Streaming. It's a mobile world with video everywhere. It's important that CE makers know different device-to-device streaming solutions...and even more important for CE dealers to understand the opportunities consumers have when using devices for video.
John Barrett, Director Consumer Analytics at Parks Associates writes about four solutions that allow consumers to access OTT (Over-the-Top) content on their TVs.
Apple AirPlay
With AirPlay, your customers can wirelessly stream what’s on their iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch to their HDTV and speakers via Apple TV. Or mirror their iPad, iPhone 4S, or Mac screen.
iMediaShare
Bianor develops this mobile software solution that lets your customers deliver video from their mobile to the connected DLNA-enabled TV. iMediaShare offers a widget with a “Watch on TV” button that can be easily embedded within any online video, allowing site visitors to instantly shift content from their smartphones or tablets directly to their TVs with just one click. iMediaShare uses iPhone and Android phones as a remote to beam online videos to connected televisions.
Go setup for free with the Watch on TV widget in 2 minutes or less
Siemens CMT OTT Swipe
Siemens Over-The-Top Swipe (OTT Swipe) uses web-based technologies to stream videos through already existing networks. Viewers can watch these videos on a variety of connected devices like connected TVs, STBs, tablets, smartphones and personal computers.
OTT Swipe runs via apps and browsers on the devices consumers already own and it is very intuitive to use. They can conveniently swipe content from one device to the other.
OTT Swipe features a Business Management System (BMS) that optimizes the end-to-end lifecycle of content and it enables all types of business models, such as pay-per-view or subscriptions.
As far as we know, this is the only one of the four mentioned solutions that is not available directly to the consumer as an app (available only through a service provider ke a cable or broadcast company).
Go OTT Swipe
Packetvideo Twonky
PacketVideo's Twonky Beam Browser video streaming app, for iPad and Android tablet users, lets users browse Web videos on their tablet and beam them directly to any Internet‐connected TV, withoutneeding cables to connect to devices. For example, Bang & Olufsen BeoSound 5 music player uses PacketVideo’s Twonky technology to create a connected home.
PacketVideo also has Twonky (beta), Twonky Video app and Twonky Music app.The suite of free products provides easy access to an existing library of music, photos and videos – as well as new content from the Web – whenever, wherever on a smartphone, PC or Mac. myTwonky is a user-customized Web portal that searches the Internet for new content based on your personal video, photo and music preferences – eliminating the need to comb the Internet one website at a time for new, relevant content.
Tell "myTwonky" what topics you are most interested in (e.g., Lady Gaga or the Manchester United) and you’ll get a running stream of related videos, side-by-side with videos, music and photos from an existing library of media content.
Go Twonky
Qualcomm Athereos Skifta
Skifta is an easy way for your customers to control, play and enjoy music, videos and photos at home and on the move. Not only can they access their digital media from anywhere, with their smartphone or tablet, they can also stream it to DLNA-Certified and UPnP-compatible TVs, IP-connected stereos, PlayStation 3 game consoles, Windows 7 PCs and other connected consumer electronics devices.
Qualcomm's Skifta is the software equivalent of a network attached storage device. Its software finds the music, video and image files that are stored on the devices connected to a home network, then enables you to play them on the connected device or devices of your choice.
Skifta is available in the Android Marketplace for smartphones and tablets running Android 2.2 or above.
Go Skifta
More about DLNA...
It's probably safe to say that before long all new TVs, digital radios, digital photo frames, games consoles, etc will be able to communicate via the internet or on home networks. There are other standards vying for the home network connected (Multimedia over Coax Alliance--MoCA, WiFi, Ethernet, Powerline etc), but DLNA pops up the most in these four streaming examples.
DLNA is a communication protocol that allows electronic devices to talk to each other on a network, regardless of the manufacturer or model. Every month, more and more DLNA-certified devices are becoming available.
Members of Digital Living Network Alliance (DLNA) share a vision of an interoperable network of PCs, consumer electronics, mobile devices and service providers for sharing new digital media and content services. Founded in 2003, the group maintains a platform of interoperability based on open and established industry standards that support the sharing of media through wired or wireless networks. More than 240 multi-industry companies from around the world have joined DLNA.
DLNA uses Universal Plug and Play (UPnP) for media management, discovery and control.UPnP defines the type of device that DLNA supports ("server", "renderer", "controller") and the mechanisms for accessing media over a network. The DLNA guidelines then apply a layer of restrictions over the types of media file format, encodings and resolutions that a device must support.
More than 9000 different devices have obtained "DLNA Certified" status, indicated by a logo on their packaging and confirming their interoperability with other devices. More than 440 million DLNA-certified devices, from digital cameras to game consoles and TVs, have been installed in users' homes.