E-tv has grand plans for its online video offering in South Africa

While E-tv currently has around 12,000 unique viewers using its “e On Demand” service, it aims to increase that viewership 40-fold.

That’s the word from Maxwell Nonge, formerly the group executive of new business and platforms at E-tv; currently the boss of Platco Digital, a sister company of E-tv which operates OpenView HD.

Speaking at AfricaCast on Monday, 11 November 2013 in Cape Town, Nonge explained that online video streaming, a so-called “over-the-top” (OTT) service, was one of the many options E-tv had considered as additional delivery paths for its content.

The direct-to-home subscription-free satellite TV service which recently launched as OpenView HD was another.

Challenges

Launching freely available online video streaming services does come with challenges, Nonge said, which he listed as follows:

Creating new business model to monetize content for free-to-air broadcasters;

a large number of new devices, coupled with the complexities of displaying high quality video on multiple screens;

complexities of content management for OTT srevices, particularly catch-up & video on-demand services, integrated with traditional TV content management;

applications and security are critical to successful OTT deployment; and

there are a number of players in the content delivery network environment, prices are opaque, and the quality of experience will vary from one area to another.

Modular approach

According to Nonge, E-tv has decided on a modular approach for its “over-the-top” play, with over-the-top video on-demand and OTT live TV.

The e On Demand service launched this year, Nonge said, adding that E-tv are considering various players and apps for their online content.

Source: My Broadband – Jan Vermeulen