September 2016 Summaries

The Mux team attended the annual IBC Conference in Amsterdam last week, where they observed a strong focus on OTT (Over-The-Top) services and technologies. While UHD/4K/HDR were present, they did not have as significant of an impact compared to previous conferences. The "Future Hall" showcased emerging technologies such as VR, 3D audio, augmented reality, and holographic displays, but none seemed close to widespread consumer adoption. Despite the excitement around OTT services, there was a noticeable lack of tools for diagnosing issues experienced by end users.

The internet's vast size allows users to be selective with their content consumption. Even minor obstacles such as clunky interfaces or required plug-ins can deter users from a site. Amazon found that an additional 100 milliseconds of waiting led to a 1% decrease in sales. Video buffering is particularly detrimental, with just one buffering event decreasing the amount of video watched by 39%. Mux's data shows that most videos buffer relatively quickly, with 38% buffering for one second or less. However, any buffering interruption leads to a significant reduction in viewership, with people who experienced any buffering having an average session length of 130 seconds - a 39% reduction. Video publishers can eliminate many cases of buffering by adjusting video bitrates, moving to adaptive streaming formats, changing CDNs, and more.

Demuxed, a conference focused on video technology for engineers, will take place at Ellation HQ in San Francisco on October 13th. The event features prominent speakers discussing cutting-edge topics such as perceptual video quality measurement and VR media technology. Registration is open, with tickets available before the event sells out.