In advance of the 2024 IBC Show, Sept. 13-16 at the RAI Amsterdam, TV Tech spoke with
Rick Young, senior vice president and head of global products for LTN, who will be exhibiting in Stand 5.A76 in the show's "Content Everywhere" Zone.

TV Tech: Why did you choose to exhibit in the Content Everywhere Zone this year?
Rick Young: LTN sees the Content Everywhere Zone as the heartbeat of the show. The Content Everywhere Zone aligns with our vision to give media companies more control over their content distribution. LTN is empowering media companies to transition to an IP-based distribution model. The zone spotlights the very latest emerging technologies for multi-platform delivery, OTT, and the monetization of content. We are looking forward to showcasing how LTN technology is powering high-quality live events and customized streaming experiences at scale.

There are also several engaging panels and seminars that take place in this zone, encompassing a range of key themes and topics. LTN is looking forward to being involved in some of these panels at the show. This includes our panel with IMAX, where we will discuss our live event versioning solution LTN Arc and its role in bringing the biggest live events — including the Paris Olympics opening ceremony — to select theaters across the US and around the world.

TVT: What will you be highlighting at your exhibit?
RY: In addition to the panels LTN will be involved in, visitors to our stand (#5.A76) will discover a range of innovative solutions that drive cost-efficient linear channel creation and live event customization at scale through IP distribution. This will include hands-on demos to spotlight how LTN workflows give media companies greater control over their content.

LTN Lift is empowering customers to automate the creation of new digital linear channels for tailored audience experiences across FAST and other digital platforms.

LTN will also highlight how LTN Wave is providing a more flexible, cost-efficient, and reliable IP-based alternative to legacy fiber and satellite distribution for tier-one media companies. LTN is delivering greater flexibility and scale in multi-platform content distribution.

Finally, our LTN Arc solution empowers sports organizations and streaming companies to acquire, version, customize, and deliver premium live sports events for global audiences.

TVT: Which trends do you expect will be most important at the show this year?
RY: Navigating the complex world of content distribution has evolved significantly in recent years, and we expect this trend to continue. Media companies are asking how they can overcome these distribution challenges without spending a lot of money and resources. The need for better content distribution means media companies need to adopt IP-first initiatives that give them the tools to reach more audiences at scale. IP distribution technology empowers more creativity that resonates with today’s content-hungry viewer. There has been a lot of experimentation in this space, and LTN has been at the forefront of innovation.

As media companies strive to deliver more tailored content experiences to global, multi-platform audiences, we are excited to explore advancements in live linear channel creation and content versioning for full-time channels and live events. A key talking point will be the accelerated adoption of intelligent IP-based distribution solutions, which are rapidly replacing outdated satellite and fiber methodologies. Additionally, the fast-evolving live sports landscape will be an important focus.

TVT: What brings you back to IBC every year?
RY: IBC brings together the industry’s most innovative thinkers and media organizations to share ideas and drive key discussions about how to future-proof live content distribution workflows. It is the perfect platform to see how we have all evolved in the past 12 months and what opportunities and challenges we are navigating.

LTN also sees IBC as an opportunity to meet with key global customers, partners, and industry peers. IBC provides a platform for LTN to engage in many face-to-face conversations with customers and industry leaders to learn about their current pain points and how we can all progress across the innovation roadmap together.

The connections you can make at IBC are invaluable, as are all the opportunities that future-ready technology can bring.

For more information, visit https://show.ibc.org/content-everywhere

For broadcasters and media companies that rely on satellite distribution, 2023 will mark a significant change in tides. The FCC is on course to take the 5G spectrum below Transponder 14 offline by the end of the year. This means that every Multichannel Video Programming Distributor (MVPD) headend will be re-fitted to some degree, and spectrum repurposed for 5G. At the same time, sharing C-band with 5G may worsen the risk of interference.

However, disruption brings opportunity. Moving to IP is more advantageous than ever before. For industry players, a “lift and shift” approach will not be enough to fully harness the benefits of more flexible, efficient, reliable transmission methodologies. What will be required is a shift in mindset. IP is revolutionizing the media landscape, with deals that were never before practical on satellite becoming possible. Transitioning to IP opens up innovation and global growth opportunities for your brand. So, how can you make the shift to IP work for you? 

Traditional IP solutions don’t cut it
Traditional IP technologies without true multicast capabilities and smart business rules management come with challenges that prevent organizations from capturing today’s digital opportunities. This is because when creating multiple channels in the cloud or an array of derivative versions from a primary channel, you need a mechanism to deliver them from the cloud in a targeted way.

In order to reach increasingly segmented audiences across platforms, countries — or indeed continents — you need to be able to regionalize, customize, and distribute content versions efficiently and at scale.

Carrying out this level of content versioning with unsophisticated IP solutions will cost you a lot of money. It just really isn’t practical to do at scale. Each version drives up egress and processing fees which drives costs up very quickly. In many ways this mirrors the pricing structures of satellite distribution, and in today’s mediascape, it’s too costly a model to follow. 

Another challenge for unicast IP networks is reliability. Some networks may have their own protocols to distribute a channel over IP but lack the mechanism to re-route feeds across the vagaries and complexity of the Internet. 

Consider reliable IP as navigation software—Waze or Google Maps—that automatically reroutes you to avoid traffic jams and get you to your destination faster. Reliable IP needs to route across various carriers, data centers, and other networks on a packet-by-packet basis. The potential risk of delays and increased and unpredictable latency, and dropped signals is not acceptable for high-value content.

Another area that IP simple point-to-point protocols are lacking in is business intelligence. With digital workflows, distribution, customization, and regionalization are all happening simultaneously. These basic protocols rely on extra user-installed hardware or technology at first and last-mile endpoints because they do not have the built-in capabilities and the intelligent network in the middle to carry out these functions on their own. These add-ons from third parties complicate workflows, incur unnecessary expenses, and increase the risk of failure while decreasing supportability.

Given today’s market conditions, creating multiple channels at the same level of investment you used to create the primary channel isn’t feasible. Media companies need cost-efficient, reliable ways to distribute channels. They need to achieve more with less.

Thinking beyond the way it’s always been done
Although IP transport technology may appear to be the same at a distance, we have discovered that the ideal method for creating, customizing, and distributing multiple channels of primary, high-value content is an intelligent, multicast, fully managed network. 

The right multicast network does more than just mimic the conventional capabilities of satellite in a more cost-effective way. It’s designed to future-proof an organization by providing reliability, interoperability, and an ecosystem of end-to-end solutions that can maximize the value of content in a digital landscape that is rapidly evolving.

There is no definitive answer to what 2023 will bring for media organizations. Our industry moves at breakneck speed. But one thing is for sure, the IP transition will accelerate, and it will enable more intelligent, scalable, and efficient broadcast workflows. 

By moving to IP-based transmission, media businesses can truly focus on content over technology, relying on game-changing versioning capabilities to reach new global audiences without breaking the bank. This year is set to be an incredibly creative year in media, and kickstarting the right IP transition is the smartest way to make it happen.

SAVAGE, Md.—IP video transport technology provider LTN has announced that it is promoting Rick Young to the role of senior vice president of global products. Young had previously served as the vice president of global business development since he joined LTN in 2018.

In the role of SVP, Young will be responsible for the LTN Global product portfolio across all divisions. He will work with divisional product management teams to set the company’s strategic direction and cultivate partnerships that will enable unique services within the media ecosystem, per LTN.

“Rick has a lengthy record of leadership in organizations dedicated to content production and delivery technology,” said Malik Khan, co-founder and executive chairman at LTN Global. “We value his deep industry knowledge as well as his thoughtful and creative approach to strategy and building unique, growth-oriented solutions. His dedication and leadership will be vital as LTN continues to extend its technology portfolio and end-to-end service offerings for content creation, distribution and monetization.”

Prior to joining LTN in 2018, Young had served in senior executive roles at Encompass Digital Media, was vice president and general manager at Bitcentral, vice president of products and services at Clearlap, vice president of product management at Pathfire and manager of production services at Virage.