Disruptive media startups are jazzing the old order of established companies at this week’s NAB Show in Las Vegas, Nevada. But both camps agree that the internet’s open environment can be an ally or a foe.

The convergence of media, entertainment and technology, known as The M.E.T. Effect, is fueled by internet connectivity and integrated systems, opening up huge opportunities, including the areas of new work flows, revenue streams, digital content and immersive experiences.

Jeff Frick (@JeffFrick) (pictured, right) and Lisa Martin (@Luccazara) (pictured, left), co-hosts of theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s mobile live streaming studio, discussed The M.E.T. Effect’s pros and cons.

“You have this democratization of distribution; the studios no longer hold the keys to the kingdom,” said Frick. For instance, Netflix is now more productive than most major Hollywood studios, Frick noted.

A major reason for Netflix’s success is its ability to mine rich data on viewers beyond box-office ticket sales that major studios once relied on for feedback, said Martin. “It’s very much a data-driven experience that delivers content — that ‘I think Jeff might like this on Netflix, or I think Lisa might like this,'” she said.

This crowd-sourced market wisdom from data along with multiplying content delivery platforms are opening up avenues to new media ventures. “There are new business opportunities; there are new revenue streams that can be generated there, and finding them and delivering that relevant content is key,” said Martin. The sheer number of choices audiences have makes micro-targeting necessary for creators, she added.

What the net gives, it can take away

Of course, more avenues for delivering content means more ways for internet pirates to steal and leak it before its makers get a chance to profit from it. Media delivered online has evolved since Napster appeared in federal court for copyright infringement in 2002. Still, there is work to be done as pirated leaks of Oscar nominated film La La Land made clear, Frick and Martin explained.

Later at the NAB show, theCUBE will ask security experts, “How do media and entertainment companies really transform their culture so that cybersecurity is really woven into the fabric of what they’re doing?” Martin said.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s independent editorial coverage of the NAB Show. (*Disclosure: Western Digital is sponsoring theCUBE’s coverage at the show. Neither Western Digital nor other sponsors have editorial influence on content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE