Latest at Switch Media

Switch Media – proud service providers for the Presto Entertainment Android TV and PlayStation® app

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Presto TV black screenFollowing development of the Presto iOS and Android App, Switch Media are proud to have continued as service providers for its newest additions, the just launched Presto Android TV and PlayStation®Apps. Available on select Sony TVs, PlayStation® 3 and 4 as well as Google Nexus Players, these Apps are valuable extensions of the service that allows viewers to take full advantage of the Presto’s great features and capabilities on the big screen…

FOXTEL PRESS RELEASE, 01 DECEMBER 2015

Presto launches Android TV app

Presto today announced that it has launched a native Android TV app and is now steaming to supported devices including the new 2015 Sony Smart TVs and Google Nexus Players. The news comes just as the incredibly popular The Big Bang Theory (Seasons 1-7) arrives, exclusively for Presto subscribers.

From today Presto subscribers can download the Presto app for Android TV devices via Google Play. The addition of Android TV on select Sony TVs and Google Nexus Players follows Presto’s drive to bring its premium SVOD entertainment to living room big screens and increases the ways in which subscribers can enjoy Presto on the largest screen in the house.

Shaun James, Presto TV CEO, said, “we are seeing a trend amongst the world’s leading consumer electronics makers towards using the Android TV operating platform, delivering smart, internet-powered entertainment easily to the big screen.

“Presto’s arrival on Android TV leads the platform’s move into Australian living rooms with an app that allows consumers access to Presto’s extensive movie and TV content in an easier and more intuitive way than ever before.

“The launch of Presto on selected Sony Android TVs and Google Nexus Players is the next step in delivering even more big screen options for existing and new Presto subscribers. Our timing couldn’t be better as we begin streaming the biggest comedy show in the universe, The Big Bang Theory, which has arrived on Presto today.”

Also arriving on Presto in December is the highly anticipated Home and Away: An Eye for an Eye special event, Presto’s first local commission, along with hit TV programs Bates Motel Season 1,Homeland Seasons 1-4, Parks and Recreation Seasons 1-6; and movies Unbroken, The Social Network and the currently showing steamy drama Fifty Shades of Grey.

For consumers yet to subscribe, Presto is currently offering new customers a one month free trial^ of the Presto Entertainment bundle subscription, providing access to Presto’s full TV and movie libraries.

Switch Media Launches Video Streaming Monetisation Solution – Undetectable To Ad Blockers

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B&T MAGAZINE, 17 NOVEMBER, 2015

 

Online video streaming Switch Media, has launched AdEase, a new product that will help broadcasters and advertisers avoid ad blockers and maximise revenue from ad viewing.

Swimming with ad

AdEase is a server-side ad insertion (SSAI) product that integrates with third party content management platforms to ingest the ads and deliver them direct to their destination on desktop and mobile devices.

By seamlessly stitching ads directly into sporting or entertainment programs, AdEase delivers a continuous video stream that not only makes it harder to isolate and block an ad but also provides a much smoother viewing experience by eliminating buffering between ad breaks.

Global research released in August* found that the amount of Internet users using ad blocking software in Australia exceeded one in five with the global cost of ad blocking estimated to be more than $21 billion in 2015.

Switch Media CEO Christopher Stenhouse said AdEase allows advertisers to maintain audience viewing which ultimately increases ad completion. “With ad blocking software growing in popularity among some demographics and posing an increasing threat to free content on the Internet, our solution is crucial for the revenue streams of Internet publishers, broadcasters and advertisers alike.

“AdEase is a product that allows a TV-like viewing experience for our clients and their end viewers – a more reliable playout of complete ads that we believe will lead to happier advertisers and more revenue from ad spend.”

Unlike some competitors, Switch Media’s breakthrough technology avoids the need for client ads and media to be re-ingested into their system before delivery to the viewer’s device.

“AdEase is agnostic to where the media is stored and makes requests for the required media at time of playback. This saves content providers hours of ingestion time as well as the related costs,” Stenhouse said.

“And while some competitors do not incorporate an integrated player, AdEase comes complete with the Switch Universal Player allowing seamless integration that can deliver both HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and DASH technology across multiple platforms, as well as robust and insightful analytics.”

Stenhouse said Switch Media was determined to provide its customers with the best solutions to take full advantage of the opportunities of both on-demand and live streaming

“Streaming is a complex technology exercise. With AdEase and our other innovations we are making streaming an ever better experience for broadcast, corporate and government customers as well as their end users.

“AdEase will provide customers with powerful analytics essential for tracking the effectiveness of online ads which will in turn allow them to command higher CPMs for their ads.”

Switch Media will launch its AdEase technology at the Australian OTT Summit on Wednesday and Thursday, 18-19 November, at Sydney’s Intercontinental Hotel.

 

Link to B&T MAGAZINE article (17/11/15): Switch Media Launches Video Streaming Monetisation Solution – Undetectable To Ad Blockers

Switch Media at the Australian OTT Summit 2015

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Switch Media is excited to be a key sponsor for the Australian OTT Summit on 18 and 19 November at the Intercontinental Hotel, Sydney.

As the barista’s of quality OTT with just the right blend for success, we felt it only right to sponsor the coffee cart so that attendee’s could get quality coffee for the duration of the summit, on us!

ad_ease_logo_in_devices

 

At the summit we will showcase our monetisation technology for the first time, demonstrating how our new product AdEase can help broadcasters and advertisers avoid ad blockers and maximise revenue from ad viewing.

 

Presto

Additionally we will show a sneak preview of the Presto Android TV App which we have developed and is close to completion. This extension of the existing platform allows viewers to take advantage of the Presto’s great features and capabilities on the big screen, across Sony PlayStation 3 and 4, Sony Android and the Nexus Player.

 

The Inaugural Australian OTT Summit will examine the rise of Over The Top (OTT) technologies and services in the Australian telecommunications industry in the TV, Messaging and Voice domains and will explore the challenges, opportunities and case studies of their disruption. Register to attend here.

Switch Media at SMPTE 2015

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Switch Media are excited to share that we will be at SMPTE 2015 on 14-17 July showcasing our world class solutions as well as launching two new products in market: our enhanced video content management system, Switch Media Manager, and our advanced monetisation solution AdEase.

Visit us at booth B-54 to meet the team, see what we have been up to and experience live demos of our industry leading, cutting edge services and technologies. Register for the event here.

Christopher StenhouseLuke DurhamChris MooreBruce Hume

Head over to the ‘Spotlight Learning Exchange’ in the Hordern Pavilion at the below times for Switch Media’s SMPTE presentations:

Wednesday, July 15, 2015 at 10:30am: Broadcast Solutions Director Bruce Hume presenting “HbbTV: So much more than catch-up”

Thursday, July 16, 2015 at 2:15pm: Head of Sales Chris Moore launching the Switch Media Manager

The many complexities of online video

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Paul Skinner, Senior Software Engineer, Switch Media.

 

At Switch Media we often speak to clients who assume putting video online is no more difficult than adding a new webpage to their site. Yet, the reality is that Google bought YouTube for over 2 billion dollars… that figure was unheard of in 2006. Just look around at how many websites contain really good video that consistently works across all devices… it’s certainly not many. That’s because putting video online can be a complex operation, but why?

Let’s go through some of the challenges businesses who want to put video content online face.

 

Royalties. Web standards tend to be more of a consensus system. When Adobe flash animations ruled the web, Steve Jobs led the charge against its inefficient vector based system that would slow down his iPhones. In that particular case, the problem was clear and the world agreed on royalty free standards like HTML 5, as they allow for far more efficient animations on phones and tablets.

Video is a different animal. With video we are not reaching a consensus on how we explain an animation. Video standards require researchers at institutions like Germany’s Fraunhofer Society, or possibly even Australia’s CSIRO, to test mathematical Fourier transforms, compression algorithms and colour spaces to find the most efficient ways to compress video. But someone has to foot the bill for their efforts.

This leads to several competing standards. The most recent high profile battle was when Google bought the VP8 codec to compete against MPEGs H.264 codec as the standard of choice for the web. Google intervened because of the royalties MPEG was charging. Which horse would you back in this race?

 

Hardware decoding in devices. This is where the algorithms to decrypt video are baked into the client’s CPU with low level software that ‘cannot be changed’. This allows the power efficient CPU in your phone or set top box to play video. Although due to royalties, every device supports different video technologies. A phone manufacturer may license a wide range of technologies for their high end devices. And yes, you guessed it, their cheaper devices may not be so lucky. This leads to the video supplier having to support a myriad of codecs, bitrates, muxing formats etc. which can be a complex and lengthy process.

 

Doing it all live! Live streaming presents its own challenges. Typically the TV shows you watch on Presto or Netflix have been encoded with a piece of software that unfortunately is too slow to produce good quality video in real time. A common solution is hardware encoding appliances, which can easily cost over $100K! This is a huge expense for any business, but there are other options that don’t cost an arm and a leg. Switch Media can help you to understand these other options, as well as how much redundancy you require and how much bandwidth you need to reserve for your live feeds.

 

Video processing infrastructure. Video is a trade-off between processing power and the amount of data required to transmit and store it. By using more CPU cycles to encode multiple renditions of the video, the result is quality video that is quick to transmit and is supported by even older devices. But who’s got multiple spare multi core servers lying around to encode videos, or terabytes of redundant storage to store the multiple renditions? That’s why using online video specialists like Switch Media is a smart option. We have the equipment and software ready to go, with the skills and experience to manage them.

 

Securing content. The content you wish to share on your site may need to be licensed and is often only for a specific audience – so it’s important to secure your content. To do this you can go through Digital Rights Management providers, also known as Conditional Access Vendors, who can help to control who can watch your video. But this is just one piece of the puzzle, these guys cannot encode your video or ensure it plays across all devices. Going with an online video specialist that can cover all elements of your video is a much easier option. At Switch Media, if we do the encoding then it’s our responsibility to ensure all security requirements are met so that our client’s content is as secure as it can be, and where possible we avoid going through a CA vendor to avoid unnecessary costs.

 

A globally competitive technology leader in delivering online video content, Switch Media understands every facet of online video, from hardware and infrastructure to royalties and security. Our in-house team of strategists, architects, programmers and technical staff can provide expertise and management of all elements around placing video online, so that businesses can reap the benefits of implementing this new technology without having to become sudden experts in the many complexities that are involved. 

Feel free to contact us  to discuss how we can assist you with your online video needs and queries.

 

Paul Skinner, Senior Software Engineer, Switch Media.
Paul has worked from video engineer to lead software engineer. He has worked for 8 years with customers that include tier 1 broadcasters in Australia and Africa.

F1 Superstreams Deployed Superfast

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Network Ten’s free and live coverage of the 2015 Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix was a hit with viewers around the country, attracting 1.38 million viewers nationally and a peak audience of 1.75 million.  On Network Ten’s digital platform TENplay the 2015 Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix recorded 240,000 video views and 417,000 page views from 13 – 16 March 2015.

In Switch Media’s fastest deployment ever, their cloud based technologies, robust infrastructure and professional services enabled Network Ten to provide an additional five live ‘F1 Superstreams’ to their online services. Free of charge and with no commercial breaks, the live streaming complemented Network Ten’s live TV coverage and allowed viewers to experience the thrill of the F1 like never before.

With live view from the driver’s seat and pit stop, aerial view of car positions on the track, as well as lap times and highlights streamed live to the tenplay apps on mobile, tablet, and desktop – this marks the most extensive access F1 fans have ever seen.

Pit Stop Cam – live view of the action and pressure of the pit lane.


Driver Cam – live view direct from the driver’s seat during the race. 


Highlights – playback of race highlights video footage. 


Stat Tracker – up to date view of lap times, sector splits and other real-time data. 


Driver Tracker – Live view of real-time car positions around the race track.  


To achieve this advanced live stream broadcast capability, Switch Media provided tailored live solutions, integrating with Network Ten’s F1 broadcast systems with on-site encoding and cloud video management tools, all backed by ongoing technical and operational support throughout the race.

Switch Media’s cloud based video content management system, the Switch Media Manager, enabled digital delivery of 5 IP streams direct from the race itself, as well as a system to quickly collect, collate and publish results online.

Switch Media will be streaming the remainder of Network Ten’s online broadcast of the 2015 Formula 1® Rolex Australian Grand Prix racing tournament.

Network Ten’s Chief Digital Officer, Rebekah Horne, said:
“In 2015 tenplay undertook a goal to complement our live and free TV coverage of the 2015 Formula 1® season, including the Australian Grand Prix, with an additional five live streams exclusive to tenplay apps on mobile, tablet and desktop. Streaming live footage from the driver’s cockpit and pit stops, exact car positions of drivers around the track, plus lap times and highlights; viewers can experience the thrill of the F1 like never before. By working with Switch Media, we were able to deploy a tailored solution within a very short timeframe which met our specific needs, allowing us to give viewers the most extensive Formula 1® coverage they have ever seen.”

Highlights of service provided

  • 5 baseband SDI feeds from the live broadcast received and encoded into IP streams for the tenplay web app and the tenplay native apps for iOS and Android phones and tablets
  • Pit Stop Cam live stream broadcast
  • Driver Cam live stream broadcast
  • Highlights live on-loop video broadcast
  • Lap times, sector splits and other data capture and broadcast (Stat tracker)
  • Real time view of car positions around the race track (Driver tracker)
  • Adaptive bit rate employed for all four different renditions required
  • Interactive capability enabling the viewer to use the app as a second screen experience whilst watching the race on TV, e.g. while viewing the live Driver tracker
  • Live F1 streams made available free of charge to the public for the first time
  • No commercial break during live stream broadcasts
  • Speedy deployment – fastest Switch deployment ever

 

About Switch Media

Switch Media enables broadcasters, publishers and providers of media content to create, manage and deliver their content across all platforms – fixed or mobile. Switch Media’s service suite includes:

  • Asset management systems for video content and beyond
  • Design and build of online digital media asset portals
  • Content rights protection / DRM
  • Content hosting and distribution
  • Workflow management and integration with existing system

The platform provided by Switch Media can be adapted to suit each client’s architecture preferences – cloud-based, hybrid or dedicated.

Switch Media is the online technology partner to a multitude of government, education, broadcast and media entities including Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australian Federal Parliament, Foxtel, Fox Sports, INSEAD, Screenrights Australia, and Network Ten.

Key Points:

  • Australia’s leading professional services provider in OTT & IPTV solutions
  • Privately owned and operated Australian business
  • 9 years of operations
  • 50%+ year on year revenue growth

The future of online streaming in broadcasting and beyond

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CEO and Co-Founder of Switch Media, Christopher Stenhouse appeared on the Sky News Business Switzer program to talk about the background, expertise and direction of the company as well as the future of streaming in the broadcast space and beyond.

Christopher founded the company in 2006 with business partner CTO Luke Durham. A globally competitive technology leader in delivering online video content, the company has achieved an average annual revenue growth rate of 50 per cent over the past 7 years.

With major clients that include FOXTEL, ABC, Network Ten, Seven West Media, RMIT and the Australian Federal Parliament, Switch Media are world leaders in innovation and delivery of content online.

Switch Media’s extensive body of work includes Foxtel GO, Foxtel PLAY, Enhance TV Direct, and online streaming and broadcast for the London 2012 Olympics, 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games, and the 2015 Formula 1 series.

The company’s depth of experience, spanning close to a decade, has allowed them to set the standard for delivery of online content with leading edge capabilities such as the ability to simultaneously broadcast 18 live streams on the one screen and for in stream, on-the-fly ad insertion during live events.

Watch the video to hear Christopher’s opinion on the future of streaming in broadcasting and beyond.