New white paper examines the innovative solutions ushering the video entertainment industry towards a more sustainable future

Rhea-AI Summary

InterDigital and Futuresource Consulting's new whitepaper, Sustainability in Video Entertainment, addresses the pressing need for sustainability in the video entertainment industry, which surpasses the carbon footprint of airlines. The report outlines strategies such as remote production, cloud solutions, and energy-efficient data centers. Key findings indicate that medium-sized films generate 769 metric tons of CO2e, while streaming consumes over a billion hours daily, contributing significantly to carbon emissions. The paper emphasizes innovation in energy-saving protocols to mitigate potential increases in energy usage in coming years.

Positive

• InterDigital's participation in developing energy-aware image processing methods may enhance its market position.
• The whitepaper may strengthen InterDigital's image as a leader in sustainable technology solutions.

Negative

• The video streaming industry's carbon footprint now exceeds that of the airline industry, indicating an urgent need for sustainable practices.
• Global TV energy usage could increase by 5% by 2026 if current trends continue, posing challenges for sustainability efforts.

New research from Futuresource Consulting and InterDigital highlights the technologies helping the video entertainment industry achieve greater sustainability in content delivery

WILMINGTON, Del., Nov. 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- As the carbon footprint of the video entertainment industry has ballooned to exceed even that of the airline industry, an important question has been what will it take to make sustainability a key element of video content creation? A new whitepaper released today by InterDigital, Inc. (NASDAQ: IDCC) and written by Futuresource Consulting explores the reasons why the video entertainment industry must lead on positive climate action, set higher standards when it comes to energy efficiency, and integrate solutions that mitigate energy consumption across the end-to-end video chain.

The whitepaper, Sustainability in Video Entertainment, discusses how the content industry is embracing sustainable change by leveraging the supporting technologies and strategies that actively contribute to a more environmentally friendly production environment. Many within the industry have high hopes for developments including remote production; greater overall efficiency in the delivery of IP-based services; the rise of virtual production; cloud-based solutions; environmentally optimized outside broadcasting (OB) trucks; universally efficient data centers; and the manufacturing drive to make consumer products more efficient and authenticated through transparent energy certification.

“This paper comes at a moment when industry stakeholders are thinking about how they can get a handle on the industry’s carbon footprint, and in response, develop the solutions which are seriously needed to minimize the environmental impact of content creation, exchange, and delivery,” said Erik Reinhard, Distinguished Scientist, InterDigital. “It reflects the industry view that more needs to be done within the video entertainment sector to measure and address what it can to achieve more sustainable operations for the video content we all enjoy.”

The paper reveals:

• The carbon footprint for production is immense: medium-sized films have an average carbon footprint of 769 metric tons of CO2e, with large films generating substantially more emissions, creating 1,081 metric tons per production
• An average day of filming generates more than one person’s annual carbon footprint while an average hour filming is equivalent to the carbon footprint of a return flight from London to New York
• Going cloud native saves energy: production services are highly virtualized and as a result, harness more energy efficient equipment than conventional on-premises set ups
• Data centers worldwide are becoming more efficient: Power Usage Effectiveness (PUE) averages 1.5 today, but newer installations achieve far better performance
• More than a billion hours of content is consumed on a single streaming platform every single day and as a consequence the video streaming industry’s annual carbon footprint now exceeds that of the airline industry
  

“The video industry is now laser-focused on increasing the sustainability of visual entertainment. From filming and content creation, through broadcast distribution and internet streaming, to consumer devices themselves, all elements of the delivery chain are actively improving efficiency,” says Simon Forrest, Principal Technology Analyst, Futuresource Consulting. “Yet there are continuous challenges: on current trajectories, global TV energy usage alone could increase 5% by 2026 as consumers upgrade to higher resolution screens and transition to 4K HDR video. So, there are clear opportunities for further innovation in video coding and delivery mechanisms to help mitigate this potential rise.”

The paper argues that energy-aware streaming protocols promise over 50% in energy savings per hour of content, and InterDigital is an active contributor with innovative solutions in this space. Investigating solutions and technologies to reduce the energy consumption of visual media, InterDigital’s Video Lab has developed critical energy-aware image processing methods, which can help reduce energy consumption without changing visual quality, alongside energy-aware activities in ITU (International Telecommunication Union), DVB (Digital Video Broadcasting), MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group) and SMPTE (Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers), as well as foundational support for new video codecs like VVC (Versatile Video Coding), which boasts a significant bitrate reduction and more efficient transmission of 4K UHD (Ultra High Definition) content.

To read the whitepaper, Sustainability in Video Entertainment, please click here.

About InterDigital ^®

InterDigital develops mobile and video technologies that are at the core of devices, networks, and services worldwide. We solve many of the industry’s most critical and complex technical challenges, inventing solutions for more efficient broadband networks, better video delivery, and richer multimedia experiences years ahead of market deployment. InterDigital has licenses and strategic relationships with many of the world’s leading technology companies. Founded in 1972, InterDigital is listed on NASDAQ.

InterDigital is a registered trademark of InterDigital, Inc.

For more information, visit: www.InterDigital.com

InterDigital Contact:

Roya Stephens

Email: Roya.Stephens@interdigital.com

+1 (202) 349-1714

FAQ

What does the new InterDigital whitepaper on sustainability address?

It discusses the need for sustainability in the video entertainment industry and how new technologies can reduce carbon footprints.

What are the key findings of InterDigital's sustainability report?

Medium-sized films have a carbon footprint of 769 metric tons, and streaming contributes significantly to annual carbon emissions.

How can the video industry improve sustainability according to InterDigital?

By adopting energy-efficient technologies, such as cloud solutions and energy-aware streaming protocols.

When was the InterDigital sustainability whitepaper released?

The whitepaper was released on November 14, 2022.

What are energy-aware streaming protocols?

These protocols promise over 50% energy savings per hour of content streamed.