NPTV, a cloud TV platform and TV-as-a-Service specialist, has launched its interactive multimedia platform in the UK. First showcased in September at IBC 2013 in Amsterdam, NPTV aims to have the same disruptive influence on the broadcasting industry that other cloud platforms have had on other sectors of the media industry, including music and film.

NPTV’s technology renders multi-sourced video in the cloud in real time delivering interactive video to a range of devices in a single stream. This means TV programming and video can be viewed on any device, including set-top box, smart TV, smartphone, tablet and PC, without losing full HD quality.

NPTV notes that viewers want more control over what they watch, and are increasingly posting their views simultaneously onto social media channels. With today’s audiences demanding a greater level of interactivity, and the rise of ‘second screen’ TV viewing, NPTV considers it has the potential to be the ultimate media platform. Broadcasters will be able to deliver this wealth of rich content to end-users by having components including video, social streams, apps and advertising sit in the cloud. This allows broadcasters to deliver all this content, over one video stream, limiting the demands on the viewer’s bandwidth.

According to Harri Koponen, NPTV CEO, unlike the majority of creative disciplines, TV has been slow to embrace the potential offered by cloud computing. “We believe the future of television exists in the cloud. Making full use of cloud technology will allow us to put the viewer in the director’s chair. The viewer will finally have the ability to select their own preferred camera angle for live view, replay any point of action they want and post views on social media streams, amongst other things; and all this with virtually no latency. The future of broadcast has arrived and it will be based here in London,” he declared.

NPTV suggests that the platform not only benefits viewers and broadcasters, but also offers an untapped opportunity for marketers. “The possibilities for advertisers and brands are significant, with the prospect of instant purchases straight from TV commercials that are targeted for a particular viewer. This level of targeted advertising will be key for advertisers in the future as the amount of media and brand messages consumers are exposed to continue to increase exponentially,” says the company.

“The UK is one of the Europe creative and business hubs and is at the forefront of innovation across a whole range of media. NPTV has created an all-encompassing media platform, capable of delivering HD quality video across any device. By tapping into the vast technological and creative talent in London, we expect our new UK office to help us continue to innovate and disrupt the broadcasting world,” concludes Kopenen.

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