Exclusives

CES 2020: Warner Bros. Looks to Cinelytic’s AI Platform; Dolby Vision Gets Smarter

LAS VEGAS — AI and cloud-based technology firm Cinelytic and its AI-driven content and talent valuation system has been chosen by Warner Bros. Pictures International (WBPI) to better inform decision-making around content and talent valuation, in support of release strategies.

Using Cinelytic’s AI-driven project management system, launched for the motion picture industry last year, WBPI will make data-informed decisions around the greenlight process of new content.

Cinelytic’s platform combines AI and cloud-based technologies to enable faster decision-making data, predictive analytics and project management tools, all integrated online. The goal is to reduce executives’ time spent on repetitive tasks and focus instead on generating actionable insights, around packaging, greenlighting, marketing and distribution.

“We are very excited to work with Warner Bros. Pictures International, a leader in worldwide content, to bring the power of real-time predictive analytics to content and talent valuation decisions,” said Cinelytic co-founder and CEO Tobias Queisser.

Tonis Kiis, SVP of Warner Bros. Pictures International Distribution, added: “Warner Bros. is excited to employ Cinelytic’s cutting-edge system. In our industry, we make tough decisions every day that affect what — and how — we produce and deliver films to theaters around the world, and the more precise our data is, the better we will be able to engage our audiences.”

Also at CES 2020:

• DXC Technology’s Luxoft announced it would be working with LG Electronics, Amazon and Mapbox to debut a new shared mobility concept, featuring digital, consumer-grade, in-vehicle experiences, allowing for access to in-home content and services on the go.

Dubbed Luxoft HALO, the offering promises to give consumers all their content needs in the vehicles they drive, covering rear seat entertainment, cabin displays for ride-hailing systems, and more.

”Together with our key partners, we can now deliver a complete, highly personalized and intelligent in-vehicle consumer-grade experience, powered by webOS Auto, the platform for shared and intelligent mobility,” said Vildan Hasanbegovic, director of partnerships and head of marketing at Luxoft Automotive. ”It’s an open platform that delivers, with exceptional quality, an existing ecosystem of intelligent services and dynamic content – from in-vehicle infotainment to connected video streaming services and more – that is increasingly becoming an essential part of consumers‘ personal digital lifestyles.”

• With the help of Gracenote’s metadata and automatic content recognition technologies, company parent Nielsen has unveiled a new addressable TV advertising platform, one that would allow programmers to target specific ads to specific households within linear TV broadcasts.

A+E Networks, AMC Networks, CBS, Discovery, Fox, NBCUniversal, WarnerMedia and others will test the solution over the next several months, evaluating how it interoperates with existing and evolving workflows, before a planned third or fourth quarter 2020 launch.

“We really found an opportunity to bring together the unique assets, including Gracenote, that Nielsen has brought together to accomplish this,” said Kelly Abcarian, GM of advanced video advertising for Nielsen. “As programmers take on the challenge of unlocking the value of their 14 minutes per hour of advertising time, they require solutions to manage complex addressability workflows.

“Having programmers engage with Nielsen’s Addressable TV Advertising solution to execute test campaigns with brands will allow us to evaluate the end-to-end touchpoints across an addressable TV media buy.”

Nielsen’s Addressable TV Advertising solution offers programmers an open, modular platform to manage addressable TV inventory and campaigns, opening up additional sales options to better optimize the value of their ad inventory, she said.

“A+E Networks is excited to continue our collaboration with Nielsen, following up on our previous trial of addressable ad campaigns,” said Peter Olsen, EVP, of ad sales for A+E Networks. “This initiative aligns with our goal of bringing to market practical innovations with a focus on transparency, value, and provable outcomes. Combining our great storytelling with relevant and effective advertising helps our partners connect with their consumers and leverage the power of television to propel their business forward.”

The platform’s approach is compatible with existing industry standards, including VAST and SCTE, and integrates with third-party components that service all sides of the ecosystem, Nielsen said.

“WarnerMedia has spent the last half-decade developing industry-leading audience-based capabilities that empower advertising to deliver more relevant brand messaging to the audiences that matter most to their business,” said Dan Aversano, SVP of ad innovation and programmatic solutions for WarnerMedia Ad Sales. “We believe that all digital and linear modalities where consumers engage with our premium content should be addressable. This will help create more engaging and relevant ad experiences for our consumers and more effective advertising for agency and advertiser partners. We look forward to working with Nielsen through this beta period to uncover new opportunities to expand our effort towards that goal.”

• Dolby used CES 2020 to show off its latest innovations in music and imaging, specifically Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos.

“Dolby has transformed entertainment for hundreds of millions of people around the world. We are constantly pushing ourselves to find new ways to deliver amazing experiences,” said Giles Baker, SVP of Dolby’s Consumer Entertainment Group. “This is exemplified by the growing availability of Dolby Vision and Dolby Atmos enabled devices and content, and new experiences like Dolby Atmos Music where we are redefining how music is created and enjoyed.”

At CES, in partnership with LG and Panasonic, Dolby debuted Dolby Vision IQ, which extends the benefits of Dolby Vision beyond high-dynamic range by optimizing picture quality experiences for viewers in any room, without consumers having to pick up their remote.

Dolby Vision IQ uses Dolby Vision dynamic metadata along with ambient light sensors inside the TV to detect how bright or dark a room is, and then intelligently displaying every detail of content to fit the viewing environment. Dolby Vision IQ also informs the TV what is being watched modifying its settings if the channel is changed.