Switch Media, a world leader in online video technology, has launched VOD2Live, a clever new solution that enables broadcasters and content owners to effortlessly launch custom dynamic live linear channels in minutes. Using a content owner's existing library of VOD assets, VOD2Live creates a broadcast-equivalent channel with no need for playout software, live video encoding or to re-ingest the media. This greatly simplifies video delivery workflows, lowers cost and reduces time to market, while providing personalisation of channels, including programming and ads based on viewer location, demographics or viewing behaviour.
VOD2Live may be used to create quick and easy pop-up channels for content providers that want to temporarily feature a collection from their library on a linear channel. It can also be used to leverage the investment of an existing live linear channel by broadening distribution to other markets. Both can be done quick and easily, without investing in additional playout software and live video encoding.
The idea for VOD2Live was born from Switch Media’s SSAI technology AdEase, which specialises on stitching ad and media content together on-the-fly to create high-quality, seamless, targeted OTT ad insertion.
Luke Durham, CTO of Switch Media said, “Our VOD2Live solution takes this notion a step further, enabling personalisation of the entire channel, including ads. It achieves this by taking assets from an existing VOD library and generates a linear channel from the data. There’s no additional complexity; it simply uses a set of metadata to generate the channel. VOD2Live allows customers to inexpensively test a linear channel in market with a very low cost of start up.”
VOD2Live is ideally suited for pop-up channels where content owners can inexpensively test new offerings; regional, time-shifted and culturally targeted programming, with relevant audio and subtitle tracks; and personalised channels based on genre, viewer preferences or a feed from an existing recommendation engine.
Durham continues, “VOD2Live is another example of how we address some of the most intricate broadcaster requirements in a continually shifting technology landscape. It’s a simple yet dynamic product that provides broadcasters with a highly cost-efficient and technologically elegant way of generating live linear OTT channels in minutes.”
