AMSTERDAM, SEPTEMBER 12, 2017 - The availability and capacity of the Internet is increasing. So too is the prevalence of powerful computers, integrated TVs, tablets and mobile phones. These combined factors allow viewers to receive video content from broadcasters anywhere, in virtually any form. As more and more of the popular channels become available via public Internet, viewers are starting to take it for granted. For content and network infrastructure providers, this same commodity poses more of a challenge: to deliver the best possible live video experience on multiple formats, regardless of distribution networks and viewing devices utilized. To this end, reliable software transcoding solutions are increasingly in demand.
Recognizing this trend, Appear is introducing its Live OTT Transcoding Software at IBC 2017 (Stand 1.C61). An integral part of the Appear Software Portfolio, the solution enables broadcasters and operators to provide high-quality multiscreen services by use of COTS hardware. Encoders make up the core of the solution; transcoding media streams into a range of profiles. Encoding quality levels can be individually defined to achieve different quality vs. speed tradeoffs. Flexible rescaling, de-interlacing, frame-rate conversion and logo-insertion options ensure picture perfect screens.
"The Live OTT Transcoder provides our customers with the ability to deliver high-quality multiscreen services," says Carl Walter Holst, CEO, Appear. "Broadcasters can rest assured that their services are optimized for any device in the OTT domain. We look forward to presenting this solution at IBC, and I would like to emphasize that we have several streamlined software solutions in the pipeline coming in the near future."
Appear's Live OTT Transcoder continuously monitors encoding performance during operation. Through integration of proprietary dynamic quality control mechanisms, the system reacts to unexpected spikes in encoding speed by automatically adjusting quality settings to maintain a stable frame rate. A single centralized interface ensures ease of management, regardless of the number of servers and services. Encoding settings like resolutions and bitrates can be stored as presets, making it easy to scale a system up to dozens or even hundreds of services.
Differentiating itself from similar solutions on the market, the management system measures and monitors transcoding performance, preventing servers from becoming overloaded. By sharing or distributing workloads across multiple servers, the system maintains high performance and system stability. In case of server failure, a redundancy system moves affected services to servers with spare capacity, keeping program interruptions to a minimum.
About Appear
Appear is based in Oslo, Norway, with an additional office in Bangkok, Thailand. The company produces world-class equipment that enables operators to deliver professional broadcast services to millions of users around the globe. The company is dedicated to developing reliable, revenue-generating and innovative solutions for operators looking to deliver real-time content to the home. Appear headends are designed for modularity, high density, and flexibility. www.appeartv.com
