Harmonic Launches ProMedia Software Solutions

Harmonic announced the ProMedia family of software solutions that optimize live and file-based multiscreen video production and processing for content and service providers. The ProMedia family performs a broad range of functions, including transcoding, packaging, and origination to enable high-quality video creation and delivery of live streaming, live-to-VOD, and VOD services to TVs, PCs, tablets, smartphones, and other IP-connected devices. ProMedia is also an ideal solution for content creation in file-based workflows such as tapeless production environments.

A unique suite of software products that can be deployed individually or as an end-to-end video processing solution, the ProMedia family offers the flexibility and performance required for today’s multiscreen video services. The ProMedia family is also integrated with leading digital rights management systems, asset management systems, and content distribution networks, in addition to other Harmonic products including encoders, receivers, playout servers, and storage.

The ProMedia family leverages Harmonic’s strong H.264 video codec expertise — based on the same intellectual property behind Harmonic’s market-leading Electra encoders — to provide superior-quality video content for multiscreen viewing.

The ProMedia family includes four software products:
• ProMedia Live is a real-time video processing and transcoding system with enhanced H.264 video codec technology developed by Harmonic and optimized for creating high-quality Internet video streams.

• Powered by Rhozet technology, ProMedia Carbon (formerly Carbon Coder) is a file-based transcoder that supports the largest array of acquisition, editing, broadcast, Web, and mobile formats in the industry. The system scales from a single instance to a large automated multinode transcoding farm.

• ProMedia Package is a carrier-grade adaptive streaming preparation system for secure, high-value Internet video services. ProMedia Package supports numerous HTTP streaming protocol standards and is capable of packaging in multiple output formats from a single video source, enabling a more scalable, distributed architecture.

• ProMedia Origin is an HTTP and RTMP streaming video server ideal for originating a broad range of multiscreen services in a scalable, easy-to-manage, carrier-class platform. Leveraging industry-standard protocols from Adobe, Apple, and Microsoft to maximize device interoperability, ProMedia Origin enables services such as live streaming, VOD, catch-up TV, start-over TV, and network DVR to connected devices.

“As demand continues to grow for more video on more devices, content creators and service providers need to implement an efficient and scalable infrastructure that can support a wide variety of input, editing, and output formats,” said Moore Macauley, director, multiscreen product line management at Harmonic. “The ProMedia family is the most comprehensive multiscreen video processing solution available and leverages Harmonic’s expertise in both live and file-based video services, including more than 200 multiscreen deployments. It can easily be added to an existing broadcast video infrastructure to deliver high-quality video services to any IP-connected device, including tablets, smartphones, PCs, and TVs.”

Control and management can be handled by Harmonic NMX Digital Service Manager or a Web-based GUI for real-time services. Harmonic is offering server-based hardware appliances to host the various ProMedia software applications. The first customer shipments are expected to begin in August.

Harmonic solutions for the production and delivery of high-value video services in the multiscreen environment have been successfully deployed for new Internet and mobile TV services by leading satellite, telco, cable, and broadcast operators in North America; major cable, telco, and mobile operators in Europe; and a key CDN operator in the Middle East.

The ProMedia family will be featured at Harmonic’s stand #1.B20 during IBC2011 in Amsterdam, Sept. 9-13.