KIT digital Uses Haivision's KulaByte(TM) Internet Encoder to Power Live Multiplatform Video Streaming for Nautilus Live
KulaByte Encoder Converts Live HD Feed From Exploration Vessel Nautilus to Multiformat Video Streams, Delivering Real-Time Educational Content to Broad Range of Viewers
Montreal and Chicago(14 Feb 2012)
MONTREAL and CHICAGO -- Feb. 14, 2012 -- Haivision Network Video today announced that its KulaByte live Internet encoder powers multiscreen video delivery for Nautilus Live, a cutting-edge live ocean exploration program. A part of a complete media system provided by KIT digital, the KulaByte H.264 encoder receives the raw HD video signal from the Nautilus vessel and converts it into multiple H.264 IP streams in the formats required for delivery to the Nautilus Live Roku channel, website, iPhones(R), iPads(R), and other mobile devices.
"Reaching the target audience across a wide array of platforms was critical to the educational mission of Nautilus Live, and KulaByte was an essential component in that effort," said Jesse Francis, solutions specialist, KIT digital, Inc. "This implementation was completed prior to the release of the KIT Video Platform, and so KIT digital worked with KulaByte to convert a single video stream to multiple high-quality formats with minimal latency. We were also impressed with its Internet streaming capabilities, which were able to detect outbound network congestion and automatically adjust the stream bit rates to deliver the best-quality output."
Currently docked in Yalikavak, Turkey, the research vessel Nautilus just completed a four-month field expedition in the Black and Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic Ocean. Nautilus Live is a project of Dr. Robert D. Ballard, the renowned oceanographer and explorer, and his international team of scientists and engineers, who conducted a range of activities such as mapping the sea floor, studying underwater volcanoes, and investigating aquatic life forms. Throughout the expedition, students, educators, researchers, and general audiences ashore were able to participate through the 24/7 live video feeds that were delivered from the ship via KulaByte and the KIT digital solution. The video feeds are an important component of The JASON Project, a partnership between National Geographic Society and Sea Research Foundation that delivered programs to classrooms and after-school settings such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America.
During the expedition, the Nautilus transmitted via satellite video feeds originating from the ship as well as its companion remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that were exploring the seafloor. The feeds were received at the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island, where the KulaByte encoder converted them to the formats required for multiplatform delivery -- including Dynamic Flash for the Nautilus Live website, and Adaptive HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) for mobile devices and tablet computers. In addition, KulaByte provided an HLS stream for Roku set-top streaming devices that were installed at Nautilus Live Exploration Command Centers (ECCs) at museums, aquariums, and schools around the country. The Nautilus Live Theater at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., has hosted more than 30,000 visitors since its opening as a featured ECC venue in 2010. The KIT digital solution employed Akamai's content delivery network to distribute the streams to all end-user devices.
"The Nautilus Live and JASON Project programs are truly groundbreaking in their efforts to give viewers the experience of being aboard the Nautilus ship, sharing discoveries in real time as they watched live ocean exploration and shipboard activities. And, thanks to KulaByte, they could participate using the platform or device of their choice," said Peter Forman, vice president, Internet media division at Haivision Network Video. "Nautilus Live is precisely the type of use case for which KulaByte was designed: a far-reaching program that relied on live HD video streamed over the Internet to provide a valuable learning experience for many types of viewers."
More information about Nautilus Live is available by visiting www.nautiluslive.org.
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About Sea Research Foundation
Based in Mystic, Conn., Sea Research Foundation is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that operates Mystic Aquarium, Institute for Exploration and, in partnership with National Geographic Society, The JASON Project and its Immersion Learning program. The mission of Sea Research is to inspire people to care for and protect our ocean planet through education, research, and exploration. For more information, visit searesearch.org.
About KIT digital, Inc.
KIT digital (NASDAQ: KITD) is a premium provider of end-to-end video management software and related services. The KIT Video Platform, the company's cloud-based video asset management system, enables enterprise, media and entertainment and network operator clients to produce, manage and deliver multiscreen socially enabled video experiences to audiences wherever they are. KIT digital services nearly 2,500 clients in 50+ countries including some of the world's biggest brands, such as Airbus, The Associated Press, AT&T, BBC, Bristol-Myers Squibb, BSkyB, Disney-ABC, FedEx, Google, HP, Mediaset, MTV, News Corp, Telecom Argentina, Telefonica O2, Universal Studios, Verizon, Vodafone and Volkswagen. KIT digital maintains executive offices in New York and its operational headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, with offices in 21 countries around the world. Visit the company at www.kitd.com or follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/KITdigital.
About Haivision Network Video
Haivision delivers advanced technology for streaming, recording, managing, and distributing secure IP video and interactive media within the enterprise, education, medical/healthcare, and federal/military markets. Haivision is a private company based in Montreal and Chicago, with technical excellence centers in Beaverton, Ore.; Austin, Texas; and Hamburg, Germany. With a global sales and support organization, Haivision distributes its products through value-added resellers, system integrators, distributors, and OEMs worldwide. More information is available at www.haivision.com.
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