Television broadcasting — from its production processes to its business models — is being transformed by digital technology, and broadcasters must embrace the massive change before they’re left behind, said Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina in a keynote address last week at NAB2004.
“We have entered an era in which every process and all content is going from analog, static and physical to digital, mobile and virtual,” Fiorina said, urging broadcasters to develop new business models that consider the change that the digital transition will cause.
“What happens when a teacher wants to tap your digital archive to order the best TV and film documentaries on the Civil War for her American history class?” she asked. “Many of these answers will come not just through new economic models but through the use of new technology.”
Fiorina’s comments were centered on HP’s technology capabilities in content creation, distribution and consumption. Under its utility computing plan, the company wants to license computing power to broadcasters, movie studios and others in order to help ease costs associated with hardware.
With its digital-entertainment strategy, HP proposes to customize products and services for broadcasters and create new services and devices for such post-production areas as color correction or digital editing.
Fiorina’s speech was accompanied by an announcement that Hewlett-Packard is working with the motion picture studios DreamWorks and Warner Bros. on digital animation, editing, distribution and movie restoration.
