Starfish integrates Zixi
April 22, 2022
Zixi, a specialist in enabling live broadcast-quality video over any IP network, has announced an integration and partnership with Starfish Technologies, a leading supplier of innovative software solutions to International TV broadcasters and media companies, including TS Splicer and TS Signal Processor whose applications are in traditional broadcast, IPTV, satellite and cable systems. Starfish Technologies users can now leverage integrated Zixi protected live IP video as part of their content replacement and advertising workflows.
Starfish TS Splicer and TS Signal Processor have the SDVP and native Zixi protocol support built-in meaning that customers can effortlessly and seamlessly switch input streams and splice transport streams for ad insertion or content blocking applications. The company provides splicing and processing, advertising insertion, regional program replacement, media transcoding, opt-out signal decoding and video description technologies for the deployment of automated systems for media suppliers across a wide range of applications. TS Splicer is a software-based product that splices multiple Transport Streams – frame accurately. It combines the capabilities of decoding SCTE 35 opt-out signaling, media storage and splicing, to offer a complete media insertion system. The TS Signal Processor is a software solution to modifying control signals in an encoded media stream. Typical applications include adding SCTE35 ad break commands, modifying existing ad break commands, adding anti skip control signals and parental control content markers. These products are used by content providers of traditional TV broadcast signals or OTT platforms to enable additional revenue opportunities through advertising insertion, or by blocking unsuitable content.
Starfish Technologies utilizes key components of the SDVP to transport broadcast quality live video over any IP network. Low latency error-free transport over IP networks is critical to TV service providers contributing and delivering live video over unmanaged IP networks, and the Zixi protocol is a resilient congestion and network-aware protocol that adjusts to varying network conditions and employs patent pending, dynamic Forward Error Correction techniques for error-free video transport over IP with 99.9999% uptime at minimal latency. It provides best-in-class security with DTLS and AES encryption, allows for protected multicast transport, provides bandwidth efficiency and enables encoder backpressure. The Zixi ZEN Master control plane is also integrated to enable users to manage large-scale configurations and orchestrate, analyze, monitor, and report on live video streams including Starfish deployments, and the Zixi Enabled Network of customers, integrated hardware and software applications, platforms and service providers standardized on Zixi.
“As the market is evolving, the Zixi partnership gives our customers the needed broadcast quality, secure, and reliable live video over flexible IP networks,” said Peter Blatchford, CMO, Starfish Technologies. “The Zixi Partner Program made it very easy for us to quickly integrate the SDVP and go-to-market.”
“Our customers more and more have a demand to monetize and deliver localized content,” said John Wastcoat, SVP Alliances and Marketing, Zixi. “The Starfish integration gives them the media insertion and advertising capabilities to maximize programming.”