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Community content television is a "Killer Application" for IPTV service providers; it allows television providers to differentiate their services while dramatically reducing the typical 30% to 50% cost of programming content.
Community content television is programming media that is created and managed by members of a community or a group that can be viewed by others who are connected to the various kinds of media platforms currently available.
The power for the public to create video content has been available since the first personal video camera entered the public arena. However, the ability to display and view this content over the web, television mobile or other media platform has only been a recent phenomenon. This type of community-generated content is rarely available unless news events have been capture first hand by bystanders or blunders and home videos are broadcast as entertainment.
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IPTV Platform and its Station Management Kit
(CPMS)
To address the need for community content television, Mizu created an IPTV solution that has both content presentation (rendering) and gathering (capturing) capabilities. Designed to deliver audio and video content over broadband networks and corporate LANs and WANs the player has a firm emphasis on maintaining as near a TV experience for the viewer as possible.
Comprising of a dual software system allowing members of the public to view the programming through the 'Fully Branded Player Application', Mizu's solution also allows the client to manage the content through a flexible in-house built 'Channels and Programme
Management System'. These two parts combined create the 'Station Management
Kit' which constitutes the IPTV platform through which viewers can view and
content producers can contribute.
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The power of fresh and engaging entertainment
has driven brands and commercial sectors to realize the value of community content, from blogs and podcasting to fully endorsed feature length fan films. It is this phenomenon that has driven the likes of Mizu to develop a cutting edge and innovative solution, a platform beyond clip content for the community to get involved in brands and campaigns, showcase their work and a solution that can generate revenue and a clear ROI evolving the IPTV revolution.
Producing community content has not been cost effective until now - equipment is low cost, transmission can be performed through low cost broadband Internet connections and the awareness and skills of community people is well suited to producing basic content.
Economies of distribution to a broad number of users did not exist - distributing local sports events in real time to local communities might only have had dozens or hundreds of viewers - With the ability to reach viewers throughout wide geographic areas at low cost, the use of stored media (video on demand) and navigation rich content such as outtakes with sports coaches, the number of viewers can justify the effort.
What is needed is a user interface (e.g. IPTV) that allows users to capture, organize and create channels of content. This provides the user to participate in 'virtual communities' for which they have interest and strong ties to. |
Mizu's IPTV solution provides a number of other features that act as bolt-ons. These include an automatic encoding module to crunch the formats for playout. A subscription or pay per view module that, if needed, can sit alongside each other. The solution can be set for live, on demand or scheduled viewing and can take place over mobile, computer, set top box or kiosk. Ongoing station statistical analysis and reporting can be built into the solution both for the font-end and back-end. Users can manage their entire suite of content from home or work through a user-friendly web browser such as Internet Explorer, which includes the ability to upload encoded content directly into the back end of the station for approval and subsequent broadcast. The SMK has the ability to automate or tailor advertising to its end users, addressing the era of ad avoidance and intelligent ad placements. It can also cater for tiered sponsorship levels for the player skin, channels or individual features. This opens the doors for commercial sponsorship all of which lead to revenue generation and possibilities for return on investment. With the ability to support live broadcast feeds, lock channels for members use only and with interactive features throughout the entire system this provided a fully flexible model which formed the basis for the community IPTV project. |
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Figure 1, IPTV Content Creation Process System
Source: Mizu Design |
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Back in August 2004 Mizu took this IPTV solution and made a proposal for a groundbreaking project named 'Shape-it'. Shape-it was to become a portal that housed a community driven online TV station that was to push the boundaries of IPTV, managed by the council and driven by the community as a whole.
THE "SHAPE-IT" IPTV PROJECT
Based in the county borough of Rhondda Cynon Taf, South Wales, this project had one main aim, to engage the community and regenerate the area through a community portal. The new portal was branded 'Shape-it' and was funded by the European Union Objective 1 programme. This was a £3.4 million project and was to provide information, networking opportunities and services to the local community including an online TV station for virtual communities.
Research already carried out by the council in 2001 had highlighted that the citizens of RCT associated more with visual communication methods than other forms of contact so the online TV station, the first of its kind, was to be managed by the council containing video and audio content generated by the community. |
SHAPE-IT DEVELOPMENT & IMPLEMENTATION
It was essential that the Shape-it IPTV platform was not used and viewed
as a 'one way' communication mechanism. Unlike traditional TV stations and broadcasting, this project was to involve the RCT community in the entire process from design through to completion ensuring that the player met the communities' personal needs.
Through extensive use of community forums, the planning group was able to evaluate the current needs of the community, levels of video production and the potential for increasing media production activity within the county. The process included an identification phase where potential media partners were approached to provide skills and/or access to production equipment and facilities. These satellite facility stations offered a localized focus for production activity within the community at the same time as increasing their presence in the community through affiliation with the project.
By using Shape-it outreach workers to acquire existing content from their allocated sub-regions, the IPTV platform was able to launch carrying identifiably local content.
Figure 1, The process for content creation was approached through various community groups and institutions each feeding into the platform to make sure the penetration levels were maximized. |
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Figure 2, IPTV with Station Management Kit (CPMS) System
Source: Mizu Design
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Crucial to the project's success was the continuing relationship between the community and the outreach teams. To promote this from the outset, the team produced a series of videos to introduce themselves and the project. These formed a key part of the launch content. In total, a 10-hour package of content was prepared for staggered delivery through the launch period. This reflected a significant cross-section of interests from across the community, including both video and audio.
In providing professional video training to the core team members, the planning group was able to ensure that the delivery team's skill set was capable of providing sufficient encouragement, advice and assistance to potential contributors. The trickle-down effect of this was intended to increase levels of participation, media literacy and IT skills across the community, one of the many benefits seen of initiating the project. Through liaison with local educational centres, who were going to be content providers, the Shape-it TV platform was positioned as a gateway to learning for those who would otherwise have remained disengaged from education.
As part of the implementation phase, Mizu provided advice on production issues and assisted planning an innovative range of programmes to maintain output quality and content diversity. Mizu continues to manage a content production unit aimed at sustaining the project and the teams production skills. |
SHAPE-IT CONTENT PRODUCTION
The aim of the content itself was to engage and appeal to the vast range of demographics across the region, stimulate involvement helping to maintain public interest in the station and entice community programme production. With this in mind the platforms user-friendly functions and features allows smooth operation whilst encouraging improved production levels increasing site traffic and the penetration of end users.
Figure 2 shows the Mizu IPTV Station Management homepage screen. This initial login screen displays up to date information about the station's current status whilst also providing shortcuts to frequently used functionality.
Divided into channels and programmes the
platform provides features relevant to specific areas of the community
including entertainment, learning and education, local news and events,
local businesses awareness, health, arts and culture. Local businesses are
able to set up their own channels, encouraging awareness and strategic
partnerships. The platform also allows local organizations to highlight
their objectives providing an outlet for information helping to make their
work more inline with the much discussed 'edutainment'. |
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Figure 3, IPTV Station Management Kit Playlist and Calendar System
Source: Mizu Design |
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The simplicity of submitting content is as easy as sending an email and attachment. An information pack makes the systematic process clear and accessible to the entire community. The format of the content is managed by the RCT station management team however Mizu's IPTV platform actually comes with an auto-encoding module, which can transfer all video into the required format for play-out.
The approval process makes it impossible for any unwarranted content or copy to access the front end through a multi layered security and approval process managed by the Channels and Programmes Management
System.(CPMS).
Figure 3 Each channel can have multiple playlists allowing for different channel content on different dates. This screen shows the calendar based interface used to configure the playlists available in a channel.
SHAPE-IT STATION MANAGEMENT
The Channels and Programmes Management System is designed to manage any scale of programming allowing the channels and programmes
to be monitored and approved before they are |
made available online. The Shape-it team
managing this process is made up of a five levels of approval:
· System Administrator
· Channel Administrator
· Programme Administrator
· Play list administrator
· Reviewer
The system is password protected and each level of administration has a security module to protect content and misuse of the platform. Any number of team members can sit within each of the five levels and each will have their own individual password for access allowing all actions to be captured by the reporting process.
Figure 4 All programmes are reviewed before public viewing and the approval / denial process is logged to provide a paper trail for each piece of content.
The management team maintains and approves all content and this includes the ability to generate the links for the unique 'Interactive button'. Just like UK digital TV's interactive red button this feature allows the user to click on it during programme playback and link to anywhere on the web. |
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Figure 4, IPTV Station Management Screen Shot System
Source: Mizu Design
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The project has been seen as a huge success and so far there are an estimated 250,000 unique users utilizing the portal, this is expected to increase to over 400,000 throughout 2006.
SHAPE-IT STATISTICS
· Around 12 channels currently available with available content
· 48 individual pieces of video content currently playing and submitted by the community
· Around 100 pieces of video content in the system to be rolled out over the next period
· 12 pieces of individual audio content currently playing and submitted by the community
· Around 125 pieces of audio content in the system to be rolled out over the next period |
· Over 2000 local citizens have accessed the station for content submission purposes since its pilot launch in December 2005 - the full assessment process has not begun yet and the council are looking at a
regional assessment framework to establish how well the content is being
utilized and comparisons to the television. Mizu has a statistical reporting engine with can sit within this solution however, Shape-it did not decide to purchase this.
Figure 5 An example of the player interface showing the clear menu structure for browsing the available video and audio content. |
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Figure 5, End user screen shot System
Source: Mizu Design |
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 Clare Wells is the business development & account manager for Mizu Designs. Previously, Clare engineered and managed the launch of the ground breaking 'Audi Channel' on Sky for Londons leading ad agency Bartle Bogle Hegarty (BBH).
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