumer experience will be seamless. Whether in the home or on the move, the question for users will no longer be, “can I access my content from here?” Instead, the question will be, “which screen do I want to use to watch my content?”

Anchor devicesConsumers will carry a smart device that can interact with any display surface of choice to render content. This anchor device will enable improved portability and continuous access to content inside, as well as outside the home.

Curated content experiencesAny Vision content curation will be more multifaceted than today’s recommender systems. It will consist of a blend of multiple inputs, including behaviorally- and cognitively-based content selection.

Practically speaking, operator-level recommendations will become responsive to the TV watcher whether they are individuals or groups of viewers. A person’s or group’s presence in a living room will determine what content is offered. Continuous analysis of consumer speech, tone of voice, gesture, and movement will make this possible. Content personalization also takes into account the time of the day and people’s diary. Recommendations for “people like you” will finally mean exactly that—with unprecedented accuracy.

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From television to Any Vision9

Content as you like itConsider a couple watching TV after a long day at the office. By gauging their combined mood, need state, and the length of viewing time available, the operator will be able to segment, shorten, or lengthen content with editorial intelligence. And, should any viewing conditions change—an interruption or another family member joins the couple—the curation choices will respond dynamically.

Operators will draw on a myriad of datasets to curate content suggestions based on individual and group characteristics and attributes. Machine learning technologies will become instrumental in shaping content curation whether it is based on the operator’s own data or is gotten from third-party sources (professional, social media-based and otherwise).

Operators will curate content for individuals or groups of users dynamically and in real time. Personalized recommendations will be shared within user interfaces on every consumer device and screen. The recommendations will be updated from hour to hour, and will adapt to the viewing environment. So, when a new member joins a group, the recommendations will be tailored to the wider group’s preferences.

Content curation types Example

Algorithmic recommendations based on the operator’s data and third-party datasets

Recommend content based on actors in your favorite movies

Editorial recommendations at the operator and content brand-level

Recommend a breaking story about a celebrity you follow

Real-time behavioral curation based on topics trending in social media

Recommend TV programs your friends are watching or ones receiving the most comments

Dynamic, responsive cognitive curation based on consumer mood and tone of voice (i.e., by using machine learning and artificial intelligence technologies)

Recommend age-appropriate programming if a child is upset

Live, “real-time” scheduling, letting channels deliver new programming to their own schedule—itself a form of curation

Recommend a live sports event

Release schedules driven by studio marketing agendas for time-sensitive, on-demand content

Recommend the latest blockbuster release on demand or most recent TV show on replay

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Time-shift everythingWhat’s more, consumers will be able to time-shift or delay their social media services to line up with their curated consumption. This will allow them to avoid plot spoilers or find out which sports team won a particular game.

As live is redefined, the notion of synchronicity will also be reinvented. Excitement among friends about the latest episode of a drama series will generate social currency—in person, and across social media—as well as inspiring its collective consumption. This will result in a new and more dynamic form of ‘appointment to view’. Viewers will still be keen to see whether their favorite contestant on a talent show has made it through to the next round. At the same time, they will maintain the conversation online and offline with family and friends. And, users will be keen to blend real-time consumption of news and sports with related, curated on-demand content.

Live redefinedFor the consumer, the lines between content delivered live or on-demand will blur and this distinction will fade away. Even so, elements of live content such as news and sporting events will continue to play an important role with Any Vision. Viewers appreciate being part of a wider community with shared experiences at the same time. In many countries, national audiences for certain live shows or events will continue to have a significant social and cultural role. What will change is how we define live content.

The nature of live content will evolve. There will be at least three different types:• Real-time live content: Live sport

and breaking news.• Time-sensitive content: A specific time

window for viewing the content. Examples include news programming and shows that involve audience voting.

• Time-popular content: Content released at a particular time to a wider market on a curated, on-demand basis. Examples include weekly releases of episodes of a popular premium drama series, or the daily release of short-form current affairs shows.

Consumption unboundPay TV operators will offer consumers unrestricted and unlimited access to every on-demand program across all consumer devices, inside and outside the home. In the process, the lines between live, recorded, on-demand, curated, time-shifted or virtual content will blur—and consumers won’t notice. What really matters is universal access to content, on any screen, for any show, from as many different sources as possible, and at the most appropriate time.-

For operators, content ubiquity will allow them to compete on areas of strength, such as functionality and connectivity. Meanwhile, content curation will assume a central place in the consumer viewing experience. Consumers will increasingly self-curate. Operators, too—based on the enhanced, multi-faceted data, and insight at their disposal—will curate and time-shift subscribers’ content on their behalf. The importance of the operator, as aggregator of this content and deliverer of functionality around it, will be reinforced.

From Television to Any Vision

Branded content from anyoneWe will see a much wider choice of brands because content will be democratized. Consumers will gain access to content available through all platforms and the distribution of content will change, too. Content producers of all types will be able to deliver content to open platforms to satisfy consumer appetite.

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In addition, virtual content brands, rapidly created in the cloud by operators, will flourish. Indeed, more and more virtual channels have appeared in recent years. In response to current events, these virtual channels will be offered to consumers across all connected devices. The next move is from virtual channels to virtual content brands.

These live or on-demand streams will be created, operated, and managed entirely in the cloud. They will be driven by and based on real-time data and insights, including reaction to events, shifts in consumer behavior, and social media trends. Cloud-created content, based on real-time behavioral and machine learning data, will resonate with individual users and wider audiences—driving further consumption.

New content, fasterContent onboarding will also be faster and smoother. Operators will possess both the ability to make new content available in seconds and minutes rather than in hours or days. Moreover, content creators themselves will be able to take charge and self-publish using operators’ services. What’s more, the content’s popularity will drive its promotion across all consumer devices.

Content brands will become curated “meeting places”. On a single platform, consumers will be able to quickly access all live and on-demand content offered by a particular brand. Although the content brands offered by operators will be more global and international, a significant proportion of live and on-demand content will be consumed by distinct cultural, social, and linguistic audiences.

Social media services will be integral to operators’ content brand line-ups. They will become content distribution brands offering members video and other media as a destination within the operator's’ user interface.

From channels to brandsWith Any Vision, the definition of channel will also radically change. The number of linear and scheduled live channels will be dramatically reduced. At the same time, there will be an increase in the number of content brands available to consumers using operators’ services. This increase, in turn, will lead to a democratization in the provision of, and access to content brands that are new and old, amateur and professional.

A wider choice of brandsBig content brands will benefit from greater flexibility in production and distribution, while also enabling content start-ups to more easily establish themselves and compete with major channels. Short-term or ‘pop-up’ content brands will be created around major events. Non-media brands, for their part, will create and distribute content under their own name instead of relying on advertising.

Any content creator or brand with video to share will become a potential broadcaster. IP distribution and production will lower barriers to entry to such an extent that new content brands will achieve scale and audience reach faster than ever.

The super aggregatorThe role of operators as aggregators will expand as they curate live and on-demand content attuned to users’ needs, tastes, and behaviors across all devices and screens. They become the open platform on which anybody can publish content, be it professional or private. The value of the operator is in presenting the content in a way that is compelling and exciting for consumers to watch.

From Television to Any Vision

The shape of things to comeAny Vision will enable and encourage experimentation with new content types and formats, yielding breakthrough innovations. As a result, consumers will be able to explore content that is richer, more personalized, and immersive. At the same time, breadth of content will be unparalleled and will be created and delivered to users dynamically.

New content formatsFrom a content perspective, virtual reality will become increasingly personalized—allowing users to become their own producers and curate their own experiences. This approach will see

rapid uptake in the consumption of the music, adult, and sports genres. Each genre will have its own way of capitalizing on these new formats.

In sport, for example, cameras will be placed throughout stadiums allowing for free viewpoint video experiences anywhere on the field. This would represent a new and immersive way to consume sport, with viewers “becoming the player.” This will likely be a supplementary or premium offering for super fans.

Dynamic and immersiveOperators will become conduits not only for provisioning and distributing new content formats, but will also play an active role in creating these formats themselves. New content formats and types will be offered by content brands and providers in their original state or as mashups. These stitched together content elements will create a more dynamic, immersive, and greater whole.

Innovativecontent deliveryKnowing a user’s favourite competitor, the operator will be able to aggregate and virtually combine short-form highlights of the best moments—supercharging what is currently a manual process.

Innovation around video format will encourage growing consumption. Other technologies offered by operators will include holo-video and augmented reality. Holo-video uses a dedicated headset and specially designed content, enabling the viewer to see an object from all possible viewpoints. For its part, augmented reality keeps the user in continuous contact with the environment as personalized content is consumed on smartphones and other connected devices.

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If you could predict the future, what would you do?Any Vision is not a dream, rather it is a glimpse of an imminent reality with dramatic implications. By looking ahead, Velocix is preparing for the future, shaping it, and helping you seize the many opportunities that will come your way.

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About VelocixVelocix is the streaming technology company that makes video personal, on every connected screen. We enable each stream to be personalized, dynamically adapting it to ensure every viewing experience is not just unique, but enriched. Our solutions are used to engage, entertain, and inform millions of people around the globe, every single day. In partnership with our customers, including network service providers, video service operators, broadcasters, programmers, and content owners, we are forever improving how people connect with content and thereby making the world a better place, one stream at a time. www.velocix.com

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