Managing Metadata Key to New Set-Top Box Services

Managing Metadata Key to New Set-Top Box Services

New Free Topic Paper from The Diffusion Group Explores Issues in Leveraging Metadata to Monetize Advanced Networks

May 19, 2006 (Dallas, TX) - A new topic paper from The Diffusion Group, a research consultancy focusing on the new media markets, finds that the set-top box (STB) may become a major choke point in delivering new digital services to the home. Satellite, Telco and Cable Operators are seeking to deliver services such as Video-on-Demand, Personal Video Recording, and Voice over IP over newly upgraded networks. These services will come together at the set-top box, which is not able to properly manage metadata to make the user experience as simple and clean as possible.

"Operators face enormous pressure to leverage these high-bandwidth architectures to deliver digital services," writes Colin Dixon, IP Media Practice Manager at The Diffusion Group. "Consumers will demand delivery of these services in an easy-to-use and intuitive manner - a significant challenge that includes managing disparate data sources on the set-top box. At the most basic level, operators must master metadata to increase adoption."

Mastering the Metadata Menace: How Metadata Mismanagement is Slowing the Delivery of Digital Services to the Set-Top Box finds that the consequences of the fragmented and inefficient management of application metadata are profound for both operators and developers, a situation that will only get worse as more and more applications are added to the mix.

For example, the data available for a STB's Interactive Program Guide resides in a different format for the Personal Video Recorder, the Video On Demand service, and live Broadcast Streams. The fact that these data streams aren't integrated means that the consumer may have to perform three different searches to find one program.

TDG's topic paper, Mastering the Metadata Menace: How Metadata Mismanagement is Slowing the Delivery of Digital Services to the Set-Top Box, offers an examination of the various trends and impacts to the operator, the STB manufacturer, middleware provider, and even the CE industry.
This free paper is available on TDG's website at www.thediffusiongroup.com.
About The Diffusion Group ( TDG ) -

The Diffusion Group is a strategic research and consulting firm focused on the new media and digital home markets. Using a unique blend of consumer insights, executive-level consultants, and hands-on technical experts, we produce more than just research - we create Intelligence in Action®.

TDG is committed to providing market research and strategic consulting services based on conservative, real-world analysis and forecasts grounded in consumer research.

To sign up for TDG's free weekly analyst opinion piece or for more information, visit our website at www.thediffusiongroup.com.

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