Digital Rapids Unlocks the Power of Digital Content Distribution with MediaMesh

Advanced media distribution architecture and robust receiving appliances deliver increased efficiency, automation and cost savings

September 10, 2009 -- IBC 2009, Amsterdam, Stand 7.G41: Digital Rapids today announced the launch of the new MediaMesh content distribution system. Combining a robust, scalable delivery framework with full-featured, flexible receiving appliances, MediaMesh provides efficient, automated distribution of digital media between content providers, contributors, aggregators and distribution partners.

Today's exploding volume of content and broad range of distribution outlets demand easier and more efficient mechanisms for media delivery. The scope of distribution far exceeds the traditional scenario of cable and broadcast affiliates, as distribution channels may span multiple platforms, VOD, Electronic Sell-Through and more, each with specific formatting requirements. Expensive, time-consuming and labor-intensive physical delivery mechanisms are no longer efficient in today's fast-moving media economy. The MediaMesh content delivery system enables fully digital distribution of HD, SD and Digital Cinema content over public and private terrestrial IP networks and satellite, providing increased automation, greater efficiency and significant cost savings.

Built on the Digital Rapids C2 data delivery framework, MediaMesh offers an unparalleled combination of acceleration, reliability, security and efficiency for transferring media files and associated metadata to multiple recipients in parallel. Supporting unicast, multicast and hybrid delivery models, MediaMesh overcomes the performance limitations typical in IP-based networks and streamlines the tapeless delivery of content ranging from ad spots and promos to syndicated series and long-form features.

MediaMesh RX receiving appliances provide robust functionality at the endpoints of the digital distribution chain. Comprehensive features including verified receipt, visual Quality Control validation, inventory management, content repurposing, transfer to third-party servers and playout are tightly integrated in an intuitive graphical interface. Integrated transcoding and re-packaging capabilities allow received media to be conformed to local formatting requirements, from varying server file formats and metadata structures to different compression formats for alternative platforms and devices. By performing these functions at the receiving 'edge' of the content delivery pipeline, MediaMesh further increases distribution efficiency by reducing the need to deliver multiple variants from the source while preserving valuable, monetization-enabling metadata. The incorporation of these capabilities directly within the MediaMesh interface avoids the historical need for the use of separate, third-party repurposing tools after media receipt.

"Content and rights owners are striving towards two seemingly conflicting objectives -- expanding their revenues through broader distribution and syndication while reducing their delivery and operational costs," said Brick Eksten, President of Digital Rapids Corporation. "MediaMesh enables them to achieve both goals, scaling efficiently and flexibly to any number of recipients at considerable savings over physical distribution or expensive services."

Content is submitted into the MediaMesh distribution system through a Web-based portal. Media files and associated metadata are submitted through a browser-based interface, which packages them for transfer through the MediaMesh architecture. "Pre-packaged" content can also be transferred to MediaMesh receivers directly over local networks or through the C2 data delivery software.

MediaMesh works seamlessly alongside Digital Rapids' ingest, encoding and transcoding solutions to form complete workflows from ingest through delivery. It can also be easily incorporated with third-party systems through open standards, workflow features such as watch folders and Web Services APIs for custom development.

The complete line of Digital Rapids solutions is being showcased in stand number 7.G41 at the IBC Conference and Exhibition, September 11-15 in Amsterdam. For more information, 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.