The Associated Press has introduced a file-based video news delivery service, providing broadcast customers with a delivery platform that better integrates with their digital newsroom production systems.
AP Media Port will allow customers to receive video news stories as separate digital files, which will be dispatched to the client as soon as each story is ready. This means clients will no longer need to record stories from AP's Global Video Wire feed based on a 24-hour bulletin schedule.
The service has already been installed at 40 customer locations and will eventually roll out to 800 sites. Until then, AP will continue to operate both delivery systems, allowing clients who have not yet switched over to the Media Port to use the traditional method of recording content from the Global Video Wire.
The Media Port server captures and forwards the video files to the customer's production system. Video editors at the customer location can access AP content on the Media Port server through a Web browser interface.
The server has a "backhaul" function that automatically resends videos that were missed by the customer. This feature, AP says, all but eliminates the need for time-consuming file retransmission requests which have historically been managed over the phone or via e-mail. The servers are accessible remotely by the AP, allowing it to monitor their health and install software updates as needed.
