Cloud services a must have for OTT platforms.

What is OTT?

Fig 1. Different OTT Platforms

OTT stands for Over-the-Top. The OTT supports the delivery of film and TV content over the internet, taking together television and digital video to make a singular, revolving content stream.

There is an immense increase in OTT platform users due to seamless viewing experience and the content. OTT platforms also break the language and country barriers where users can watch shows or movies of any language they want. The reason behind OTT platform increasing popularity is also the low data prices and the upcoming 5G spectrum.

Due to the pandemic enforced lockdown, OTT video consumption numbers have risen exponentially. As out-of-home means of entertainment have dried up, the demand for video and audio streaming has much increased. Mindshare India and Vidooly have reported a increase in content consumption.

Advancements in data management, cloud-based storage, and streaming have given way to an entire lineage of OTT related products, software, apps, content, and marketing campaigns.

Now over 181 million people engage with OTT platforms regularly.

Fig 2. Increase in OTT users.

Why OTT needs Cloud?

Fig 3. Representation of how OTT uses cloud

1. Flexibility: Cloud-based video infrastructure is designed to grow, shrink, adapt, and evolve with the needs of the OTT video workflow and the audiences it serves. As new formats such as high dynamic range (HDR) video and 4K resolution reach the mainstream, cloud video services can be kept current with the necessary updates in real time. This lets content providers stay out in front of their audiences without the need to upgrade or replace expensive technology.
2. Cost Effective: Cloud technology offers significant commercial benefits compared with hardware-based infrastructure, particularly in terms of reducing the financial barriers to launching new channels and services. While hardware-based infrastructure is costly to deploy and maintain, and can be exceedingly complex, the cloud requires no capital investment. With the cloud, operators can pay as you go, eliminating the need to spend millions of dollars in equipment costs to introduce a new service or to designate toward an occasional use channel.

Fig 4. Scalability and Elasticity

3. Scalability: Cloud services can be configured to scale processing resources up or down automatically, in line with viewer demand. Unexpected peaks in audience demand are addressed in real time, so a viral success or breakout hit can reach every viewer who requests it, and each of those screens can be monetized. Cloud services providers can extend those resources to OTT content providers as needed, unlocking fast and easy access to worldwide distribution.

4. Efficiency: The most significant advantage of utilizing cloud technology is efficiency and speed. Everything is simplified with the cloud, from ingest through delivery. Operators can launch services much faster and more reliably because they’re basically re-purposing existing solutions in the cloud.

5. Storage: There are many OTT platforms emerging day by day and the users are also increasing with an exponential growth. The data thus here is very large to be stored i.e. the user’s data as well as the various contents available on that platform. Cloud services thus proves to be a boon for these platforms as they can without worry make more content and handle large number of subscribers as there are various options available to store data without any limit.

Which OTT platform uses which cloud services?

1. Netflix: AWS
2. Amazon prime video: AWS
3. Hotstar: AWS
4. Disney: AWS
5. Hulu: AWS
6. vimeo: GCP
7. Sky: GCP
8. Discovery: GCP

Conclusion

Fig 5. Components of OTT

Cloud-based service continuity solutions are a flexible, cost-effective option that can be used to maintain the highest levels of availability for broadcast and OTT channels. Rather than recreating a hardware infrastructure and spending the time and money to maintain it, broadcasters and service providers are increasingly relying on the cloud as a simpler way to secure their 24/7 channels and pop-up channels, as well as test new services. Offering immediate activation, a pay-as you go business model and dynamic scalability, the cloud sets the standard for flexibility.