Here’s the first of a series of news briefs emerging from this week’s NAB show in Las Vegas.
-A coalition of the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB), the Consumer Technology Association (CTA), America's Public Television Stations (APTS) and the Advanced Warning and Response Network (AWARN) have filed a joint petition with the FCC requesting local TV stations and TV receiver manufactures are allowed to adopt ATSC 3.0, a new, IP-based over-the-air broadcast transmission standard, on a voluntary, market-driven basis. The petition requests the FCC approve the core transmission technology for the new standard as an option for local broadcasters and receiver manufacturers, they said, noting that elements of the next-gen TV standard will be displayed at the show.
As envisioned, ATSC 3.0 will support Ultra HD, advanced emergency alert information, increased programming streams and channels, mobile broadcast TV, immersive audio, interactivity features and datacasting, they explained.
-Ericsson has introduced MediaFirst Video Processing, a platform that comes almost six months after Ericsson acquired Envivio. Ericsson said the new platform combines video processing and video compression, and complements its cloud-focused MediaFirst TV platform for OTT and MVPD partners. Ericsson has also introduced its global content discovery portfolio for TV and VOD, a platform that comes together following its acquisition of TV metadata and entertainment image content provider, FYI Television.
-SeaChange International said it’s showing the streaming of live channels and VOD/time-shifted services running on its Adrenalin and Rave OTT platform on Android TV-powered devices, such as the Google Nexus Player and Nvidia Shield.
-NBC Olympics, a unit of NBC Sports Group, said it has picked Cisco Systems to provide IP video contribution and distribution solutions, along with networking and security solutions for its production of the Summer Olympic Games in Brazil, set for August 5 to 21, 2016. Cisco noted it will help with on-site production by streamlining the management and publishing of video content to consumer devices using solutions from the Cisco Media Blueprint, the company’s new applications and converged IP infrastructure approach for producing, storing, distributing and securing broadcast media content.
-OTT and TV Everywhere specialist Anvato has added functions to its Media Content Platform that enable content owners, service providers and media companies to deploy over-the-top services more rapidly. Enhancements include enhanced business insights (real-time metrics), “instant live-to-VOD,” and support for dynamic ad insertion across devices. Anvato also said MCP now supports Roku TV and Amazon Fire platforms with “frame-accurate server-side DAI stitched stream capabilities.”
-Net Insight has entered a partnership with Verimatrix for a secure, live OTT platform, called Sye, that utilizes Verimatrix’s Video Content Authority System. Net Insight said the deal will give the companies the ability to jointly deliver a digital rights management (DRM) solution for live, premium OTT services. Separately, Net Insight has teamed with Accedo to deliver live OTT via mobile apps. That arrangement will match Net Insight’s Sye platform with Accedo’s software development kit for video apps.
-Swisscom has tapped Nokia’s 5910 Video Services Appliance for its “2.0” TV offering, including coming support for 4K/UHD video. The 5910 VSA includes Fast Channel Change (less than one second) and Retransmission, which prevents video and audio distortion, Nokia said. Swisscom's more than 1.3 million IPTV subscribers use Fast Channel Change today, and will do the same for Swisscom’s coming launch of live UHD streams
-IBM said Comic-Con HQ, Canadian Broadcasting Corp, AOL and Broadway Video are tapping the company’s new Cloud Video unit to launch new channels for and to and improve video management of their respective services. Among that group, Comic-Con HQ, a partnership between Comic-Con International and Lionsgate, has selected IBM Cloud Video’s Clearleap platform to power its new subscription video-on-demand service, which will debut May 7. IBM acquired Clearleap late last year.
-IC Real Tech has introduced the ALLie Camera, a 360-degree camera that allows for 24/7 viewing, recording and live streaming, as well as still-capturing and the ability to share content on social networks. IC Real Tech also said it has hired photography and video industry veteran Mark Sherengo as VP of sales and marketing.
