Elemental Technologies Releases Elemental Server

Elemental Technologies, the leading provider of massively parallel video processing solutions, announced the release of Elemental™ Server, the world’s first GPU-based transcoding appliance. Elemental Server’s breakthrough technology enables faster than real time, simultaneous encoding of video files targeting the comprehensive specifications required for the three-screen experience of TV, PC and mobile. Delivering high-speed encoding and premium video output using GPUs (graphics processing units), Elemental Server can replace multiple CPU-only solutions for a fraction of the price, ensuring immediate capital and maintenance cost savings.

With video consumption skyrocketing and predicted to comprise 90 percent of consumer Internet traffic by 2012, companies require encoding technology that leapfrogs current CPU-only solutions. Elemental Server’s innovative multi-GPU system can simultaneously process and encode video to multiple resolutions and bitrates and provides support for all major adaptive bit rate standards.

“Content distributors are experiencing rising demand for all types of video and Elemental Server is ideally suited to address this trend,” said Sam Blackman, CEO and chairman of Elemental Technologies. “The shift towards massively parallel computing opens new frontiers in the video processing landscape, and we are proud to introduce Elemental Server as the first of many enterprise-class, GPU-accelerated video processing solutions we are bringing to market.”

Companies not only focused on delivering online video content, but a broad range of broadcast networks, mobile operators and government agencies are deploying Elemental Server into their workflows to efficiently deliver more online video content with immediate benefits in price/performance and transcoding versatility.

Elemental Server is designed to fit into existing workflows with crucial video processing features including:

• Simultaneous processing of up to four 1080p or 24 standard definition video transcodes in real time.
• Support for concurrent processing of multiple resolutions and bitrates on a single system, simplifying the requirements for creating Adaptive Bit Rate (ABR) content and streamlining the overall content production process.
• Dense transcoding that completely replaces multiple CPU-only hardware and software systems, allowing a single Elemental Server to replace up to seven dual quad-core CPU-only systems.
• Flexible output support for today’s most popular codecs including MPEG-2, VC-1 and H.264, as well as support for a wide variety of output containers including F4V, ASF, WMV, 3GP, and MP4.

Elemental Server is the first product available in a family of GPU-accelerated solutions currently in development. Elemental Server is available for sale directly from Elemental. Learn more about Elemental Server at www.elementaltechnologies.com/server.

Nero Introduces New, Customizable Platform for PC-to-Device Connectivity and Content Management

Nero, creators of liquid media technology, unveiled Nero MobileSync for smartphones, the first iteration of its universal, hardware-agnostic platform of fully customizable PC applications for mobile handset, Netbook, gaming console and Ultra-Mobile PC manufacturers. While current industry offerings are tied to a specific handset manufacturer, Nero MobileSync for smartphones is designed to allow the management, sharing and creation of content between the desktop, the mobile handset, and the Web regardless of mobile device.

Nero MobileSync for smartphones will help both mobile handset manufacturers and network carriers differentiate their user experience, increase their revenues via sales and advertising channels to the desktop, and better maximize the PC as the hub of the connected digital home – all without having to make costly investments in desktop application development.

“The ability to easily move content between the desktop, the Web and the handset has the potential to become a source of competitive differentiation in the mobile marketplace,” said Irene Berlinsky, Research Analyst, IDC. “Consumers increasingly want to access personal content across multiple screens –such as the PC, TV, and wireless phone – and Nero MobileSync positions Nero as a player in the fixed-mobile convergence space.”

Nero MobileSync is based on Nero’s decade of experience in providing PC-based solutions to address the digital content needs of consumers worldwide. With its vision of enabling liquid media, a strategy to support the creation and distribution of content anytime, anywhere and on any device, Nero has a track record of platform neutrality and a standards-based approach to development that breaks down the barriers caused by proprietary applications.

"Nero MobileSync has been created with the understanding that success in the portable device marketplace comes from the ability to quickly and easily unify the islands of digital content that consumers are creating on their various devices," said Udo Eberlein, CEO, Nero AG. “We are providing the complete infrastructure needed for the seamless transfer of this content between devices. This allows network carriers and manufacturers of handsets, Netbooks, and Ultra-Mobile PCs alike to differentiate their user experience and maximize revenue opportunities while fulfilling our vision for the liquidity of digital content.”

By allowing users to easily move PIM, music, videos and photos of their choice between the mobile handset, the desktop and the cloud, Nero is providing an opportunity for distinct financial benefits to select network carrier and handheld device partners. Nero MobileSync allows partners to select from a wide range of components, including customizable User Interface and workflow, that can be integrated into existing applications and that leverage Nero’s core multimedia technologies.