What is the role of IoT in the media and entertainment industry?
In the media , they were once talked about as something on the verge of science fiction, but now they are actively used. This network of interconnected intelligent devices with embedded software and sensors has revolutionized the ways of connectivity, tracking, and utilization of data.
Advantages of IoT in media and entertainment:
Personalized experience:
Do you feel like you are being watched? Well, you are. By collecting massive amounts of data from user devices, media companies can tailor content to individual preferences. The Internet of Things (IoT) provides personal ized recommendations that enhance user satisfaction, regardless of whether it is about music, fitness activities, travel routes, or movies.
Immersive content:
The integration of IoT has facilitated the creation of immersive content in the form of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR). From smart TVs and OTT platforms to games and movies, technologies like Oculus, based on IoT, have changed the way audiences interact with media. This trend promises to shape the future of entertainment.
Targeted advertising:
If you have ever set up advertising on social media, you can imagine the amount of users' 'interests" being tracked: from the last travel destination to the choice of cat food. The advertisers benefit from significant cost savings while targeting a specific segment of the audience. However, there is also an advantage for users themselves, as it improves the overall user experience.
Improved connectivity:
IoT devices provide seamless connectivity between different entertainment devices and platforms. This enables easy integration and content sharing between devices such as smart TVs, smartphones, gaming consoles, and home audio systems. Users can start watching a movie on their smartphone and seamlessly continue watching it on their smart TV without any disruptions.
IoT applications in media and entertainment:
Expanded audience analytics:
IoT allows media companies to gather valuable information about consumer behavior and preferences. By tracking user interactions with IoT devices, creating databases, and analyzing statistics, companies can better understand their audience and make data-driven decisions to optimize content and marketing strategies. Knowing your audience is known to be one of the most valuable resources.
Asset management and data analysis:
IoT devices play a crucial role in asset management by collecting data through sensors and transmitting it to cloud platforms for analysis. This data-driven approach enables media companies to optimize operations, increase efficiency, and predict service needs.
Content curation:
As mentioned earlier, OTT platforms such as Netflix and Hulu use IoT to deliver personalized content to users. By analyzing user data, these platforms create unique profiles for each individual, providing tailored recommendations and a personalized viewing experience. While we all understand that analyzing our online behavior is necessary to curate interesting videos or texts for us, perhaps the outcome is worth it?
Smart home entertainment:
IoT devices have revolutionized home entertainment systems. With voice-controlled assistants like Amazon Alexa or Google Assistant, users can effortlessly control all their entertainment settings. For example, they can use voice commands to play specific songs, adjust lighting, control sound systems, or even stream content on multiple devices simultaneously.
Improved work and efficiency:
In the entertainment industry, IoT devices and sensors can be used for efficient asset management and maintenance. For example, IoT sensors can track and analyze the performance of equipment in theaters or studios, enabling preventive maintenance and reducing downtime. This helps optimize operations and increase overall production efficiency in the entertainment industry.
Monetization opportunities:
IoT opens up new avenues for revenue generation in the entertainment industry. Using IoT data, content providers can offer targeted advertising to specific user segments, maximizing the effectiveness of marketing campaigns. Additionally, IoT-enabled devices can provide new business models such as subscription-based streaming services or pay-per-use content consumption.
So what is the future of IoT in media and entertainment?
We talk a lot about data analysis, user behavior, and it is definitely worth paying attention to security and privacy. IoT is developing so rapidly that it is essential to monitor what data they collect, how they collect it, and where it is transmitted.
Considering the prevalence of data and devices in our lives, including those accessible to children, implementing effective parental control measures is important to ensure access to age-appropriate content.
However, it is significant to understand that every IoT device and activity collects data, whether it is your refrigerator, security camera, or Amazon Echo. This data collection can potentially pose threats to privacy and security, making people vulnerable to cybercriminals. Unauthorized access to devices can lead to intrusive monitoring or theft of confidential digital and physical data. Therefore, ensuring the security of the IoT environment in your home becomes paramount.
Biometric protection, once considered cutting-edge, is gradually being replaced by multiple passwords that may not provide reliable protection. Therefore, it is crucial to invest in robust security measures to protect your IoT devices and ensure the confidentiality of your data.
The landscape of IoT devices is constantly evolving, with new and advanced devices regularly entering the market. This development will only continue to grow in the future. Therefore, it is important for media and entertainment companies to stay ahead by investing in intelligent IoT frameworks. Implementing IoT technology will enable these companies to unlock new levels of innovation, efficiency, and profitability. The competitiveness of such companies will be influenced not only by the level of content but also by the level of technological advancement.
An example of an IoT device for media is a Smart TV.
A popular example of an IoT device in the media industry is a smart TV. Smart TVs are televisions connected to the internet, allowing users to access a wide range of digital content and services. These devices often come with built-in apps and streaming platforms, providing instant access to popular video-on-demand services, live television, music streaming, and others.
With the capabilities of the Internet of Things, smart TVs can connect to other devices on the network, such as smartphones, tablets, and voice assistants. This connectivity enables seamless content sharing, remote control functions, and personalized recommendations based on user preferences and viewing habits.
Among the case studies of our company, there is also an example of an IoT device for media.
Embrox has developed a cutting-edge photo printing system that integrates an image editor, delivery management, and payment system into a single application. With just your smartphone, you can now swiftly create personalized photo products with ease. This comprehensive solution offers a seamless experience for users, enabling them to prepare photo packages for printing and even design custom phone cases based on their individual preferences.
To meet the requirements of a consistent UX/UI for both Android and iOS applications, we opted to utilize the capabilities of QT + QML for mobile application development. However, the customer's specified payment system only provided platform-specific libraries. To overcome this limitation, our team developed a wrapper with a unified interface that could be utilized by both iOS and Android systems.
To enhance security, we divided the API server into separate Public and Admin components, ensuring they functioned independently. This segregation helped us achieve a higher level of security. Additionally, we tackled the challenge of predicting order processing time by integrating the printer supply levels and order management subsystems. By incorporating information about business hours, we were able to create a mechanism for calculating the average order processing time and implementing a specific order time prediction system.
In summary, IoT has transformed the entertainment industry by providing enhanced connectivity, personalized content delivery, immersive experiences, improved efficiency, and new monetization opportunities. As IoT technology continues to evolve, it is expected to revolutionize the way entertainment content is consumed and interacted with, providing even more engagement and immersive experiences for audiences worldwide.