Microsoft, Akamai Team On Web Video
Will support adaptive streaming for hi-def content
By Glen Dickson -- Broadcasting & Cable, 10/28/2008 2:00:00 AM
Software giant Microsoft and leading content delivery network (CDN) Akamai are working together to deliver high-definition video to PCs through Microsoft’s Silverlight Web video player.
Microsoft has developed a new Web server technology called Internet Information Services 7.0 (IIS7.0) Smooth Streaming, which is designed to provide consumers with instant start-up times and no buffering by adapting the encoding rate of the video stream in real time based upon changes in the speed of the consumer’s broadband connection.
Such "adaptive streaming" technology, which relies on constant communication between a Web server and a software client on a consumer’s PC, is already used by Flash video specialists such as Move Networks to deliver high-quality streaming for programmers like ABC and Fox. Such programmers believe that delivering higher-quality video will lead to longer viewing times and thus, boost Web advertising revenues.
The Smooth Streaming upgrade for Silverlight, released as part of Microsoft’s new IIS7 Media Pack software, allows programmers to encode their content in a variety of bit rates and aspect ratios, says Microsoft’s Steve Sklepowich, group manager for Silverlight Media.
"Typically, you would do eight to 10 data rates with different configurations," says Sklepowich.
For Microsoft, partnering with the biggest CDN should provide a boost to Silverlight as it seeks to grab a share in the Web video space from the near-ubiquitous Flash player from Adobe.
Akamai will support Microsoft’s Smooth Streaming upgrade to Silverlight with a new service, Akamai AdaptiveEdge Streaming for Microsoft Silverlight, which will be deployed across the company’s globally distributed network. The AdaptiveEdge service, which is being demonstrated at Digital Hollywood in Los Angeles this week, is expected to be available to select Akamai customers in a beta release in early 2009.
Like other CDNs, Akamai sees the shift to more long-form, high-quality Web video as a obvious growth engine for its business.
"There’s been a big demand from content owners to get a true HD experience on the Web," says Tim Napoleon, chief strategist, Digital Media at Akamai. "Using the Microsoft Smooth Streaming technology, the content owner doesn’t have to choose what kind of experience they can support. The experience can adapt to the highest denominator [in broadband speed] available, and the stream seamlessly adapts down to that level."
At the high end, the content that will be delivered through the AdaptiveEdge service will be 720-line progressive video encoded at a bit rate of 4 to 6 megabits per second, though the whole notion of adaptive streaming means the bit rate delivered to the end user will vary depending on network conditions.
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I'd like to correct 2 statements made by Adam:
1) NBC did not abandon Silverlight in favor of Flash. NBC Sports co-operated with NFL on their Sunday Night Football project and it was NFL that made the decision to use Flash. See silverlightbiz.blogspot.com for details.
2) Microsoft is fully committed to supporting Silverlight on MacOS because one of the primary goals behind Silverlight is cross-platform support. The fact that Microsoft dropped support for PPC processors is merely a reflection of the current trend in Mac software. Even Apple is no longer committed to providing software for PPCs.
Alex Zambelli [Microsoft Corp] - 10/31/2008 6:47:00 AM EDT -
Addendum to below: Silverlight supports only newer, Intel-based Macs, not PowerPC-based Macs. NBC abandoned Silverlight in favor of Adobe Flash Player after the Olympics, according to a report in MacDailyNews.com.
Adam Smith - 10/28/2008 2:20:00 PM EDT -
Macs have cracked the 6% penetration level and market share continues to rise exponentially. Microsoft's Windows Media Player used to support Mac, but I believe the latest version no longer does. Microsoft ignores the Mac platform at its peril. Flash is Mac-friendly, and hopefully, its software developers will figure out how to do scaled streaming, too. Microsoft is no friend of broadcasting. Gates wants to drive all video content to the web, and is pushing hard to invade the white spaces between TV frequencies. Station/group/network owners should think about this when making purchasing decisions.
Adam Smith - 10/28/2008 1:25:00 PM EDT
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