Last week RGB Networks returned to Cologne, Germany for our sixth year exhibiting at ANGA Cable. With an attendance of 16,000 trade visitors and the percentage of international visitors rising from 43% last year to 50% this year, the attention on RGB’s solutions soared with video service providers and the media focused intently on multiscreen deployment issues.

With discussions centered on the challenges cable operators currently face when developing successful, competitive strategies, our unique multiscreen delivery solutions ideally positioned us to address these concerns. There was particular interest in our eVIA solution, which enables multiscreen IP video delivery and monetization, our latest innovation just-in-time packaging, which reduces the need for storage and network bandwidth, as well as our support for MPEG DASH, the new adaptive streaming standard.

For those of you who were unable to meet with us at the exhibition, take a look through some snapshots below of RGB at the show (and on our Facebook page) – and check back often as we start our preparations for out next big European adventure at IBC in only a few short months!

As we welcome in June, RGB is preparing to head off to yet another European event. This time it’s ANGA Cable 2012, Europe’s leading trade fair for cable, broadband and satellite. With over 16,000 visitors from around the world it’s sure to be another great event for all participants.

We believe that 2012 will be the year that mass roll-outs of multiscreen IP video will really take off. As we now see the smaller operators entering the market, the larger operators with active deployments are taking things to the next level—looking to monetize services with targeted ad insertion and to optimize their architectures with new technologies.

Regardless of which category you fall into, the team at RGB can help you assess your requirements and design a multiscreen solution that will meet your needs today and provide future-proof options for your next phase of TV Everywhere services.

To get you thinking as you prepare for the show, here are a few of the hot technologies that you can see highlighted next week at RGB’s stand:

Just-in-Time Packaging: This newest innovation from RGB has been the hottest topic with operators at recent events and we look forward to its European debut. Download our white paper now to learn how this “on the fly” packaging technology can save you significant storage costs as you deploy adaptive bitrate VOD and NDVR services to multiple screens and reduce your headaches as you move to new adaptive streaming formats, such as MPEG DASH.

MPEG DASH: Are you up-to-speed on this new adaptive streaming standard? Take a deep technical dive with our new white paper.

Adaptive Bitrate Ad Insertion: RGB and BlackArrow just announced the first complete solution for multiscreen ad insertion and addressability. Read the press release and download the solution overview to learn how you can target specific ads to any device, increasing subscriber engagement and generating new revenues.

File-to-File Transcoding: Learn how you can capitalize on multiscreen VOD service with this adaptive bitrate technology. Read more and download our solution overview.

We will be available throughout the show at stand V18 in hall 10.1 for demos and discussion. Just stop by or click here to schedule a meeting.

And don’t forget to follow us on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and/or Google+ for updates throughout the year.

We hope to see you in Cologne!

This year marks two of the United Kingdom’s national treasures reaching their 60-year ‘diamond’ celebrations, both of which had significant impact on the world of broadcasting – Queen Elizabeth II, one of nation’s longest-reigning monarchs, and Sir David Attenborough, one of world’s longest-serving broadcasting legends.

Almost exactly 60 years ago today, in 1952 the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II was the first to be televised live on British television. There was only one channel available (the BBC) and just over two million TVs owned in the UK. Many believe that the Coronation was the catalyst required for the nation to be truly interested in television – following the broadcast, the number of households with television sets in the UK shot up to nearly 7 million by 1957.

Today, the Royal Family’s Youtube channel alone has received over 37 million video views. The Queen’s Diamond Jubilee celebrations are being broadcast live on hundreds of channels all over the globe (and on catch-up and on-demand). During the Queen’s Coronation most people had to crowd around the only television set in an entire village, while today, we have access to video content anytime, anywhere and on a growing number of devices that would likely boggle the minds of those original viewers. Bearing in mind that the first mobile phone (nicknamed ‘the Brick’ as it weighed nearly a kilogram!) was only released 29 years ago, the fact that consumers already expect high-quality video content on mobile devices today is pretty indicative of how fast video delivery technology is moving. With most large operators already offering TV Everywhere services and the majority of smaller ones following suit, it’s time for the rest to jump on board before they fall behind in an increasingly competitive video delivery marketplace.

In terms of technological advances, Sir David Attenborough, whose broadcasting achievements were recognized by the IBC’s International Honour for Excellence last year, has experienced all of these developments professionally. In fact, it was during his 60-year tenure at the BBC that the channel became the first to offer regular color programming in Europe, and his work spans black and white to HD and 3D video content.

However, while technology has certainly advanced, not all has changed in the broadcasting world. When color televisions were first released, the uptake was remarkably slow – primarily due to high prices – and as such, color programming was limited due to the lack of consumer interest. This bears quite the resemblance to what’s happened recently with 3D and Smart TVs. Furthermore, the development of color television in Europe was hindered by a continuing division on technical standards. Again, this strongly echoes the current market, with standards still not standard, and just a couple of months ago, yet a new adaptive streaming protocol—MPEG DASH—has been introduced (see our thoughts on that here).

It’s clear that in this day and age, the key for any operator looking to solidify their market position is to ensure they have a sustainable business model and to future proof against any new technological developments – an inevitability in the video delivery industry. What do you think are the biggest developments in broadcasting history over the past 60 years, and what will change for video delivery over the next 60? Leave your comments below.