Streaming Media - June/July 2008 - (Page 43) needed it for our manage service, we wanted fast channel change, we needed a scalable RTSP server. We couldn’t find [these features] in Darwin [Apple’s streaming server]. We wanted the flexibility of doing H.264 and MPEG 4 and the versatility of codecs. We wanted the ability to make ad insertions on a targeted basis. We wanted the ability to do multicasting and unicasting. When we stacked up all our requirements that we needed for our network, there wasn’t anything else out there. And we had developed it. In the process of developing it, and obviously talking to others about it, the feedback we got was ‘Holy cow, what you guys have here is a real incredible asset.’ We’ve seen a lot of demand from other companies, even competitors, saying, ‘Can we license that from you?’” What these video server technology companies seem to be focusing on is providing a richer streaming experience to TV sets and other devices, as well as increasing the bitrate, resolution, and overall quality of the stream. These companies also seem to be focusing on the problem of switching more quickly between channels and starting videos more quickly when a user selects the video—all criticisms of current technologies offered by Microsoft, Apple, Move, and Adobe. An interesting open source project to note is VideoLAN, a French group that developed from a university project. The group is receiving funding from Google and others to create a set of very robust video playback technologies (client and server). You can find more information about this project at www.videolan.org. If you are looking at developing your own front-end solution and need more powerful back-end technology, you may want to consider working with these server-only companies, especially if you need to support an array of devices or high-definition content. Where We Go From Here I didn’t start writing this article to tell you where the streaming industry is going to end up but rather how it is about to start anew. I’m going to tell these video technology companies what they don’t want to hear: They need to create open video technology that will allow others to easily integrate and connect with them. It’s video technology without restrictions and without borders—video technology that allows you to get your content anytime and on any device, no matter where you are. Where we go from there is a choice I leave to you. Ezra Davidson (ezra@3stratum.com) is a consultant and writer living in California. He is the co-founder and former executive vice president of SyncCast, which was sold in 2007 to Thomson’s Technicolor division. Comments? Email us at letters@streamingmedia.com, or check the masthead for other ways to contact us. WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM 43 http://www.videolan.org http://www.digital-rapids.com http://www.digital-rapids.com http://WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM http://WWW.STREAMINGMEDIA.COM
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