Anupama Anantharaman is Vice President, Product Management at Interra Systems, and a digital TV industry professional with over 20 years of experience in video compression, transmission, and OTT streaming.
Anantharaman oversees product management activities for the company‘s solutions, including product definition, orchestrating product launches, implementing strategic selling initiatives, and establishing technology alliances specifically focused on video QC, monitoring, and analyzer products.
QC and monitoring are widely accepted as a workflow imperative in the media industry — as are the go-to steps operators and video service providers take if they want to consistently deliver high-quality content. However, video streaming quality issues continue to persist for many OTT service providers, impacting subscriber satisfaction, customer retention, and profitability.
There are several ways these issues can be addressed and rectified. By embracing root-cause analysis, error correlation, and multipoint monitoring, video service providers can ensure that their streaming offerings are of the highest quality and provide an outstanding viewing experience for end-users.
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The Connection Between Streaming Quality and Viewer Satisfaction
A survey of media industry decision-makers — including broadcasters, streaming companies, and telcos — conducted by Interra Systems, found that there’s a strong link between content quality and customer loyalty. An overwhelming majority, exceeding 70% of respondents, acknowledged heightened consumer expectations for video streaming. Consumers demand not only diverse and captivating content but also impeccable picture quality and seamless delivery.
However, consumer satisfaction with streaming services is on a downward trajectory. According to research from ISI Evercore, streaming satisfaction has steadily declined from pandemic levels in 2021, when the total streaming monthly net promotor score (NPS) was 38, versus 28 in 2023.
Today, there are various industry forums dedicated to rating picture quality for every available OTT platform. As a result, any time there are glitches with video streaming services, they don’t go unnoticed. These forums hold substantial credibility in the public eye, making a negative review — particularly concerning premium content such as sports and other live events — potentially detrimental to a streaming service’s reputation, subscriber base, and revenue.
As a result, many OTT providers prioritize audio and video quality, as well as the overall viewing experience, by seamlessly integrating quality control and monitoring into their workflows.
The Importance of Root-Cause Analysis
To overcome the aforementioned OTT quality concerns, implementing steps such as root-cause analysis, error correlation, and multipoint monitoring are critical for video service providers. Interra Systems’ survey found this to be the case. When asked about the steps media companies are taking to QC and monitor their content, more than a quarter of respondents indicated they fail to implement any root-cause analysis in the real-time monitoring of their content, while 37% said they were only able to perform “some level” of root-cause analysis.
Why is root-cause analysis important? Adaptive bitrate streaming (ABR) is a multifaceted process that involves various entities within the workflow, each handling video content differently, from ingest to processing and delivery. Given the potential for errors at any stage, establishing a clear process and methodology for root cause analysis becomes even more important — to systematically gather errors and performance data.
However, implementing root-cause analysis is no simple feat, as numerous challenges can arise. For example, certain workflow stages often lie beyond a service provider’s jurisdiction. While video service providers manage content creation and video processing, delivery is typically outsourced to a third party, usually a content delivery network (CDN) or multi-CDN. Consequently, once content is handed off, service providers lose access to data on the delivery quality.
Additionally, geographic dispersion of the streaming process complicates collaboration. Moreover, many companies lack the resources for comprehensive root cause analysis. Deploying monitoring solutions entails substantial costs, requiring the recruitment and training of a specialized team. The exhaustive effort involved in collecting and analyzing data to pinpoint issues demands specific expertise. Thus, some companies focus on immediate issue resolution over investing in root cause analysis.
How Multipoint Monitoring Improves Streaming Quality
While various monitoring solutions exist for video content, they often provide only surface-level information, such as whether the video was delivered on time and without major issues. However, media companies require a more in-depth analysis, including error identification and location within the workflow, alongside data on closed captions, audio and video quality, ad insertion, and more.
To meet these needs, solutions providers must enhance collaboration with complementary tools in the ecosystem, such as encoding and device-level quality of experience (QoE) monitoring. This entails implementing multipoint monitoring across the media chain, allowing different stakeholders to collaborate effectively in case issues arise. However, traditional approaches involving data duplication and geographic challenges can be inefficient.
A more effective solution is multipoint monitoring from a single dashboard, displaying data from various distribution points, origin servers, and CDN edge networks. This approach empowers media companies to track their video content from ingest to endpoint, and tackles any geographic challenges, enabling quick error identification and proactive issue resolution before customer satisfaction is compromised.
With the migration of workflows to cloud environments and the centralization of video delivery networks, the adoption of multipoint monitoring through a unified dashboard emerges as a potent asset, particularly in the realm of live events demanding real-time quality oversight. Armed with insights from diverse demarcation points, media entities gain invaluable data-driven intelligence to swiftly address challenges.
About 80% of media companies recognize the benefits of multipoint monitoring in ensuring consistent and superior video quality, which is especially crucial for live events where real-time monitoring is essential. Unlike VOD, live events demand continuous attention to quality at every stage, from ingest to distribution, necessitating comprehensive monitoring solutions.
Conclusion
In the streaming arena, ensuring high-quality video content is paramount for media companies to be successful. Through the adoption of root cause analysis, error correlation, and multipoint monitoring, service providers can meticulously monitor quality at crucial stages and swiftly tackle any arising issues. In a fiercely competitive environment, this proactive approach enables them to uphold customer loyalty and satisfaction, safeguard their brand reputation, and entice new subscribers — ultimately boosting their revenues.
Anupama Anantharaman
Anupama Anantharaman is a seasoned professional in the digital TV industry. Based in Silicon Valley, California, Anupama has more than two decades of experience in video compression, transmission, and OTT streaming. Her journey began as a software engineer at Compression Labs – a trailblazer in MPEG-based digital video – where she contributed significantly to the development of videoconferencing systems.
Over the years, Anupama has transitioned into roles encompassing product management and business development, primarily concentrating on internet-based video communications.
At Interra Systems, she spearheads the product marketing team, overseeing activities ranging from product definitions and launches to strategic selling and fostering technology alliances. Her focus lies in enhancing video quality control, monitoring, and analyzer products to meet the evolving demands of the media and entertainment industry.