M+E Connections
Premiere Digital to Handle EMA Online Video Repository
Story Highlights
The Entertainment Merchants Association (EMA) Oct. 6 unveiled a new Online Video Repository, a retailer-driven service that will hold the video, audio, metadata, artwork and delivery packages for both films and TV content, in all available languages.
Charging a flat free for the delivery of a one-language file and its associated materials, the service will cost less than half of other services that do the same, according to EMA president Mark Fisher. Both domestic and international retailers will have access to the service, which will be operated by Premiere Digital Services, under contract with EMA.
“Today retailers spend more than three-quarters of a billion dollars alone acquiring varied and unique versions of mezzanine files each year for feature motion pictures alone,” Fisher said during the Digital Media Pipeline event. “With the willingness to accept common standards and the to work together as a collaborative, these costs can be cut by over two thirds — cutting file acquisition costs to retailers each year on features alone by $269 million.”
Files in the repository would be standardized using the standards established by retailers participating in the service, and the repository will perform quality control and will track closed caption and subtitle conformance to standards. Several online retailers have already agreed to participate in the service, which is targeting a phased rollout beginning in 2017.
“Online video needs a cost-effective and scalable distribution servicing solution built around common specifications,” Fisher said. “Currently, the media file for each online video title is processed multiple times by multiple post houses for multiple retailers. There simply is no need for this redundancy. It’s costly, inefficient, slows flow of content, and leads to errors.”
