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Digital Rapids helps stream IPL

Streamed webcasts of the Indian Premier League cricket tournament are benefitting from Digital Rapids StreamZ Live encoding, writes Adrian Pennington. Eight StreamZ Live adaptive bit rate encoders were supplied for the project by Digital Rapids partner Shaf Broadcast.

Streamed webcasts of the Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket tournament are benefitting from Digital Rapids StreamZ Live encoding, writes Adrian Pennington. Eight StreamZ Live adaptive bit rate (ABR) encoders were supplied for the project by Digital Rapids partner Shaf Broadcast to live stream the 51-day tournament through the Indiatimes website and via YouTube. Each HD input source is encoded to multiple output profiles at varying resolutions and bit rates for adaptive streaming, enabling viewing experiences that automatically adapt based on the viewer’s available bandwidth. Separate streams are available for different geographic regions with varying time delays. A custom tool allows operators to insert cue points for important match events, celebrity movements and advertising. Times Internet Ltd (TIL) can use these cue points, in conjunction with metadata and geolocation, for dynamic ad delivery. The live HD streams of the IPL matches are supported by a host of new features and interactivity introduced by TIL this year on its IPL website. A new interactive video scorecard shows important highlights such as wickets and runs scored, while new video-on-demand features offer additional highlights such as fours, sixes and face-offs between players. DVR-like features allow viewers to rewind the live stream and watch any parts of the match they may have missed, while social media integration enables fans to come together to support their favourite teams and players. Digital Rapids solutions were also used by TIL for the 2011 IPL season. “With IPL on Indiatimes, there was a 79% rise in viewership of the site in just one year,” said Rishi Khiani, TIL’s CEO. “This year, we hope to take that figure even higher by creating a virtual IPL hub where fans can view and engage with the game even more actively. High-quality streaming video is at the centre of that experience. Our online IPL video and site are a tremendous revenue opportunity for us. We have already generated 40% profit, and the figure is rising. This might well be our largest revenue generating online event.” www.digitalrapids.com