Smart TVs and the Future of Entertainment

Once a household connects a smart TV to the Internet, online content quickly becomes a significant part of their regular entertainment routine. This panel covers the impact of smart TVs on the distribution and consumption of video and other forms of electronic entertainment (music, games, apps). Panelists discuss the technology and business implications for delivering managed and over-the-top video services into a smart TV.

• Market catalysts to bring pay TV to smart TVs
• Opportunities and risks for pay-TV providers
• Key technologies involved with video delivery to smart TVs
• Smart TV apps and interfaces
• Games and music services on smart TVs

SPEAKERS

Kurt Hoppe, Director of Smart TV Innovation and Alliances, LG Electronics

Maitreyi Krishnaswamy, Director of FiOS TV Product Development, Verizon

Vishnu Rao, Associate Director, Smart TV Platform, North America, Sharp

Russ Schafer, Senior Director of Global Product Marketing, Connected TV, YAHOO!

Vassilis Seferidis, Director, European Business Development, Samsung

Moderator: Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates

Second-Screen Experiences and Revenue Opportunities

New consumer habits are integrating tablets and smartphones into the TV viewing experience, creating new content discovery paths and advertising entry points. Second-screen services have the potential to produce new revenue streams, strengthen viewership, and personalize the TV experience. This panel analyzes monetization opportunities and steps to improve the consumer experience.

• Analysis of successful second-screen services
• Challenges to industry stakeholders in developing, deploying, and monetizing second-screen experiences
• Evaluation of the industry segment(s) - content owners, TV service providers, or advertisers - best positioned to leverage and ultimately capitalize on the second-screen interface
• Consumer use cases for TV companion applications

SPEAKERS

Kemal Altintas, Senior Manager, Smart TV, LG Electronics

Vance Ikezoye, Founder & CEO, Audible Magic

David Jones, EVP Marketing, Shazam

Jesse Redniss, Senior Vice President, Digital, USA Network

Jeff Siegel, SVP, Worldwide Advertising, Rovi Corporation

Moderator: Heather Way, Senior Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Convergence in the Connected Home: Partnership Opportunities

Manufacturers are developing connected home strategies to extend the functionality of their products and provide additional capabilities beyond remote monitoring and control. Broadband and security service providers are adding home controls, energy management, security, and health services to their offerings. This panel explores the partnership opportunities between providers and OEMs and the mutual challenges shared by both parties.

• OEM and service provider views of differentiation
• Data ownership
• Development of the enhanced connected home experience
• Integration of OEM connected solutions into home controls platforms

SPEAKERS

Scott Burnett, Director, Global Consumer Electronics Industry, IBM

David Foote, CTO, Hitachi Communication Technologies Americas

Darren S. Kaufmann, Director Product Management/Development, Consumer and Mass Business Markets, Verizon

Kevin Meagher, Vice President & General Manager, Smart Home, Lowe's Companies, Inc.

John Steinberg, EVP of Business Development and Co-founder, EcoFactor

Steve Wan, Sr. Director Marketing, Qualcomm Inc.

Moderator: Tom Kerber, Director, Research, Home Controls & Energy, Parks Associates

New Opportunities in Tech Support Services

Customers exit a consumer electronics store with their new purchase, armed with a multilingual manual, a website address, and, increasingly, trepidation. Despite manufacturers' best efforts to simplify new technologies, consumers often find these products difficult to use. The panel discusses the growing opportunities for support services in an increasingly complicated consumer technology market.

• Current and future roles of CE makers, retailers, and service providers in tech support
• Emerging technologies that are producing new opportunities in support services
• Strategies to drive support revenues
• Current trends in in-store, in-home, and remote technical support

SPEAKERS

Larry Gordon, President, Global Channel Sales, iYogi

Art Lancaster, CTO, Affinegy

James Morehead, VP Product Management and User Experience, Support.com

Ratul Sengupta, Vice President, Technology Enabled Services and Platform Solutions, Sutherland Global Services

Jordan Socran, VP of Business Development, Radialpoint

Ted Werth, Founder & Chief Strategy Officer, PlumChoice, Inc.

Moderators: Patrice Samuels, Research Analyst, Parks Associates;
Brett Sappington, Director of Research, Parks Associates

Multiscreen Services: Where Connected CE meets OTT

Today’s consumer can access content through an assortment of devices, including computers, tablets, smartphones, game consoles, digital media receivers, Blu-ray players, and smart TVs. This panel examines the explosive growth of multiscreen video services and the relationships among those in the CE and content services industries.

• The complex partnerships between CE products and content services
• Trends in CE and content services that will most shape the market
• Changes in CE interfaces that will affect consumer habits
• Ways in which the CE and content industries will work together in the future

SPEAKERS

Eric Anderson, VP, TV Content Strategy, North America, Samsung

Richard Frankland, Regional Vice President of Sales, Americas, Irdeto

Ben Huang, Director, Mediaroom, Microsoft Corporation

Philippe Steinmetz, Director Home and Content, North America, Orange

Moderator: Jim O'Neill, Research Analyst, Parks Associates

Reception
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