Harmonic’s new ProMedia software is designed to optimise live and file-based multiscreen video production and processing for content and service providers, writes Ian McMurray.
The ProMedia family performs a broad range of functions, including transcoding, packaging and origination, to enable high-quality video creation and delivery of live streaming, live-to-VoD and VoD services to TVs, PCs, tablets, smartphones and other IP-connected devices. ProMedia is also claimed to be an ideal solution for content creation in file-based workflows such as tapeless production environments.
The software products can be deployed individually or as an end-to-end video processing system, and are claimed to offer flexibility and performance required for multiscreen video services.
The ProMedia family is also integrated with leading digital rights management systems, asset management systems and content distribution networks, in addition to other Harmonic products including encoders, receivers, playout servers and storage.
Harmonic says that ProMedia leverages its strong H.264 video codec expertise – based on the same intellectual property behind Harmonic’s Electra encoders – to provide superior quality video content for multiscreen viewing.
The ProMedia range includes four products:
ProMedia Live is a real-time video processing and transcoding system with enhanced H.264 video codec technology, optimized for creating high-quality internet video streams.
ProMedia Carbon (formerly Carbon Coder) is a file-based transcoder powered by Rhozet technology, and supports “the largest array of acquisition, editing, broadcast, web, and mobile formats in the industry.” The system scales from a single instance to a large automated multi-node transcoding farm.
ProMedia Package is a carrier-grade adaptive streaming preparation system for secure, high-value internet video services. It supports numerous HTTP streaming protocol standards and is capable of packaging in multiple output formats from a single video source, enabling a more scalable, distributed architecture.
ProMedia Origin is an HTTP and RTMP streaming video server for originating a broad range of multiscreen services in a scalable, easy-to-manage, carrier-class platform. Leveraging industry-standard protocols from Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft to maximize device interoperability, it enables services such as live streaming, VoD, catch-up TV, start-over TV, and network DVR to connected devices.
“As demand continues to grow for more video on more devices, content creators and service providers need to implement an efficient and scalable infrastructure that can support a wide variety of input, editing, and output formats,” said Moore Macauley, Harmonic’s director for multiscreen product line management. “The ProMedia family is the most comprehensive multiscreen video processing solution available and leverages Harmonic’s expertise in both live and file-based video services, including more than 200 multiscreen deployments. It can easily be added to an existing broadcast video infrastructure to deliver high-quality video services to any IP-connected device, including tablets, smartphones, PCs, and TVs.”
Control and management can be handled by Harmonic NMX Digital Service Manager or a web-based GUI for real-time services. Harmonic is offering server-based hardware appliances to host the various ProMedia software applications. The first customer shipments are expected to begin this month.
