Virtual STB / Cloud UI Streaming revisited
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Virtual stb revisited latest thinking about cloud browser ui streaming Dr. Randolph Nikutta Telekom Innovation Laboratories Connected TV World Summit, London, May 2017 1) The document discusses the latest thinking around virtual set-top boxes (vSTBs) and cloud browser user interface (UI) streaming for connected TV. 2) It describes how early skeptics had myths around the technical and financial feasibility of vSTBs, but shifting trends in technology, business needs, and customer demands have increased acceptance. 3) Successful deployments by cable operators around the world demonstrate the technical feasibility of delivering an enriched TV experience through cloud-rendered UIs that provide faster innovation and reduced costs compared to
![OVERALL LATENCY that makes a user addicted to a
system
9
When engineers measure the speed of a PC, they talk about something called
the Doherty threshold of system response time. When you ask your computer
to do something and hit the ENTER key, if it answers you back in less than 400
milliseconds [1], just under half a second, then you will stay glued to that
machine for hours. Your eyes may glaze over, but your productivity will soar.
Even a slight variation back to half-second response time will allow your
attention to stray. But under 400 milliseconds, that's the sweet spot.
Halt and Catch Fire
[1] Doherty, Walter J., and Arvind J. Thadhani. "The economic value of rapid response time." IBM Report (1982).](https://image.slidesharecdn.com/connectedtv-2017vstbrevistedv1-170608103130/85/Virtual-STB-Cloud-UI-Streaming-revisited-9-320.jpg)
Virtual STB / Cloud UI Streaming revisited
- 1. Virtual stb revisited latest thinking about cloud browser ui streaming Dr. Randolph Nikutta Telekom Innovation Laboratories Connected TV World Summit, London, May 2017
- 2. 2 ONCEUPON ATIME ………NEWDISRUPTIVE THINKING: EVERYTHING GETS VIRTUALIZED ….SOWHAT ABOUT THESTB?
- 3. 3 SCEPTICALMYTHBUSTERS ABOUT THIS DISRUPTIVE MOVEWERE DOMINANTINTHE TECHNICALDEPARTMENTS Nice technology but more for future deployment in 3-4 years Myth Buster 1 vSTB cannot handle peak time usage with a 2 million subscriber base Myth Buster 2 vSTB GUI traffic will overload our network Myth Buster 3 vSTB backend is too expensive to scale Myth Buster 4 It is only for Free to Air, but not for protected content Myth Buster 5 Do I have sufficient app developer support for a vSTB? Myth Buster 6 No local PVR possible with vSTB Myth Buster 7 DRM implementation gets too complex with vSTB Myth Buster 8
- 4. 4 OPTIMISTICMYTHBUSTERS ABOUTVSTBWERE DOMINANTINTHE MARKETINGDEPARTMENTS We don’t need STBs anymore! Myth Buster 1 Cloud STB is always far cheaper! Myth Buster 2 With vSTB we do not need platform migration anymore! Myth Buster 3 At least we will use cheaper dongles instead STB! Myth Buster 4 We don´t need any further TV platforms anymore Myth Buster 5 Connected TV is a virtual STB Myth Buster 6
- 5. What happened in the meantime: THE ETERNAL BATTLE OF THE INNOVATION UNIT for a stb paradigm change 5
- 6. WHAT PROMOTED THE TURNAROUND TOWARDS BROADER ACCEPTANCE OF VSTB / CLOUD BROWSER TECHNOLOGY? 6 1 Telco shift to total cloud infrastructure based production modelIT Paradigm Shift Continous increasing UI performance demands3 Customer Demands Faster service innovation and time to market of TV features needed to compete with OTT players4 Business Challenges Demand for less UI versions in development, shorter test times and less complex STB client rollouts5 Technical Challenges Carrier-grade and OpenStack capable platforms available, proven scaling6 Maturity of Technology 2 Increasing customer reach with broadband, better low latency and increasing bandwidth Broadband Evolution
- 7. 7 Typical CURRENT CHALLENGES for tv provider: DELIVER BEST IN CLASS TV EXPERIENCE & SPEEDUP INNOVATION. CAN CLOUD UI BE THE ANSWER? ageing set-top-box portfolio A large or even the majority portion of the current STB base of many operators is incapable to support highly graphical and animated UI Replacement would cost tens of millions of Euros or US Dollars Fragmented user experience Different UI versions optimized for different STB types Impossible to deliver uniform UI across the footprint Maintenance of different UI versions Big gap in available application ecosystem amongst multi-screen devices slow innovation cycles and complicated roll-out Time consuming and money hungry new developments One size doesn't fit all Inability to compete with the dynamics of the web companies Fragmented Content protection landscape 5+ YEARS OLD LOW PERFORMANCE UP TO 5 YEARS OLD AVERAGE PERFORMANCE Plethora of UIS: high animated HTML, native UIs, Vendors UIS ... zoo of legacy STBs across footprint
- 8. CLOUD BROWSER OVERALL SERVICE DELIVERY PLATFORM 8
- 9. OVERALL LATENCY that makes a user addicted to a system 9 When engineers measure the speed of a PC, they talk about something called the Doherty threshold of system response time. When you ask your computer to do something and hit the ENTER key, if it answers you back in less than 400 milliseconds [1], just under half a second, then you will stay glued to that machine for hours. Your eyes may glaze over, but your productivity will soar. Even a slight variation back to half-second response time will allow your attention to stray. But under 400 milliseconds, that's the sweet spot. Halt and Catch Fire [1] Doherty, Walter J., and Arvind J. Thadhani. "The economic value of rapid response time." IBM Report (1982).
- 10. Cloud browser DOUBLE stream approach Cloud Browser renders the UI with applications only, while the media is delivered from another server. Thus, the UI/Apps and media streams are delivered separately to the client, which then has to combine both these streams to present them to the end user in a unified form. This approach implements a separate delivery of the video stream and the UI stream to the client STB. This approach therefore enables reuse of the legacy video delivery infrastructures, e.g. multicast networks, cable networks, etc. Cloud browser single stream approach Requested by the client URL (Uniform Resource Locator) gets forwarded to the server on which a Cloud Browser is running. The Cloud Browser downloads all the necessary data (HTML, CSS (Cascading Style Sheets) and JavaScript) and renders the page. Afterwards, the rendered page gets packed into a video stream that is sent back to the end-device (as a video stream or a sequence of images). Now the client has to only playback the video stream. Here, the service execution is completely shifted to the Cloud. CLOUD BROWSER APPROACHES 10
- 11. CLOUD BROWSER: HOW TO EME? The EME processing by the Cloud Browser can be addressed by the following two architectures: 1. DRMBridgeArchitecture: the EME is completely terminated in the cloud. Challenges: 1. The end2end security media delivery is interrupted by the Cloud Browser and additional re-encryption is required. This might not be accepted by service providers and film studios. 2. Client is not executing future-proof EME technology, but rather legacy DRM. Pros: 1. For Single and Double stream approaches. 2. Legacy DRM devices are addressed through the re-encryption. 2. DistributedEME Architecture: The EME is mapped on the Cloud UI on both server- (EME-enabled Web Application) and client-side (The actual DRM processing within CDM). Challenges: 1. Only for Double Stream approach, as the content must be processed on the client. 2. Legacy DRM devices are not addressed, only EME-enabled devices. 3. EME Standard must be adjusted. Pros: This architecture does not require re-encryption and ensures uninterrupted point-to-point secured delivery of the content. Browser CLOUD- BASED EXECUTION VIDEOdata EME?
- 12. Cloud ui streaming is not a black and white choice continuum of dynamic option space 12 Cloud UI Streaming Options for STB Full UI Streaming Hybrid UI streaming Picture based mode Suitable for slower broadband access situations Depending on solution also animations are possible Video based mode Needs more bandwidth Compared to animated picture mode no UI modifications necessary Full local STB UI + part of services natively implemented Selective resource demanding services on Cloud UI Picture or video based streamed Partial local STB UI + resource demand. UI parts streamed All Services or part streamed Picture or video based
- 13. Cloud browser: standardization activities and further operator wishlist 13 Cloud thin client on device MSE/EME integration Further wishlist items Currently, every vendor has its own proprietary thin client on a device communicating with cloud browser W3C Cloud Browser Task Force (part of Web and TV workgroup) is working on a standard client – cloud browser API Covers control & signaling between Cloud browser and client, also integration of services like HbbTV or QoS W3C Cloud Browser Task Force will also address the integration of the MSE/EME standard into the client – cloud browser communication Important for easy integration of DRM protected content items and advertisement use cases involving the cloud browser Persistent cookies in cloud browser - > important for the integration of YouTube as a streamed service on STBs Standardization of vendor specific JS based code for animated picture based Cloud UI streaming mode
- 14. CLOUD BROWSER Applications & Use Cases 14 Streaming of UI as image (.png/.jpg) or video stream (H.264/H.265) Description Bandwidth Scalability Latency Image stream: 100-300 kbps Video stream: 1-3 Mbps (HD), 4-16 Mbps (4K) High 150-400 ms Advanced UI Streaming Streaming of applications: HTML5, Android, native apps like Netflix (only UI) OTT Video Application Streaming 2-4 Mbps Middle 300-400 ms Streaming of casual games with higher performance requirements (3D animated, OpenGL support) Casual TV Games Streaming 4-8 Mbps Low <300 ms Streaming of interactive TV advertisement ads to any kind of devices Interactive TV Ads High <300 ms Image stream: 100- 300 kbps Video stream: 1-3 Mbps
- 15. 15 Technical feasibility confirmed Multiple existing deployments all over the globe: CJ Hellovision, D’Live , SK Telecom and SK Broadband (Korea); Cablevision, Liberty Global, Charter Communications, etc. enriched experience Increased richness of the TV UI independent of the STB type Uniform experience across the different device types Bring web apps to the TV and provide new appealing use cases faster time to market Fast and dynamic UI updates Develop once deploy everywhere Keep up with the innovation pace of web industry Significantly shorten the test period prior launch questions yet to be answered Deployment of Cloud UI for hybrid TV Deliver TV in mobile only countries money saving potential Extend STB lifetime and minimize replacement costs Further decrease STB price Reduce development and maintenance cost THINKOUTOFTHE(SET-TOP)BOX MULTIPLE BENEFITS FROM MOVING THE TV UI FROM THE BOX INTO THE CLOUD
- 16. CLOUD BROWSER DEPLOYMENTS 16 Charter Communications, a leading North American cable operator has successfully rolled out its modern Spectrum EPG using the ActiveVideo’s Cloud streaming technology. Charter Communications SK Telecom along with SK Broadband, the largest quad play operator in Korea, has successfully launched Advanced UI service based on Entrix Cloud streaming technology. SK Telecom and SK Broadband CJ Hellovision and D’Live, the largest cable operators in Korea, also launched a Cloud-rendered TV application services Based on Entrix Cloud streaming technology. CJ Hellovision and D’Live Liberty Global in Hungary, along with ActiveVideo and Metrological as partners, launched a Cloud based platform to offer a wide range of applications including YouTube. Liberty Global Cablevision, now part of Altice, launched Hulu as a channel on its Optimum TV pay-TV service, based on ActiveVideo’s technology. Cablevision
- 17. Take aways 17 From a TV operator perspective there is a strong need for a standardized local client – cloud browser API to simplify deploy- ments. Vendors competition should focus on the efficiency of their Cloud browser backend solutions. TV Operators should consider Cloud Browser as a key part of their strategy for agile service innovation. Cloud Browser UI streaming technology bridges the gap between web development speed and device capabilities and delivers constant superior user-experiences. Deployment of a cloud browser UI solution is not a black and white decision. There is flexible continuum of options with several combinations of local STB and cloud browser execution.
- 18. THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION contact: [email protected]