Viodi View – October 20th, 2005 Issue – Go to Viodi.com and Viodi.tv for current posts

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Viodi View Newsletter – October 20, 2005

Sponsored by Latens – The Future of Content & Revenue Protection

By Ken Pyle, [email protected], Managing Editor, Viodi View

On-Demand Success
The Consumer as Producer
MPEG-4, Satellite Transmission & More
Multiple Views of IPTV Standards
Who Has the Best ITV Platform?
P2P – Ride the Wave or Wipeout
HDTV – You Will See Clearly Now
Content Differentiation – from West to East & All Points in Between
The Korner – What Really Matters

Running a hundred miles an hour, like we are all doing these days, it is sometimes difficult to stop for a second, take a break and reflect on the interesting work we are doing. This special issue of the Viodi View is intended to be a bit of a break and to highlight the special efforts being made by all of the speakers participating in the panels that Viodi is organizing at TELECOM ’05. Ten more speakers have been confirmed since the last issue of the Viodi View, so read on to see who these folks are and what they will be discussing.

With Comcast just passing the one billion view mark for the year [three months ahead of their schedule] on-demand is starting to finally meet long-awaited expectations. The panel, On-Demand Success Stories, brings experts Sean Henry, Jim Riley and Steve Curran from the major VOD content providers, of iNDEMAND, TVN and ViewNow, respectively. Russ Zack of Cauldron Solutions, a relatively new name in the telco space, will talk about how cable operators can optimize their VOD product offering to maximize profits.

Another relatively new area for telcos and everyone else is the phenomenon of consumers producing their own content. Mary Coller Albert, a pioneer in online video distribution with her efforts at Sony’s Soapcity will be moderating the panel, The Consumer as Producer. Dimtry Shapiro, founder of Veoh, will be explaining how content owners can distribute via the Internet. Akimbo’s Ed Lee, who is working with independent content producers on a daily basis, will talk about and show how the Internet and the television are converging. Finally, Angela Abshier, an Intellectual Property (the other kind of IP) attorney, will be talking about the content producers and showing digital films from the 48 Hour Film Project.

Charlie Jablonski is leading a panel that is sure to be of interest to anyone who has been trying to make the IPTV model work. The Look Ma, No Headend panel will discuss the approach of using a central headend combined with satellite transmission to reduce an operators common costs. With ATCI, Auroras TV, Broadstream, Eagle Broadband, NRTC and PanAmSat as speakers, all of the players in this space are going to be represented. This should be entertaining and informative, especially as they discuss things like MPEG-4 and when it will really be ready for commercial deployment.

It could be argued that the lack of standards has been holding up the IPTV deployments. Leon Hofer, VP of Network Operations at Iowa Network Services, has put together a panel of speakers who will address different viewpoints on the impact of standards on IPTV. Bill DeMuth of SureWest will look at standards both from the viewpoint of a successful IPTV operator, as well as a participant in the ATIS process. Derek Kuhn of Alcatel and co-chairman of the Broadband Services Forum will talk about the BSF’s efforts to connect content providers and technology suppliers. Ian Locke, of Envivio will be representing the ISMA [Internet Streaming Media Alliance], and Jim Welch of IPTV test firm, IneoQuest, will discuss their experiences in making IPTV work

Some suggest that IPTV has the edge over alternative distribution techniques like Hybrid Fiber Coax and Direct Broadcast Satellite when it comes to interactive television. Allison Dollar, CEO of the Interactive Television Alliance, will have some hard-hitting questions for the panelists on the session, Interactive TV: Is It IPTV’s Edge, that address this provocative suggestion. The panelists Allison has brought together for this panel, who include Mitch Berman of C-Cor, Jay Schiller of Atlas On Demand, Scott Holmes of United Future and LuJack Ewell of Conklin-Intracom, bring backgrounds that encompass all of the elements, such as content, advertising, creative, distribution and technology, required to make interactive television a success.

Peer to Peer provides the ultimate interactive television experience. Marty Lafferty, who is the focal point for the legitimate P2P industry, has assembled representatives to address the entire P2P ecosystem as it relates to video distribution. This panel will be an opportunity for telcos and other operators to understand how and why they need to leverage P2P, instead of fighting this alternative distribution methodology.

Distribution of HDTV has been a challenge for operators. The HDTV panel, led by analyst Steve Hawley of Advanced Media Strategies will provide a clear view of HDTV today and where it is going. This panel will provide the viewpoint of an operator, Will Helmly of Home Telephone, as well as independent programmer in the form of the Outdoor Channel’s Amy Hendrickson. Finally, we will hear from David Davies of Scientific Atlanta and Ned Mountain of Wegener who will bring the viewpoint of two leading-edge IPTV, HDTV set-top box suppliers.

Topping off the IP Video panels will be Content Differentiation – What’s an Operator to Do. Paul Bertino, whose real-world comparison of a double play versus triple play is still referenced by other speakers, will be moderating this panel. The panel includes IP Video speaking veteran, Steve Klein of Zhone Technologies, who will be sharing what he has learned from working with numerous telcos. Doug Frazier of Urban Telephone and Video will wow the crowd with his tale of entrepreneurial grit in building an advanced telecom network deep in the Bronx, armed only with a love for his market and the wisdom and perseverance of a true independent spirit. Jim Rennard of Canby Telephone in Oregon will explain what motivated them to shift from HFC to a just-launched IPTV service.

Needless to say, I am pretty excited about these sessions and I want to encourage any of you who will be going to TELECOM ’05 to attend these sessions. These sessions are included in the basic TELECOM ’05 registration, so it is a better deal than ever. And if that deal is not enough, we will be giving away money to come to these sessions.

The Korner: What Really Matters

I have been tickled with how many people have stepped up to the plate to support this year’s edition of Krazy Ken’s Questions. This contest will be a fun way for us to remember not to take things in this business too seriously. After all, in the big scheme of things, the contribution any of us may make to advance technology or offer an innovative new service is pretty fleeting – it is the connections and memories that we make with each other along the way that really count and really last.

So, if you are going to be at TELECOM ’05, stop by and say hi.

To repeat the questions from the last korner…….

Trivia Question #1

Name the former IP Video speaker (from either TELECOM 03, 04, IP Video @ Supercomm 04 or 05 who was the author of an off-beat book about the Vietnam-war era.

Trivia Question #2

What is the name of the only independent telco which has exchange boundaries that extend into the county that is the home to Silicon Valley?

Here is the catch – answers must be submitted in person at the TELECOM 05, IP Video panels as listed at www.viodi.tv. Winners will be determined on a first answer basis. Thanks to the generous support of the companies whose name appear to the right, we will be giving out hundreds of dollars in prizes.

Happy Birthday, Dutch!

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