WALTHAM, Mass.—CES 2020 is serving as a showcase for Zixi to demonstrate new updates to four elements of its Software-Defined Video Platform—the ZEN Master, Video Solutions Stack, Zixi Protocols and the Zixi Enabled Network.
SDVP has been updated to version 13 that provides new functionalities for the central management of broadcaster video networks with software and integrated devices regardless of the underlying IP. Control functions like monitoring, fault recovery and security are included in every aspect of SDVP, which can be deployed on-premises, through a cloud infrastructure or hybrid IP networks.
First among the four elements of SDVP that Zixi is showcasing at CES is ZEN Master, which features a cloud-based interface that provides visual tools to configure, orchestrate, manage and monitor live and live linear broadcast channels at scale and across industry protocols. With a customizable UI, users can view channels, grid-based object and resource monitoring and channel visualization with debugging and root causes analysis. The platform also facilitates the configuration of notifications and error escalation, free form notes on Zixi Feeder, Receivers, broadcast clusters, sources, channels and targets, as well as cloning of channels and targets, event filtering by Access Tag, creation of sticky search fields and the configuration of panels for display and preview.
Additional ZEN Master features include customizable granular reporting; advanced automation and scheduling capabilities; and integrations with AWS, Google Cloud Platform and Azure for operations within ZEN Master.
The Video Solutions Stack provides foundational software tools and core media processing functions for the transport of live video over IP networks, protocols and cloud providers correcting for packet loss and jitter. Key features on display include Video Solutions Stack’s software algorithms that optimize streams between Zixi Feeders, Zixi Broadcaster and Zixi Receivers and work together to deliver live video over IP and Hybrid IP networks. A Hitless Failover technique provides reliable transport between sources and receivers, while the Hybrid Network Sequenced Hitless Failover uses Zixi’s own extension and improvement of SMPTE 2022-7 with a package sequence alignment to create a coherent stream out of multiple stream fragments. Then a Hybrid Network Bonded Hitless failover enables the blending of internet, fiber, satellite and cellular connections to form a virtual bonded network. Broadcasters also have access to tools to streamline workflows like live 4K transcoding and repackaging, and machine learning based on ePSNR.
With the Zixi Protocol, the company has added machine learning algorithms to power Zixi’s next-gen transport streaming protocol for real-time assessment of networking conditions. The algorithms utilize data like round-trip time, jitter, channel lost rate, burstiness and more to determine the most effective data to FEC overhead ratio. There is also a multilayered security approach to conduct video transportation.
Zixi will also highlight its growing Zixi Enabled Network, which features more than 150 technology partners and media service providers. In 2019, 50 technology vendors joined the network, including AppearTV, ATEME, Edgeward, RedBee MEdia, Telstra, Telestream, Vimond and more.
More information is available at www.zixi.com.
