ATLANTA—Endavo Media and Communications has been tabbed as the official OTT platform provider for the 2020 Democratic National Convention, helping to create a livestream of the event.

Endavo will create a custom app for the event, which will be available for download on Roku, Apple TV and Amazon Fire TV streaming devices. The app will serve as a free destination for live coverage of the convention, as well as offer bonus live and on-demand content. When the convention ends, viewers will have access to the entire recording through the app.

“We hope the timely launch of these apps for the DNCC, along with the entire convention streamed live, will help redefine how technology and democracy can work together to shape our country’s conversation for years to come,” said Paul Hamm, founder and CEO of Endavo.

The Democratic National Convention, where former Vice President Joe Biden will officially receive the Democratic party’s nomination for president, will take place in Milwaukee from Aug. 17-20, but the typical format will be shifted to adhere to safety guidelines because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

For more information, visit www.endavomedia.com.  

Portland, Oregon, October 10, 2019 – Variant Systems Group, a leading provider of live broadcast production tools for the sports media and entertainment industry, has received a strategic investment from FOR-A Company Limited, a worldwide provider of broadcast and video production technology. VSG and FOR-A have also finalized a global distribution agreement whereby FOR-A will offer, on an exclusive basis throughout the world, VSG’s Envivo family of products. The investment and the agreement are part of FOR-A’s ongoing strategy to invest in innovative companies that can bring new ideas, market knowledge and services into the company’s worldwide business.

Variant Systems Group provides best-in-class live production solutions for the ultimate in audience and fan engagement. The Envivo family of products is transforming the way media producers approach live production. Launched at the 2017 NAB SHOW, Envivo Replay offers a complete live event replay solution packaged in an intuitive user interface with continuous multiple iso-channel recording capabilities, simultaneous clip storage of multiple angles to clip bins, playlists for highlights playback, built-in branding capabilities, direct publishing to social media such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, WeChat, and Sina Weibo as well as support for high speed super slow-motion cameras. Launched at the 2019 NAB SHOW, Envivo Studio offers the same intuitive interface in a product specifically designed to address the needs of fan and audience engagement in live production workflows.

Adolfo Rodriguez, Co-Founder and CEO at Variant Systems Group said: "This strategic investment allows Variant Systems Group to fast-track our development and innovation efforts and to partner with a well-established, global leader in television and media, while expanding our mutually strong US position across Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Asia. Variant Systems Group and FOR-A have a very strong alignment on the requirements of live production workflows, and this investment ensures our two companies continue to innovate and grow together."

Katsuaki Kiyohara, President and Representative Director at FOR-A commented: “This investment demonstrates FOR-A’s ongoing commitment to identify and leverage emerging technologies that can enhance our products and provide our customers with improved workflows. This is an exciting opportunity to gain insights from a leader in live production solutions for the benefit of FOR-A’s customers and our mutual ongoing businesses.”

FOR-A, a worldwide, industry-leading manufacturer, offers a wide range of Broadcast and Production products with a focus on cutting-edge technologies including: HD, 4K and IP Products.

FOR-A continues to offer future-ready, cost effective, advanced technology solutions. Products include: Video Switchers, Routing Switchers, Multi Viewers, Full 4K High-Speed Cameras, IP Encoders/Decoders, Multi-Channel Signal Processors, 8K/4K/HD Test Signal Generators, Color Correctors, Frame Synchronizers, File-Based Products, Character Generators, Video Servers and much more.

For a full range of HD and 4K Production and Processing solutions, as well as IP-Based Products, visit www.for-a.com.

Headquartered in Portland, Oregon and founded by a team of video professionals with over 60 years of combined industry knowledge specific to the Live Production market and live event workflows, Variant Systems Group provides top-notch live production tools like “Envivo Replay” and “Envivo Studio” that fills a gap in the college sports market, as well as the high-end production market. Envivo Replay delivers a replay solution that offers ease of use, intuitive and ergonomic designs, and flexibility in addition to features, and workflows to support revenue-generating models. VSG’s Live Replay solution offers a proprietary user interface, which capitalizes on the effective interface of touch-screen user input, as well as mechanical hardware control input devices. Envivo Studio delivers a fan and audience engagement solution with the same intuitive interface in a product specifically designed to address the needs of live production workflows incorporating a Still Store, a Spot Box, Clip Store, a Live Switcher (For Cutting Camera Inputs), Loop Record, Internal Keyer (for Multi-layer Overlays), Switcher Support (Key/Fill Outputs), Drive Multiple Venue Screens (IMAG), VDCP Control, and many more capabilities.

For additional information please visit www.envivoreplay.com.

KENNEDY SPACE CENTER, Fla.—Millions of people watched the grainy black and white footage of Neil Armstrong taking his first steps on the Moon in 1969; in a special commemorative livestream produced by NASA, millions more people celebrated the Moon landing’s 50th anniversary on July 20 with a helping hand from Teradek and its Cube encoders.

The live, multi-site two-hour TV special from NASA TV and The Science Channel featured Teradek’s Cube encoders as part of a mix of transmission technologies to help send high-quality video over IP from different regions in the country to the broadcast facility in at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. In addition, the Teradek Core management platform was put in use to remotely route and configure encoders in the cloud.

Program feeds were delivered from Seattle, Houston, Huntsville, Ala., Washington, D.C., and Neil Armstrong’s birthplace, Wapakoneta, Ohio. All the feeds were managed, produced and distributed from the Kennedy Space Center to TV networks.

NASA had previously used Teradek technology for its 2017 live coverage of the Great American Eclipse across Facebook, YouTube, Twitch and NASA.gov.

New York, NY – June 19, 2018 – Adorama, the trusted source for market-leading photo, video, audio, imaging and electronics products and information, invites visual storytellers to New York City this June to hear how world-renowned photographers and filmmakers have leveraged social and online platforms to build their successful businesses and brands at Adorama INSPIRE. Chris Burkard, renowned photographer and filmmaker (“Under an Arctic Sky”) and Instagram star with 3 million followers will lead the brand building session on Storytelling in the Digital Age and Prince McClinton, creative powerhouse and business phenom behind Art of Visuals, the creative community platform with over 1 million followers, will take attendees into The Business of Content Creation.

In addition to the specially curated brand building sessions, Adorama INSPIRE will also feature a session on Crowdfunding and Building Your Audience with successful crowdfunder and filmmaker Christina Raia and Producing a Successful Livestream with broadcast expert Alex Lindsay.

Storytelling in the Digital Age with Chris Burkard

Attendees are invited to join renowned global adventure photographer and Instagram star (3 million followers and climbing), Chris Burkard, as he talks compelling content and engaging storytelling in a highly saturated social media landscape. The session, moderated by acclaimed travel photographer and editor-in-chief at Resource Travel, Michael Bonocore, will explore the necessary skills and approach to developing a social media following, generating engagement, and how to leverage this following. Attendees can expect a captivating dialogue covering how and why social media is used as a storytelling tool in the digital age, how to be sure people are seeing and actively engaging with your content, and how to effectively convey passionate experiences to followers.

“The art of long-form storytelling is rapidly disappearing as our attention spans become ever shorter and we are continuously exposed to new content on our various feeds,” says Michael Bonocore. “With this, social media becomes the number one place where it is absolutely critical to catch, and keep, someone’s attention long enough for them to want to hear your story. So how do we as creatives tell the stories that we are passionate about in just a few square-cropped photos? And how do we ensure people are actually seeing and actively engaging with our visual stories? I am excited to sit down with Chris Burkard at Adorama INSPIRE to talk about his passion for social media and storytelling, and how he has successfully combined them to create one of the most dynamic social media feeds on the internet today.”

Details:

• Thursday, June 28th
• 10:00am- 12:00pm
• Union Square Ballroom
• Admission: Free

The Business of Content Creation with Prince McClinton (Art of Visuals)

Prince McClinton, founder of Art of Visuals, one of the world’s largest creative communities inspiring over 1 million people daily via the wildly successful Art of Visuals Instagram creative community, sits down with amazing artists and creators - Josh Perrett, Paola Franqui, Josh Alvarez and Paul Seibert - to discuss photography, video, travel and the business of content creation. To be followed by a gallery reception celebrating art curated from the @artofvisuals community. Must be 18+ to attend.

Details:

• Monday, June 25th
• 6:30pm- 9:30pm
• Union Square Ballroom
• Admission: Free

Crowdfunding to Build Independence

This specially designed crowdfunding workshop led by expert Christina Raia takes attendees inside successful campaign strategies and the essential steps taken to connect with audiences, reach crowdfunding goals, and ultimately, distribution, with the end goal of a building a sustainable career. Christina Raia, NYC-based writer and director, the founder of CongestedCat Productions and the crowdfunding director at Seed&Spark, will host this workshop on financing film projects. Her work, a collection of short films, a web series and two feature films, has gained a large online following through multiple crowdfunding campaigns. She has been covered by press outlets such as Indiewire, AfterEllen and BuzzFeed.

Details:

• Tuesday, June 26th
• 6:30pm- 8:30pm
• Union Square Ballroom
• Admission: Free

Producing a Successful Livestream

Join livestream expert Alex Lindsay for an in-depth discussion on what is needed to execute a successful live internet broadcast. Alex has produced over 1,500 livestreams for celebrities, Fortune 100 companies and TV networks, which have been streamed from every continent to most of the popular live platforms. Folks of all skill levels are welcome to attend this free event, from on-the-go run-and-gun YouTubers to the big guns with broadcast trucks - events of all sizes will be discussed. Attendees can expect insights on planning, from video, audio and encoding, to learning how to manage the most important factors of an event that can often thwart a stream. Along the way, Alex will break down broadcasts and dive into key metrics to identify what makes a live web event great beyond just technical success.

Details:

• Thursday, June 28th
• 4:00pm- 6:00pm
• Union Square Ballroom
• Admission: Free

The weeklong Adorama INSPIRE conference-festival pays homage to cinematography, photography and social influence, offering specially curated workshops and community platforms that focus on improving technical expertise. Attendees can find the full Adorama INSPIRE schedule and registration details here.

ADORAMA: More Than a Camera Store

Adorama is more than a camera store – it’s one of the world’s largest photography, video, audio and computer retailers. Serving customers for more than 40 years, Adorama has grown from its flagship NYC store to include the leading online destination for imaging and consumer electronics. Adorama’s vast product offerings encompass professional video and audio, connected home, musical instruments and more, while its services include an in-house photo lab, AdoramaPix; resources and gear for photographers, filmmakers, production studios, broadcasting and post houses, and recording artists through Adorama Business Solutions; professional equipment rental at Adorama Rental Company; and the award-winning Adorama Learning Center, which offers free creative education via online channels such as the popular AdoramaTV on YouTube.

Visit ADORAMA at www.adorama.com.

Press Contact

Alexis Isaacs

Zazil Media Group

(e) alexis@zazilmediagroup.com

(p) +1 773 816 7944

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Fremont, CA - June 8, 2018 - Blackmagic Design today announced that the 2. Basketball-Bundesliga, Germany’s second tier national basketball league, has developed a live production workflow using broadcast infrastructure from Blackmagic Design to live stream matches from venues across the country.

Developed with support from Teltec AG, each of the sixteen portable production units (PPU) comprises two Micro Studio Camera 4K and a pair of Blackmagic Studio Cameras for acquisition, while an ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K is used for vision mixing.

As a rights owner, the Basketball-Bundesliga partnered with OTT service airtango to facilitate the live streaming of league matches. “Not only did we want to broadcast matches online, we also wanted to produce highlights packages and coverage of press conferences as well as club news, which fans could access for free,” explains Daniel Müller, managing director, 2. Basketball-Bundesliga.

He continues: “From the outset we wanted to enable clubs to deliver the best digital experience possible. To ensure that content is treated with consistency we’ve standardized our production workflow around a PPU system that is powerful yet user friendly.”

Müller explains that each club takes responsibility for assembling its own production crew, and they are encouraged to create content that helps bring fans more exclusive access to the team and its progress. “Each system is incredibly intuitive and provides enough creative flexibility that means clubs can experiment with the type of content they produce on the court and off.”

Match action is acquired in 1080i/50 from a pair of cameras in courtside and steadycam positions, while two fixed camera positions above each hoop supply the ‘basketcam’ shots. Live signals are taken into a bespoke production rack, where the ATEM switcher brings together graphics, scoring overlays, commentary and ambient audio.

“To achieve this, the livestreams have to reflect the speed, tension and excitement on the court and translate it for an online audience, so our footage has to be fast paced and accurate,” explains Müller. “Delivering nationwide, broadcast quality livestreams has been a massive long term project, requiring careful planning, budgeting and training, and Blackmagic Design’s pricing, reliability and high quality production have been essential in its successful deployment.”

A live program mix from stadiums around Germany is then uploaded to airtango where multiple live games can be streamed concurrently.

“The OTT offering not only enables clubs to establish a direct relationship with their fans but also help us as a league to grow the sports fanbase throughout Germany in a way that was never previously possible,” concludes Müller. A good content strategy underpinned by the right technology providers such as Blackmagic Design will allow us to better understand fans and deepen engagement.”

Press Photography

Product photos of Blackmagic Studio Camera, Micro Studio Camera, ATEM 2 M/E Production Studio 4K and all other Blackmagic Design products are available at www.blackmagicdesign.com/media/images.

About Blackmagic Design

Blackmagic Design creates the world’s highest quality video editing products, digital film cameras, color correctors, video converters, video monitoring, routers, live production switchers, disk recorders, waveform monitors and real time film scanners for the feature film, post production and television broadcast industries. Blackmagic Design’s DeckLink capture cards launched a revolution in quality and affordability in post production, while the company’s Emmy™ award winning DaVinci color correction products have dominated the television and film industry since 1984. Blackmagic Design continues ground breaking innovations including 6G-SDI and 12G-SDI products and stereoscopic 3D and Ultra HD workflows. Founded by world leading post production editors and engineers, Blackmagic Design has offices in the USA, UK, Japan, Singapore and Australia. For more information, please go to www.blackmagicdesign.com.

If you weren't able to attend TV Technology and Broadcasting & Cable’s "State of Streaming: How OTT leaders view quality, opportunity shifts to live/live linear channels" webinar, sponsored by Akamai, you can check it out here. We want to continue the conversation on this very important topic, so have a look at the webinar recording and join in.

Click here to access the full recording.

The priority of OTT video service providers (OSVPs) is shifting. Live and linear have surpassed SVOD in importance as confidence grows among OSVPs in the quality and reliability of their services, finds new research from TVTechnology and Broadcasting & Cable magazines, sponsored by Akamai. How does this effect you?

The “Scale My Service: OTT Video Providers Closing in on the TV Benchmark,” report shares the perspectives of company managers with responsibility for technical implementation of video streaming services at TV broadcast stations, groups and networks, pay-TV providers, programmers, TV service producers and new media companies, including:

• Half of U.S. operators say their online service already meets or exceeds the quality and reliability of traditional TV or will do so within six months
• 70 percent say they are meeting or exceeding at least some of their KPIs, and 20 percent say they meet all KPIs
• Three quarters agree that quality remains an important parameter

Click here to download the full white paper.

NEW YORK—Vimeo is now in the live streaming game, as the company announced the acquisition of live video solution Livestream and the launch of the new Vimeo Live service for live streaming capabilities. Vimeo will integrate Livestream technology to enable creators to capture, edit, stream and archive live events, as well as host, distribute and monetize videos.

The combination of Vimeo and Livestream will provide production hardware and software, including Livestream’s live event Mevo camera and live production switcher Studio. The technology will allow creators to broadcast Vimeo Live events in full 1080p with built-in cloud transcoding and adaptive streaming; auto-archived live videos on Vimeo can be replaced with files to support 4K viewing. There will also be new distribution and marketing tools, including the addition of Livestream’s syndication tools for live distribution across social platforms.

Vimeo will offer these new services with its OTT technology, enabling live content in branded apps on iOS, Android, Roku, Amazon, Samsung and other devices.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed. The deal, which is subject to certain conditions, is expected to close in the fourth quarter of 2017.

WASHINGTON—The U.S. National Aeronautics and Space Administration announced today it will produce the first-ever live 4K video stream from space during a Super Session at the 2017 NAB Show. “Reaching for the Stars: Connecting to the Future with NASA and Hollywood,” will take place at 10:30 a.m. on Wednesday, April 26 in room N249 of the Las Vegas Convention Center.

The panel is co-produced by NAB Show, NASA, and Amazon Web Services, and will explore how advanced imaging and cloud technologies are taking scientific research and filmmaking to the next level. The live feed from 250 miles above Earth will be encoded AWS Elemental encoding software on board the International Space Station and on the ground at Johnson Space Center.

The U.S. space agency is a pioneer in the application of advanced media—including 4K. By streaming real-time video that captures images four times the resolution of current HD technology, NASA is enhancing its ability to observe, uncover and adapt new knowledge of orbital and deep space.

During the NAB Show Super Session, a live 4K stream will enable NASA astronaut Dr. Peggy Whitson on the ISS to converse with AWS Elemental CEO and Co-founder Sam Blackman, who will be at the LVCC. In conjunction with the live 4K streaming event, NASA astronaut Dr. Tracy Caldwell Dyson and NASA Imagery Experts Program Manager Rodney Grubbs will take part in an LVCC-based panel discussion featuring Hollywood and technology leaders including Bernadette McDaid, head of development, VR & AR, Bau Entertainment; Khawaja Shams, vice president of Engineering for AWS Elemental; and Dr. Dave McQueeney, senior principal investigator, IBM Watson Group. The panel will be moderated by Carolyn Giardina, Technology Editor for The Hollywood Reporter.

The entire event will be available to the public for multiscreen viewing in live 4K and downconvertedHD at the AWS Live website, where video-on-demand also will be available after the event in lower resolutions. 4K-capable devices are required to view 4K content. AWS Elemental will deliver the live stream of the event via an AWS workflow that includes AWS CloudWatch, Amazon Route 53, and the Amazon CloudFront Content Delivery Network for public access in both 4K and HD. Roberts Communications Network LLC of Las Vegas, NV is providing the satellite downlink truck for the transmission from Johnson Space Center to the LVCC. Christie is providing full-resolution 4K projectors for in-room display during the Super Session.
Attendees will learn how:

• 4K and Ultra HD give NASA scientists a clearer, crisper view of their experiments, Earth, and the solar system;
• Live 4K video will help take research to the next level and allow NASA scientists to share discoveries as they are happening instead of after the fact;
• The powerful, first-ever live 4K streaming, cloud-enabled workflow from space works and how it can help commercial space endeavors and content creation;
• Hollywood and NASA inspire one another and the fascinating, surprising outcomes of this decades-long collaboration.

MCLEAN, VA.—Virtual reality and the peaceful transition of power for the U.S. government will be bedfellows on Friday, Jan. 20, as USA Today Network has announced that it will provide livestream virtual reality and 360-degree coverage of the inauguration of President-Elect Donald Trump.

Photo credit: Aaron P. Bernstein, Getty Images

The first livestream content produced by USA Today Network’s “VRtually There” show, the stream will include multiple VR camera angles positioned at the Capitol, the National Mall, and along the inaugural parade route. Nikon is providing a KeyMission 360 camera that will allow USA Today Network to livestreaming in 360-degrees via in-camera stitching.

Viewers can watch the livestream through VR headsets via the USA Today channel in the YouTube app. The livestream will also be available in 360-degree format through YouTube for desktop and mobile users.

USA Today Network’s streaming coverage of the inauguration will begin at 9:30 a.m.

NEW YORK—Even at 90, the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade is keeping hip with the latest trends, as NBCUniversal has announced, in association with Verizon, that the annual parade will be available as a 360-degree livestream for the first time.

Photo credit: NBCUniversal

The livestream will be made up of feeds from five 360 cameras placed along the parade route and graphic pop-ups of parade facts. Viewers can watch the livestream, which will be hosted by Marlon Wayans and Olivia Culpo, and synced with NBC’s broadcast of the parade, on Verizon’s YouTube page.

The 90th Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade will take place on Nov. 24 at 9 a.m.