Complete Coverage: NYC Television Week
New York -- Can the Internet scale to handle a massive amount of high-quality video? That was one of the questions posed Wednesday during a panel discussion centered on the "Future of Content Distribution" at NYC Television Week.
"It will certainly have to do that to remain relevant," as consumers look for ways to access all their content wherever they are, Richard Buchanan, VP and general manager of the Comcast Media Center, said in response to questions from session moderator Richard Greenfield, managing director, media and technology for BTIG.
Buchanan said he expects that the Internet will support the kind of scale required to deliver live HD streams, but acknowledged that it will require more efficient compression technologies to help pull it off.
But distributing everything in HD format via the Internet may not be a requirement for live sports events. Some consumers might be willing to endure some trade-offs. "They want to see that live content wherever they are, [so] they may tolerate less quality."
