Page 26 - Mobile World Daily - Day One

CAPTIONS | ERICSSON

Matt Simpson,
Head of Technology & Strategic Product Management, Access Services,
Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services

How can captions
make you money?

2015 will be the first time Ericsson’s Accessibility Services product range is skilled at extrapolating and collating data “If any user anywhere can
presented at Mobile World Congress; our team is responsible for the delivery concerning that clip, it’s possible to create a find your piece of content
of content captioning, translation and associated metadata services for rich set of metadata that can enable even (or more importantly the
broadcasters and content owners across the globe. We are located in Hall 2 more abstract searches, links and right part of it) then that
providing the live captions for Mobile World Live TV. presentation features. These days it’s possible creates many new
to identify the shot changes, the scene commercial opportunities;
What, you may ask, is a television trawling through the list of suggestions, but, boundaries, the divisions between the but it needn’t stop there.
captioning team doing here? Aren’t as it stands, it’s going to be a matter of luck speakers (and link them back to that With the right processing
they rather old-school, stuck in a and a little cyber-sleuthing to track down the character or actor); captioners can even of the words by those
world of cathode ray tubes, rooftop aerials, right episode - and even then you’ve got to create bespoke metadata like key events (like skilled at extrapolating and
linear television, government regulations and spin through the whole thing to get to the line the goals in a football match) during the collating data concerning
philanthropy? you want, which as luck would have it, is preparation process. that clip, it’s possible to
probably three quarters of the way through create a rich set of
Well, way back sometime in the 70s and the programme. New video codecs and fast, Natural Language Processing (i.e. software metadata that can enable
80s, that statement might have been true; but reliable connections can help you fast- or systems that can ‘understand’ human even more abstract
things have moved on a little. For a start we’re forward beautifully. But wouldn’t it be easier speech) can assist in the creation of searches, links and
all broadcasters now – if we want to be. The to be able to do a text search on the script automatic keyword data – what were the presentation features.”
revolution has happened and anyone with the and go straight to that point in the scene important words used in that clip, and what
right connected device can create and instantly? other clips have a similar profile? If you know transcript? With Machine Translation
distribute content. The number of connected this, you can start to link content on new reaching new levels of accuracy (Google,
devices has exploded over the last five years; THE ANSWER IS, OF COURSE, YES. levels - and keep the viewer’s interest - rather Microsoft et al have demonstrated new cloud
Ericsson’s Media Vision 2020 predicts that than being limited solely to the “if-you- products in this space – with pretty good
there will be over 50 billion connected What you may (or may not) know, is that the watched-this-you-might-like that” kind of levels of intelligibility), it should be possible
devices by 2020 - that is literally billions of essence of a caption is a piece of timed text, recommendation (which I find is often more to create an online translation of a captioned
new places to watch your favourite show – and new production processes mean that we of an insight into the strange nature of others’ clip on the fly, into any language the viewer
eight billion of which will be mobile can now add even more granularity with viewing habits rather than your own). chooses, and present it back as captions.
broadband subscriptions. The result is that word-level timing. This means that through Cutting edge comedy will always present a
many more people in all sorts of new good quality captions and associated If you’re able to profile the content and the challenge for such systems (indeed it could
locations will have access to content with metadata you can make it much easier for appearance of themes and phrases, you can introduce its own variant of surreal humour)
none of the old boundaries; and the flexibility consumers to find your content. start to make a link to brands that might like but it will certainly get your sport,
of mobile network coverage is giving more to be associated with that content. If we documentaries or news content to an ever
people the chance to access prime content A recent study by Discovery Digital know the timeline of these themes as they larger audience with little extra effort.
than linear broadcast ever could. Regional Networks found that adding captions to video change across the clip, then it’s possible to
release dates for content have squeezed clips increased search traffic, page views, create advertising or marketing opportunities Captions are not limited solely to
together or even collided as consumers have search rank and engagement, documenting a that match the viewing experience. A logical accessibility – they can also help bring
come to expect access to anything, anywhere, 13% increase in views. Having captions also step on from this is to spin it around – and viewers to your content, and generate more
anytime and preferably as soon as it pops up boosted the lifetime views and search make sure that you never show the wrong money from it.
within their social network. rankings of a piece of content. And revenues, advert next to the wrong pictures.
whether via subscriptions or through
THAT’S ALL FINE, BUT WHERE DO advertising, depend directly or indirectly on HOW ELSE CAN CAPTIONS HELP IN A
THE CAPTIONS COME IN? the number of views and therefore on people MOBILE WORLD?
being able to find your content in the first
Consider this; you’re on the train and you place. Well, you will have read them in a bar, or at
remember a great TV comedy moment you the gym; so why not on the phone or the
want to share with your friends. You can If any user anywhere can find your piece of tablet? Not everyone has a pair of noise-
remember the name of the series, the name content (or more importantly the right part of cancelling headphones to counteract the
of the actor; you’re even word-perfect on the it) then that creates many new commercial background noise...
line itself. You tap in the search details, start opportunities; but it needn’t stop there. With
the right processing of the words by those Finally, what about using caption data to
extend geographical reach, breaking down
the language barriers with a real-time

PAGE 26 Monday 2nd March MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS DAILY 2015 | www.mobileworldcongress.com