IBC 2019: Harmonic’s VOS platform adds live video delivery optimization; personalizes live sports with Google and 3SS
Harmonic (stand 1.B20) announced a new delivery capability for its VOS cloud-native offerings that provides telco, cable and mobile operators with real-time scalability for mission-critical, high-demand live video streaming services. In addition, a collaboration between Harmonic, Google, and 3SS has created an integrated OTT and broadcast live sports workflow on Android TV, delivering essential tailored features such as picture-in-picture, multi-view, and personalized mosaic.
VOS Platform
This new capability has successfully been deployed by a leading mobile network operator to deliver live sports content utilizing a multi-CDN approach with Harmonic’s CDN partners. Operated as a fully managed service, this expanded video delivery functionality utilizes a single control platform and a multi-tiered, multi-CDN approach leveraging established partnerships with third-party CDNs and video delivery nodes deployed by Harmonic. With no upfront investment, this unique SaaS offering enables operators to achieve unparalleled scale, decrease costs, and improve quality-of-experience for live video streaming and on-demand content.
“The biggest challenge with live video streaming is being able to handle the unexpected peaks in viewership, especially during premium events,” said Shahar Bar, senior vice president, Video Business, at Harmonic. “This new access network capability for our VOS offerings provides operators with the ultimate trifecta for live premium-quality video streaming: immediate scalability, critical reliability and smart, flexible pricing models. It’s essentially an insurance policy for live video delivery and an exclusive capability not achievable with other business-as-usual solutions.”
Using this new extension of Harmonic’s VOS offerings, operators can reliably deliver exceptional-quality video streaming experiences. By optimally leveraging multiple delivery paths, Harmonic’s new capability gives operators the power and the confidence to scale rapidly while economically supporting the quality demands of premium live video streaming.
Collaboration With Google and 3SS
At IBC2019, the companies will demonstrate how pay-TV operators can now deliver personalized, low-latency live sports experiences on OTT and hybrid set-top boxes (STBs) using Harmonic’s VOS cloud-native live video platform, a powerful UHD STB and the 3READY custom launcher application from 3SS.
The demo incorporates Harmonic’s containerized VOS software platform, spanning content preparation through origin server, hosted on Google Cloud Platform. Enabling unified OTT and broadcast delivery workflows, the VOS platform ensures low latency and exceptional picture quality for all multistream applications, improving the live sports experience.
“Personalized experiences are common in OTT sports environments, and it’s time to bridge the gap between the OTT and broadcast worlds,” said Bar. “This tailored live sports OTT and linear experience on Android TV is a breakthrough in our industry, made possible thanks to a unique cloud-native live video platform provided by Harmonic, a powerful UHD STB powered by Android TV and an intuitive user experience enabled by 3SS.”
“The customer need for live sports is super simple. It has to be live and in best quality. The reality is that OTT live streams typically have a latency between 30-90 seconds and are often far from ultra-high quality.” said Pierre Donath, chief product officer at 3SS. “Together with Harmonic, we challenged what’s possible and created the next level of OTT live sports and personalized linear experience by combining our industry-leading technologies powered by Android TV.”