Rafael Castillo TVU Networks VP/GM, EMEA & Latin America
What was the biggest technology challenge you’ve had to face in your work? Every challenge feels like the biggest, because of the stakes involved in not getting it right. One of the best examples was the development of a modular, microservice-based building block approach to our products, which we started working on before 2020, but the pandemic accelerated. What were the stakes for not resolving it? The pandemic required everyone in media and entertainment to quickly find new ways of running businesses, to mitigate risk. It accelerated the deliberate pace of industry movement, from traditionally heavy and hardware- centric infrastructure technology to cloud-based solutions and services. This was due in large part to the requirement for remote work. What happened? How did it work out? By moving to microservices, we were able to pivot as an organisation to a new and better way of rapidly deploying features and products to the market, then capturing and integrating feedback into changes and enhancements within hours or days. The result has allowed our customers to do more innovative experimentation What did you learn – and what would you do differently if you had your time again? No one could have predicted the impact the pandemic had on the entire world. One of the silver lining business outcomes of successfully creating a building block approach is our present capability to deliver solutions and services at any time. with business models – and continue to serve viewers.
Malik Khan LTN Global Executive chairman & co-founder
What was the biggest technology challenge you’ve faced? LTN pioneered the introduction of new internet use cases, including the delivery of live and real-time video with low (less than 200ms) latency, extremely high (five nines plus) reliability, broadcasting to hundreds of destinations simultaneously – and all this at scale. The internet’s underlying architecture is unicast, meaning it’s point-to-point and not point-to-multipoint, and there aren’t mechanisms inside the internet to route around delay or congestion. Traditionally, internet applications can either choose fast or reliable delivery, but not both. The broadcast landscape is evolving rapidly. Content owners and distributors need alternative means to deliver live video at scale. As the media industry migrates away from satellite distribution, and satellite spectrum becomes drastically reduced to provide 5G wireless providers with more data capacity, this becomes especially true. Internet-based delivery using multicast technology is the only alternative that can provide an equivalent cost, scale and ubiquity. What were the stakes for not resolving it? What happened? We invented the LTN network: real- time video processing and transport technology with global patents. Our network harnesses large-scale processing power in highly connected data centres. It also enables dynamic multicarrier and multicast routing, with built-in rapid error recovery to ensure seamless and reliable video delivery to any number of destinations. Importantly, the LTN network enables massive scale, empowering our media
customers to distribute vast amounts of content globally and therefore fuelling business growth. How did it work out? The LTN network has become the gold standard for internet distribution of live and real-time video traffic. Most major media companies use our technology to distribute their highest-value content. We currently distribute approximately 500 full-time channels and thousands of high- profile live events every day, delivered over the LTN network to a number of locations worldwide – in under 200ms and with greater than 99.999% reliability. Our network gives us the foundation to provide end-to-end workflows from lens to consumer, from remote and centralised production and master control services, through channel playout, ad enablement and monetisation. It’s a huge accomplishment, of which the LTN family is incredibly proud. What did you learn – and what would you do differently? Building out from our legacy linear roots and underpinned by a video transport network, our technology constantly evolves, as we help customers navigate a complex and competitive multiplatform era. Today, our focus is on enabling digital growth through solutions that allow customers to customise, monetise and distribute their content to new digital platforms with a level of quality, reliability and low latency that would otherwise not have been possible. Looking back on my career, I’ve learnt that we are in the most exciting period of transition our industry has ever seen. It’s up to technology pioneers like LTN to pave the way for media leaders to create, innovate and delight audiences in more immersive ways than before.
WE ARE IN THE MOST EXCITING PERIOD OF TRANSITION OUR INDUSTRY HAS EVER SEEN
feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook