October 20, 2009 -- Markham, Ontario: Digital Rapids -- the leading provider of tools and solutions for bringing television, film and web content to wider audiences -- today announced that the company's award-winning TouchStream appliance powered live Internet streaming of the prestigious "The Digital Chiefs" event for the Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) last month. Part of the HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Series and presented in association with National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE), "The Digital Chiefs: A Special Conversation on the Future of Media in the Digital Age" featured an all-star lineup of top executives in the digital entertainment industry.
Moderated by Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the panel provided an engaging discussion of the monetization of digital media, the impact and future of social networking, and the need for even the most successful digital entertainment companies to continually evolve in a constantly growing digital media landscape. Panelists included Chris Anderson, Editor in Chief of Wired Magazine; Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube; Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu; and Jonathan F. Miller, Chief Digital Officer, Chairman and CEO, Digital Media Group at News Corporation.
A TouchStream appliance was used on-site to encode live video feeds into the H.264 compression format and stream them live to the content delivery provider for the event, Limelight Networks(r). Audience delivery of the streams was provided by Limelight Networks, for viewing through Adobe(r) Flash(r) Player.
"We're excited to have worked with the Hollywood Radio & Television Society on this exceptional event, which featured an impressive roster of leaders in the digital entertainment industry," said Mike Nann, Director of Marketing and Communications at Digital Rapids. "With the event focusing on the future of digital media and featuring panelists who are shaping that future, it seems fitting that our award-winning technology was used to power the live Internet coverage directly from the venue. We look forward to working with HRTS further on their new digital initiatives."
"We're pleased to work alongside Digital Rapids to provide live Internet streaming to all of our members and industry associates that are unable to attend our events," said Dave Ferrara, Executive Director of HRTS. "The industry's transition into the digital space is a key focus for us, and combining our digital efforts with market-leading technologies is an important element. The response that we received to the broader accessibility of this event and the visual quality of the live stream were extremely positive."
Ideal for live event coverage, TouchStream live streaming appliances are built on the same market-leading technology that has made Digital Rapids' versatile encoders the platform of choice for leading studios, networks and facilities worldwide. TouchStream delivers Digital Rapids' renowned streaming video quality and reliability in fully a self-contained, portable form factor with unparalleled ease of use. Software controls are accessed through an intuitive touch-screen interface with integrated video monitoring, eliminating the need for laptops, keyboards, mice and separate monitors. Flexible features allow refinement of the incoming source and the addition of branding to the outgoing stream, while models supporting multiple formats -- including VC-1 and H.264 compression formats for Microsoft(r) Silverlight(r) and Adobe Flash technologies -- provide easy adaptability to varying project requirements.
HRTS is the entertainment industry's premier information and networking forum. Chartered since 1947, the HRTS gathers together leading industry executives and companies representing broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent and management agencies, producers, legal and financial firms, new media companies and more to address issues that are relevant to the ongoing success and future of the entertainment business. Current HRTS membership represents over 700 executives and 48 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape.
For more information about Digital Rapids, please visit www.digital-rapids.com.
About Digital Rapids Corporation – Digital Rapids develops market-leading hardware and software solutions for transforming and delivering media, enabling the multi-platform experiences that are defining the future of digital video. Scaling from individual applications to enterprise and global operations, Digital Rapids systems span the critical points in today's complex media workflows. Recipient of two prestigious Frost & Sullivan awards in the World Video Encoders and Transcoders market, Digital Rapids combines innovative technology with proven expertise to help our customers maximize their productivity, quality, and the value of their content in the evolving digital media market. Digital Rapids Corporation (www.digital-rapids.com) is headquartered in Ontario, Canada with offices in the United States, the UK, Australia, Argentina and Hong Kong.
