Video website restricted Internet TV channels

In addition to PCs, smartphones and tablets, Internet TV channels (including smart set-top boxes and smart TVs) have become a must-have channel for video websites to expand their business. In view of the importance of large-screen home terminals for video and audio distribution, many video websites even As a business focus, but the regulatory restrictions over the past few days so that video sites can not do anything.

Market paradox

Smarter makes the world a better place, and the system makes television more free. This is the best time for video websites to compete for Internet TV users, but successive regulatory orders have blocked many video websites.

Since June, several restrictions have placed video sites at unprecedented policy risk. This is even contrary to the mainstream video game into the mainstream of Internet TV.

Under normal circumstances, with the qualifications of broadcast control platform (including millet and CCTV such cooperation) Internet TV set up a video brand zone, such as the Sohu video area of ​​the millet box, music as partners and their own products also have music Area and so on.

However, this situation may be facing the crisis under the latest regulatory policies. According to anecdotal evidence, regulators do not allow video sites to set up special zones and brand shows. They can only hide behind broadcast platforms as content service providers. To put it simply, users only know that they have watched a movie, but they do not necessarily know where the resources came from.

Larger panic comes from the pressure of commercialization of video sites, relying on the survival of the advertising industry, the profit is still difficult, if only to provide content and can not display the brand value, the video site can not increase in the home screen market to advertisers bargaining ability.

No other way

In fact, due to the existence of the intelligent operating system, the video website is not intended to be limited to a broadcast platform. Instead, the video website is more willing to communicate directly with users in the form of an App. It is the purpose of the video website to stay in the user's TV desktop for a long time. "Only the amount of installation and turn-on rate to further protect the user to watch the market, advertising has value," a marketing expert told reporters, but now the video site is completely out of control.

Just last month, regulators criticized BesTV and China Media over two licensees by asking them to remove the video sites appearing on the desktop of Internet TV (box) in the form of App. At that time, the video websites also hoped that by strengthening the cooperation with The relationship between broadcast and control platform to get priority brand display.

But now, both roads have become unworkable. Greater constraints is that the video site itself is a channel, do not grasp the core resources of copyright, "Huayi Brothers drama on television screen, the audience does not need to know Huayi Brothers, and Huayi Brothers still rely on copyright to make money, But the video site has always been to buy other people's resources, there is no brand show, how to pull advertising? A video site practitioners have trouble.

To some extent, regulators will not take video companies directly under the operation, but the license within the immediate system will bear the brunt of the first, the cooperation with the video site will become cautious.

Some observers said that currently LeTV, Ikki, Youku and other companies through the combination of smart TVs and set-top box products to seize the living room, but with the SARFT wave after wave of rectification measures, their enthusiasm to enter the Internet TV market Temporarily frustrated. "At present, the terminal equipment of many video websites is still in its cultivation stage, and its revenue-generating ratio itself is not big. If the policy continues to be tightened, it will be too late to slow down the pace of development and wait for a clear policy.

Even music, millet two aggressive mobile company, the recent competition is also focused on competing hardware performance such as 4K HD competition.

TV counter-attack

If Hunan Satellite TV announced in the future that its major home-made programs will only be exclusively market-based on the mango TV (Hunan Satellite TV's own website), the recent series of government decrees has given television stations good policies.

For example, regulators require TVOS operating systems to be installed in STB-based STAs all over the country. This gives TV and broadcast TV system players who lag behind the market in technology and reputation are given a respite. In the past, Internet-led hardware such as millet box, music box, Lynx magic box and so on, even if the Internet TV licensee can only be installed in the operating system developed by the aforementioned hardware Internet companies, and the Department of Radio and Television Box encountered an unprecedented crisis of survival, even started to move along the smart route, but also far behind the market.

However, the introduction of TVOS means that the Department of Radio and Television has a hardware policy escort, and video companies have to think about whether to shift the cooperation direction and transfer the control of hardware and operating system to the broadcasting and television enterprises.

And let the video site worries station strategy is the Internet television broadcast platform qualification stop. All along, only CNTV, BesTV, Hua Shu, Nanfang Media, Hunan TV (Mango TV), China International Radio (CIBN), and CNRT's 7 radio and television departments have the core licenses of Internet TV.

"Not long ago, music is still contradicting with CNTV, but in the future competition around the resources of license cooperation, the video website is likely to launch a new round of competition." Practitioners pointed out that even the last content service providers only, video sites have to follow the license Party to improve relations, strive for their own content get priority recommendation.

Market reaction is undoubtedly strong, in the past the video site to play an offensive role, the television can only defend, and now the situation turned to Hunan Satellite TV as an example, even if "Dad go where" the second quarter of the copyright sold Iqiyi, mango TV Also join hands 360 to their home website backflow, resulting in quite awkward industry competition situation.

Beijing Business Daily reporter Zhang Xu Wang / article

Frequent restrictions

June 25

Regulatory authorities issued a "closing letter" requiring immediate closure of Internet video terminal products illegal video software download channel, Blockbuster and the number of media was named criticism, lying on the gun is popular network, Ali and other large-scale into the video industry Internet companies.

July 4th

Relevant regulatory authorities confirmed that it will stop the Internet TV integrated license, which means that the Internet TV broadcast platform will remain in the data on top of 7, any Internet companies would like to refer to this area, both with CCTV, Blockbuster, China Number and other cooperation.

July 9

Regulators push the set-top box operating system TVOS, requiring cable operators in the future around the release of smart TV set-top boxes and other terminals must be installed using TVOS 1.0 software may not be installed in addition to TVOS other operating systems. Although this command focuses on the internal radio and television system, but undoubtedly intends to cooperate with the radio and television operators of intelligent television operating system vendors discouraged.

July 11

Regulators to remove the integrated platform TV program time shift and look back the function, the move mainly for Internet TV boxes, does not involve the cable television operators of digital television HD interactive set-top boxes. This means that Internet companies can not touch the television live broadcast business.

July 14

Further sources said regulators are brewing more stringent regulatory measures, video sites will only be content providers, the future can not have a special entrance in the box, you can not set up video sites and brand identity.