Video Breakthroughs

DLNA + UPnP allows you stream media from mobile phones, laptops to compatible HDTVs. But you will find plenty of steps involved. Mostly, these solutions are complex enough for any typical home user. But Chromecast uses UPnP and DIAL protocol to eradicate intrication.

DIAL (Uncover And Launch Protocol) uses UPnP (Universal Plug N Play) protocol for network element discovery. Upnp multicasts and probes for available audience and senders on the given local Wi-fi compatability network. So basically moment clicking Chromecast  icon on Chrome tab or android device, it probes and finds out First screen DIAL server (Chromecast device blocked to High definition tv within this situation). Once discovered, it synchronizes information about how for connecting into it.

A few weeks ago Google released Chromecast, a device which plugs into the HDMI port of a TV, and can stream content directly to the TV, with controls from either a mobile device or a computer.

The Chromecast device is a powerful tool that utilizes the latest features HTML5 to provide an environment capable of rich media playback. The Chromecast is specifically designed for this task, as evidenced by the great YouTube and Netflix applications that are already available.

The idea is that the Chromecast is a small dedicated computer that is capable of playing media all by itself; it simply needs somebody else to tell it what to play.

Adobe also announced a new cloud DRM service that’s designed to simplify the deployment of content protected videos across devices. Adobe Primetime DRM, the company noted, already s being used by companies including AT&T, DirectTV, Fox, Scripps Networks, Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., Walt Disney Pictures, Hulu, HBO Go and Comcast.

The cloud-based version will help content owners and distributors bring more premium content to more devices efficiently. Available as a hosted web service in the cloud, the DRM manager handles compliance and robustness, management and scalability, and ensures that new features can be added easily without the need to update software on an on-premises server.

L’IBC était l’occasion de faire le point sur l’offre de plusieurs concepteurs de chipsets pour set-top-boxes. Chaque année, les gammes évoluent pour tenir compte de l’évolution des besoins et de l’environnement technologiques : la gestion du multi-écrans, le support de l’HEVC, l’arrivée de la 4K et la gestion des réseaux domestiques.

Le support d’HEVC est clé pour tout fabricant de chipset car les appels d’offre des opérateurs de TV payante et d’IPTV commencent à intégrer le support d’HEVC. Ce support permet aux opérateurs d’étendre le parc de clients éligibles à l’IPTV. Pas question d’UHD dans ce cas, mais de simple SD ou HD. Comme l’HEVC réduit de 30% à 50% le débit nécessaire pour la transmission de vidéo, le bénéfice est évident pour les opérateurs. Les autres bénéfices de l’HEVC sont de réduire les coûts de CDN (Content Delivery Networks, les serveurs dans le cloud qui optimisent l’accès aux vidéos pour les consommateurs) et aussi d’améliorer les offres mobiles de consommation de vidéo en live comme à la demande. Les appels d’offre d’aujourd’hui correspondent à des déploiements qui démarreront entre fin 2014 et fin 2015 et génèreront une base installée de box qui devra tenir jusqu’à facilement 2019. Donc, il faut voir loin !

Find back all my blog posts about DASH, OTT Trends and Technologies, SecondScreen, OpenSourceTV and much more !

There is a new initiative to make it easier, cheaper and faster to build hybrid DVB/IP receivers and initially it is aimed at the Tier 2 and Tier 3 Consumer Electronics market, although the company behind the new open source stack-kit believes that T1 connected TV device makers and even platform operators may eventually see value in their work. The new UTK stack-kit was officially unveiled at IBC in September and is driven by Pixsan Digital Software, which describes itself as the master gatekeeper for the stack.

Like RDK, UTK exploits gstreamer (which will be available in a number of next-generation chipsets, according to Williams) and Qt frameworks (which has 450 developers working on it) to create what Pixsan claims is a compelling hybrid TV architecture. As well as being the ‘master gatekeeper’ Pixsan Digital is a lead developer and will assist other UTK licensees with modules for building into devices.

For the 2012 Summer Games in London, the BBC demanded that its live streams be just as resilient as its broadcast channels. Learn how it delivered on that goal.

Live video streams were key to the ambitious online user proposition for the London 2012 Olympics, and that coverage had to mirror the very high traditional broadcast standards of resilience and quality. Hear the challenges the BBC faced when designing a resilient HTTP streaming infrastructure that was designed to cope with huge volumes. Learn about the solution the BBC used during the games and hear what changes to their methodology was required to build resilience into a cloud-based infrastructure.

HEVC encoding and decoding technology is “ready for primetime,” but licensing negotiations are holding up real-world deployments.

While it was clear from walking the exhibit floor in Amsterdam that HEVC encoding and decoding technology is now “ready for primetime” as Sam Blackman, CEO of Elemental technologies put it, the licensing negotiations now underway between MPEG LA, the standardizing body, and those that would implement the patented technology into their products (consumer electronics companies and broadcast equipment suppliers), are holding back real-world deployments.

According to Blackman, companies like Apple, Samsung and others now have the technology to utilize HEVC, but they don’t dare for fear of having to pay billions in licensing fees. Although there has been no official comment on the negotiations, word on the street is that MPEG LA is seeking a $20 million cap on single users, whereas they receive roughly a $7 million cap for the use of H.264 today. The big difference reflects the potential multiple uses that new IP-based video services will require in the future.

Although Ultra HD was the visible headline story from IBC2013, with demonstrations of the new format everywhere, the serious business, when you scratched beneath the surface, revolved around multiscreen TV yet again. The technologies to get multiscreen deployed and then make it a compelling user experience have dominated the last five shows, with only 3DTV offering any serious challenge for the crown before disappearing off our radar. This year the focus was on personalizing and monetizing multiscreen TV more effectively, while there is also a trend towards end-to-end multiscreen solutions (including multi-vendor pre-integrations) and managed services. A key driver for these last two trends is the need to help smaller operators into the multiscreen market.