Blog
Keep up to date with all Vindral and Composer related updates
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Apr 5, 2023Meet us at NAB 2023, Las Vegas
This year’s NAB show is just around the corner. The five-day event, which is taking place in Las Vegas from the 15-19th of April, is full of promise as it’s celebrating 100 years of innovation. Join us for some intense days, and ping us to meet up!
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Apr 5, 20232023 Streaming Media Europe 51 list
Streaming Media Magazine’s Europe 51 list is out. We’re glad to be featured among the best of the best.
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Feb 1, 2023ICE London 2023
This year’s Ice London is coming up, taking place at ExCel London during the 7-9th of February. Let’s meet!
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Jan 3, 2023Kicking off 2023!
Wrapping up 2022
A new year and the beginning of a new chapter lie ahead. Together with you, we produced some of our best work yet in 2022, making it a year for the books.
During the past year, the total license volume for both Vindral and Composer multiplied, exceeding all expectations. We also made some great additions to our team as we’re now growing into a global organization with some serious talent. Throughout the year, we’ve been an active voice in transforming the narrative around live streaming – away from the siloed latency-alone perspective to one that encompasses not only latency but quality and synchronized playout as well. And if 2022 has taught us anything, it’s that more verticals than ever are catching on.
A webinar on the future of live streaming took place in November, in which our CEO Daniel Alinder discussed the importance of resilient technology. Take a look here.
Our Customers
In 2022, we were lucky enough to meet with a bunch of you – either on-site or at one of the many events we attended (ICE, IBC, NAB, SME, Sigma, among others). It’s always a pleasure meeting with those who build services and games on top of our stack and learning more about your needs, plans, and expectations. It remains one of the greatest drivers behind our product road maps and strategic decisions.
We’re dedicated to delivering future-proof technology, which wouldn’t be possible without all your valuable feedback and feature requests. Our developers made several significant releases in 2022, adding lots of exciting new features to our solutions. Let’s have a look at the past year from our products’ perspectives.
Vindral – A year of growth and expansion
In 2022, Vindral took a quantum leap in terms of the number of customers, viewers, and overall capacity. We added more data centers in all regions and expanded into two new ones (Australia and South Africa). Today, the U.S. and Asia make up our largest markets, followed by Europe.
Furthermore, we added four new partners to secure future delivery capacity, Oracle (OCI) being one of them. Our white-label clients also gained new ground with several high-profile events using Vindral to stream at ultra-low latency and high quality.
AV1
Together with NETINT and Oracle, we launched the world’s first AV1-powered ultra-low-latency service as a part of our offering. Check it out at https://av1demo.vindral.com.
2023 – What’s coming up?
Just as stability and redundancy were a top priority for 2022, customer APIs and observability are major priorities moving into 2023; we’re excited to roll out support for channel management and stats via a new customer-facing API.
In the past year, we added support for Android TV, Apple TV, LG WebOS, and Samsung Tizen OS. During 2023, we will continue to expand our platform support.
Composer – Forward-looking igaming power
During 2022, we released four new versions of Composer, each one including new and important features and improvements, performance optimizations, and more tools for monitoring and integration. In total, we’ve carried out over 500 improvements, many of which were based directly on your feedback.
Composer, AV1, and 10-bit HDR
As mentioned above, the world’s first ultra-low latency playback featuring AV1 was one of our major achievements of the year. The live video source of the AV1 demo is powered by Composer, running a preview of a brand new 10-bit HDR video rendering engine. Check out the comparison to H.264 below.
2023 – What’s coming up?
For 2023, we are planning four new Composer releases – with features presenting new gaming opportunities. The first release is scheduled for Q1, and as always, subscribing customers will have free access to all new releases.
New customers and accelerated product development ahead
The growth of Vindral and Composer allows us to add more resources to our teams and further strengthen our products as we move into 2023. During Q1, we are launching a Partner Portal in which you will find a knowledge base, downloadable resources, and all the information you could possibly need as a prioritized partner.
All in all, 2022 has been a fantastic year working together with you – our clients, partners, and friends. Together, we’ve delivered outstanding live experiences across the globe, and we’re looking forward to continuing to do so in 2023.
Cheers!
RealSprint and Vindral team -
Oct 4, 2022Vindral at LLB Expo 2022
Our partner Entercast Nordic is showcasing a multi-camera live stream utilizing LiveU’s LU800 Pro together with Vindral. Make sure to visit booth B.08.31 and check it out!
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Oct 3, 2022The next-gen AV1 codec
Video is taking over. Up until 2029, the compound annual growth rate of video streaming is close to 20%, as reported by Fortune Business Insight. Yet, the live experience of 2022 is not nearly as good as it should be, and it’s partially due to the inadequacy of established high-quality video codecs supported by the majority of devices.
In a joint effort to develop a royalty-free, alternative video codec, the Alliance for Open Media was formed, involving practically every influential tech company. Its founding members: Google, Intel, Microsoft, Meta, Amazon, Apple, Huawei, Arm, Cisco, Mozilla, Nvidia, Netflix, Tencent, and Samsung, are all heavy hitters, accompanied by many more promoting members.
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Sep 20, 2022RealSprint’s CEO Daniel Alinder in Streaming Media Magazine Interview
RealSprint’s CEO Daniel Alinder sat down with Streaming Media Magazine during IBC to talk about our latest collaboration with Oracle and NETINT Technologies Inc., the future of AV1, and how we beat the industry-wide struggle of retaining a high-quality playout.
More information on AV1 and our partnership with NETINT can be found at https://vindral.com/articles/av1-codec/ and https://netint.com/worlds-first-av1-live-streaming-cdn/.
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Sep 14, 2022Vindral at the forefront of innovation
The future of live streaming is taking shape. Today Realsprint can announce the world’s first AV1 4K 10-bit HDR live streaming solution at sub-second latency and synchronized playout, with Vindral playing a major role in the development. Behind the technology is a three-way partnership between RealSprint, NETINT Technologies, and Oracle, which paved the way for the solution’s development – available in a live ABR demo with four profiles ranging from 360p to 4K at 12 Mbit/s. The solution utilizes Vindral, delivering high-quality video at sub-second latency and synchronization at scale, augmented with NETINT Technologies ASIC-powered Quadra T2 Video Processing Unit (VPU) and Oracle’s cloud infrastructure for global scale out. The performance marks a significant breakthrough, as it amplifies the viewing experience globally and showcases the thrilling performance of future live streaming.
Beating industry-wide shortcomings
Live experiences are rarely flawless. Watching a live stream on-the-go can be a frustrating experience. Live streams often lag, buffer or jitter, and video quality can drop quickly, especially on congested networks. At the same time, the consumer is expecting flawless delivery, now more than ever. The demand for higher quality, greater stability, better synchronization, and faster delivery, highlights the industry-wide inefficiency of contemporary codecs, such as H.264’s ability to stream high-quality content over the internet. Even though H.264 is currently the most widely deployed codec for the web, it’s unlikely to perform well in the future, as rising quality in video content require more bandwidth. In contrast, the effective quality-to-bandwidth performance of the AV1 codec opens the possibility to stream video content more efficiently, even in markets characterized by extensive bandwidth limitations and instabilities.
The compression of AV1 is approximately 50% more effective than H.264 and 30% more effective than HEVC, which clearly positions AV1 for the future. Although device support for hardware accelerated AV1 decoding is still limited, the solution points to the potential of AV1’s broad-scale adoption. Youtube and Netflix have both adopted the royalty-free, open-source AV1 codec to tackle the issue of rising qualities in OTT streaming, delivering higher frame rates in high-resolution formats, including 4K and even 8K. Now, that possibility is becoming a reality in live streaming as well.
Viewers are driving expectations for higher qualities, and new live verticals requiring the compression-efficiency of AV1 are emerging. Live sports, live auctions, live shopping, and interactive game shows all make the case for the promising AV1 codec. Beyond quality, these verticals require guaranteed sub-second latency and playout synchronization at scale to accelerate the user experience and reinvigorate the field of interactive live streaming. Thus, moving beyond the capacity of real-time-based solutions such as WebRTC and LL-HLS Chunked CMAF, trimmed exclusively for either fast delivery or stability. Vindral positions in the so-called Sweet Spot between these technologies, yielding an all-around performance enhancement.
The solution is available as a live demo at AV1 Demo. There is also a side-by-side comparison between AV1 and H.264 to use as a benchmark, available at comparison. Have a look. We’ll be curious to hear what you think.
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Sep 5, 2022IBC 2022 – Let’s meet!
This year’s IBC is just around the corner, taking place at the RAI in Amsterdam during 9-12 of September. We have a lot in the making that we’re excited to showcase – reach out and book a time to meet up.
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Aug 30, 2022Vindral delivers ATG streams to Android TV and Apple TV
RealSprint, a long-standing partner of ATG, has recently helped increase the reach of the horse racing company by creating TV apps for the Apple and Android ecosystems. This is one step in the journey of increasing platform support while maintaining a fully synchronized cross-platform experience.
With the help of RealSprint, ATG is increasing its content reach to include support for Android TV together with Apple TV. As a response to insights about audience behavior, the new apps that were recently released provide the same level of performance as the online ultra-low-latency stream on https://www.atg.se. Regardless of whether the viewer is watching on a desktop computer, mobile phone, or television set, every user is in sync, further emphasizing trust and fairness in the ATG brand.
ATG is the leading player in the Swedish trotting and horseracing scene, with races running just about every day, adding up to a total of 20 000 races yearly. The collaboration between ATG and RealSprint dates back several years, with ATG utilizing RealSprint’s Vindral to achieve ultra-low latency and synchronized playout while sustaining the highest video quality at full stability. The all-around strength of the Vindral streaming solution is required for ATG’s ability to provide a premium user experience, even for viewers on congested networks. Ultra-low latency and synchronized playout increase the window of opportunity, allowing fans to place their bets closer to the action. Bettors cherish this feature, as a lot goes into assessing the form of the horses during the warm-up of each race. Additional time at this stage is important in order to make proper assessments and thereby a prerequisite for placing more informed bets. Greater volumes of incoming bets also translate into increased business for ATG and catalyze their brand recognition.
“An important part of our strategy is to make ATG Live available on as many platforms as possible. Up until now, we’ve been available on ATG.se, the ATG app, the social betting platform ATG Tillsammans, as well as on linear television. Now, we add Apple TV and Android TV to the mix, and more is coming. RealSprint, who’s been an important supplier to us for many years, rapidly helped us extend our distribution to these apps, which has been widely appreciated among our customers.“
Mikael Kudrén, Head of Digital at ATGAlthough challenging, it is crucial to understand and continuously adapt to your audience. The behavior of the viewer is always at the core, and in the case of ATG, users appreciate the flexibility of being able to watch their favored horse racing on the television, tablet, or smartphone app.
For the most dedicated players and fans, horse racing is at the core of their lifestyle and something they are truly devoted to. With the extended support for synchronized cross-platform watching and betting, they can view the stream on one device and place their bets on another. Chromecast has been a prioritized playout method for a long time, and adding support for both AppleTV and AndroidTV is a way for ATG to further accommodate the needs and expectations of their customers. Greater flexibility for viewers to consume streams on multiple devices further strengthens ATG’s position as a brand with excellent customer satisfaction.
“Helping ATG improve its content distribution means the support is also added to our native and web SDK. Implementing support for Google Cast and Apple TV is a common struggle for live streaming platforms, but it’s becoming increasingly important to incorporate as users expect it. The native iOS SDK allows for picture-in-picture, and in combination with our ultra-low latency, synchronization, and 4K support, it adds to and further renews our offering.”
Per Mafrost, CTO of RealSprintBroad-scale support for Apple TV and Android TV is now available
While traditional television is dropping market shares, OTT media, especially subscription video on demand, SVOD, is seeing tremendous growth and is estimated to accelerate further during the coming years. Apps like Netflix, HBO, and Disney+ are transforming the way people consume video, leading to new consumer behaviors and expectations for the future – representing a shift in the modern TV and video ecosystems. Broad-scale cord-cutting with consumers canceling their multi-channel television subscriptions means an industry-wide transition from multicast to unicast. Consumers expect video content to be more relevant and in accordance with their personal preferences to a greater extent than before and count on content to be available and easily accessed cross-platforms. To this, the introduction of 5G is a contributing factor, strengthening the possibility of consuming video content on the go.
Linear television is still one important component in ATG’s delivery due to its popularity among viewers. Yet, the support for Android TV and Apple TV is a way to diversify ATG’s content distribution and proactively adapt to market shifts. Owning the content platform entirely is valuable, as it allows for greater customization, control, and optimization of their offering, continuously adding value for their customers.
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May 12, 2022Streaming Media East is around the corner – let’s meet up.
RealSprint will be joining in on the Streaming Media East Conference, taking place on the 23-25 of May in Boston, US. Streaming Media East is an annually recurring event showcasing leading trends in live streaming through joint workshops, panel discussions, and speakers from a range of different industries. This year’s edition covers topics such as future codecs, scalability, and latency in live streaming – areas where we have a lot to show for. Request a time slot below, or ping us to meet up.
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Apr 25, 2022RealSprint enters partnership with NETINT Technologies to provide next-generation live streaming
RealSprint announces partnership with NETINT Technologies to establish new standards for ultra-low latency live streaming. During NAB 2022 in Las Vegas, RealSprint’s CEO Daniel Alinder met with Alex Liu, NETINT Technologies co-founder.
The global market of live streaming is seeing tremendous growth as well as an accelerating demand for solutions that retain high-quality video and synchronized playout without sacrificing latency. Our Vindral streaming solution augmented with NETINT Technologies hardware encoding is a way to fuel further growth by reinvigorating the live streaming industry, thus moving beyond the capacity of contemporary, real-time-based alternatives. Recent development in verticals such as sports betting, with in-play gaining ground, further emphasizes the need for sub-second latency and – more notably – viewers being kept in sync. Our Vindral streaming solution augmented with NETINT Technologies hardware encoding is a way to fuel further growth by reinvigorating the live streaming industry.
RealSprint is dedicated to leading the field on a global scale, and the partnership with NETINT Technologies reinforces this commitment.