Unrestricted multi-format live streaming with the dicas2020

German MPEG-4 video coding expert dicas will add a new product to the successful dicas2000 hardware series at the beginning of next week. The dicas2020 is a multi-format encoder that enables broadcasters, content providers and satellite operators to deliver one input channel of video and audio simultaneously to various end-user applications such as set-top boxes, PCs, broadcast-quality decoders, handheld devices and Flash Players.

"The dicas2020 convinces with enormous flexibility" says Klaas Schuur, CTO at dicas. "It's a single 1RU encoder, but it creates a user-defined number of output formats for different clients." For each output format users can continuously adjust bit rates (from 40 kbps to 6 Mbps) and chose between various video (MPEG-4, MPEG-4 AVC/H.264, H.263) and audio codecs (AAC, AMR), transport protocols (MPEG-2 transport stream, RTP and RTMP for Flash) as well as resolutions (from QCIF to full D1, PAL and NTSC, interlaced and progressive displays). The dicas2020 supports for Adobe's Flash format as well as 3GPP for streaming to mobile devices

Microsoft Releases Silverlight 2

Microsoft Corp. announced the availability of Silverlight 2, one of the industry's most comprehensive and powerful solutions for the creation and delivery of applications and media experiences through a Web browser. Silverlight 2 delivers a wide range of new features and tools that enable designers and developers to better collaborate while creating more accessible, more discoverable and more secure user experiences.

"We launched Silverlight just over a year ago, and already one in four consumers worldwide has access to a computer with Silverlight already installed," said Scott Guthrie, corporate vice president of the .NET Developer Division at Microsoft. "Silverlight represents a radical improvement in the way developers and designers build applications on the Web. This release will further accelerate our efforts to make Silverlight, Visual Studio and Microsoft Expression Studio the preeminent solutions for the creation and delivery of media and rich Internet application experiences.

Highlights of new Silverlight 2 features include the following:

.NET Framework support with a rich base class library. This is a compatible subset of the full .NET Framework.

Powerful built-in controls. These include DataGrid, ListBox, Slider, ScrollViewer, Calendar controls and more.

Advanced skinning and templating support. This makes it easy to customize the look and feel of an application.

Deep zoom. This enables unparalleled interactivity and navigation of ultrahigh resolution imagery.

Comprehensive networking support. Out-of-the-box support allows calling REST, WS*/SOAP, POX, RSS and standard HTTP services, enabling users to create applications that easily integrate with existing back-end systems.

Expanded .NET Framework language support. Unlike other runtimes, Silverlight 2 supports a variety of programming languages, including Visual Basic, C#, JavaScript, IronPython and IronRuby, making it easier for developers already familiar with one of these languages to repurpose their existing skill sets.

Advanced content protection. This now includes Silverlight DRM, powered by PlayReady, offering robust content protection for connected Silverlight experiences.

Improved server scalability and expanded advertiser support. This includes new streaming and progressive download capabilities, superior search engine optimization techniques, and next-generation in-stream advertising support.

Vibrant partner ecosystem. Visual Studio Industry Partners such as ComponentOne LLC, Infragistics Inc. and Telerik Inc. are providing products that further enhance developer capabilities when creating Silverlight applications using Visual Studio.

Cross-platform and cross-browser support. This includes support for Mac, Windows and Linux in Firefox, Safari and Windows Internet Explorer.

TouchStream Named Most Innovative Product

Digital Rapids, a leading developer of solutions for bringing television, video and movie content to the Internet and the latest generation of viewing devices -- announced that the company's new TouchStream video and audio streaming appliance was honored with the Most Innovative Product award at the Broadcast India exhibition in Mumbai last month. The award is the fourth for TouchStream since its unveiling in September.

The annual Broadcast India exhibition and conference welcomes over 22,000 visitors from India and abroad. It covers broadcast, film, audio, radio, IPTV, mobile TV and its related fields, and offers attendees the opportunity to explore the latest state-of-the-art equipment and technology.

"We're excited that TouchStream has again been honored for its innovative approach to meeting the market's need for high-quality, easy to use and versatile live streaming solutions," said Wesley Thiessen, Product Manager, Digital Rapids Corporation. "TouchStream truly is a ground-breaking product, and we're proud of the industry acclaim that it has garnered in the short time since its introduction."

TouchStream delivers Digital Rapids' renowned live streaming quality and reliability in a fully self-contained, easy-to-deploy appliance. Leveraging the most intuitive of human interfaces -- touch -- TouchStream appliances offer unparalleled ease of use. Streamlined software controls are accessed through a touch-screen interface with integrated live video monitoring and VU meters for audio validation, eliminating the need for laptops, keyboards, mice and separate monitors.

TouchStream appliances will be available through Digital Rapids and the extensive worldwide network of authorized resellers and systems integrators. For more information about Digital Rapids, visit www.digital-rapids.com.

BlackArrow Unveils New Tools to Manage Ad Placement with On-Demand Video

BlackArrow, the independent provider of multiplatform advertising systems for viewer-controlled video, today announced BlackArrow AdMaps, a sophisticated toolset that enables content providers and distributors to easily define and manage ad avails in and around video content. The AdMap suite extends BlackArrow's advertising system by introducing tools to manage ad-placement opportunities for programming delivered over broadband and SCTE 130-5 compliant video on demand (VOD) environments. AdMaps provide a time-saving workflow to create new advertising inventory, integrate new ad formats easily and updates ad-sales models quickly all without requiring changes to the existing infrastructure or media player code.

The new suite consists of the AdMap Builder tool to create and manage AdMaps, AdMap Server to deliver the right AdMap for the viewer and, for broadband deployments, a software development kit (SDK) to render AdMaps in common broadband players.

The lack of tools to easily define and manage rules for ad-placement opportunities in and around video is proving to be a major bottleneck for ad-supported business models, said Chris Hock, senior vice president, product management at BlackArrow. With ad strategies undergoing rapid-fire change, programmers and distributors are wanting to experiment safely in a way that maximizes revenues, without jeopardizing innovation or user experience. BlackArrow's AdMaps suite addresses this need head-on with practical conventions for creating new ad avails and managing ad-insertion opportunities for viewer-controlled video platforms.

AdMap Builder is a rich Internet application (RIA) that enables users to create an unlimited combination of permissible ad types, durations and other insertion rules. All user-defined ad-insertion points are displayed graphically to help clients visualize and package ad inventory effectively across multiple video platforms.

AdMap Server selects from among multiple AdMaps to return the best fit based on viewer data as well as targeting criteria such as audience demographics, content genre and playout environment before fulfilling each request with the most relevant ad, or series of ads, as defined by the AdMap. AdMap Server conforms to SCTE 130-5 standards for a placement opportunity information service (POIS) in VOD environments, enabling rapid deployment and product interoperability with other SCTE-130 compliant vendors. For broadband distribution, AdMaps are stored as standard SMIL files, which can be read easily by leading media players from Adobe, Move Networks and other providers using the enhanced BlackArrow Player Framework.

Flix Publisher Provides Simple Encoding Via a Web Browser

On2 Technologies provides a video compression tool called Flix Publisher for simple browser-based encoding via a web browser. Flix Publisher a is a fully customizable SDK for creating browser-based encoding and publishing solutions that allow users to encode live or file-based VP6-E and VP6-S FLV video directly on a web pages.

Using a transparent plug-in install through the browser, video is encoded on the user's desktop and uploaded to a site directly with simple drag and drop, or 'plug and stream' operation on the user's browser. The user doesn't need a large encoding infrastructure, and the user does not need to install an application or know anything about video encoding to publish to your website.

Flix Publisher contains powerful software APIs for customized web site integration; control video resolution, data rate, 1-pass/2-pass VP6 encoding, framerate, and more, and is used by leading user-generated content and "lifecasting" sites. Enterprises and media companies also use Flix Publisher for internal communications and video production work-flows.

Also, Flix Publisher has been integrated with Akamai's authentication system to allow users to set up a video website quickly and effortlessly.

Content and Technology Merge at the 2009 International CES

Cutting-edge content developments in the broadcast and entertainment industry will merge with the latest distribution platforms at the 2009 International CES, the global event for digital entertainment. Produced by the Consumer Electronics Association (CEA), the 2009 International CES, the world's largest tradeshow for consumer technology, will return to Las Vegas, January 8-11, 2009.

NBC Universal, one of the world's leading media and entertainment companies, will debut an interactive and multi-faceted show floor exhibition at CES, highlighting the wide range of digital programming produced by its television, cable and motion picture properties. In addition, as CES' "Official Broadcast Partner," select NBC Universal broadcast and cable entities will broadcast live from the CES exhibition floor.

"The collaboration between the technology, content and broadcast industries grows stronger each year as new platforms are introduced, providing consumers with greater access to information and entertainment," said Gary Shapiro, president and CEO, CEA. "With major content exhibitors, including NBC Universal's dynamic exhibition and live broadcasts, and dozens of conference sessions featuring high level industry executives and the latest industry trends, the 2009 International CES is a must attend event for everyone in the content community."

"We are thrilled to return for a second time as the exclusive broadcast partner at the International CES," said George Kliavkoff Chief Digital Officer, NBC Universal. "Our consumers demand access to our content anytime, anyplace and on the platform of their choice -- be it a laptop, mobile phone, portable media player or yes,... a television. And it's our job to give it to them. What better way to drive that message home than having a major presence right in the heart of all the action at CES surrounded by the latest in technology and the companies that help bring that rich experience to consumers."

Almost 9,000 executives from the broadcast and entertainment industries attended the 2008 CES to meet with manufacturers and experience the latest trends in digital entertainment technology.

New at the 2009 International CES will be the Global Media Awards, a program jointly produced by the National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences (NATAS) and CEA, focusing on technology and content programming. The awards program is slated for day one of the 2009 CES, Thursday, January 8, at The Venetian.

Additionally, the Technology & Engineering Emmy Awards will take place for the third year at CES, honoring achievements in two areas: Science & Technology for Television and Advanced Media Technology. Honorees will be recognized at an awards ceremony on Wednesday, January 7.

The 2009 International CES will feature more than 200 conference sessions, focused on key industry trends and markets. A variety of sessions focused specifically on content and digital entertainment will take place on Wednesday, January 7, 2009, and will include Billboard's Digital Music Live, P2P Media Summit, CES Mobile Entertainment, CES Game Power and the CES Reinventing Advertising Conference.

The 2009 International CES will feature more than 2,700 exhibitors introducing the latest consumer technology products throughout 30 product categories including digital entertainment, high-performance audio, digital imaging, electronic gaming and more.