If you follow my monthly column on MediaPost's Video Insider, you'll notice that I seem to have hit a hot button with my digital media colleagues (some have even contacted me directly). It’s an important issue and I’m glad to see that so many people are engaged and interested.
I want to take this opportunity to clarify a few points. As many people have commented, there are systems like ISAN and MPEG 7 in existence today. I am not suggesting that we abandon these systems, but rather, extend their capabilities as part of a complete, fully automated visual identification system.
Consider this. A single video often will have multiple versions (ex. Airline v. full broadcast v. director’s cut). Today, there is no central way to identify it as it gets re-transcoded and undergoes multiple iterations in the standard digital media workflows. As more content is distributed on more platforms, this problem will continue to grow in scope and complexity.
The current identification systems are based on pre-set numbering schemas, and as a result, they are hard coded for specific assets. If you don’t know what that asset is, the ID number won’t help. By using computer vision to automatically identify an asset in real-time, you can nearly eliminate these issues. You can then reference a database like ISAN and/or other schemas to provide a complete record of that asset – and, you get it instantly without relying on pre-defined or embedded tags.
I’m not ringing the death knell for the current systems. Rather, I propose that we take the identification process a step further and incorporate BOTH an intelligent metadata management framework with systems like ISAN in a complete, fully automated system. Imagine a system that provides a consistent method for identifying a video asset or part of an asset regardless of its resolution, bit rate or version. Then, combine that with a way to connect the asset to a standard numbering system like ISAN. It’s not quite video nirvana, but it’s a significant step forward.
The real “shame” would be to continue to live with what we have today. Organizations are constantly challenged to manage assets without an ISAN, duplicate assets or assets distributed through advanced networks without a consistent way to determine what the asset is and associate the correct metadata.
Let’s take a leadership role and evolve our digital media standards to meet our needs today and in the future. If we do, we have the potential to unlock significant value and new monetization opportunities – improved discovery, better ad targeting and performance, personalized experiences, higher engagement and increased viewership – and change the industry in the process.
Best, Ben
