Hollywood mulls digital content delivery standard

Hollywood studios are closing in on an industry standard for master digital files used to transmit entertainment content to broadcasters, websites and mobile service providers. According to The Hollywood Reporter, studios are mulling a digital video package (or DVP) standard solution spearheaded by the University of Southern California's nonprofit Entertainment Technology Center--a standard would not impact consumers, but would enable content providers to more efficiently transmit their digital fare to content distribution partners.

Earlier this week, representatives from Disney, Fox, Paramount, Sony and Warner Bros met at the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers Technical Conference and Exhibition to discuss collaborating on the technical specifications for a standardized content format. "Presently, [studios] are being asked to deliver to content delivery systems in many different versions as well as many different file formats," said Disney vice president of production technology Howard Lukk during his address. "Because of this, it is expanding our inventory of content that we have to keep, creating asset-management issues and storage problems. It would simplify things if we could have a core industry standard." Lukk added that a DVP standard would also offer a blueprint for equipment manufacturers developing hardware for the entertainment industry.

For more on the DVP discussions:
- read this Hollywood Reporter article