Vibol Hou/Paramount Streaming
Vibol Hou is the EVP, Chief Technology Officer at Paramount Streaming where he oversees all Streaming technology and engineering efforts. Previously Hou served as CTO of Pluto TV where he led a diverse and global team charged with architecting, building and operating the technology behind Pluto TV. Hou has authored 19 patents and has two decades of experience working in various technology leadership roles at companies like stimTV, Demand Media and SpinMedia. In 2007, as an architect and engineering leader behind the technology for stimTV, Hou's team was awarded a coveted Technology & Engineering Emmy Award® for Best Use of “On Demand” Technology by the National Technology of Television Arts & Sciences.
What his colleagues are saying:
“Vibol’s vision, expertise and dedication are unmatched and he is a beacon of inspiration for our company and the industry at large. He has been a trusted leader, colleague and friend since the launch of Pluto TV and continues to break through barriers and propel the Paramount Streaming technology team to new heights.” -Tom Ryan, President & CEO, Paramount Streaming
“Vibol is a rare leader who successfully blends technical knowledge with people management to bring the best out of his immediate reports and the Paramount Streaming engineering organization as a whole. Vibol is extremely inquisitive, and consequently I constantly ask myself ‘What will Vibol ask?’ before I bring any technical or managerial matters to him. His pursuit for information and details is infectious.” - Spencer Shanson, SVP Architecture, Paramount Streaming
Streaming industry Q&A:
What Streaming services do you subscribe to?
I have multiple services. Obviously Paramount+ and Pluto TV are two of my favorites. I also subscribe to Apple Music, Qobuz and Tidal; I’m an equal opportunity subscriber.
Describe your biggest career highlight so far.
So far, a career highlight that stands out the most is being a part of the streaming revolution and building the technology that made everyone realize FAST is a major player within the streaming ecosystem.
What has been your biggest career learning experience?
I have learned in my career that to push the limits of possibilities, the key is to always be curious. At an early age, I fostered an intense curiosity and I started opening computers up at nine years old. I would spend countless hours trying to figure out how to make them perform different functions and I try to apply that same curiosity to the work I do today. We are a global team who work on many different products and build all kinds of new ideas. We are venturing into the future with the technology that we are innovating, so we need to explore and try new things to realize that future — which requires asking many questions. So, be curious.
What’s next for you in terms of new challenges in Streaming TV?
I am thinking about how people want to consume content in the future and how we would evolve our products and services to bridge the gap between now and then. I believe the newest challenge in Streaming is that everyone is going to have the same kind of service. So we need to figure out what it is that makes our services remarkable and work diligently to stand out from the crowd. The viewing experience needs to be compelling, engaging, memorable, and entertaining; it needs to be compatible with how viewing behaviors continue to evolve.