MUMBAI: Internet network speed hasn’t kept pace with the growth of internet adopters in India. Hence, streaming giant Netflix, which sees the potential of its next 100 million subscribers from this country, is heavily investing in compression technology to provide good viewing experience of high quality video even without a fast connection. Along with that, the OTT platform is highly committed to delivering locally relevant stories.
“There was a time when if you watched a high quality video on Netflix you will be on a 750 kbps connection. Today you can watch extremely high quality video on Netflix at 270kbps. You can do this because we invest significantly on compression technologies,” Netflix India business development director Abhishek Nag said while speaking at The Future Of Video India 2019 summit organised by the Asia Video Industry Association (AVIA).
Nag also emphasised on the importance of connected TVs as the partner of the OTT platform. Although handheld devices have emerged as the most popular medium to consume digital content, the Netflix executive said that users are gradually watching the streaming platform on large screens. He added that 42 per cent of accounts’ primary viewing in India became connected TVs within six months of activating subscription for the first time. Even broadband partnerships are extremely important for the company to provide a good viewing experience.
According to him, the dichotomy between OTT and broadcaster is outdated now. He opined that the industry today is bifurcated as content creators and distributors. Rather than the medium and the delivery pipe, consumers ultimately care about content.
Nag also reiterated the importance of locally relevant stories. Along with Sacred Games’success outside India, he also cited the example of Dark which had a successful run in its home country Germany but garnered more viewership across the globe. According to him, as the company continues to diversify content and personalise the service people will see value in subscribing.
When it comes to the issue of censorship, which has become the centre of attraction for regulation since last year, OTT players teamed up to create a self-regulation code. Nag is of the view that the code balances creative freedom and expression along with getting consumers' choice to watch what they feel is right.
