As we draw to the end 2024, TVBEurope asked key industry stakeholders to share their thoughts on the big industry trends that have stood out after the last 12 months and their impact on the media and entertainment industry.
Paul Turner, director of product management, AJA Video Systems
Familiar themes, SMPTE ST 2110 and HDR, drove many conversations in the M&E industry in 2024 as the technologies and talent behind these rapidly evolving pipelines advanced. SMPTE ST 2110 video emerged into the limelight, with the cost of network switches dropping and the pool of available IT video engineers growing steadily. More broadcast and production teams felt confident tapping into the IP protocol to transport uncompressed video over IP across select parts of the production chain. Experimentation primarily took place in sandbox environments, with many facilities opting for a hybrid SDI/SMPTE ST 2110 approach. A significant development, this spike in adoption speaks volumes about the growing industry demand for improved operational and cost efficiency when transporting video across facilities.
SMPTE ST 2110 is changing the game for M&E professionals because of the massive volume of uncompressed video it allows them to get across a single 25 GigE SMPTE ST 2110 cable; you can transport a couple of 4K/UltraHD or a significant number of HD signals. Its bi-directional nature is also convenient in that you can send signals back and forth between multiple destinations, all while decreasing rack space and reducing power consumption.
Colour consistency is crucial from content creation through consumption, making discussion around colour management hard to escape this past year. What became apparent is that professionals need to give more consideration to colour pipelines in pre-production. For the industry to fully capitalise on the benefits of HDR, it must be the first consideration instead of an afterthought, and many professionals have begun to recognise this. To this end, we saw more facilities and professionals dig deeper into colour management and conversion tools and educate themselves, which we anticipate we’ll see more of in 2025.
Stuart Ashton, director, Blackmagic Design
One of the key trends in 2024 has been the growing acceptance and integration of the cloud into workflows, with lots of testing and proofing throughout the media and entertainment industry. While budgets tighten, quality expectations remain higher than ever. Productions are under pressure to do more with less. Technology like Blackmagic Cloud is stepping into speed collaboration – allowing disparate teams to work effectively in real-time rather than relying on slower media transfer or back-and-forth workflows between post-teams or facilities.
At the same time, IP adoption is on the rise. A significant driver is the move to remote-based and decentralised workflows as the industry looks to implement more sustainable practices while achieving cost savings and efficiencies. The shift from SDI to ID, aided by standards like SMPTE 2110, is gradually transforming how content is handled in broadcast and live production. Although there are still challenges related to cost and network infrastructure, IP is gaining momentum.
These trends are leading to a more efficient and connected production environment. The shift to cloud-based workflows is flattening the traditional linear structure of post-production, making processes like editing, grading, and visual effects more collaborative. Different creative roles can work simultaneously, while production teams can start colour grading or refining visual effects before picture lock, resulting in better creative outcomes and more adaptable workflows.
There is also increased awareness of how IP can address the challenges of traditional infrastructure in live and broadcast settings. By making media transport more flexible, IP offers the scalability that modern productions need. IP-based workflows also enable more flexible and remote production setups by decoupling media transport from traditional cabling. While SDI has been the de facto standard for years, the move to IP, despite some initial concerns about cost and complexity, offers the scalability and flexibility that modern productions need.
Andy Waters, head of studios, dock10
One of the big trends we’ve seen emerge during 2024 is the industry’s deepening interest in AI. As this new technology starts to really impact our wider lives, we’ve seen organisations from across the industry exploring how they can use AI to improve efficiencies. There’s certainly a lot of excitement and expectation for this new technology.
A more tangible trend has been the entertainment sector adopting virtual studios. The industry has seen how successful virtual studio productions are for sports broadcasting, where they are now well established, and this has inspired more and more production companies to explore how they can translate that success into the entertainment sector. This year we’ve seen a lot of interest from production companies inquiring about how they can use the photorealistic capabilities of virtual studios to create entertainment shows with a big Saturday Night feel on a lower weekday budget.
In 2024 we’ve also seen the trend of productions being spread ever more thinly across the country. This is being driven by quotas and the perceived need for content to be made in even more locations, even though there is simply not enough content being made for every city to become a production hub.
I think another trend that we should acknowledge is that it’s been a tough year for everyone in the industry. 2024 has been a year of restricted budgets and a lack of new show commissions that has left many industry organisations and individuals struggling.
Despite all the interest and anticipation around AI, productions are not yet coming in and asking for AI cameras or kit. There are lots of ideas, conversations, and even experiments in using AI to help make entertainment television shows more efficient, and with so many people exploring the new technology, it’s only a matter of time before AI becomes part of the production process in some way.
However, virtual studios is a trend that has very much landed with the industry and is already having a significant impact. Production companies are always looking for ways to make content even better and to produce it more cost effectively, and there’s a growing realisation that virtual studios can do both for entertainment shows. We’re seeing production companies increasingly choose virtual studios as an alternative way to get programmes made. For example, virtual studios enable the creation of really high-impact broadcast-quality pilots at a fraction of the cost. And the big impact visuals they bring to the screen makes them especially appealing, so that beyond the pilots and sizzles production companies are turning to virtual studios for whole production runs – taking full advantage of the ‘Saturday Night’ big budget impact they deliver and the dramatic cost savings they bring.
Steve Reynolds, CEO of Imagine Communications
Because 2024 was such a banner year for sports, one stand-out trend was the accelerated move toward remote and cloud-based production thanks to SMPTE ST 2110 and the native IP protocols used for contribution to cloud. One example is the synthesis between 2110 and JPEG XS — basically native IP speaking to native IP via VSF TR-07 and TR-08 — which was proven at the Paris Games. We’ve also seen extensive use of H.264 via SRT in cases where the cost vs. bandwidth trade-off favours higher compression.
A more surprising trend was how media companies — even digital natives — rediscovered linear as a way to drive ROI and TCO. Here too there’s a connection to live sports with one high-profile US example being Amazon’s live streaming of NFL Thursday Night Football, which they paired with linear ad sales. This strategy demonstrates the enduring value of linear TV in reaching broad audiences and driving monetisation.
The impact of ST 2110 and JPEG XS has been significant in live sports production, enabling broadcasters to more efficiently transport high-quality video with low latency, streamline workflows and enhance scalability. Additionally, JPEG XS shines in its ability to provide an “on-ramp” to the cloud, bridging traditional production setups with advanced cloud-based operations. This approach supports real-time collaboration, faster delivery, and superior content quality, vital for large-scale events.
When it comes to the industry’s renewed focus on linear, the impact is two-fold: By integrating digital streaming with linear ads, broadcasters tap into a hybrid model that enables them to engage diverse viewers, while leveraging well-established revenue streams. Enabling digital to be sold like linear — with broadcast-quality rules and brand protection — strengthens customers’ ability to sell inventory in a direct but automated way, which is the key to maximizing streaming revenue.
Brad Wall, CTO, LTN
There is a real consumer-first Innovation culture in the industry and it has been happening at a rapid pace. Audiences are embracing new ways to engage with media and entertainment, including adopting ad-supported viewing models on streaming platforms. What was once met with skepticism has now become normalised, as many viewers are willing to accept ads in exchange for free or lower-cost access to high-quality content.
Advertising is a big part of the viewing experience once again, especially if it resonates with the consumer. It paints a picture of an industry thriving on innovation and adaptability, driven by technological advancements and a consumer base eager to embrace new experiences.
There has been a ton of change these past 12 months, with rapid transformations reshaping how content is created, delivered, and consumed. One of the most prominent shifts is the growth of immersive experiences. We have seen The Sphere in Las Vegas become an instant cultural phenomenon in 2024 where it has redefined how audiences interact with live performances and digital media. Its success has set the stage for immersive venues to become major attractions in 2024 and beyond, offering audiences experiences that feel like they are physically present in the action. UFC 306 was a real spectacle at this venue and has set the platform to take live events to the next level.
We are already seeing this being mirrored with the opening of Cosm, which has been highlighting live sports remotely, yet making audiences feel as if they are inside a stadium. These venues combine cutting-edge technology with the social energy of live events, providing fans with unparalleled engagement.
Jan Eveleens, CEO product division, Riedel Communications
Above all the buzzwords, I feel that there is a broader trend of customers being more open to new concepts and having the courage to commit to many of the new technologies that have proven their merit in the past years. Whether remote, cloud, on-prem, whether IP, SDI, or hybrid – our customers know there are many ways for them to reach their business goals, all with specific benefits and challenges. As they explore innovative paths to enhance their operations, we’re witnessing a strong drive toward solutions that simplify workflows, empower creativity, and maintain high standards of quality, all while doing more with less.
That’s why we’re also seeing an increased demand for virtualised and COTS-based solutions, which enable customers to be more efficient both on a workflow level, but also on investment level. They offer immense merits in terms of user experience and usability, and a very efficient use of our customers’ infrastructures. This also ties in with the fact that capex investments obviously are no longer the only way to acquire new technology. Many customers are looking for ways to optimise, spread risks and be more agile – and subscription models may offer all that.
Simon Hawkings, director of sales strategy and business acceleration, Ross Video
Two significant trends in 2024 were AI and cloud platforms for live production. Everyone’s talking about AI, but while there was considerable hype around potential efficiencies and cost savings, most companies have found it’s brought up many challenges around legitimacy, trust, and synthetic content. Instead, media companies are using AI to drive efficiencies in backend areas like media asset management, and post production, where we have seen some exciting developments.
On the cloud side, we’re seeing platforms that let you build virtualised software stacks for live production, post, and content delivery. But latency, bandwidth, and the debate over capex and opex models are limiting adoption. It’s a fascinating time of transition.
AI and cloud production are reshaping things in different ways. AI is creating efficiencies, especially in post production, where companies are doing more with less. But, generative AI is yet to be widely adopted due to concerns about trust, legitimacy, and accuracy.
Cloud production tools are increasingly being used, but adoption is slower due to technical limitations like latency and bandwidth. Many media companies and broadcasters are trying to find ways to be more flexible and efficient so they can scale and experiment with new content quickly — without investing in physical infrastructure — but the transition is still uneven for a number of reasons.
Olivier Bovis, head of media solutions, Sony Europe
2024 has been a year of trying new things. With multiple global events occurring this year, it was the perfect opportunity for those in the industry to try out new technologies, seeing what sticks, and what doesn’t. An example of this can be seen in the way the potential benefits of AI and cloud technology completely dominated conversations around workflows in 2024, as people began to realise the technologies’ ability to cut down on both time and resources during the production process. AI in particular is still a technology that is yet to find its full range of possible applications, but the future looks hopeful. The growing use of IP-based, and software-defined workflows in place of legacy hardware-based workflows is another major example of trying new things. 2024 saw the emergence of a transitional phase, in which legacy systems have coexisted and slowly been replaced by IP systems. This development started to change how the M&E industry goes about capturing and producing content. Previously what took an entire hardware setup to do can now be achieved with Software. Couple that with multiple successful trials this year that tested the use of 5G for live transmissions at big live events around the world means 2024 has seen some promising new ways to produce live content.
Traditionally, the M&E industry has heavily been impacted by the process of upgrading workstations. Hardware-based stations would take a vast amount of time and resources to upgrade, as new hardware would have to be shipped in and installed, while the old workflow would have to be removed and disposed of. However, the trend of trying new things in 2024 has significantly dealt with this issue. Software defined broadcasting is starting to make the process of upgrading far more efficient. Outside of upgrades, the trend seen in 2024 of trying new things has also rapidly increased workflow efficiencies, meaning broadcasters can now automate certain tasks and dedicate more time to the ones that require creativity.
