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Tag: streaming

  • Netflix CEO leaks that a major redesign is on the horizon

    Netflix CEO leaks that a major redesign is on the horizon

    Remember when watching a movie from Netflix meant going online your desktop computer, ordering the number of videos that you subscribed to, and waited for them to arrive in the mail while you sent back those discs you already viewed? Back then, Netflix spent a lot of money on distribution centers, and its big claim to fame was that you never paid late fees, the bane of procrastinators around the world.

    But once Netflix went digital and launched its mobile apps, the company really took off. And to its credit, Netflix often updates its app to make the whole streaming video content experience more enjoyable for subscribers. According to Mobile Syrup, Netflix CEO Reed Hastings is thinking of releasing a major update that would replace the current grid-like UI with a magazine-style layout. The executive says that the current layout showing small boxes with images from each video in its library reminds him of “classified ads.” Instead, Hastings says that Netflix should be “gloriously laid out” like a magazine in order to spur “visual interest.”

    But even though Hastings wants to see such a change, Netflix vice president of product and studio design Steve Johnson says that the current grid system used by the video streamer has become iconic and makes it easier for people to use Netflix. Johnson said, “What we’re finding is the way that the grid is set up is actually working relatively well around the world.” However, a company’s CEO outranks a VP of product and studio design. So Johnson diplomatically notes that “Now that I’ve said that it’s working, I don’t think it’s working forever. And I think that we need to go deeper and we are going deeper.”

    Netflix is testing is testing a number of UI changes including one that increases the size of movie titles on Friday nights, when the app is used most often. He also said that Netflix could figure out your viewing routine and if you’re in the middle of watching a particular television series, it could start up the next episode immediately when you open the app. Netflix director of TV product innovation, Cameron Johnson, admits that less than 50% of the new features Netflix tries are successful. But he quickly added that the company learns from every test conducted and that keeps improving the service.

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  • Spotify says Apple Music has unfair advantages

    Spotify says Apple Music has unfair advantages

    The founder and CEO of Spotify, Daniel Ek, announced today in a blog post that Spotify has filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC). The executive says that when it comes to Apple Music and the App Store, the company gives itself an unfair advantage, violating EC antitrust regulations. Ek says that Apple does this through the “Apple Tax.” That is the 30% of monthly subscription fees that Apple takes on subscriptions made through its payment system.

    Ek says that because Spotify is forced to pay the “Apple Tax,” it has to raise its price in the App Store above that of Apple Music. Right now, both music streaming platforms have the same prices. That would be $9.99 a month for individuals, $14.99 a month for families with up to six members, and $4.99 a month for verified students. However, if you choose to pay your subscription fee through Apple (an in-app payment), Spotify charges $12.99 a month for individuals, $16.99 a month for families and $7.99 a month for verified students.

    Apple has released a statement criticizing Spotify for using the App Store to help it grow over the years without making any contributions to that marketplace.” The company refutes some of Spotify’s claims. For example, Apple says that it has allowed Spotify to update the app over 200 times. Apple says it rejected updates when Spotify didn’t follow the App Store rules. Apple also points out that 84% of the apps in the marketplace don’t pay it a dime, and accuses Spotify of wanting all the benefits of a free app without being free.”

    Additionally, the executive says that if it bypasses Apple’s payment system, Apple will limit Spotify’s communications with its subscribers. For example, Ek says that in some cases Apple won’t let it send emails to Spotify users who use the service on an Apple device. He states that “Apple also routinely blocks our experience-enhancing upgrades. Over time, this has included locking Spotify and other competitors out of Apple services such as Siri, HomePod, and Apple Watch.”

    “It’s why, after careful consideration, Spotify has filed a complaint against Apple with the European Commission (EC), the regulatory body responsible for keeping competition fair and nondiscriminatory. In recent years, Apple has introduced rules to the App Store that purposely limit choice and stifle innovation at the expense of the user experience—essentially acting as both a player and referee to deliberately disadvantage other app developers. After trying unsuccessfully to resolve the issues directly with Apple, we’re now requesting that the EC take action to ensure fair competition.”-Daniel Ek, founder, CEO, Spotify

    All Spotify wants, says its founder, is to be treated the same as apps that don’t pay the 30% tax such as Uber or Deliveroo. The executive says that all apps should be able to compete fairly, and Apple Music shouldn’t get an advantage because Apple owns the App Store. He adds that all App Store users should have a choice of payment systems, and not be locked into using Apple’s platform. And Ek says that all app stores should not be allowed to control communications, including marketing and promotions, between services like Spotify and its customers.

    If Apple is eventually found to have violated anti-trust regulations in the EU, it can be slapped with a fine and be forced to make some changes to the App Store.

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  • No original shows at launch for Apple TV service

    No original shows at launch for Apple TV service

    Apple’s TV service is still a no show, but that’s probably going to change very soon. The Cupertino-based company plans to use the March 25 event to outline how it will take on rivals like Amazon and Netflix, a new Bloomberg report claims. While Apple is gearing up to launch its TV service, the company needs to sign deals with Pay-TV programmers like HBO, Showtime, and Starz, which in return must decide whether or not Apple is either a threat or a potential partner.

    If everything goes well, Apple TV will offer HBO and Showtime TV shows at launch, but no original content, people familiar with the matter claim. Apple’s own movies and TV shows are still in development and might not be ready until later this year at the earliest. Although Apple may take the wraps off its TV service this month, it’s almost certain that it will not be actually available until fall.

    Another important thing to note is that Apple plans to integrate the TV service into the iPhone, iPad and set-top box’s TV app, which will offer two types of content: Apple original shows or content bought/funded by the company, as well as content from third-party media companies like HBO and Showtime.

    The same report mentions that the first partnerships are expected to be closed as early as Friday, but since the talks are still going on, it’s impossible to predict what will happen.

  • Free Spotify premium service for Samsung Galaxy S10 buyers

    Free Spotify premium service for Samsung Galaxy S10 buyers

    With the Samsung Galaxy S10e, Galaxy S10 and Galaxy S10+ all officially launching today, music streamer Spotify has announced that its Android app will be pre-installed on all three models in the U.S. Additionally, the Spotify app will come loaded out of the box on the Samsung Galaxy Fold, and certain Galaxy A units in the states as well. The latter are mid-range phones offered by Sammy.

    Besides pre-installing the Spotify app on these Samsung Galaxy handsets, state-side users will receive a free six-month subscription to Spotify’s premium U.S. service as long as they are not a current subscriber to the music streamer. While Spotify does offer a free ad-supported tier of service, it does not come with certain features available to premium members. Those features include unlimited skips, and the ability to download music that can be played offline. Premium members can also play any track in Spotify’s library, and songs are streamed in High Quality.

    Spotify normally offers a free 30-day free trial to its premium tier, after which pricing is $9.99 per month. Families with up to six members can pay $14.99 monthly, and students with a verified .edu email address are charged only $4.99 a month.

    Last August, Samsung and Spotify teamed up to take on Apple Music. Spotify became Samsung’s new “go-to music service provider” as it tries to keep its lead over Apple Music world-wide. Launched in October 2008, Spotify has yet to turn a profit and has embarked on a campaign to transition subscribers from its free tier of service to a subscription plan.

  • Disney’s video streaming service will be a dream come true

    Disney’s video streaming service will be a dream come true

    Back in November, we told you that Disney’s video streaming service, which will compete with Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Apple, is going to be called Disney+. According to Polygon, during the entertainment giant’s stockholders meeting last week, company CEO Bob Iger passed along some information related to the streaming service. Perhaps the most exciting bit of news that the executive revealed is something that will make Disney fans open their wallets as soon as the service is launched. Disney+ will offer “the entire Disney motion picture library.”
    If you’ve ever watched the Disney Channel, you know that Disney only offers a title on DVD for a limited time, and then locks it back into the Disney Vault for a number of years before it is released again. But once Disney+ is launched, the Vault gets blown up. Besides all of those classics and more recent hits (including Frozen), Iger says that there will be some original programming including a live action Star Wars series called The Mandalorian.
    In case you were wondering, Iger says that new theatrical releases will take about a year to go from silver screen to your phone screen. Disney+ will “combine both the old and the new,” the CEO said. “All of the films that we’re releasing this year, starting with Captain Marvel, will also be on the service.”
    “The service, which I mentioned earlier is going to launch later in the year, is going to combine what we call library product, movies, and television, with a lot of original product as well, movies and television. And at some point fairly soon after launch it will house the entire Disney motion picture library, so the movies that you speak of that traditionally have been kept in a ‘vault’ and brought out basically every few years will be on the service. And then, of course, we’re producing a number of original movies and original television shows as well that will be Disney-branded.”-Bog Iger, CEO, Disney
    While Iger didn’t reveal a launch date for Disney+, he did say that the service will debut later this year.
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  • Netflix streams its way into Korean hearts

    Netflix streams its way into Korean hearts

    Netflix viewership is growing faster than ever in Korea. According to mobile app tracker WiseApp on Tuesday, 1.27 million Android users in Korea used the Netflix app in December last year. That’s nearly four times, or 274 percent, more than the beginning of the year, when just 340,000 Android users had used the app in January 2018. Nearly half, or 41 percent, of Netflix users were in their 20s.

    WiseApp estimated that there are around 900,000 paying Netflix users across all devices in Korea who spend a monthly 11.7 billion won ($10.5 million) combined on the platform.

    Netflix users are allowed to share their account with family members and friends, so the number of paying customers is always lower than the number of users. Netflix also offers a one-month free trial, giving first-time users unlimited access to the platform for a limited time.

    Onlookers have suggested a variety of possible explanations for Netflix’s growing success in Korea and the rest of the world.

    Park Yong-hu, an IT expert who has previously worked for Kakao and Baedal Minjok operator Woowa Brothers, believes the absence of advertisements allows Netflix original content creators greater freedom to come up with fresh and innovative material.

    “Platforms that host advertisements often run into the problem of whether to prioritize users or advertisers first,” said Park. “For companies like Netflix, however, where the client and user are the same, they have the advantage of being able to clarify their vision.”

    Netflix confirmed that it doesn’t try to limit creators.

    “Netflix never requests creators change their stories,” added a spokesperson from Netflix in Korea. “Creators are guaranteed that they will create the content they want and Netflix just helps to realize their dream.”

    Convenience is another feature winning over users.

    From smart TVs to tablets, there are over 1,500 different types of smart devices that Netflix currently supports. The 14,500 won premium subscription option in Korea allows up to four people to use the platform at the same time, even in 4K ultra-high definition.

    With Netflix’s Smart Downloads, users don’t even have to bother downloading shows themselves. The smart feature automatically deletes an episode a user has finished watching and downloads the next one.

    Netflix’s recommendation system also attempts to offer users enough content that fits their preference so that they keep using the service.

    “Netflix does not gather user data by categorizing them into groups like ‘a male bachelor in his thirties living in Seoul,’ but we instead [suggest shows] by looking at the types of content that they have watched and the reviews they have left,” said a Netflix spokesperson.

    Netflix’s vast potential was most recently demonstrated by the tremendous success of its original film “Bird Box” starring Sandra Bullock. In a move untypical for the company, Netflix took to Twitter to reveal that 45 million users worldwide had streamed the post-apocalyptic hit within its first week of release last month.

    This year, the streaming platform is ambitiously trying to make its debut in the Korean drama scene. It has already confirmed the launch of several original Korean drama series with genres ranging from teen-romance to zombie-thriller, and started strong with the release of “Kingdom” last week, starring famous actors including Bae Doo-na of “Cloud Atlas.”

    Some believe it will be just a matter of time before Netflix becomes a force to be reckoned with in the domestic drama industry.

    “The threat Netflix is posing to Hollywood means that even production and distribution of video content cannot escape the currents of the fourth industrial revolution,” said Park.

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  • Naver to open up TV service, take on YouTube

    Naver to open up TV service, take on YouTube

    Local IT giant Naver announced plans Thursday to make its Naver TV service an open platform where anybody can freely upload videos, pitting it in direct competition with YouTube. The company said it would apply the change during this year’s first half. Originally, only people with more than 300 subscribers on other video platforms were permitted to create a channel on Naver TV.

    Unlike YouTube, considered the playground of individual creators, most traffic at Naver TV is to come from short videos from TV shows uploaded by broadcasting or cable channels, like TvN or JTBC. Lowering the bar is intended to draw in the legions of individual creators who have begun to emerge in Korea over the last two years.

    “Naver TV was originally focused on offering video from TV for users that flow in via our search engine,” said a company spokesperson.

    “We gradually had small- or mid-sized studios upload web dramas or famous beauty creators joining our platform and by that experience we learned the patterns of how original content is consumed. Now we want to make it accessible to more creators.”

    Last week, Naver lowered the bar to 100 subscribers and simplified the process required to set up a channel, as a first step to earn feedback and find areas that need improvement before fully opening the door to everyone.

    As a strategy to boost users, Naver is devising a compensation system to reward creators according to their performance. Channels with more than 300 subscribers and whose videos were played for more than 300 hours will be offered the choice to roll advertisements.

    Naver CEO Han Seong-sook publicly stressed the importance of online videos multiple times last year, expressing a will to develop that sector.

    “The internet market is rapidly restructuring to be centered on videos – Naver will also invest more in line with this change,” she said in a conference call in July, pointing out how the younger generation no longer spends time on portal sites or social networks, but on video platforms.

    Naver’s traditional strengths are not in video but other services, such as its search engine, blogs and online communities. Regardless, the company has invested in its video services. Apart from Naver TV, its other main video service is V LIVE – a platform via which K-pop idols can host live streamed videos with fans. Around 70 to 80 percent of users at V LIVE are based overseas.

    “Instead of running a single platform like YouTube, our direction at the moment is to divide platforms according to usage and optimize the service that fits their respective purposes – V LIVE for fans and Naver TV for general creators,” said the Naver spokesman.

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  • Korean Netflix shows target a global audience

    Korean Netflix shows target a global audience

    Ahead of the launch of Netflix’s first original Korean drama series today, executives from the streaming giant expressed confidence in the global popularity of Korean content at a press briefing in Seoul, Thursday. Kim Min-young, the director of content at Netflix in Korea, said that she expected to win over fans with the company’s first-ever original Korean drama series “Kingdom,” a highly-anticipated zombie series that launches on the streaming platform.

    “‘Kingdom’ will launch in 190 countries in 27 languages at the same time, with dubbing provided in 12 different languages,” Kim said.

    “We expect many users will want to watch it, as it can appeal to both people who like zombie thrillers or just Korean content … I believe in our creators and [the popularity] of Korean media, which is also the reason why Netflix launched Korea’s own content team in the country last year.”

    Before last May, the team that produced and licensed content to Netflix for the Korean market worked from Singapore at the company’s Asia-Pacific headquarters. Following the relocation, the Korean content team has been pursuing licensing and production activities more actively, working with domestic content producers like JTBC and Studio Dragon.

    Regarding original production in Korea, Kim said she benchmarks successful foreign Netflix original dramas like Spanish title “Elite” and Turkey’s “The Protector” that became huge hits with users across the world.

    “Our ultimate goal is to present entertainment to consumers, and from our experience, we found it necessary to give creators the freedom to tell the story they want to share,” said Kim.

    “As you can see with ‘Black Mirror: Bandersnatch,’ we will help producers to not be hindered from doing what they want because of technological limits.”

    “Black Mirror: Bandersnatch” is a choose-your-own-adventure film by Netflix that allows users to choose one of many action courses for the characters throughout the movie to determine how the plot progresses. Kim hinted that the impressive technological feats as shown via the interactive video could also be made possible in Netflix’s Korean programs.

    “We were also satisfied with the performance of our original entertainment program ‘Busted!,’ as reflected by our decision to produce a second season,” she said.

    The Netflix team also addressed concerns that Netflix provided limited service offerings and imposed unfair deals on its Korean partners.

    “Although we can’t provide all content available out there, we conduct analyses to discover what content users want,” Kim said. “But we have contents like ‘Friends,’ ‘Walking Dead’ and ‘Kim’s Convenience’ which users can’t access elsewhere.”

    In response to a rumored nine-to-one profit division between Netflix and Korean distributors like IPTV operator LG U+, Nigel Baptiste, director of partner engagement at Netflix, said that he could not “go into the specifics of what the deals are with our partners,” but the goal was to help “everyone in the ecosystem benefit.”

    The team did reassure users that subscription fees will not rise anytime soon in Korea.

    “We did increase prices in the U.S. … but we don’t have plans to do so right now [in Korea],” said the vice president of Asia-Pacific communications, Jessica Lee.

    Netflix is planning to release several new series in Korea this year – the first seasons of “Love Alarm,” “My First First Love,” “School Nurse Ahn Eun Young” and the second season of “Busted!”

    Mobile app research company WiseApp reported that some 900,000 Koreans used the Netflix mobile app on Android phones alone last September.

  • Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    Four Korean firms join forces to fight Netflix

    SK Telecom is teaming up with three major broadcasters to launch a new video content service in a bid to challenge the popularity of foreign services like Netflix. On Thursday, SK Telecom and broadcasters KBS, MBC and SBS signed an MOU to combine their current over-the-top (OTT) media service businesses and launch a new and improved service by the first half of this year. OTT refers to content that is delivered directly to users over the internet without going through intermediaries like television.

    The four companies will also establish a joint venture that combines the OTT operations of each party. SK Telecom CEO and President Park Jung-ho said he is seeking around 200 billion won ($177.9 million) in investment for the new firm.

    SK Telecom’s subsidiary SK Broadband currently operates Oksusu, a television and movie platform released in 2016. The three broadcasters have Pooq, a joint venture that MBC and SBS both have a 40 percent stake in, while KBS holds 20 percent.

    Videos from over 70 channels are available on Pooq, including drama series from the 1990s and early 2000s.

    All four companies are expected to benefit from the partnership. Pooq has already established ties with Southeast Asian companies, having partners in Hong Kong’s Viu, Malaysia’s iflix and China’s iQiyi.

    During the MOU signing, SK Telecom CEO Park said he hoped to see the new strengthened service launch in Southeast Asia by June.

    In return, the three TV channels will have access to SK Telecom’s financial resources, which can be invested in original content production.

    The partnership is seen as an effort by the domestic companies to combine forces to fend off growing foreign competition, especially that posed by Netflix.

    Oksusu has 9.46 million registered users while Pooq has 3.7 million. Netflix is estimated to have around 900,000 domestic registered accounts, still trailing far behind the local companies.

    These figures only tell half the story, however.

    While Oksusu is the No. 1 OTT service in Korea in the number of accounts, its number of monthly active users is only estimated to be two-thirds of registered users. OTT services from competing mobile carriers like KT’s Olleh TV and LG U+’s Video Portal are also catching up quickly in total users.

    Also, very few original videos produced by Korean OTT service providers have enjoyed success.

    Netflix, on the other hand, saw tremendous growth in the three years it has been operating in Korea.

    As of last September, users spent a total of 283 million minutes a month on Netflix’s mobile app on Android according to WiseApp, which analyzes mobile app usage. Just two years ago, users had spent 14 million minutes a month on Netflix, or 20 times less.

    During the same period, the time that Oksusu and Pooq users spent on the apps increased less than twofold.

    Users spent a total of around 600 million minutes a month on both apps as of last September.

    Experts believe that the content budget is largely to explain for the differences in growth.

    Netflix is estimated to have spent around $8 billion on content production and licensing last year. Oksusu spent only around 10 billion won in content investment, however, a fraction of Netflix levels.

    “Through this partnership, Korean OTT service providers can strengthen the competitiveness of their content, which has been their weakest point,” said Jung Ji-soo, an analyst at Meritz Securities. “[The companies’] goal of becoming Korea’s Netflix will also help in energizing the domestic media ecosystem.”

  • GCX, BMC UK facilitate live broadcast of World Cup

    GCX, BMC UK facilitate live broadcast of World Cup

    Reliance Communications’ Global Cloud Xchange (GCX) subsidiary and Broadcast Media Communications (BMC UK) have teamed up to deliver end-to-end connectivity for the live broadcast of the FIFA World Cup 2018 to audiences around the world.

    The tournament kicked off in Russia on June 14. This event will be carried across GCX’s network, via BMC, from Frankfurt to the London Broadcasting House of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and used exclusively by BBC Sport to broadcast the matches to British audiences.

    GCX’s end-to-end network solution will provide fast, dedicated and reliable connectivity, enabling BMC to deliver live video contributions into BBC’s coverage of the FIFA World Cup, as well as active monitoring of the transmission over GCX’s global network, ensuring consistent broadcast quality for global audiences.

    FIFA World Cup matches are among the most watched and followed sporting events in the world, especially important for soccer fans across Europe and the Asia-Pacific region. It is, therefore, critical for us to provide these fans with smooth, uninterrupted access to the game,” said Lee Russell, operations director at BMC UK.

    “With GCX’s expansive Global Network and its proven media capabilities, we are confident that we will once again deliver an unrivaled viewing experience to our viewers.”

    “We are delighted to partner with BMC UK again to provide high-quality connectivity, enabling live broadcasts of the FIFA World Cup to global viewers who can enjoy this highly anticipated event,” said Mark Russell, managing director, GCX International.

    “The broadcast from Frankfurt to BBC London Broadcasting House is being facilitated through the integration of GCX’s privately-owned Global Network with BMC’s resilient Media Quality Network, tailored to meet the high-quality connectivity standards of sports, news and special broadcast events.”

    GCX’s privately-owned global network offers geographic coverage and the ability to provide both subsea and terrestrial connectivity across the globe, optimized for the high-performance delivery and distribution of content, typically required by media and broadcasting companies.

    The FIFA World Cup concludes with the Finals being held at Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium on July 15, 2018.

  • AT&T completes acquisition of Time Warner

    AT&T completes acquisition of Time Warner

    Well, they certainly wasted no time. Two days after a federal judge nixed the federal government’s objections to the deal, AT&T has completed its acquisition of Time Warner.

    The final purchase prices was $42.5 billion in cash plus 1,185 million shares of AT&T’s common stock. AT&T now expects $1.5 billion in cost synergies by the end of year 3, as well as another $1 billion in revenue synergies.

    AT&T CEO Randall Stephenson will lead the combined company, while John Donovan will lead the US communications side, John Stankey will lead the media business, Lori Lee will lead the international business, and Brian Lesser will head up the ad and analytics business. Time Warner’s now former CEO Jeff Bewkes will remain on for a transition period as a senior advisor.

    The deal significantly reshapes the content and network markets, combining AT&T’s fixed and wireless network reach with the likes of Warner Bros, HBO, and CNN. Mixing content and distribution like this is of course the hot topic of the year, but there are dangers alongside the opportunities.

    The communications side will have to keep the focus on network quality and investment even as the headlines go where they’ve been tending to lately, to the content side of things.

    Attention will now shift to the next potential mega deals, with Comcast’s bid for Fox taking its turn in the spotlight. But I suspect the integration process at AT&T may be the key action to watch over the next few quarters.

    There are a lot of synergies to achieve, and most of them involve finding a new balance between very different business cultures. It’s one thing to say that the federal government shouldn’t stand in the way, and an entirely different thing to prove that the whole shebang was a good idea in the first place.

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  • Internet streaming one up on traditional TV in Vietnam

    Internet streaming one up on traditional TV in Vietnam

    Industry insiders say local Over-The-Top service providers should act together instead of against each other. Vietnam is seeing a trend of people switching from traditional TV to over-the-top (OTT) media services which allow them to watch movies and other shows on the internet.

    In a recent survey done by Kantar Media Vietnam, an information and consultancy group, 84 percent of the respondents aged 15-54 said they use the internet every day. In Hanoi, people spend 229 minutes each day on the internet, almost an hour and a half higher than the time for TV, which is only 145 minutes, the survey found.

    A significant 45 percent of respondents in Hanoi, Ho Chi Minh City, the central city of Da Nang and southern Can Tho said they watched video on demand (VOD).

    Vietnam is one the leading countries in the online video trend, with 90 percent of the respondents saying they watch online videos every week, said market research firm Nielsen.

    “People nowadays want to watch what they want, whenever and wherever they want,” said Bui Huy Nam, CEO of state-owned cable TV provider VTVCab, adding that this trend makes the transition from traditional TV to OTT inevitable.

    YouTube remains the largest OTT service in the country, with 87.3 percent of respondents in the Kantar Media survey saying they use this website frequently to watch videos online.

    Local sites such as PhimMoi.net [New Movie] and ZingTV rank second and third with 28.9 percent and 26.4 percent respectively, the report said.

    With such a large market demand, local OTT providers are adopting different strategies to eke out an advantage in this tight race.

    National broadcaster VTVCab is looking to work with internet service providers to provide free content to users, earning revenue from advertisements. The company’s ambition is to create a platform where users can share their own video content.

    FPT Play, a cross-platform application which allows users to watch TV shows and movies online, is focusing on improving its content by working with strong media production companies in the country.

    While there is strong competition between legal OTT providers, they also need to fight the battle with illegal ones. Illegal content makes up about 95 percent of OTT services in Vietnam, said Ngo Thi Bich Hanh, vice chairwoman of media firm BHD.

    “There is an intense competition between OTT firms in the country. It’s a competition between local firms and between them and foreign providers,” Hanh said.

    To ensure the success of OTT services in Vietnam, local businesses need to cooperate on a shared platform, said Nguyen Thanh Lam, director of the Department of Radio and Television Communication and Electronic Information. “They should not go alone in this market,” he added.

    Echoing Lam, Le Quang Minh, director of the VTV24 News Center, said that working together will keep OTT businesses from “hitting the bottom.”

    “We want local OTT providers to sit down together to create a sustainable market which is strong enough to compete with the leading video streaming services in the region and in the world instead of racing against each other,” Minh said.

    A study by OTT provider Muvi estimates Southeast Asia market revenues reaching $650 million a year in the next three years. On the global scale, Netflix, Hulu, Amazon and Youtube have a total of 2 billion subscriptions, taking 40 percent of the world’s OTT market share, the study said.

  • SmarTone, Ericsson trial FDD massive MIMO in Hong Kong

    SmarTone, Ericsson trial FDD massive MIMO in Hong Kong

    Ericsson and Hong Kong mobile network operator SmarTone have begun to trial FDD (Frequency Division Duplex) massive MIMO (Multiple Input, Multiple Output) technology as part of the operator’s network evolution plan towards 5G, said the companies in a press event in Hong Kong Monday.

    The trial, involving FDD massive MIMO on 1800 MHz, represents the first of its kind for operators in Hong Kong. The trial comes ahead of 2018’s planned deployment of AIR 3246, Ericsson’s new radio that can support massive MIMO over 4G/LTE with Ericsson’s 5G massive MIMO plug-in, said the companies.

    “Our extension of the strategic partnership with Ericsson in October last year includes a five-year network evolution plan towards 5G,” said Stephen Chau, CTO, SmarTone. “Ericsson’s FDD massive MIMO solution will play an instrumental part in providing our customers in dense urban environments with [the] enhanced user experiences they have come to expect from SmarTone.”

    “We are working closely with SmarTone to develop, trial, and deploy key 5G technologies that will further enhance the user experience,” said Nishant Batra, head of product area network infrastructure, Ericsson. The recent LAA field trial, and now the trial of FDD massive MIMO, enable us to jointly shape the next-generation network technology.”

    Ericsson recently launched its first radio, AIR 3246, supporting FDD massive MIMO for both 4G and 5G. The technology is designed to enable operators—especially in metropolitan areas—to bring 5G to subscribers using today’s mid-band spectrum and boost capacity in their LTE networks.

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  • Spotify builds streaming lead at 60 million subscribers

    Spotify builds streaming lead at 60 million subscribers

    The Swedish company has more than double the base of nearest competitor Apple Music.

    Spotify said Monday that it had 60 million paying subscribers, expanding its lead in the fast-growing world of music streaming.

    The Swedish company has more than double the base of nearest competitor Apple Music, which in early June said it had 27 million subscribers.

    Apple Music, however, achieved its growth rapidly as it was launched only two years ago by the tech giant.

    Spotify — started in 2008 and available in 60 countries — gave the figure in its first update since March, when it had announced that it had 50 million subscribers.

    The company said in June that it had more than 140 million overall users — meaning most people listen on its free, advertising-backed tier, which is controversial with many artists.

    The next competitor to Spotify is Paris-based Deezer, which is especially strong in continental Europe and said in January 2016 that it had six million paying subscribers.

    Other streaming sites include rap mogul Jay-Z’s Tidal, a service launched last year by retail giant Amazon and early streaming site Rhapsody, which has rebranded itself as Napster.

    Most music industry watchers expect streaming to keep growing sharply, with the subscriber numbers a small fraction of the potential global market.

    Streaming has helped the music business chart two years of bumper growth after long stagnation, although artists often question how much of the money comes back to them.

  • Singtel quad-play subs offered free Stingray Music access

    Singtel quad-play subs offered free Stingray Music access

    Singtel has launched a promotion granting its Singtel Circle quad-play customers free access to 50 live music stations operated by Canada-based music service Stingray Music.

    Subscribers to Singtel’s postpaid mobile, fier broadband and Singtel TV plans will be granted complementary 24/7 access to music genres in English, Mandarin, Malay, Tamil and other languages.

    The service will be available on Singtel TV, mobile devices and computers and will be added to the list of benefits available to quad-play customers.

    Singtel Circle also offers perks including free local data on Sundays, mobile plan discounts and an annual handset upgrade discount worth S$350 ($250).

    “We are always keen to explore new ways to add value to our customers’ lifestyle experiences,” Singtel CEO consumer Singapore Yuen Kuan Moon commented.

    “Singtel is pleased to be the first in the Asia Pacific region to introduce Stingray Music and provide countless hours of music entertainment for our Singtel Circle customers’ listening pleasure. We’re not stopping here and will continue enhancing Singtel Circle’s suite of benefits.”

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