Observed Signal · Nov 30, 2025 · Partnership · Source: State of Streaming · Impact: 3/5 · Sentiment: Neutral
Streaming War Is a Myth; Standards Matter
Mark Donnigan, a video-technology veteran and consultant, argues the idea of a consumer-facing "streaming war" overlooks the real industry tension: slow-moving formal standards versus rapid innovation in codecs, devices and live-event demands. Donnigan highlights that standards often evolve on 10–20 year cycles (citing H.264 longevity) while consumer demand pushes features like 4K, HDR and interactivity. Industry alliances such as the Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) are stepping in to publish best practices faster than formal bodies, and SVTA has absorbed the DASH Industry Forum and announced intent to merge with the Ultra HD Forum. Donnigan also notes business economics — existing technologies that are "good enough" and the need for clear ROI — remain primary barriers to adopting newer codecs like VVC.
Mergers and coordination among streaming standards bodies (SVTA absorbing DASH IF and intent to merge with Ultra HD Forum) affect interoperability and technical guidance for CTV/OTT platforms, influencing future codec adoption, feature compatibility and potential ad inventory/format evolution.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Mark Donnigan is described as a virtual CMO and Go‑To‑Market consultant and a 20‑year veteran of video technology who was formerly VP at Beamr.
- Donnigan helped pioneer codecs such as HEVC and AV1 during his tenure at Beamr (as stated in the article).
- The Streaming Video Technology Alliance (SVTA) recently absorbed the DASH Industry Forum and announced intent to merge with the Ultra HD Forum.
- The article states standards often operate on 10–20 year cycles (example: H.264 still enabling playback on decade‑old iPhones) while consumer demand now pushes for 4K, HDR and interactive features.
- Donnigan argues that the primary barrier to adopting new standards is the "good enough" performance of legacy technologies and the business justification required to upgrade (e.g., adopting VVC when older codecs still function).
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