Michael Demb

We are at an inflection point within human culture and technology. Where people once watched video content delivered via traditional broadcast (and programming guides) to their television screens, they are now watching what they want, when they want, where they want and employing a host of different connected devices to do so. But the experience of watching video online is nothing like television. It’s inconsistent from provider to provider. It’s quality is variable. And it’s monetized differently. As an industry, online video is the Wild, Wild West and that is ultimately hurting the adoption that will carry us through the tipping point when video becomes predominantly delivered via streaming. The Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) was formed to address this generational transformation. A global consortium of organizations, we are dedicated to helping shape the future of streaming video through collaboration on documentation that addresses the critical challenges facing the industry. Focusing on best practices, our member companies work together through a number of different Working Groups to tackle fundamental issues across a broad range of topics. The adoption of streaming video is moving at a breakneck pace. New technologies and methods to deliver it, to package it, and to monetize it are appearing almost daily. Our hope is that the Alliance can bring consistency to our rapidly evolving industry while influencing the creation of standards through other forums and consortiums, which is why every member of the online video value chain (content owners, infrastructure operators, service providers, and technology providers) is invited to join the movement.