Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 March 2023
This chapter examines the array of technologies that is transforming the global TV system. The first part is devoted to communications satellites, which fulfil multiple distribution functions for all kinds of rights holders, and the second turns to internet distribution. It covers the origins of video streaming before explaining how it works and why it is dethroning broadcasting and downloading as the most popular way of accessing content. The chapter examines the role of video coding formats, content delivery networks (CDNs), and cloud computing in video distribution. It concludes by highlighting the role of standards and standard-setting organisations, arguing that their international evolution mirrors that of the TV industry and emphasising the crucial role they play in digital value chains over which no one in particular has an oversight.
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