This article was co-authored by Chris Hadley, who writes for the online web series magazine Snobby Robot and for the film music magazine Film Score Monthly Online. In addition, he is the writer/creator of the cable news satire THE LATE, LATE NEWS.
First unveiled at this past September’s IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) conference in Amsterdam is Nokia’s Any Vision program, which incorporates an incredible variety of different technologies (cloud, IP streaming, AI, VR, AR and others) that could be harnessed to help transform television into a fully interactive experience for viewers. The company also launched their Velocix User Experience Platform (VUX) as a first step towards this vision of a highly personalized future of TV.
Thanks to Any Vision’s aspirational objective and Nokia’s technology, nothing will hamper how we access entertainment. Any physical surface - say, a wall or tabletop – is a potential screen. Even live broadcasts will be enhanced by Nokia’s Any Vision’s “any surface, any show, any one” approach to content delivery, as formulated through the Nokia Bell Labs’ Future X network.
Although some of the technologies that will enable Any Vision already exist today, many are still in their infancy. Still, Nokia projects that these features will combine to completely transform television by the year 2025. Paul Larbey, head of Nokia’s Video Business division, provides the full story behind Nokia’s bold vision for the future of television.
Describe how Any Visionʼs three-pronged approach - any surface, any show, any one - will serve to benefit consumers.
Paul Larbey: Any Vision delivers a highly personalized TV experience. Consumers will enjoy a free-flowing personalized experience and they will have more opportunities to consume video on a vast range of screens and be able to transition seamlessly from one surface and location to the next with no interruption in content delivery – fueling unbounded, unrestricted, limitless consumption. Viewers will be able to change screens, change the location or the content they’re watching using a simple swipe of a hand or the utterance of a single word.
How will all this work?
PL: Powerful new methods of content curation will enable consumers to access content that’s tailored to them in real time based on their interests, mood, needs, viewing conditions, and the time available. Content will be truly democratized and come from anyone. Consumers will choose from a wider choice of brands that deliver more innovative content that’s attuned to their needs and tastes, more quickly.
What technology will be deployed to help consumers access content on various surfaces?
PL: The key to this ubiquitous experience is the movement of the “smart” out of the TV. This will move intelligence either into an anchor device (maybe a mobile phone) that you carry around, or into the network. In either case, getting intelligence into the cloud will be a critical step in facilitating seamless transition between screens and locations.
For responsive control - how does the human element (voice commands, eye and body movements, etc.) correspond to the technology featured in Any Vision?
PL: These voice command technologies (such as Amazon Alexa for example) continue to advance and become more sophisticated. As that happens on the consumer side, we are working to help operators develop modular video platforms that enable and integrate these capabilities so that the consumer interface operates seamlessly with their networks, content servers and AI (artificial intelligence) algorithms.
For ubiquitous connectivity - how will that compliment pervasive displays and responsive control?
PL: Again, the key to facilitating this connectivity is moving intelligence to the cloud. This enables devices to serve as a portal rather than as the “smart” part of the experience. This, of course, means that the cloud needs to get closer to the users (for quick interaction). These are the types of enabling technologies we are building for operators so that can create these experiences for their customers. Also, as you would imagine, enhanced network connectivity speed (such as 5G) will be critical as it will provide high capacity bandwidth with low latency.
How will technologies be applied across multiple platforms, surfaces and brands?
PL: It is the complication of so many brands that require the “smart” to move out of the TV. Currently, consumers must look across a range of services to find the content that interests them. Some of it is located on one service, but not others. Some is found on OTT (over-the-top) boxes while other content is found in their cable set-top box. By moving intelligence and interface to the cloud, and giving the consumer persistent access, the manner of delivery and the platform becomes irrelevant. Everything is accessible and viewable via a single portal and on whatever screen is available. It also makes channels and schedules less important. Displays will become just a means of displaying an image, not controlling or interacting with it.
How will Any Vision use social media platforms and viewing environment changes to address the needs and preferences of consumers?
PL: Social media platforms are an integral part of the vision. TV platforms will open to integrate social media. User interactions on these platforms will contribute to content curation, and will be in sync with what users are watching. For example, if I am watching a football game and I pause the game on my TV, it also pauses the comments I may receive on that game to avoid spoilers.
How will Any Vision use and develop virtual and augmented reality systems for consumer access?
PL: We can expect lots of innovation with VR and AR. Potentially, the greatest disruption in the enjoyment of ubiquitous content will emerge with new generations of near-eye displays. These will enable immersive viewing of content with head-mounted displays comparable to the size and shape of today’s eyeglasses or sunglasses. This innovation will also assure wide acceptance and usage of VR and AR content. We can also imagine new ways of consuming 360-degree video without head-mounted displays. As surfaces become screens and are getting bigger, people might stitch together multiple surfaces - such as windows/walls - in order to enjoy a more immersive experience.
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