Sports media specialist PERFORM has deployed over 150 StreamZ Live encoders and the Digital Rapids Broadcast Manager multi-encoder automation software to drive live streaming of thousands of sports events to viewers on an expanding range of devices and platforms. The StreamZ Live encoders are distributed across PERFORM facilities in the UK, Singapore, Australia, Korea, Abu Dhabi, Sweden, Doha and Italy. Each encoder generates 25 output profiles per input source for target viewing platforms including Apple(r) iOS devices, Android(r)-based devices and desktops. Streams are delivered across Akamai’s Intelligent Platform and Mirror Image Internet’s Dynamic Delivery Network. HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and Adobe(r) HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) technologies are used for adaptive bit rate HD and mobile delivery, along with the RTMP protocol for low-latency streaming with Adobe Flash(r). The enterprise-class Broadcast Manager software is critical to PERFORM’s operations, enabling them to efficiently manage and automate the large-scale deployment. “The combination of Digital Rapids’ StreamZ Live encoders and the Broadcast Manager software have led to significant savings in our operational costs,” said PERFORM’s chief operating officer Andy Measham. “We schedule 25,000 live events per year, with Broadcast Manager remotely and automatically managing all of the encoders. Digital Rapids provides the very best automation and every encoder endures being pushed to its absolute limit 24/7. The low latency of the StreamZ Live encoders is also crucial for the delivery of live sports content on the Web.” “Our business has grown significantly in the past five years, and our aim is to continually grow and develop our platform to support the ever-increasing demands on it,” said Howard Kitto, chief technical officer of PERFORM. “The massive growth in the proliferation of devices such as smartphones and tablets, along with the connected capabilities of almost every new television set, open up tremendous new opportunities for premium live streaming content. Digital Rapids technologies are important in our ability to address these opportunities. The universal, multi-format encoding capabilities of StreamZ Live enable us to efficiently produce adaptive streams for all applications from mobile to connected TV.” “PERFORM are visionaries in commercialising sports content across the ever-expanding range of network-enabled digital platforms. We’re proud to be providing them with the powerful and efficient solutions they need to continue their successful growth as the multi-screen landscape evolves,” said Clive Vickery, managing director, EMEA and Asia at Digital Rapids. “The scale and geographic breadth of PERFORM’s operations requires their technology infrastructure to be efficient, automated and reliable, and StreamZ Live and Broadcast Manager are the ideal combination for fulfilling these needs.” www.digitalrapids.com
