Prior to Parks Associates’ 1st-annual Future of Video: OTT, Pay TV, and Digital Media conference, Dan Hurwitz, Chief Revenue Officer, Penthera shared insights with the analyst team to discuss the future of the video industry.

Dan will be participating on the Innovations and Gaps in Video Technologies panel on Wednesday, December 12, at 11:15 AM. Panelists joining him on this session include:

Matthew Collado, Co-Founder / Chief Content Officer, Littlstar/Ara
Tom Munro, CEO, Verimatrix

What is the greatest challenge facing the video industry over the next three years?
No single greatest challenge. Many equally important challenges:
- The increase in video streaming and in video file sizes will further challenge the current network infrastructure.
- The amount of content available makes it hard for consumers to discover
- Balancing the appetite for data of content creators, distributors and advertisers with the privacy concerns of the consumer.

What is driving growth in video entertainment today? How does that change over the next few years?
More interesting content available with more powerful devices to watch it wherever and whenever people want. The demands of the consumer; so much content available and watchable in 2 clicks.

What technology will have the biggest impact on your business in the next 18 months and why?
5G will enable SUPER fast downloading- so content can be taken on the go. Continued increase in storage capacity on mobile devices.

What is one thing that the pay-TV ecosystem needs to learn from the online giants in video (Google, Netflix, Facebook, and Amazon)?
How to deliver a user experience designed to keep you engaged: Personalization, encouraging binge watching, smart download, marketing, etc...

What will pay TV services look like in five years?
Cord cutters/nevers will be the dominant force and only pay for what they want. Their mobile device will control everything, taking the place of set top boxes, Roku’s, AppleTV etc. and their viewing will not only be mobile, but easily casted to other screens in the home. AI will play a significant role in program discovery and interacting in real time with others watching the programming will be common.

For more information on the Future of Video, visit: www.fov2018.com.