Sustainable Solutions Have the Potential to Reap Huge Energy Savings Across Video Entertainment Industry
The overall demand for enhanced entertainment and video communication services has underscored the necessity for sustainable solutions within the industry. A recent report from InterDigital, Inc., in collaboration with leading market research firm Futuresource, indicates that the video industry is rapidly emerging as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions. Innovative solutions like Pixel Value Reduction (PVR) are capable of delivering substantial energy savings, particularly during major TV events such as the Olympics.
The report titled “Spotlight on Sustainability: Towards a Greener TV and Video Value Chain” delves into the carbon footprint generated by the video entertainment industry, encompassing production, delivery, and consumption stages. It further explores emerging strategies to alleviate the environmental impacts throughout the video value chain.
A primary challenge facing the industry stems from Scope 3 emissions, resulting from indirect sources such as travel, accommodation, catering, and post-production services. Nonetheless, progress is being made in numerous areas:
InterDigital is at the forefront of developing advanced video compression standards and PVR technology, aimed at reducing energy consumption on devices while maintaining high video quality. For instance, applying PVR technology to devices utilized for the recent Paris Olympics could have saved approximately 48 million kWh of energy, enough to power 4,000 US homes for an entire year.
While the airline industry is often recognized for its greenhouse gas contributions, accounting for about 2% of global emissions annually, lesser-known is the significant impact of the TV and video streaming sectors, which actually produce emissions double that of the airline industry.
“It is the responsibility of the entire industry to implement changes that enhance the sustainability of the TV and video sector,” stated a representative from InterDigital’s Video Labs. “Although progress is underway, further initiatives are necessary. Technologies such as PVR have the potential to create considerable energy savings, especially when applied to significant events like the Olympics. If universally adopted, the implications could be transformative for the industry.”
Cost savings, along with the demand for next-generation technologies to adapt to evolving audience preferences, are expected to fuel sustainability strategies for TV and video providers. The research outlines several ways in which the industry impacts the environment:
Overall, the findings highlight a pressing need for the adoption of sustainable practices throughout the video entertainment process, urging industry stakeholders to take collective action to reduce their carbon footprint and adopt greener technologies.
