
Marcus Bergstr m, CEO of Vionlabs, explains why streaming services need to better understand their content
By Jenny Priestley
Published: April 8, 2021
Marcus Bergstr m, CEO of Vionlabs, explains why streaming services need to better understand their content
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Marcus Bergstr m, CEO of Vionlabs, explains why streaming services need to better understand their content
https://www.tvbeurope.com/media-delivery/how-streaming-providers-can-create-a-more-intuitive-user-experience title=Share via Email class=share-email>
2021 will be a pivotal year for video streaming services. For the first time in history, more people will pay for online streaming services than for traditional pay-TV. However, the reality is that the streaming market is reaching the point of saturation as more and more services launch. In recent years, high-quality original programming has been the primary way streaming providers enhance and differentiate their services from competitors. Netflix is estimated to house around 1,500 TV series and 4,000 films, Amazon Prime Video is home to almost 20,000 titles, and a subscription to Disney Plus adds around 7,000 more TV episodes and 500 films for viewers to choose from.
High-quality programming alone is no longer enough to keep consumers subscribed to a service. In fact, one of the most common problems today's audiences face is being able to find something they actually want to watch.
As recently as 2017, viewers were spending almost an hour a day searching for content. This daily dilemma often results in endless scrolling before the consumer settles on something that they've already watched before or something that only vaguely interests them, because they do not want to waste more time searching for something that truly captures their interest. The challenge video streaming providers must now overcome is offering a superior user experience that can serve viewers the content that not only interests them, but also reflects the mood they are in at that specific moment. The only way a streaming service can achieve this is by using AI and machine learning to gain a deep understanding of its content's emotional data and serve recommendations that match the viewer's mood.
Creating recommendations that are based on users' emotions is something that's already being used by music streaming services. Spotify recently revealed that it has patented technology that will allow it to analyse the user's voice and suggest songs based on emotional state, gender, age, or accent . With this technology, Spotify will be able to play and recommend music that reflects the user's mood or social setting. For example, a user could say I'm feeling happy and I'm hosting a big party and Spotify can then play or recommend classic, upbeat party anthems. Video streaming services need to take note of Spotify's approach of using mood to provide recommendations, because it provides users with greatly enhanced personalisation that will help boost brand loyalty and reduce churn.
What lies beneath the metadata? However, before streaming services can start categorising content by mood, they need to better understand their content. Currently, many content discovery systems rely on basic metadata, which broadly labels content based on data points such as genre, the actors starring in it, or even just picking up on keywords in content titles. Metadata doesn't provide streaming platforms with enough knowledge about their content, so it's no surprise that their recommendations will be poor. To take recommendation systems to the next level, streaming providers need to harness AI and machine learning technologies to gain a deep understanding of the content in a scalable way by analysing the audio and video file itself.
Content analysis based on AI and machine learning can have different neural networks to identify patterns in colour, audio, pace, stress levels, positive/negative emotions, camera movements and many other characteristics. It can then evaluate how similar each asset is to every other asset and combine this information with an AI engine that analyses a household's watchlist, drawing together a more advanced and nuanced understanding of the content asset and its relevance at any particular time.
A user who watches a fast-paced thriller on a Friday night may well want something more light-hearted immediately after, and a recommendation system that is being fed this type of detailed content data can offer this level of intuition. Over time, it can analyse each viewer's consumption patterns and data points - not just each device, but each individual user profile - and perfectly tailor recommendations for their watch preferences, suggesting the right content, at the right time.
Last night, a mood category saved my life. Understanding the content itself goes way beyond just understanding similarity, it opens the door to a whole range of new use-cases that traditional metadata won't allow you to tap into. With the emotional data of the content coming from the audio/video file itself, streaming providers can automatically curate entire mood categories and channels for viewers. The type of content we want to watch is often strongly related to how we feel at that particular moment, so grouping content by mood makes the user experience more intuitive. With an advanced AI engine, we can analyse the intrinsic emotional profile of each content asset to create nuanced categories. For example, parents with young children who want to watch a film on a Friday night will likely click on a mood category or channel that says, family friendly comedies . Additionally, in group settings when there's a lot of debate over what to watch, it's much easier to find something that intere
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
07/10/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, today announced the latest Long-Term Supported (LTS) release of Dalet Flex. Build...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/08/2026
Riedel Communications at IBC2026: Live Production Experience Showcasing Integrated IP Production Workflows
At IBC2026, Riedel Communications will bring modern ...
07/08/2026
Shotoku Showcases Expanding Aura PTZ Ecosystem and Award-Winning Swoop Robotic Crane at IBC2026
Shotoku Broadcast Systems will officially introduce its Aura fa...
07/08/2026
Highlights will include new Dante fiber connectivity, expanded IPMX capabilities and award-winning signal processing solutions
Cobalt Digital, the leading des...
07/08/2026
Bob Moses Concert at Red Rocks Captured with URSA Cine 12K LF
Brie Clayton August 6, 2026
0 Comments
PYXIS 12K and URSA Cine 12K LF enable cinematic c...
07/08/2026
Use It or Else Is Not an AI Implementation Strategy
Andy Marken August 6, 2026
0 Comments
Source - Hitchhikers Guide to the Universe, Touchstone Pi...
06/08/2026
The broadcaster's 14-race schedule begins in Iowa and ends in November with ...
06/08/2026
In-venue and creative video staffers at the professional and collegiate level ha...
06/08/2026
As media organizations consolidate teams, technology platforms, and content libr...
06/08/2026
Firmware updates introduce Dolby's next-generation picture engine, content-aware optimization, and new motion and ambient-light tools...
06/08/2026
TNT Sports will have wall-to-wall coverage of the upcoming FIBA Women's Bask...
06/08/2026
swXtch.io (Stand 5.MR13) has unveiled groundSwXtch for Audio over IP (AoIP), a software application that lets broadcasters and media organizations move audio in...
06/08/2026
At IBC2026, Riedel Communications (Stands: 10.A24, 10.A31, 10.A38) will bring modern media production to life with the Live Production Experience - a connected ...
06/08/2026
The first live-sports director to receive the prestigious honor, eight-time Emmy...
06/08/2026
NBC Sports will continue to present the Preakness Stakes on NBC and Peacock thro...
06/08/2026
Cobalt Digital (Stand 8.F90) continues to reinforce its commitment to delivering...
06/08/2026
Wave Central has promoted promotion Jeff Daubert to Director of Sales, Americas.
In his expanded role, Daubert will lead Wave Central's sales strategy and ...
06/08/2026
KMH Integration is expanding its ability to serve media, broadcast, and IT organizations by adding Keith Hanadel, an accomplished architect with decades of indu...
06/08/2026
Advanced Systems Group (ASG) has promoted Michele Ferreira from Vice President of its Systems Integration team to the newly created position of Chief Business O...
06/08/2026
Demonstrations will include new JPEG XS, Dolby audio, cloud-gateway, stream-processing, and distribution capabilities...
06/08/2026
The deal includes three premium mobile units, engineering personnel, existing br...
06/08/2026
Broadcast Management Group produced Amazon Prime's inaugural Obsessed Fest a...
06/08/2026
Exhibit will feature new variable-ND functionality, OLED viewfinders, remote-camera tools, and UHD production monitors...
06/08/2026
Compact full-frame E-mount lens targets sports, wildlife, and other long-range shooting applications...
06/08/2026
Live broadcast will honor Roger Federer and Mary Carillo on Aug. 29, with onsite...
06/08/2026
End-zone board receives higher-resolution LED technology and an updated Show Control system ahead of the 2026 football season...
06/08/2026
New 16- and 32-pad MIDI controllers now available
Fender have just announced that the two new performance-focused controllers that were unveiled at NAMM 202...
06/08/2026
Standalone version, performance improvements & more
Lewitt have just released a significant update for their speaker and room virtualisation software, intro...
06/08/2026
Combines celeste samples with synth engine
After launching earlier in 2026 with deFORM, ebbandflow have returned with their first sampled acoustic instrumen...
06/08/2026
SGL Carbon's consolidated sales in the first half of 2026 totaled 394.2 million, down 13.0% from the prior year (H1 2025: 453.2 million). On the one hand,...
06/08/2026
The BBC has announced casting for the forthcoming six-part series Hercule from Mammoth Screen and Agatha Christie Limited.
Joining Bluemel are Henry Ashton (A ...
06/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/08/2026
Proven offering builds on more than 20,000 live sporting events with greater automation, flexibility, and operational control
LTN , the industry leader in tran...
06/08/2026
Hornets Tech, a specialist in broadcast connectivity and IP video, is bringing a new range of encoders, decoders and an IPTV platform to IBC2026.
Broadcast in...
06/08/2026
Introducing Adobe for ChatGPT: Create, edit and get work done - all in ChatGPT
Deepti Pradeep August 6, 2026
0 Comments
The Adobe plugin in ChatGPT br...
06/08/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
06/08/2026
At IBC2026, MediaKind will make its first major appearance as a unified global powerhouse in video, showcasing one of the world's most comprehensive video i...
06/08/2026
Big Blue Marble (#5.A63) will demonstrate how its integrated technology and operational expertise help media companies scale premium services with less complexi...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research has received more than $500,000 in first-year fund...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Viruses are masters at invading our cells thanks to specialized proteins that coat their surfaces. When scientists design vaccines, they often crea...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-The brain has its own immune system, which detects threats and mounts a defense. A growing body of evidence has shown that in Alzheimer's disea...
06/08/2026
LA JOLLA, CA-Scripps Research chemist Jin-Quan Yu has been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS), one of the highest honors a scientist can achieve....