Providing a number of new capabilities to support multiple adaptive formats and thus improve the process for live streaming delivery, Plano, TX-based ViewCast has announced the immediate availability of a new version of its Niagara SCX streaming media management software.
The new version (6.4) includes support for live encoding via Microsoft Live IIS Smooth Streaming and PlayReady DRM; updates to Akamai HD iPhone and iPad streaming; improved MPEG-4 streaming; and presentation and security enhancements for the entire adaptive streaming portfolio. The company said this software-based functionality is now available on ViewCast’s Niagara Pro II, Niagara 7750 and Niagara 4100 streaming media systems. Existing customers can upgrade their software to the new version and gain access to all of the new features.
At the heart of Niagara SCX 6.4 is the Adaptive Live Media Publisher component, which simultaneously creates multiple H.264 video streams that are time-aligned to support delivery in adaptive formats. Improved adaptive streaming presentation features dramatically improve the viewer experience by allowing the media player to dynamically select the appropriate bit rate, frame rate and scaling for each viewer's available bandwidth, eliminating "re-buffering" delays. Other added features that are new with SCX 6.4 include the capability for audio-only streams and a toggle for on-screen display statistics.
Additional new features of SCX 6.4 include improved MPEG-4 streaming start-up, which enhances the user experience by encoding MPEG-4 streams for file segmenting, transmission and storage, and the introduction of a passive FTP option for companies using firewalls that impede adaptive streaming deployment.
Standard features include integrated segmenting, support for multiple CDN authentication protocols, built-in AES-128 encryption, support for WM format SDK 11 with added support for Windows Media DRM Client Extended APIs, profile grouping, multiple stream redundancy, and automatic stream reconnect.
