Streaming H.264 Videos with Wowza Media Server Pro

Streaming H.264 Videos with Wowza Media Server Pro is common place and a great benefit of the Wowza Server. If you have a collection of H.264 real-time streaming videos you can movie the entire library to the Wowza Server since it supports real-time streaming of not only Flash videos but also H.264 videos as well. Now, it's important to note that the server doesn't support real-time streaming of MPEG-4 files but only the H.264 files. Remember in most streaming and compression applications MPEG-4 Part 2 is listed as MPEG-4 and MPEG-4 Part 10 is listed as H.264 or AVC. Why move all of your content to the Wowza Media Server Pro? Well, if you're moving the H.264 real-time content form a server such as the QuickTime Streaming Server, the move will give your content the cross-platform and cross-browser compatibility that Flash provides.

To learn more about encoding and authoring H.264 real-time streaming videos for Flash using the Wowza Media Server Pro attend one of our 1-Day Wowza Media Server Pro Trainings. The class also covers many other topics and is available on-line, on-site or in-class.

Wowza Media Systems Nominated for the Third Consecutive Year in Streaming Media's Readers' Choice Awards

Wowza Media Systems, the media server software company, announced that the company has been selected as a nominee in two categories in this year's Streaming Media's Readers' Choice Award. The Wowza Media Server 2 Advanced is in the running for the Best Streaming Innovation category which is designed to acknowledge a product, technology, or service that most changed the streaming landscape in the past year. In addition, Wowza will once again be competing in the Best Server Hardware/Software category, which the company won last year.

This is the third consecutive year that Wowza received nominations for Streaming Media's prestigious Readers' Choice Awards. In 2007, as an upstart, Wowza won recognition against Adobe and Microsoft. In 2008, the company received the title Best Server Hardware/Software and was a finalist in the Best Streaming Radio Solution category.

"The ongoing recognition by the Streaming Media community is a reflection of our focus and our ability to consistently deliver high-performance software," said Dave Stubenvoll, CEO and Co-Founder, Wowza Media Systems. "These awards are particularly meaningful because the voters represent the professionals that are using these products to stay ahead of the curve in the business of online video and audio. We are looking forward to the announcement of the winners at Streaming Media West in November."

Voting for the awards is now open at www.streamingmedia.com/readerschoice/ and will remain open until October 16. The finalists in each category will be announced on October 23, 2009 and the winners will be revealed at Streaming Media West on November 19, 2009. For more information on the awards and the categories, visit www.streamingmedia.com/article.asp?id=11372.

Studio Hamburg MCI Selects Telestream for Tapeless Workflows

Telestream announced that Studio Hamburg Media Consult International (MCI) selected its Pipeline and Episode products for a major tapeless IT workflow project that was recently completed for Studio Berlin Adlershof (SBA), the new technical operator of TV.Berlin and Hamburg 1 in Germany. Telestream’s Pipeline Quad network video capture system and Episode Engine Pro transcoding server software provide the speed, quality and automation needed for time-critical news workflows at these facilities.

Telestream products play an important role in tapeless workflows,” said Martin Brosthaus, Product Manager at Studio Hamburg MCI. “Pipeline Quad allows edit while ingest which speeds the video capture process. Episode Engine Pro provides broad support for all required formats and delivery of high-quality output at incredible speeds.”

Installation was completed at new premises for TV.Berlin which began operation in May 2009. Hamburg 1 underwent a complete facility redesign which went live in July. The tapeless IT workflows at both facilities are virtually identical, incorporating an Apple XSAN production environment and a high degree of automation.

“Studio Hamburg is one of the largest TV and film production facilities in Europe. We are pleased that Episode and Pipeline were chosen to play such a key role in this state-of-the art tapeless workflow,” said Barbara DeHart, VP of Marketing at Telestream. “These products are ideally suited to provide the speed, quality and level of automation required for this project.”

The central component for ingest is Telestream’s Pipeline Quad four-channel network video capture system which is automatically controlled by various ingest workstations via standard LAN technology. Pipeline control software provides scheduled recording or crash recording of live sources as well as log and capture from tape sources. A key Pipeline advantage is that all four channels can be accessed from any computer on the network. The ability to record open QuickTime files is an important feature, allowing edit while ingest for time-critical workflows.

Episode Engine transcoding also plays an important role in these tapeless workflows for editing in different formats and providing the required DV format for the playout servers. Raw material and reports are transcoded on a largely automated basis with the help of Episode presets and watch folders. A low resolution browse copy is created in parallel for the editorial system. Episode provides a variety of input interfaces such as file monitors, FTP monitors and watch folders which allow easy integration in mixed Windows and Apple network environments.

According to Brosthaus, “Episode Engine and powerful Apple hardware provide a cost-effective and easy-to-operate solution for professional transcoding workflows in time-critical news environments like TV.Berlin and Hamburg 1.”

Max Below, Head of Studio Hamburg MCI Product, adds “Modern components which can save
resources, such as the network-based Pipeline and Episode Engine, make completely new methods of automation possible.”

Pipeline and Episode Engine are being demonstrated at the International Broadcasters Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam September 11-15, 2009 in Telestream Stand 7.C19.

Video Streaming and Compression Training Schedule

1-Day Wirecast Training (PC)

March 1, 2010
April 1, 2010

1-Day Sawmill Professional Training (Mac)

March 6, 2010
April 2, 2010

1-Day Sawmill Professional Training (PC)

February 24, 2010
March 24, 2010
April 21, 2010

1-Day Sorenson Squeeze 6 Training

March 10, 2010
April 20, 2010

2-Day Video Streaming and Compression Training (PC)

February 25 -26, 2010
March 25 -26, 2010
April 22-23, 2010

1-Day Wowza Media Server 2 Training (PC)

February 27, 2010
March 27, 2010
April 24, 2010

1-Day Wowza Media Server 2 Training (Mac)

February 3, 2010
March 2, 2010
April 28, 2010

1-Day Episode Encoder Pro Training

February 9, 2010
March 31, 2010
April 30, 2010

Call Freeman Compression Inc. at 407.477.5837 or contact us by E-mail at info@freemancompression.com to register for a class.

Upcoming On-line Training

1-Day Wirecast Training (PC)

March 29, 2010
April 16, 2010

1-Day Wirecast Training (Mac)

March 23, 2010
April 17, 2010

1-Day Sawmill Professional Training (Mac)

March 26, 2010
April 19, 2010

1-Day Sawmill Professional Training (PC)

March 3, 2010
April 17, 2010

1-Day Sorenson Squeeze 6 Training (PC)

March 13, 2010
April 25, 2010

1-Day Sorenson Squeeze 6 Training (Mac)

March 30, 2010
April 29, 2010

2-Day Video Streaming and Compression Training (PC)

March 11-12, 2010
April 15-16, 2010

2-Day Video Streaming and Compression Training (Mac)

March 4-5, 2010
April 5-6, 2010

1-Day Wowza Media Server 2 Training (PC)

March 22, 2010
April 7, 2010

1-Day Wowza Media Server 2 Training (Mac)

March 30, 2010
April 14, 2010

1-Day Episode Pro Training (Mac)

March 16, 2010
April 27, 2010

Call Freeman Compression Inc. at 407.477.5837 or contact us by E-mail at info@freemancompression.com to register for a class.

Video Streaming and Compression Training Sessions for Churches

Freeman Compression Inc. is hosting five Video Streaming and Compression training sessions for Churches. The sessions include: An Overview of Video Streaming and Compression, Improving Video Compression Workflows with Sorenson Squeeze, Sawmill Professional: Analyzing Your Web Server and Streaming Server Log Files, An Overview of Live Streaming, and Audio Podcasting and Video Podcasting. Contact us at 407.477.5837 or E-mail us at info@freemancompression.com for more details about having these training sessions at your Church.

An Overview of Video Streaming and Compression - 2 hours

Training Session Summary: This session is designed to give Pastors and Church technical staff a better understanding of Video Streaming, Video Compression, Live Streaming, Web/Streaming Server Analytics and Podcasting. The session will provide a good overview of how Churches can take advantage of delivering videos for Downloadable Streaming, Real-time Streaming, Live Streaming and Podcasting. This two hour session is great for those that aren't familiar with streaming and compression. The training will also give a good understanding and the cost to move forward with streaming and compression projects. The presenter will show various streaming and encoding tools during the presentation to give staff a better understanding of what's available. There will also be more details on the cost of the various streaming and compression tools.

In this training session attendees will also learn about the following:

• 2-pass CBR


• 2-pass VBR


• 1-Pass CBR


• 1-Pass VBR


• Audio and Video CODECS


• Streaming Formats


• Pros and cons of Downloadable Streaming


• Pros and con of Real-Time Streaming

Improving Video Compression Workflows with Sorenson Squeeze - 2 hours

Training Session Summary: Sorenson Squeeze is a powerful tool for encoding and the application holds many untapped secrets that many users aren't aware of. This session will show attendees how to improve their video compression workflows with Squeeze. Learn how to utilize features such as: Capture, Video Trimming, Output to FTP, Output to Local, Multiple Video Creation from Source Files, One-off DVD creation, and Watch Folder Encoding. You'll learn time-saving tasks to help you get your encoding projects done quicker. During this 2 hour training session you'll also learn how to encode Downloadable Streaming and Real-Time Streaming videos in various media formats. Formats such as Windows Media, H.264, and Flash Video will be covered in this training session. Users will learn how to encode SD and HD Sources for Web Server and Streaming Server Delivery.

Sawmill Professional: Analyzing Your Web Server and Streaming Server Log Files - 1 hour

Training Session Summary: Sawmill Professional is a superior log file analysis tool that helps you gather statistics about your viewers. This session is designed to teach you about log file analysis and how to take advantage of Sawmill Professional for analyzing your log files. With this tool you can analyze log files from Streaming Servers, Web Servers and many other devices. Learn how to resolve domain names, create custom reports, use filters, and gather data from specific cities and states. When providing on-line streaming content it's important to be able to prove that viewers are watching and this training module help you do it.

In this training sessions attendees will also learn about the following:

• Creating Profiles


• Single Page Summary Reports


• Videos Viewed Reports


• Gathering IP addresses of Viewers


• Error Reports


• How to Create Customized Reports


• How to Resolve Domain Names


• How to View Session Paths


• Where to Locate Web Server and Streaming Server Log Files


• How to process log files

An Overview of Live Streaming (Featuring Telestream's Wirecast) - 1 hour

Training Session Summary: If you need to get familiar with Live Streaming this training session is for you. Learn how your Church can take advantage of Live Streaming using Telestream's Wirecast tool. The instructor will walk you through the Live Streaming set-up process with Wirecast. Wirecast is available on the Mac and PC platforms and comes with a host of features to improve your Live Streaming broadcast. If you need to switch between sources, include lower third graphics or need to display a presentation during your Live Broadcast, then Wirecast is the tool to use. Learn how to utilize these items in this training session.

Audio Podcasting and Video Podcasting Set-up (Featuring Telestream's Episode) - 2 hours

Training Session Summary: This session is great for those planning to create an Audio Podcast or a Video Podcast. This two hour session will be very hands-on and Instructor Derrick Freeman will walk attendees through the Audio Podcast and Video Podcast Set-up. You'll also learn how to encode your audio and video files for your Podcast in this training module. Additionally attendees will learn why their Church should create a Podcast and what the many benefits are.

If you would like to host the Video Streaming and Compression training sessions for Churches at your Church contact Freeman Compression Inc. at 407-477-5837 or E-mail us at info@freemancompression.com.

Wowza Combines Flash, Silverlight, iPhone, RTP and MPEG-TS Compatible Streaming Capabilities in a Single Server

Wowza Media Systems, maker of the #1 rated Wowza Media Server Pro streaming software for Flash, is taking the capabilities of its server beyond Flash with a NAB preview of the industry's first multi-protocol media streaming platform that combines Flash, Silverlight, iPhone, RTSP/RTP, and MPEG-TS compatible streaming in a single server. The preview will take place April 20-23, 2009 at NAB booth C1362 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

This sneak peek at the new platform, dubbed Wowza Media Server Pro Advanced, represents the first step towards realizing Wowza's vision of unified infrastructure server software that enables streaming from any codec, over any protocol to any player or device, served from any operating system.

The NAB demonstration will showcase Wowza Pro’s award-winning Flash streaming capabilities, currently deployed by over 20,000 worldwide licensees, along with a preview of smooth streaming to Silverlight, HTTP streaming to iPhone, RTP/RTSP streaming to the QuickTime player, and MPEG-TS streaming in full HD to IPTV set-top boxes.

"Our sole focus on media servers enables Wowza Media Systems to empower the industry with infrastructure grade server software that doesn’t constrain content delivery to a specific OS, protocol, player or device," commented David Stubenvoll, CEO and Co-Founder, Wowza Media Systems. "Also, being mindful of the economic and environmental climate, it is our goal to facilitate the unification of the media streaming infrastructure in such a way that generates significant operational and cost benefits for our customers."

The company plans to make Wowza Media Server Pro Advanced commercially available in the second half of 2009. Pricing will be announced at a later date. All purchases of Wowza Media Server Pro Unlimited editions after April 8, 2009 are eligible for a free upgrade to Wowza Media Server Pro Advanced. Interested parties can pre-register for the Wowza Media Server Pro Advanced preview release at www.wowzamedia.com/advanced.

To see the live preview of Wowza Media Server Pro Advanced platform, visit Wowza at NAB booth C1362, April 20-23, 2009 at the Las Vegas Convention Center.

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.