AMSTERDAM: Elemental Technologies showcased the live streaming of 3D video in 1080p at the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC) in Amsterdam.
Elemental is collaborating with Microsoft, Level 3 and TVN Group to deliver 3D content live over the Internet using Microsoft Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming.
Microsoft senior product manager for Silverlight David Sayed says, "Microsoft is committed to delivering the richest, highest-definition video experiences on the Web. Elemental’s support for IIS Smooth Streaming brings the required encoding power needed for live, broadcast quality 3D adaptive video delivery over the Internet, enabling a seamless viewing experience for consumers with Microsoft Silverlight-based media players and other devices enabled by IIS7 Media Services 4.0.”
The demonstration features a real-world, end-to-end 3D workflow:
* A live 3D TV signal originates from a TVN Group television studio in Hamburg, Germany.
* Elemental Live performs high-density, multi-bit rate video encoding using the IIS Smooth Streaming architecture.
* Level 3 Communications provides content delivery via its global communications network to Amsterdam.
* On the show floor, attendees see live streaming 3D video content on a PC-based Silverlight player powered by an NVidia 3D active shutter display.
The massively parallel design of Elemental Live allows a single system to perform the heavy-duty encoding required for HTTP streaming of live 1920 x 1080 3D content. In the demonstration, a single system directly accepts an incoming 3D signal and performs simultaneous encoding of five output streams for multi-screen delivery.
The content is formatted for IIS Smooth Streaming, an adaptive bit rate protocol that enables the audience to experience a compelling, uninterrupted online viewing experience. With IIS Smooth Streaming and Elemental, viewers can enjoy live concerts, movies or popular sporting events in 3D through Silverlight clients on a variety of devices.
Elemental Technologies VP marketing Keith Wymbs says, “IIS Smooth Streaming provides a better way to make full HD 3D on the web a reality. For end users, the quality of the Elemental Live output, combined with the reliability and options available with IIS Smooth Streaming, bring a dramatically improved video viewing experience.”
