Crystal ball: EVS offers trends to watch out for in 2023 and beyond

By Laurent Petit, EVS SVP markets and solutions.

As we look forward to 2023, we can expect to see companies embrace some of the key technology trends that were already underway pre-pandemic, but were somewhat pushed aside over the past few years, mostly in favour of remote production.

Customers are now shifting to a more proactive mode, with conversations steered towards ways to improve their existing infrastructures and help them stay relevant over the long-term. Let’s look at five trends that are likely to be key drivers for future development in our industry.

Trend #1: The pace of the transition to IP will accelerate

Transitioning from SDI to IP is becoming more critical than ever; it is a key enabler for many of the technology trends that are transforming our industry. However, while many broadcasters have already migrated parts of their infrastructures to IP — many of them during COVID — not everyone is quite at the level they would hope to be.

For OB vans and trucks for example, the complexity of setting up an IP network for temporary events is still a big concern. Budget limitations, interoperability, security, bandwidth availability, and skills shortages are some other reasons why customers are still holding back.  But with the right partners and support, the transition will lead to the creation of more flexible and efficient workflows. From adding IP workflows to existing setups, to building large scale, full-IP infrastructures, EVS will continue to make sure the shift is as simple and smooth as possible for its customers.

Trend #2: A balanced approach to cloud computing

As a direct result of this ongoing transition to IP, cloud adoption is also increasing, but there’s still a need for on-prem deployments, especially when uncompressed video flows and high-quality, high-bandwidth signals are involved. You can’t expect to produce a football match with 32 UHD cameras and to ingest all of the feeds in the cloud without some level of compromise, be it compression, latency or security.

At EVS, we’ve found that balancing on-prem, cloud, or edge deployments better responds to the need for higher flexibility and scalability in live production, and we believe the future will involve a growing mix of these different deployment methods. Our customers are very receptive to this approach, which we call ‘balanced computing’, as it is more in line with their budgets and their business expectations.

We’re also seeing a shift to the cloud for content distribution, for a more flexible, and easier way to move files between locations. Ultimately, the cloud shouldn’t be an either-or decision, but about finding the right balance and keeping it flexible.

Trend #3: Towards a broader adoption of UHD

Making the transition to UHD will be another important step for many broadcasters given the competitive nature of the video market. Up until now, broadcasters have been rather slow in their adoption of UHD; reluctant even. However, this is set to change due to the rising interest in UHD-native content that is driven by demand from streaming TV providers, and it’s only a matter of time before it becomes the new industry norm for resolution.

The challenge, however, will be to find ways to create and manage the different formats and deliver monetisable content across multiple platforms more efficiently.

Trend #4: A zero-trust approach to cybersecurity

With the adoption of new technologies, new ways of working, and the migration to the cloud, comes a new range of cyber threats. Broadcasters must become better prepared to defend themselves against attacks that are becoming more and more frequent and sophisticated. As a matter of fact, local governments and other stakeholders have begun pushing for more cyber defence, as well as more transparency in their cybersecurity policy making, especially when it comes to the production of large-scale events.

Given their wide coverage and international influence, these events are prime targets for hackers, and broadcasters who fail to properly secure their networks are putting their operations, their long-term brand reputation and their valuable partnerships at risk.

We expect to see an uptake of security tools that integrate zero trust policies and that can be added on top of existing infrastructures, enabling broadcasters to safeguard their operation at the micro-segment level.

Trend #5: ESG, a key influencer for business decisions

A company’s long-term success will also depend on the value of its environmental, social and governance (ESG) proposition. Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen many media organisations implement a more strategic approach to sustainability, a trend that will only be reinforced as we move into 2023. We have high ESG standards and we are continuously looking for ways to improve our practices at all levels of our organisations, including the way we develop our products and through our investment processes.

Already an attractive criterion in our industry, ESG will increasingly be regarded as an imperative for driving new opportunities, creating a competitive edge, and ensuring the industry plays a greater role in addressing environmental and societal concerns.