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Akamai could soon begin leveraging peer-to-peer (P2P) technology to enable its media customers to stream live or on-demand videos to end users. While Akamai has been experimenting off and on with P2P ever since its acquisition of Red Swoosh way back in 2007, the introduction of video streaming through its NetSession client-side technology might finally be close to release.
As we begin to approach election season in the U.S., the Canadian season is in full swing. GlobalNews.ca has posted a cool interactive view of this week’s Leaders’ Debate, which ties tweets and a transcript together with the debate video.
As you watch the replay, the transcript window scrolls to match. Below the player, a red line shows how many tweets-per-minute are being sent at that moment, as well as a sentiment tracker for all four leaders in the debate.
Media Excel and Verimatrix bring complementary technologies and expertise areas to address the infrastructure requirements for successful premium video service delivery. Media Excel offers encoder products with an innovative software and hardware design that leverages sophisticated video processing capabilities to deliver an n-Screen multi-format IP video for multi-channel live broadcasting and on-demand applications. Verimatrix integrates its VCAS for Internet TV components within the workflow to secure the keys associated with encrypted content streams and supports a wide variety of authenticated client device delivery options using its ViewRight Web technology.
More info on Media Excel HERO nS encoder here : http://www.mediaexcel.com/products/fileon-demand/hero-ns
Equipped with the Wowza DRM software AddOn, Wowza Media Server 3 provides secure key exchange using the Verimatrix VCAS, and encrypts individual video segments on the fly for HTTP Live Streaming to viewers on a wide range of devices including set-top boxes (STBs), connected TVs, iPhones, iPads, and Android tablets. Options for both registering and tracking individual devices, and managing device entitlements for content viewing make VCAS for Internet TV a significant enhancement over conventional HTTP Live Streaming encryption mechanisms.
"Spectrum is a network-based media management solution that combines on-the-fly high capacity file repackaging with powerful session based delivery and management of adaptive streaming video." The link with Seawell's existing Lumen SVC encoder is not clearly mentionned but, if both solutions finally work together, it will provide a great optimization of the workflow to serve different ABR streams from a single SVC source stream. More info here : http://www.seawellnetworks.com/products/spectrum
At the 2011 NAB Show, Snell is partnering with The Application Store (TAS) to demonstrate how Morpheus automation can be leveraged to drive essential metadata to “second-screen” applications on iPad® tablets and mobile platforms. Morpheus will supply the TAS Screentoo application with real-time data essential to maintaining synchronicity between the primary broadcast and interactive and timeline-sensitive elements within the Screentoo application.
Pipeline is an industry-first network-based video capture and playout device for moving HD and SD video in and out of file-based workflows. Pipeline version 2.5 capabilities include immediate access to media for editing while it is being captured into Avid workflows, as well as a new Controlled Playout interface that turns Pipeline into a virtual VTR. Additional new features provide support for DVCPRO 50 and ProRes LT/Proxy formats plus automated ingest of baseband video and metadata into Telestream Vantage workflows.
Pipeline Controlled Playout provides VTR-like video play out control using standard RS-422, manual control, or a custom application developed using Pipeline's Web Service API. Play out can be remotely controlled through RS422 from an automation system or an edit control device, a third-party application using the Web API, or manually from the Pipeline Control software. In addition, all Pipeline play out interfaces now support industry-standard MXF OP1a, enabling Pipeline to play out files made by nearly any professional video system.
Mobile apps and tablet apps can be developed to act as a personalised extension of the TV experience. Viewers already enjoy personalising these devices, so there is little barrier to the personalisation process.
In addition to the second screen, another approach to TV personalisation is to create an implicit profile based on aggregate user behaviour information. This allows the user interface to be personalised with recommendations without knowing exactly who the user is.
The Weather Channel was the latest network to try the Nielsen Media-Sync platform for iPad with last week's premiere of From the Edge with Peter Lik.
After spending a few weeks trying ABC's Grey's Anatomy app from Media-Sync (see reviews of the first, second and third enabled episodes), it was interesting to see another network's implementation. TWC made much less use of social media and advertising in this initial outing, but more use of embedded browser windows in the synchronized content feed to showcase photos.
At the NAB trade show for broadcasters in Las Vegas, Ericsson launches the Media Delivery Management System, a successor of the Emmy award-winning OpenStream Digital Services Platform. The Media Delivery Management System is an all-new, purpose-built software technology with a highly-scalable, fault-tolerant system that includes a number of enterprise management features for flexible and adaptable service introduction and management.
Features for the Media Delivery Management System includes:
- dynamic routing and asynchronous messaging for quick and easy addition of service and applications
- high-performance, document-oriented database for unlimited transactions
- an open architecture using virtualization and cloud computing for increased capacity and unparalleled disaster recovery
- integrated enterprise management and monitoring for increased operational efficiencies
- adapter-based architecture to support third-party apps and services.
Meta-Mirror is a concept application of DesignByNotion studio that delivers an enhanced television experience without disrupting the conventional expectations of home entertainment. It allows viewers to access content relevant to the program currently being viewed.
Integration of dynamic streaming will offer customers new features without requiring changes to their workflows.
The company points out that its "in the network" packaging sets its Flash offering apart. The Akamai HD Networks packages existing video based on Flash to the appropriate container automatically. The idea is to simplify workflows and give customers a faster time to market.
A highly interactive app to be used with linear television tests the evolution of the iPad and other tablets into hard-working broadcast TV companions in a brand-new way.
A tighter integration of tablet-specific interactive features – particularly if they’re linked to live, linear programming – can offer a new frontier in making traditional television more relevant and more attractive in an era of place- and time-shifted programming, where OTT hoards await at the gate.
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Akamai has teamed up with Synacor, a provider of TV Everywhere authentication solutions, to launch the new offering. Synacor has been in the business of creating web portals for cable companies like Charter Communications and others, and as a result, has been building sign-on solutions for pay TV operators that wish to roll out their own TV Everywhere services. Earlier this year, it even created a division devoted entirely to TV Everywhere initiatives.
The joint solution will take advantage of Akamai identity services, enabled by a set of standards-based APIs, and Synacor’s authentication platform. The hope is to provide a standards-based way for operators and programmers looking to roll out TV Everywhere services to do so without the hassle of building out their own authentication system. The single sign-on option will also improve the customer experience, by remembering the user login info and minimize disruptions if he or she switches between supported TV Everywhere sites.
More information here : http://www.akamai.com/be-everywhere
Three vendors of DRM technology made announcements timed to this week’s huge NAB conference in Las Vegas: AuthenTec, BuyDRM, and Discretix. The common theme among these announcements was support for Microsoft’ PlayReady DRM on the Android and Apple iOS platforms.
Multicast provides broader reach and optimized distribution without network upgrades
Streaming media innovator Octoshape ApS today demonstrated emerging Multicast service options for broadcasters and telcos looking to deliver over-the-top (OTT) TV with the highest quality of service to large consumer audiences without expensive network upgrades.
More info here : http://www.octoshape.com/?page=services/multicast
Last September, Vidyo announced its broadcast division, VidyoCast, at IBC in Amsterdam, and unveiled an array of next-generation broadcast software and hardware products based on H.264 SVC (Scalable Video Coding) VidyoTechnology. Starting today, Vidyo will be demonstrating its revolutionary platform for managing Live News, Sports, Entertainment and IP Feeds. The suite of products offers SD/HD quality video transport, remote contribution, ENG, sports production, net return, Master Control back up and disaster recovery.
BuyDRM announced today that the company has been selected to demonstrate the next generation of content security in the cloud at NAB 2011. This will be the first time that Microsoft PlayReady Content Security technology has been deployed on the Windows Azure platform.
In June, the company will launch Microsoft PlayReady support for AndroidOS and iOS using newly developed mobile DRM technology available via KeyOS. This device licensing platform, deployed on the Windows Azure platform, will support hundreds of millions of end-user devices and provide seamless support for the most popular user platforms on the Internet.
Digital Rapids has unveiled a wide array of new products and enhancements in the company's range of encoders for live multi-screen delivery. The new offerings include the launch of the StreamZ Live IP encoder for repurposing live IP-based in.
If their announcement reflects real implementation, the StreamZ Live IP would be the first live encoder to actually support Flash HTTP Dynamic Streaming, aka Zeri !
Having introduced some innovative advertising concepts to the ‘traditional’ TV industry at IBC last year, justAd.TV is now helping content owners to monetize free content on connected TV devices. The company’s new software development kit (SDK) means content owners can easily introduce VOD-friendly formats like interactive banners that display when viewers press ‘pause’, ‘stop’ or ‘fast-forward’ on Samsung and LG connected TVs and the Apple iPad. Support for Philips connected TVs and Android based devices will follow shortly.
Work is well underway to create a next-generation video compression standard that could halve bit rates again but, while it may be the foundation for ultra HD services, there are doubts about the value of HEVC (High Efficiency Video Coding) for high-definition TV in mature Pay TV markets. Since the standard will require a new generation of decoders as well, any initial interest for HDTV may be limited to green-field launches.
Wowza revamps architecture and adds transcoding and DVR modules, offers free upgrade to Wowza Media Server 2 licensees... Interesting features are announced for the AddOns : * Wowza Transcoder AddOn o Supports adaptive bitrate (ABR) for Flash, Silverlight, and Apple HLS o Ingest from live encoders, IP cams, TV headends, and more... o Rich content transformation features o Leverages commodity GPU acceleration hardware * Wowza Network DVR (nDVR) AddOn o Single nDVR cache — any screen playback o Support for live stream trick play: pause, rewind, resume o Rich APIs for customization Register for preview release here : http://www.wowzamedia.com/wowza-server-3.php
Envivio today introduced the new Envivio Halo™ Network Media Processor (NMP), a powerful complement to 4Caster™ C4-based multi-screen TV headends. Installed at the edge of the core video delivery network, Halo NMPs provide protected video that is formatted for further distribution to smartphones, tablets, connected TVs, and PCs. Envivio will formally announce the Halo NMP to the public at NAB 2011, April 11-14.
Halo NMPs perform dense final content adaptation for target consumer devices, including generation of protected adaptive bitrate streams compatible with Apple iOS, Android 3.0, Adobe Flash and Microsoft Smooth Streaming enabled consumer equipment. Halo NMPs can be added by operators as needed, locally or distributed, to support new devices without impacting the headend or the video quality, and without significantly increasing bandwidth demands on the network backbone.
More info here : http://www.envivio.com/en/products/live-encoders-transcoders/halo-gen1/menu-id-166.html
For a long time, watching television was a straightforward event. The couch in the living room was facing the TV and a certain number of channels played certain shows at a designated time. When someone said, “I’m going to watch TV,” it was clear what that meant. Nice concept video here : http://vimeo.com/21386019More info on the project here : http://lab.syzygy.de/
Video Quality Index is a video quality measurement tool that scans all channels, identifies common video impairments such as macro-blocking, tiling and freeze frame, then combines them to a single, integrated metric. Results are consolidated across all channels and remote sites – making it easy to identify when and where video quality issues strike. More info here : http://www.pixelmetrix.com/eng/ecp_viewer_monitor.html
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