The growth in Internet-protocol video delivery and the
increased popularity of tapeless workflows has been boosting demand for Digital
Rapids' MediaMesh distribution system for delivery of high-definition, standard-definition
and digital cinema content over IP networks and satellite.
Two major U.S.
broadcasters have implemented MediaMesh since it was launched earlier this year.
The company has also seen increased interest in the product from broadcasters,
digital cinemas, news organizations and cable operators -- particularly for
video on demand -- said Digital Rapids director of product management Brian
Stevenson.
The MediaMesh system won the "Best of IBC2009"
Editors' Award last month and is designed to help broadcasters, multichannel-TV
providers and programmers handle easily distribute a wide variety of high-definition
and standard-definition formats. It is designed for both short form content,
such as advertising, as well as longer-form infomercials and movies.
"We are seeing more people going to tapeless workflow and IP
delivery," Stevenson said. "It is a lot more efficient and more cost-effective
than making tapes and then having FedEx ship them."
The MediaMesh distribution system, which was launched
earlier this year, also makes it easier to distribute content in a variety of
different formats, Stevenson argued.
"Traditionally, if you were shipping content over a file-acceleration
technology, you needed to create a format for each of the broadcast stations"
that might receive the file, he said. "So, if you were publishing to 10
affiliates, you may have to create 10 versions of the application and send it
10 times.
"With MediaMesh, I can create one version and an aggregate
set of meta data so that it will be conformed on the edge to the broadcast
server," he said.
The MediaMesh distribution system uses Digital Rapids' C2
software for accelerated file delivery and the MediaMesh RX receiving
appliance, which receives and repurposes media from centralized distribution
sources.
The C2 software is designed to overcome the typical performance
limitations of IP-based networks, which limit speed, and is much faster than
standard file-transfer technologies like FTP, making it ideal for high-definition
content, Stevenson added.
