The first day of the main DCM Europe conference ended with a variety of panel discussions, round table discussions - and networking over glasses of wine. In another DCM ‘something completely different’ session, six round tables shared views on topics from e-books to using content illegally. In an unusual move at industry conferences, organizer Frances Rose of Clarion had to interrupt the round table discussions to let people know that the networking drinks time had arrived.
Earlier in the day, a one on one interview with Nick Bell of News International shed some light on the media giant’s digital strategy, and Bismarck Lepe of networking drinks sponsor Ooyala shared some statistics on video from the company’s video index. Among the facts and figures he shared was the fact that non-PC video consumption is growing rapidly and will continue, and that the growth rate of connected TV is faster than tablets and mobiles. “Every single experience is different for every single user in the connected world consumption so the right strategy for right device for each user is very important,” he stressed.
That sentiment was echoed later in the day, when Maria Ingold of FilmFlex doubled up as a speaker on both the DAM (digital asset management) and DRM (digital rights management) sessions. “People want the latest premium content - now!” she pointed out, which is what FilmFlex aims to provide. “Rights windows are collapsing down to day and date, and people want a number of things: ease of payment; to watch on TV; to watch on other devices at home. And to take it with them when they travel.” What’s worth selling is worth managing, she said in the context of DAM. And, regarding DRM, Ingold pointed out, “We’re involved in some of the most premium content available so studios want to protect it. Content has to be licensed per territory per partner per device. We have rights negotiations about all of them, so that’s a lot to think about.”
In a quick-fire comment on the best and worst aspect of DRM, some of the answers were: best - being invisible; worst - being visible (Trevor Albery, Director of Ant-Piracy, Warner Bros). Worst - the inflexible way it has been implemented in the past (Paul Gathercole of Universal Music); and worst - the fact that it can be hacked so it needs to be dynamically updated and is not a one-time, one-off solution (Christopher Schouten of Irdeto).
