Digital Rapids Announces Software Updates to StreamZ, StreamZHD, and Flux Encoders

Digital Rapids has announced an array of new enhancements to the Digital Rapids Stream software for the company's StreamZ, StreamZHD and Flux encoding solutions. Upcoming new features include Closed Caption support for live streaming with Adobe(r) Flash(r) technologies; expanded support for automated advertising insertion; enhanced H.264 and MPEG-2 encoding; and new integration with content access and security solutions from Irdeto and Motorola Mobility.

The same advances will also be available as applicable in the StreamZ Live family of live streaming encoders and the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager automated, high-volume file transcoding software. 

The new software releases extend Digital Rapids' support for Closed Captions with enhanced preservation of captions during conversion between differing frame rates and the new ability to embed CEA-608 and 708 captions in live streams targeting Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR(r) applications. These expanded Closed Caption capabilities help bolster content accessibility for hearing impaired viewers while enabling compliance with legal requirements that have recently expanded to encompass online video. Digital Rapids encoding solutions support Adobe technologies including RTMP streaming and HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) via Adobe Media Server.

The upcoming version 3.8 expands the Stream software's support for automated advertising and monetization workflows to include the HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) protocol. Cueing messages in live input sources can be detected to automate the insertion of markers into HLS outputs for triggering downstream events such as local ad insertion or replacement.

The soon-to-be-released Stream 3.7.4 update features integration with the Irdeto Control content management system, expanding Digital Rapids' range of third-party integrations supporting Microsoft PlayReady technology for protecting Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming content. Irdeto Control, a component of the Irdeto Broadband solution suite, allows content owners and distributors to protect their valuable digital content and to manage how that content is accessed by consumers on a variety of devices.

Stream 3.7.4 also adds support for the Motorola SecureMedia(r) Encryptonite ONE(tm) HLS+ content security solution. Based on the HLS adaptive streaming protocol, SecureMedia Encryptonite ONE HLS+ is the award-winning security component of the Motorola Medios suite of multi-screen content delivery solutions, enabling operators to securely deliver linear and on-demand content to a wide range of viewing devices.

The new software upgrades also further enhance Digital Rapids' highly-acclaimed H.264 and MPEG-2 encoding quality, performance and configurability.

"While our solutions have earned their reputation for delivering superior encoding quality, there continue to be opportunities for further quality enhancements, and we're pleased to be bringing such gains to our customers in our upcoming updates," said Darren Gallipeau, Product Manager at Digital Rapids. "Meanwhile, as content and rights owners refine their multi-screen content monetization strategies, robust support for their chosen content security and rights management technologies and the ability to streamline their advertising workflows become increasingly imperative in enabling their success."

The complete range of Digital Rapids media transformation and workflow solutions will be showcased in booth number 7.F33 at the IBC 2012 exhibition in Amsterdam. For more information about Digital Rapids, please visit www.digitalrapids.com.