PlanetStream Blog

Adobe Flash Media Encoding Server Debuts at IBC2008

Adobe recently announced that its Flash Media Encoding Server software, a scalable, high-performance solution for preparing content from a vast range of formats for delivery in Adobe Flash format should be available worldwide by the end of 2008, priced at around £3430 ($6000). The Flash Media Encoding Server software is a new addition to the Adobe Flash Media Server family of products.  Adobe will demonstrate Adobe Flash Media Encoding Server, as well as provide exclusive previews of new streaming video technologies currently under development, at Adobe's stand during IBC 2008.

 

As encoding is an essential element in content preparation for any content owners hosting video on the Web, and allied to the fact that Adobe Flash Player is already installed on 98% of Internet-connected desktops, Adobe is hoping that this new software will enable content owners to convert existing videos, such as MPEG-4, DivX, H.264, and others, to FLV or F4V formats and them host them online with streaming providers such as PlanetStream.

 

PlanetStream’s FLASHStream hosting provides a wide choice of UK hosted streaming packages with a powerful and easy to use control panel for uploading and managing your Flash media. It includes a comprehensive Statistics utility that reports on who has viewed your files, when and how often. [more on stats]. If you would like to discuss FLASHStream, you can email me on steven@netsecrets.co.uk, call me on 01386 792972, or chat directly to me by clicking on the Chat Logo on the PlanetStream website.

Study Finds Older Generations Embracing Streaming Video

A recent study from The NPD Group, a leading market research company shows that so-called “Baby boomers” (age 44 to 61) are slowly starting to buy, download and stream media online. Roughly 61 percent of “boomers” said they visited sites that offer streaming or downloadable video.

When it comes to the Web’s effect on sales of traditional entertainment content, NPD noted that, on average, baby boomers who stream video are also 15 percent more likely than their non-streaming counterparts to buy a CD, DVD, or media online.

“As more consumers of all ages spend more time online, there’s potentially going to be less time for them to consume entertainment content in traditional ways,” NPD said. “These findings underscore the growing need for entertainment companies to promote and distribute digital entertainment content online, in order to keep pace with the changing needs and desires of consumers of all ages.”

Silverlight 2 plans to build on recent successes

After a slow start it seems that more interest is being generated by Microsoft Silverlight, with the success of events such as the Olympic Games and the U.S. Democratic National Convention raising consumer awareness of the new technology. At the 2008 IBC Exhibition Scott Guthrie, head of the Silverlight design team, announced that H.264 (MPEG-4 Part 10) and AAC support will be available in a future version of Silverlight, which will offer content owners greater flexibility and choice to deliver video and audio.

The H.264/AVC project was formed in order to create a video compression standard which was capable of providing good video quality at substantially lower bit rates than previous standards (e.g. half or less the bit rate of MPEG-2, H.263, or MPEG-4 Part 2), without increasing the complexity of design so much that it would be impractical or excessively expensive to implement. The lower the Bitrate, the smaller the file size and thus the easier the file can be streamed.

Silverlight has already been adopted by some major European broadcasting & web companies, with live and on-demand content being offered by, amongst others, ITV, MSN UK, Radiotelevisione Italiana, RTL (Europe's largest TV, radio and production company), SBS, Setanta, France Television, L'Equipe TV and TF1. The implementation of Silverlight continues to grow significantly in European markets.

Silverlight has recently been involved in one of the largest and most successful online video events in history - the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. According to Microsoft, this implementation of Silverlight “…featured some of the highest-quality video ever seen on the Web…” Silverlight and Windows Media Video were used in seven of the top 10 European Internet markets for coverage of the Olympics including France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Ireland and Switzerland.

So it certainly looks as if Silverlight 2 will offer some brilliant features for content owners looking to provide videos to customers using the latest technology. With the success of recent events where Silverlight has been used, and the adoption of the technology by major broadcasters and content companies, should see it compete with Adobe Flash, Adobe Shockwave, and JavaScript in future. So far, the delivery of Windows-based Media looks to be better than anything we’ve currently experienced. Watch this space.

Microsoft Internet Explorer 8 Beta

Now that the Beta version of Microsoft’s Internet Explorer 8 (IE8) has been released to the general public, news is starting to spread about its compatibility with current websites – indeed Microsoft themselves have warned developers - many of whom had designed their sites to display correctly in less-standards-compliant, prior versions of IE -that they need to "get ready" for IE8 so that their content will "continue to display seamlessly". Sounds ominous, although in fairness the built-in Compatibility View button should enable you to view websites that were designed for older browsers.

There have been reports of streaming Video not working in IE8 with the much-maligned Vista operating system, but as this has only been discovered with the Beta version, it isn’t too much cause for concern at the moment. I downloaded the Beta Version of IE8 to test with PlanetStream Videos – the results are (drum roll please):

Windows Media Video (WMV) - A security warning appeared when navigating to a webpage with an embedded WMP, but once clicked the video and player loaded quickly and playback was seamless (I believe this is partly due to the speed of the PlanetStream streaming media servers). Everything was aligned properly and displayed as it would in IE7 or Firefox.

Flash Video (FLV) - The pages I experimented with loaded without any security warnings, and the Flash Player and video worked as expected. As with the WMV, everything was aligned and displayed properly. No issues here.

QuickTime Video (MOV) - Are cracks starting to appear? The Quick Time movie I tried to play from the PlanetStream servers refused to load. Having viewed this video numerous times over the last week, in 3 different browsers, I know it works. Even so, I had our PlanetStream engineer check it for me, and he confirmed the file was ok. How odd. So a quick Google search later, I found some QuickTime movie trailers; I was directed  to the iTunes store, and received a security warning before I proceeded – after clicking OK, the page reloaded. I chose a clip I wanted to watch, and low and behold, another security warning (you could turn these off, but with the amount of viruses etc around these days, I really wouldn’t recommend it) regarding running an add on…. I allowed that to run, and chose the video I wanted……. And nothing. After 10 minutes of trying various things, I hadn’t managed to play a single QT video in IE8. I tried IE7 and Firefox to see whether I was doing something wrong, but both those browsers played movies with no problems.  Hmmmm. I shall look into this in a bit more depth and update you once I’ve solved the problem, and let you know whether my settings were the cause or not.

Real Video - As per Flash videos, the pages I experimented with loaded without any security warnings, and the Real Player and video worked as expected. No security warnings were displayed and the browser was quick to download the info and open the stand alone player.

So what does this mean for those of you offering streaming video to your customers? In short, there isn’t much to worry about (unless you have QuickTime Movies!) – IE7 was limited to Windows XP SP2 users only, so there’s still a multitude of users out there using IE6 or below, which can handle streaming video. The constant security reminders may be a bit irksome, but they are there for our benefit. On the whole, it looks and feels like a tweaked IE7, which in effect is what it is. And we have to remember its still only a Beta version. I’ll keep you posted on any updates, and when Microsoft finally confirm a release date.

If you would like to discuss Video or Audio streaming in further detail, you can email me on steven@netsecrets.co.uk, call me on 01386 792972, or chat directly to me by clicking on the Chat Logo on the PlanetStream website.

Google Launches “Chrome” internet Browser.

Could the browser wars be about to start up all over again? Just when you thought it had all settled down, along comes Google with their new ‘weapon’ in the war, Chrome, an open source web kit browser. Chrome is currently available as a beta demo, but you can expect it to be released in the near future. So what does this mean for you, if you are offering streaming videos on your website and customers are browsing online using Chrome?

 

In short, you have nothing to worry about. I’ve downloaded the beta version of Chrome and tested it out with various different streaming file formats, and haven’t noticed any performance issues so far – the playback of Windows Media videos is slightly different to other browsers when using .asx files, (which normally open Windows Media Player to play a stream), in Chromes case the video is displayed within the current tab you have open. Flash Videos (.flv) also stream with no issues at all – I’ve tried numerous videos from the PlanetStream server and various websites, such as You Tube. Quick Time movies also streamed, but involved the appearance of a download bar (Similar to FireFox) appearing and the requirement of further clicks/instructions to be able to view the stream. Even though its only a Beta version at the moment, it may be that QT video format is overlooked, due to the current non-apple compatibility.

 

Chrome's strength comes in its ability to segment online activities—an open tab playing a live video stream won't slow down the remainder of your Web browsing, which can happen with other browsers such as IE7 or FireFox, if your internet connection isn’t fast enough. Even though it’s been in development for 2 years, Chrome can't currently run without a Windows Operating System, and it won't run at all on Apple's OS X or Linux. And there’s still the question of whether Chrome has the potential for overtaking the popularity of other browsers, such as Internet Explorer (IE) which currently has around  72% Web browser market share and Firefox, which has 20%.

 

I’d say Chrome is something to look out for and keep an eye on during the next few months – at the moment, whilst offering a nice GUI and some nice touches; it doesn’t appear to be a serious rival to the 2 major players. The performance and playback of streaming videos appears to be identical to other browsers’, and the major file formats are all supported, so doesn’t raise any cause for concern in the video streaming world. Should there be any new developments, I’ll be sure to update you.

 

If you would like to discuss Video or Audio streaming in further detail, you can email me on steven@netsecrets.co.uk, call me on 01386 792972, or chat directly to me by clicking on the Chat Logo on the PlanetStream website.

PlanetStream delivers live event to one of the largest veterinary management groups in the UK.

PlanetStream were recently contacted by Holton New Media who had a requirement to stream a conference live across the web. After successfully hosting the event for our clients, PlanetStream spoke to Steve Holton, Partner of Holton New Media, about the company, their needs and his feedback about the service received:

 

“…We are web developers for one of the largest Veterinary Management Groups in the UK. Our client recently asked us to look into the best way of delivering high quality live video to their members, spread across the length of the UK. While we had proficient skills in the latest technologies, live video streaming was not something we had experience in. After looking into options and costs from various companies, we quickly settled on PlanetStream due to their obvious knowledge in their products and excellent customer support.

 

With our client hosting a member’s conference at the end of July, this was the perfect chance to try our first live event. After phoning PlanetStream and speaking to the Account Manager Steve Pedrick, he quickly scheduled in our event. All of the necessary HTML was provided for embedding the video and we were given 24/7 direct telephone access to a PlanetStream engineer should anything go wrong. After a short test run to make sure all was working correctly, we went live - on time and without a hitch.

 

Our client was delighted with the service and has recently entered into talks with one of the most respected Veterinary Teaching Colleges in the world to deliver live video across Europe. We will, of course, be using PlanetStream for all live video in the future. Excellent value and superb customer support…”

 

PlanetStream can help you implement the same exciting live content on your web site using our video streaming expertise and dedicated account management services. If you would like to discuss anything in further detail, you can email me on steven@netsecrets.co.uk, call me on 01386 792972, or chat directly to me by clicking on the Chat Logo on the PlanetStream website.

Malicious Flash Updates

Adobe have recently made announcements regarding reports of malware posing as Flash Player updates. According to Adobe, the malware worm posts comments on popular social networking sites, that include links to a fake site. If the link is followed, users are told they need to update their Flash Player. The installer, posted on a malicious site, of course installs malware instead of Flash Player.

 

Adobe have, in press releases, reiterated the importance of validating installers and updates before installing them. Their main and most critical point is to not download Flash Player from a site other than adobe.com (you can find the link for downloading Flash Player here). This is good advice, and the same practice should be followed for any other piece Video software that needs updating. (Reader, Windows Media Player, Quicktime, etc.) – if you get a notice to update a particular player when using it, always ensure you visit the site of the software manufacturer and download the update directly from the them. If the download is offered on an unfamiliar URL, you should be suspicious and not download anything from that page!.

 

The second point is that all Adobe software for Windows is signed with a digital certificate that is validated by Windows when you install their software. The Publisher will always be ‘Adobe Systems, Incorporated’, and you can verify this when you double-click the installer, or by right-clicking on the installer, selecting ‘Properties’, and going to the ‘Digital Signatures’ tab. For Flash Player, you can visit this page to verify what version of Flash Player you have installed, and what the current version of Flash Player is for your Operating System. The current Flash Player version is 9.0.124.0.

 

 

This blog uses information from  http://blogs.adobe.com/psirt/ 

Leading Specialist Holidays Tour Operator Signs Up For On Demand Video Streaming From PlanetStream

Balkan Holidays is the leading specialist holidays tour operator to Bulgaria, Croatia, Montenegro, Slovenia, Serbia and Romania. With 43 years of experience they offer great value summer beach holidays, winter ski, lakes & mountains holidays, tours and excursions, city breaks to Sofia, Varna, Bourgas and more, last minute holiday deals and low cost flights to Bulgaria from 20 UK airports.

On their website, www.balkanholidays.co.uk, the aim is to provide the best service available - just a few clicks will take you to your desired destination where you can view and experience many hotels and resorts – one of the most popular and effective ways to provide their visitors with the best experience is with short videos of the hotels and resorts available.

PlanetStream offered an ideal solution to Balkan Holidays requirements using our WMStream On Demand streaming service for Windows Media Videos. We have provided Balkan Holidays with a powerful and easy to use control panel for uploading and managing their product videos, and a comprehensive Statistics utility that reports and helps them to identify whether they are reaching their target audience and meeting their objectives through streaming.

You can now browse through and view over 80 videos featuring resorts and hotels by clicking here. Stefan Stoyanov, IT manager of Balkan Holidays London said “…'We are looking forward to a professional and robust service for our video content, in order to continue to maintain quality service to our clients by providing as detailed as possible information on the huge variety of accommodations that we offer. Please visit our web site and benefit from our Online Booking Discount on your next holiday!'…”

PlanetStream can help you implement the same exciting multimedia content on your web site without the expense and complication of running your own streaming media server, and back this up with our video streaming expertise and dedicated account management services.

If you think this could be the cost effective solution you are looking for, you can email me on steven@netsecrets.co.uk, call me on 01386 792972, or chat directly to me by clicking on the Chat Logo on the PlanetStream website.

Net TV technology seeks testers Blog

I saw this arcitcle earlier this week and found it interesting, so I thought I’d share it with you. The text is taken from http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/7517114.stm, and if you’re interested in signing up for the P2P Next trial, you can visit http://www.p2p-next.org/

Testers are being sought for technology that may help TV migrate to the net.

The P2P Next project has created a trial, or beta, version of software that can stream video across a file-sharing network.

The EU has put 19m euros into the project hoping the software the team creates will become a Europe-wide standard for broadcasters.

The P2P Next team are looking for thousands to sign up to give the technology a good workout.

Stream and serve

Many broadcasters, such as the BBC with its iPlayer, are already using the net to let viewers catch up with programmes they missed. Most of these systems use a central server to stream programmes to those that want to watch them.

However, most believe that TV via the net delivered this way will be unsustainable when huge audiences venture online for shows.

In a bid to create a system that can support huge audiences, the SwarmPlayer draws on the widely used BitTorrent peer-to-peer technology.

In such a system those watching a video share the data they are downloading with others, peers, who want to watch the same show.

The SwarmPlayer lets people download TV shows to watch later, lets them watch video as it is being downloaded and can even cope with live broadcasts.

The P2P Next project now wants thousands of people to install the software to see how it handles large audiences and whether picture quality suffers as the numbers of users rises.

Windows and Linux versions of the software are available with a Mac version due soon.

Those wanting to take part must have a broadband net connection speed of at least 600kbps or higher. Those downloading and installing the software will be able to see how it handles a live stream and a pre-recorded broadcast.

The P2P Next project is scheduled to run for four years and the SwarmPlayer is likely to be the first of many prototypes it produces.

11 Reasons To Use PlanetStream For Live Streaming

I was asked the ultimate question ... Why PlanetStream? by a prospect who was considering using us for live streaming. Here are the ELEVEN reasons I came up with:

• Wide choice of formats - Windows Media Player, Flash, RealPlayer.
• Help with setup, encoding, "tricks of the trade".
• UK based service - US based servers are so slow!
• Overseas partner network - if you need it.
• Free test before the event - to make sure no one has egg on their face!
• We can supply cameras, cameramen, mixing desks - if you don't have your own.
• Fanatical support - we love this stuff!
• Big company backup - part of NetSecrets Group
• If you are selling the service onward - we can be invisible to your client.
• Competitive prices - as if it matters when we are this good!
• Flexibility - if standard packages don't fit we'll come up with something special.

Bear in mind that many of the companies you will see offering this service are US-based and that means two trips across the Atlantic for your signal when you are broadcasting from the UK to the UK.

And remember you only have one chance to get a live broadcast right!