In December 2019, after a successful Rugby world cup (despite experiencing technical glitches, I felt my team did well to reach the stage we did, with evolving the technical platform only two years into it's turnaround journey) - I realised that the members of the Board and ExCo, did not fully appreciate the world of online video streaming because they came from the traditional world of satellite broadcast world, where technology stack was largely under their control - and reliability / availability was generally accepted as always on. So, from their perspective, to expect a system to be either "1" or "0" wasn't unreasonable, albeit ignorant of the complexities, they couldn't be blamed for not having that context. So it was up to me as CTO to get them to understand, or at least, help educate them on the subtleties driving the differences, that are actually quite big and therefore a certain level of perspective is needed. In the online world, when a platform fails due to high load, usually this is a good signal that the platform is gaining much traction, and engineering teams can use this data to learn and only get better.
So I wrote this whitepaper here.
And today, I asked ChatGPT (3.5) to write something similar - and here it was it produced.
Verdict: My paper is much better. Clearly my blog isn't part of ChatGPT's data set yet. The machine isn't going to replace my role just yet...but at least the machine can help as my co-author!
You are a CTO responsible for building an OTT video streaming platform. You are having trouble communicating with executives who come from traditional PayTV satellite broadcast and set top box world. Write a white paper than shows the different challenges posed in the end to end technology stack for online video streaming as compared to traditional satellite set top box environment. Cite references used. Focus on what makes OTT different (and hard).
The rest below shows what ChatGPT produced:
Introduction
The rise of Over-The-Top (OTT) streaming platforms has disrupted the traditional PayTV industry. Consumers today are increasingly choosing to watch video content online, with the global OTT market expected to grow from $121.61 billion in 2020 to $438.58 billion by 2028 (1). However, building and operating an OTT video streaming platform comes with unique challenges that differ significantly from traditional satellite broadcast and set-top box environments. This white paper will discuss the end-to-end technology stack challenges associated with building an OTT video streaming platform and how they differ from traditional satellite broadcast and set-top box environments.
Content Delivery
One of the key challenges in the OTT video streaming platform is content delivery. Unlike satellite broadcast, OTT platforms rely on the internet to deliver content. This dependence on the internet can lead to buffering and quality issues due to network congestion, packet loss, and other network-related problems. The challenge, therefore, is to ensure that the video is delivered seamlessly to the end-user, regardless of their location or the device they are using.
To address this challenge, OTT platforms use a Content Delivery Network (CDN). A CDN is a geographically distributed network of servers that store and deliver content to end-users based on their geographic location. This approach enables faster delivery of video content by reducing the distance between the content server and the end-user, minimizing network latency and reducing the likelihood of buffering (2).
User Experience
User experience is critical for the success of an OTT platform. Consumers expect a seamless and consistent experience across all devices. This means that the user interface, playback experience, and content discovery features must be optimized for various devices, including smartphones, tablets, smart TVs, and gaming consoles. In addition, the platform must provide a personalized experience that suggests content based on a user's viewing history, preferences, and behavior.
To achieve this, OTT platforms use adaptive bitrate streaming. Adaptive bitrate streaming is a technique that dynamically adjusts the quality of the video based on the viewer's internet connection speed and device capabilities. This ensures that viewers receive the best quality video without buffering or interruptions (3).
Security
Security is also a crucial consideration for OTT platforms. Unlike satellite broadcast and set-top boxes, OTT platforms are vulnerable to various security threats, such as piracy, content theft, and unauthorized access. Therefore, OTT platforms need to implement robust security measures to protect content and ensure that only authorized users can access it.
To address this challenge, OTT platforms use various security technologies such as digital rights management (DRM), content watermarking, and secure video player technology. DRM protects content by encrypting it and providing access keys to authorized users only. Content watermarking, on the other hand, embeds a unique identifier in the video, which enables content owners to track piracy and unauthorized distribution. Secure video player technology ensures that video content is played only on authorized devices, preventing unauthorized access (4).
Conclusion
In conclusion, building and operating an OTT video streaming platform comes with unique challenges that differ significantly from traditional satellite broadcast and set-top box environments. These challenges include content delivery, user experience, and security. To address these challenges, OTT platforms use technologies such as CDN, adaptive bitrate streaming, DRM, content watermarking, and secure video player technology. By understanding these challenges and using appropriate technologies, OTT platforms can deliver a seamless and personalized user experience, protect content, and stay ahead of the competition.
References:
1 "OTT Streaming Market Size, Share & Trends Analysis Report By Device (Smartphones, Smart TVs, Laptops & Desktops, Gaming Consoles), By Revenue Model, By Region, And Segment Forecasts, 2021 - 2028." Grand View Research, February 2021.
2 "Content Delivery
thanks. Can you add more technical details please? The paper is too lightweight
Certainly, here are some additional technical details regarding the challenges posed by the end-to-end technology stack for online video streaming as compared to traditional satellite set-top box environments.
Content Delivery
To ensure reliable content delivery, OTT platforms typically use multiple CDNs in a hybrid or multi-CDN approach. This approach leverages the benefits of multiple CDNs, including improved performance, increased resilience, and reduced network congestion. In addition, OTT platforms use adaptive bitrate streaming protocols such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP (DASH) to enable seamless video playback across a wide range of devices (1).
User Experience
To deliver a seamless and consistent user experience, OTT platforms must optimize video playback quality based on device capabilities and network conditions. This requires the use of sophisticated video encoding and transcoding technologies such as High-Efficiency Video Coding (HEVC) and Scalable Video Coding (SVC) that can adapt to changing network conditions in real-time. In addition, OTT platforms use machine learning algorithms to analyze user behavior and preferences to provide personalized content recommendations (2).
Security
To protect content from piracy and unauthorized access, OTT platforms use robust security measures such as digital watermarking, forensic watermarking, and fingerprinting. Digital watermarking embeds an invisible code into the video content that can be used to identify the source of piracy or unauthorized distribution. Forensic watermarking, on the other hand, embeds a unique identifier that can be used to trace the source of leaked content. Fingerprinting is another technique that creates a unique digital signature for each video, making it difficult for pirates to distribute content without detection (3).
Conclusion
Building and operating an OTT video streaming platform requires careful consideration of the end-to-end technology stack. Content delivery, user experience, and security are critical areas that require careful attention. By leveraging the latest technologies and best practices, OTT platforms can provide a seamless and personalized user experience, protect content from piracy, and stay ahead of the competition.
References:
1 "Building a Multi-CDN Architecture for Video Streaming." Akamai, 2020.
2 "Video Encoding and Transcoding for OTT." Bitmovin, 2020.
3 "Protecting Video Content in the OTT World." Verimatrix, 2020.
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