 A bunch of data is powerful on its own - but knowing what to do with it, finding connections to predict the future, is mindblowing. It seems Shazam is doing just that... determining what song will hit No. 1 a month in advance.
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 Sure there could be an incredible amount of debate around whether any of this is feasible... but who better to redefine our relationship with the environment and our natural constraints than Google.
 Taking a cue from Steven Johnson's intriguing essay Everything Bad Is Good For You, Gregg Toppo takes the video gaming debate to the next level...
 Here's a nice reminder that innovation is a habit. And embracing that "Beautiful Constraint" can wind up being the key to effectiveness.
 With media companies struggling to keep up with rapidly changing consumer electronics trends and dramatic increases in the viewing of video on Internet-connected devices, the International Consumer Electronics Show has morphed into a must-attend event for top TV technologists and digital executives, who will be eyeing an ever-widening array of products on display January 6-9 in Las Vegas.
Some obvious areas of interest are new TVs, streaming media devices, 4K production technologies and developments in the mobile world. But the two dozen executives interviewed by &B also say they’ll be paying close attention to some more obscure areas such as eye motion technologies for better understanding of how consumers view video and wearables, which probably won’t have much of an impact on their businesses for several years. “The thing I’m most interested in looking for is the expansion of video on alternative devices, whether it’s phones, watches or what have you,” says Vito Forlenza, senior director of TV Everywhere content and product strategy at Comcast Cable. “So we’re always watching for new ways for people to consume video at home or on the go.” Matthew Strauss, senior VP and GM of video services for Comcast Cable agrees. With the operator already offering some 75 channels for live streaming and 300,000 pieces of on-demand content on various platforms, he stresses that the lines between TVs and other devices are very much blurring. “You could say that a TV is now a piece of glass and any device that can securely renders TV,” he says. “When you approach it that way, a computer, a laptop, a mobile device, a tablet becomes a TV where we can deliver the full cable TV experience .” “The hardest part of deciding which platforms we should be on is having to say no. There are a lot of them that look amazing but the audience potential is pretty low. So you have to be strategic about it.” -David Wertheimer, president of digital, Fox Broadcasting Co. As competition for online and mobile audiences heats up, new features on these connected devices are particularly important, others say. “We believe we have the most innovative shows on TV so we want to provide the most innovative experience of consuming that content,” says David Wertheimer, president of digital at Fox Broadcasting Co., which has seen more than 16 million downloads of its Fox Now app. “The hardest part of deciding which platforms we have to say no,” he adds. “There are a lot of them that look amazing but the audience potential is pretty low. So you have to be strategic about it.” In those device strategies, connected TVs are getting more attention. “We were an early partner of Google TV,” says Jimshade Chaud-hari, Dish director of product management. “It seems like Android TV will be their next attempt and we’ll be looking closely at the Android TV platform.” Others agree. “Google TV was a botched attempt by Google to get into the TV business but I think the latest version is really fascinating,” says Josh Cogswell senior VP of multiplatform product at Viacom, who says he’ll also be looking closely at streaming media devices and gaming consoles.  Great to see some recovered MBAs are getting out of their own way here, finally modernizing programs to include rapid prototyping!
 WITH TV CHANNELS NOW OFFERING thousands of apps where consumers can view TV programming, developers will be flocking to the International Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas from Jan. 5-9 to survey the newest devices and features in app development.
WHY THIS MATTERS With TV ratings down, networks need to boost multiplatform consumption by improving apps and digital products. To better engage consumers that frequently have scores of apps on their phones, developers working at programmers and operators say they are focusing on personalization, social media tools, improved TV Everywhere offerings and tools to help with better understanding of how consumers use various devices. “Every platform is slightly different,” says David Wertheimer, president of digital at Fox Broadcasting. “The Xbox viewer watches a different mix than the iOS tablet user. It creates a great opportunity to think about how we can better program, promote and design those products.” That makes tools to understand consumer behavior increasingly important. “Better measurement is at the top of our list as well as improved video content discovery, personalization and the ability to improve engagement by allowing users to interact and share content,” says Tamara Franklin, executive VP, digital, Scripps Networks Interactive. These tools are also crucial for the ongoing attempts to boost digital ad revenues. “Mobile is a big driver for growing consumption of video because everyone has a smartphone and a lot of people have a tablet,” says Colleen Fahey Rush, executive VP, chief research officer, Viacom Media Networks. “But as you’ve seen on the earnings calls this fall, a lot of people are frustrated that Nielsen is not keeping up with measuring how consumers are watching TV programming.” “There really is a need to get a good currency in place,” adds Ashley Still, senior director of product management, Adobe Primetime. She notes that Adobe recently formed an alliance with Nielsen to offer cross-platform measurement. “The intention is to provide publishers with the flexibility to use C3 or dynamic ad insertion or a mix of them,” she says. Beyond the Second Screen In developing new products for digital platforms, some of the hype around second-screen experiences synced to live television has dissipated. “A lot of the attempts have been forced or manufactured, and haven’t really added value in terms of the consumer experience,” says Franklin. But others stress the importance of second-screen efforts, at least for some types of programming, particularly sports and reality. “We haven’t really changed our strategy for second screen,” says Wertheimer. “We continue to believe it is a great place for supporting content in the digital space and continue to invest heavily around our unscripted shows like American Idol that we will be bringing back in a big way in January.” FIVE PRE-CES APP TAKEAWAYS During CES, TV app developers will be paying particularly close attention to these tech trends: The Mobile Hub. Programmers and operators are looking at mobile devices less as a second screen and more as a hub for a much wider array of activities, and are placing more emphasis on smart-phones, which are becoming increasingly important. Personalization. As more content becomes available on apps, personalization tools will play a key role in helping consum ers quickly access the content they want. Social Media. Programmers are finding more sophisticated ways to use social media to boost engagement and drive view-ership in an increasingly competitive landscape. Measurement. With TV viewing on mobile devices still not measured, technologies for tracking that viewing are a top priority. Upgraded TV Everywhere Apps. The industry is making a major push to improve TV Everywhere apps with more live content, easier authentication and other features. —GW Adds Ryan Spoon, senior VP of digital product development at ESPN: “Fantasy football is probably the largest second-screen experience,” and the growing popularity of connected televisions will allow them to further improve. Much of the focus on second-screen continues to revolve around mobile and social media. “Second-screen and social are really growing areas,” says Jonathan Weitz, partner at IBB Consulting, which works with a number of major companies on their apps. “Programmers are making a much bigger effort to integrate social conversations into their apps and to offer shareable content on the second screen that will help activate the first screen so that the mobile app will help drive engagement and tune-in on the TV set.” Social at the Hub Given the widespread availability of mobile devices, a number of companies are placing mobile at the center of their efforts. “I have a sign in my office that says there are 1.4 billion smartphones in the world,” says Josh Cogswell, Viacom senior VP of multiplatform product. “Mobile devices are really at the core of what our consumers and fans are doing. They have really become the digital hub of their lives.” App Developers Are Geting Personal; WILL FOCUS MULTIPLATFORM STRATEGIES ON CHOOSY CONSUMERS12/15/2014  With TV channels now ofering thousands of apps where consumers can view TV programming, developers will be focking to the International CES in Las Vegas from Jan. 5-9 to survey the newest devices and features in app development.
TAKEAWAY With tv ratings down, networks must boost multiplatform usage by improving apps and digital products. To better engage consumers that frequently have scores of apps on their phones, developers working for programmers and operators said they are focusing on personalization, social-media tools, improved TV everywhere oferings and tools to help with better understanding of how consumers use various devices. “Every platform is slightly diferent,” David Wertheimer, president of digital at Fox Broadcasting, said. “The Xbox viewer watches a different mix than the iOS tablet user. It creates a great opportunity to think about how we can better program, promote and design those products.” “Every platform is slightly different. … It creates a great opportunity to think about how we can better program, promote and design those products.” DAVID WERTHEIMER, FOX That makes tools to understand consumer behavior increasingly important. “Better measurement is at the top of our list, as well as improved video-content discovery, personalization and the ability to improve engagement by allowing users to interact and share content,” Tamara Franklin, executive vice president of digital, Scripps Networks Interactive, said. These tools are also crucial for the ongoing attempts to boost digital ad revenues. “Mobile is a big driver for growing consumption of video because everyone has a smartphone and a lot of people have a tablet,” Colleen Fahey Rush, executive vice president and chief research officer, Viacom Media Networks, said. “But as you’ve seen on the earnings calls this fall, a lot of people are frustrated that Nielsen is not keeping up with measuring how consumers are watching TV programming.” Ashley Stull, senior director of product management, Adobe Primetime, added: “There really is a need to get a good currency in place.” Adobe recently formed an alliance with Nielsen to offer cross-platform measurement, she noted. “The intention is to provide publishers with the flexibility to use C3 or dynamic ad insertion or a mix of them.” BEYOND THE SECOND SCREEN In developing new products for digital platforms, some of the hype around second-screen experiences synced to live television has dissipated. “A lot of the attempts have been forced or manufactured, and haven’t really added value in terms of the consumer experience,” Franklin said. But others stress the importance of second-screen efforts, at least for some types of programming, particularly sports and reality. “We haven’t really changed our strategy for second screen,” Wertheimer said. “We continue to believe it is a great place for supporting content in the digital space and continue to invest heavily around our unscripted shows like American Idol that we will be bringing back in a big way in January.” Added Ryan Spoon, senior vice president of digital product development at ESPN: “Fantasy football is probably the largest second-screen experience,” and the growing popularity of connected televisions will allow them to further improve. Much of the focus on second-screen continues to revolve around mobile and social media. “Programmers are making a much bigger efort to integrate social conversations into their apps and to ofer shareable content on the second screen that will help activate the frst screen so that the mobile app will help drive engagement and tune-in on the TV set,” said Jonathan Weitz, partner at IBB Consulting, which works with a number of major companies on their apps. SOCIAL AT THE HUB Given the widespread availability of mobile devices, a number of companies are placing mobile at the center of their eforts. “I have a sign in my ofce that says there are 1.4 billion smartphones in the world,” Josh Cogswell, Viacom senior vice president of multiplatform product, said. “Mobile devices are really at the core of what our consumers and fans are doing. They have really become the digital hub of their lives.”  AFTER A SLUGGISH START, the multichannel TV industry has been aggressively working to improve user adoption of its TV Everywhere apps, with more aggressive marketing campaigns to boost awareness, greatly expanded content, and newer technologies to improve the user experience.
Many of these efforts, which are expected to pick up more speed in 2015, reflect jitters about the future of the multichannel TV industry. With rapidly growing use of video on mobile devices by younger viewers, the research company SNL Kagan is reporting that the number of homes that use over-the-top (OTT) services as their primary way of accessing video has jumped from 2.5 million in 2010 to 6.8 million in 2014. To lure cord cutters back into the fold and keep existing subscribers happy, operators began trialing TV Everywhere (TVE) offerings in 2009, with the idea that they would eventually make all the content in the typical cable, satellite or telco multichannel bouquet available on PCs, smartphones, tablets and other digital devices. WHY THIS MATTERS The industry needs to make significant improvements in TV Everywhere offerings if it hopes to effectively compete with over-the-top services. But problems with the user experience, limited marketing and delays in negotiating programming rights significantly hampered consumer interest. “A year ago, only 20% of people were aware that they had the capabilities of TV Everywhere as part of their cable subscription,” says John Lansing, president and CEO of the Cable & Telecommunications Association for Marketing (CTAM). “So we kicked off a major effort to change that.” What’s In a Name? As programmers and operators worked with CTAM to improve the user experience and marketing for TVE, the industry also made signifcant progress in expanding its offerings. “If you look across the industry, every programmer has really embraced some form of TV Everywhere,” says Matthew Strauss, senior VP/ GM of video services for Comcast Cable. “We now have about 30% penetration of our video base [of subscribers] using TV Everywhere on a monthly basis. The average viewer is spending close to 7 hours a month, which is up 45% from a year ago and is continuing to grow.” High-profle events such as the Olympics and the World Cup have helped, but other usage has been climbing as well. “After the record numbers in June ESPN had with the World Cup, we were wishing things like that would happen more often,” says Ryan Spoon, ESPN senior VP of digital product development. “But we’ve been very pleased to see that we’ve managed to carry those people from June and July into September with football, which was another record month by a significant margin.” Several outside studies detail similar progress. Ad technology provider FreeWheel offers in its latest Video Monetization Report that authenticated ad viewing jumped 368% in the frst half of 2014 compared to 2013. Data from Adobe shows video starts of authenticated content jumped 388% in the second quarter of 2014 compared to the same period a year earlier. “Both awareness and usage are increasing,” says Kelash Kumar, group product manager, Adobe Primetime. But much more work remains to be done, particularly in the area of authentication. Josh Cogswell, senior VP of multiplatform product at Viacom, says they hope to see widespread adoption of a system that would allow subscribers to view TV Everywhere content inside their homes without having to log in. “It is so easy to sign into Netflix and Amazon,” he says. “The industry is really doing itself a disservice if we can’t make it just easy to sign into your cable or satellite provider.”  A good quick read for the empathizer in all of us.
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