Posted by Derrick on May 8, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression | 
Streambox announced the launch of StreamboxME, a new video-encoding application that enables iPhone 3GS users to upload high-quality video over the AT&T 3G network and other carriers via the Streambox Live broadband video contribution service. Available for free download from iTunes, StreamboxME is a groundbreaking approach to field newsgathering and video capture that reporters and other contributors can use to stream live or file-based video from their iPhones to broadcasters, news organizations, government agencies, and enterprises.
StreamboxME is the latest free-of-charge encoding application in the Streambox Live solution family, adding iPhones to other 3G and 4G mobile phones and Wi-Fi-connected laptops that can be turned into tools for cost-effective, easy-to-use, and highly flexible field newsgathering. By subscribing to the cloud-based Streambox Live service, news and media companies and other organizations can utilize low-bandwidth networks to enable many-to-many real-time and file-based video acquisition. After downloading the free encoding software to their mobile devices, video contributors, journalists, citizen reporters, and enterprise communicators can file breaking news stories from field locations that are difficult for satellite newsgathering trucks to reach. Once the compressed video streams are uploaded to the studio, they can be decoded and broadcast live or archived via the Streambox Live data center.
“Streambox Live is a truly revolutionary approach to field newsgathering, enabling news organizations to expand their live coverage economically in remote, rugged field locations or those lacking high-bandwidth networking services,” said Bob Hildeman, chairman and CEO of Streambox. “And now with StreamboxME, reporters can add iPhones to the arsenal of mobile devices with which they can quickly and easily record, encode, and transmit live video. All they need is an iPhone and a low-bandwidth IP connection.”
Since its unveiling at the 2010 NAB Show, StreamboxME has been downloaded by many current Streambox customers. Leading broadcast news organizations are actively using it now for field newsgathering. Based on Streambox’s award-winning ACT-L3 codec, StreamboxME offers low latency, high video-quality, and extremely reliable transport at any data rate. Designed with broadcasters and professionals in mind, the application is easy to use and offers an innovative many-to-many video rights management system, video geotagging, and text-based IFB talk back. Video sent to a Streambox Live server can be routed to one or many destinations at one time, including Streambox hardware decoders for baseband or SDI video playout, the Streambox Media Player for viewing on a computer monitor, or the Web via a CDN network.
Tags: application, devices, encoding, field, iPhone, live, mobile, newsgathering, stream, Streambox, StreamboxME, Video, video encoding
Posted by Derrick on January 2, 2010 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Streambox, Inc. announced the release of its next-generation SBT3-9300 video transport system for delivery of broadcast-quality video and audio over IP-based networks. With the ability to capture and encode stunning, full-motion and full-frame 1080i/720p HD content in addition to SD, the SBT3-9300 provides a flexible and cost-effective path to full HD transmissions for many types of organizations including broadcasters, production companies, and houses of worship.
“In today’s economy, the competitive pressure to migrate to HD transmissions is often at odds with budgetary realities for many broadcasting organizations,” said Bob Hildeman, chairman and CEO of Streambox. “The SBT3-9300 is a true hybrid solution which offers built-in HD capabilities for the price of an SD system. Broadcasters can take advantage of low-cost, low-bandwidth IP networks for transporting SD video now — and when the rest of the facility is ready later to convert to HD, the SBT3-9300 will be ready to go without requiring a costly upgrade.”
The 1RU SBT3-9300 is designed to meet the exacting performance and quality demands of any organization that requires professional-level capabilities for transporting high-quality video over IP. For instance, the system gives broadcasters an easy-to-use and cost-effective solution for live or file-based newsgathering over low-data-rate IP networks. Film and post-production studios are using the SBT3-9300 to transmit high-quality live HD and SD video as a way to accelerate and enhance editing processes such as color correction. Also, churches with large, multicampus congregations are embracing the technology as a cost-effective and reliable means of streaming live or recorded worship services to each of their locations.
Based on the award-winning Streambox ACT-L3 codec, the SBT3-9300 offers superior compression and networking features such as robust forward error correction, burst error protection, and bandwidth shaping technologies to mitigate packet loss, network jitter, and buffering. The system supports full 1080i video as well as HD/SD digital and analog input and output formats, transmitting at data rates ranging from 512 Kbps to 30 Mbps for HD video and 64 Kbps to 15 Mbps for SD. The SBT3-9300’s exclusive Web interface enables operators to control the system from any computer connected to the network.
Posted by Derrick on October 26, 2009 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Streambox, Inc. announced that its newly launched Streambox Live IP-based video contribution service was honored with a 2009 STAR (Superior Technology Award Recipient) Award by the editorial staff of TV Technology Europe, at the recent IBC2009 show in Amsterdam. In addition, Streambox Live “caught the eye” of IBC staffers, who featured the product in a special conference session entitled “What Caught My Eye.”
Based on Streambox’s award-winning ACT-L3 technology, the Streambox Live™ service enables remote broadcasters and citizen reporters to upload compressed live video streams to broadcast studios through Internet-based Streambox Live Data Centers. The Streambox Live service interoperates seamlessly with Streambox’s industry-leading platform of SD and HD broadcast-quality video encoders and decoders, as well as its complete line of broadcast and distribution servers.
The STAR Award (Superior Technology Award Recipient) is designed to celebrate and showcase the preeminent technological innovations available to the broadcast industry. TV Technology Europe’s editor reviewed a variety of products, examined the technical applications and their overall contribution to the industry, and then chose Streambox Live as one of 25 winners. For the “What Caught My Eye” designation, the Streambox Live demonstration was captured by a roving IBC film crew and the footage was featured the next day in a presentation shown to conference delegates.
“We believe Streambox Live has tremendous potential to revolutionize news programming by enabling broadcasters to add citizen reporters and ad hoc contributors to the newsgathering team in an easy-to-use and cost-effective manner,” said Bob Hildeman, chairman and CEO of Streambox. “It’s truly an honor to be among only 25 solutions at IBC to receive a STAR Award, and it’s a real validation of Streambox Live’s potential in the industry. And the fact that the ‘What Caught My Eye’ team picked up right away on the solution’s value and benefits really shows its instant appeal to broadcasters.”
Tags: ACT-L3 technology, compressed, decoders, IBC2009 Streambox Live, Inc, IP-based video contribution, live, Streambox, streams, Video, video encoders
Posted by Derrick on October 12, 2009 under Video Streaming and Compression |
Vizada, the leading independent satellite communications provider, and Streambox, a leading provider of IP-based newsgathering solutions, have signed an agreement to provide media organizations with a high quality video streaming service without significant infrastructure investment. The companies announced the partnership at IBC, the leading international forum for the electronic media industry, taking place in Amsterdam, Netherlands.
The partnership is based on the provision of Streambox’s Advanced Distribution Server (ADS) service, installed at Vizada’s data center in Amsterdam. The bundled service has been developed particularly for media organizations based in areas with more limited access to dedicated network infrastructure.
With the service in place, reporters broadcast live video images from location over a mobile satellite terminal, and these are in turn routed via Streambox’s ADS service. The ADS service makes the most of the higher bandwidth provided by Vizada’s terrestrial network infrastructure, and adds video management, packet redundancy, and forward error correction, to ensure that the live video reaches broadcasters offices in broadcast quality ready for transmission.
Vizada provides reporters with Inmarsat BGAN or ThurayaIP mobile satellite terminals capable of high-speed streaming data rates. Through its Terralink® family of IP & networking solutions, Vizada has also developed the terrestrial infrastructure necessary to house the Streambox server as well as relay the images from the mobile satellite terminal to the headquarter office.
“Operations of this kind generally involve a significant investment by the media organization, because to transmit broadcast quality images directly from the reporter’s location to the bureau, a dedicated, private network has to be put in place,” said Eric Verheylewegen, VP Commercial Sales, Vizada Americas. “We have the expertise to set this up, and do so for a number of media customers through our service providers, but not all our clients wish to invest this heavily, particularly for short-term projects.”
“It’s exciting to be partnering with Vizada to provide an innovative video delivery solution,” said Bob Hildeman, Chairman and CEO Streambox, Inc. “Our technology and software combined with Vizada’s networking expertise takes advantage of the Internet to provide an innovative solution that is both lower cost and easier to use.”
Vizada supplies mobile satellite services and solutions to the world’s leading media organizations, including CNN, Al-Arabiya News Channel, France24 and ITN. It provides the equipment, technical expertise, training and customer support to enable journalists to report live from anywhere in the world and transmit high-quality images back to headquarter office for broadcasting.
Streambox supplies IP-based newsgathering and video transport products and solutions to leading broadcasters and organizations around the world, including CNN, NHK, Sky, FOX, CBS, NBC Universal, and the US Government.
Posted by Derrick on September 8, 2009 under Video Streaming and Compression |
The Frisco Fire Department (FFD) in Texas is using state-of-the-art Streambox video technology to better manage emergency operations and effectively deploy resources. With Streambox ACT-L3 video transport systems deployed onboard its emergency response vehicles, the fire department is able to transmit live video from a fire or other incident back to the City of Frisco’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC). The video provides the EOC with a comprehensive view of unfolding emergencies.
Serving a rapidly growing city of 102,000 north of Dallas, the FFD previously relied solely upon radio transmissions from firefighters at the scene to understand the specifics of an incident. Then a couple of years ago, employees from a local TV station suggested FFD look into streaming video as a tool to gaining better intelligence about developing emergencies. FFD quickly realized Streambox would be an invaluable tool for providing a bird’s eye view of emergencies, and for helping multiple city departments coordinate resources when a quick response is necessary. “Now, our EOC staff can proactively deliver the required response based on what they see, rather than having to wait for someone to describe the scene to them,” said FFD fire chief, Mack Borchardt. “Judging from our success with streaming video I believe the technology holds great potential for other fire departments across the country.
Currently, the FFD has equipped its special operations and hazardous materials (haz-mat) vehicles with mast-mounted cameras and Streambox SBT3-7100 systems, which encode the video for transmission over low data rate Verizon 3G wireless connections. Streambox decoders play out the video, including thermal and infrared imaging, to command at the scene and back to the central fire station’s EOC.
The Streambox solution is particularly valuable for incidents which require a coordinated response from multiple city departments. In a recent example, a natural gas line ruptured near a main thoroughfare creating a hazard for traffic and the surrounding area. With a view of the scene from the hazardous materials vehicle, the EOC was able to see the full extent of the hazard and quickly coordinate a response with police and traffic control personnel. Subsequently, rush-hour traffic was safely and efficiently rerouted. Being able to view live video from accidents, fires, and other emergencies provides an additional perspective which significantly impacts the ability to deploy the necessary resources and coordinate potential evacuation plans.
With the initial success of the Streambox technology on the Special Operations and haz-mat trucks, the FFD plans to deploy more encoders/decoders on a new command vehicle that will arrive at the department in August. The new truck will provide an on-site command center and will be capable of streaming video simultaneously to the EOC and to either the haz-mat or special operations trucks.
“It was crucial for us to deploy a reliable and easy-to-use streaming solution so our firefighters can turn their full attention to the emergency at hand,” said Paul Siebert, assistant chief of the FFD. “With Streambox we are able to get set up and start transmitting video in a matter of minutes – and every minute counts in an emergency.”
“The Frisco Fire Department’s use of Streambox video technology is a great example of the value our solutions bring to emergency operations,” said Bob Hildeman, chairman and CEO of Streambox. “It clearly demonstrates the reliability and performance of our products and solutions over low cost, low data rate IP network connections.
