Digital Rapids Powers Radio & Television Society Streaming

A leading provider of tools and solutions for bringing television, film and web content to wider audiences - Digital Rapids - has announced that the company's award-winning TouchStream appliance powered live internet streaming of the prestigious The Digital Chiefs event for the Hollywood Radio and Television Society (HRTS) last month.
Part of the HRTS Newsmaker Luncheon Series and presented in association with National Association of Television Program Executives (NATPE). The Digital Chiefs: A Special Conversation on the Future of Media in the Digital Age featured an all-star lineup of top executives in the digital entertainment industry.
Moderated by Bob Iger, President and CEO of The Walt Disney Company, the panel provided an engaging discussion of the monetisation of digital media, the impact and future of social networking, and the need for even the most successful digital entertainment companies to continually evolve in a constantly growing digital media landscape. Panelists included Chris Anderson, Editor-in-Chief of Wired Magazine; Chad Hurley, CEO and Co-Founder of YouTube; Jason Kilar, CEO of Hulu; and Jonathan F. Miller, Chief Digital Officer, Chairman and CEO of Digital Media Group at News Corporation.
A TouchStream appliance was used on-site to encode live video feeds into the H.264 compression format and stream them live to the content delivery provider for the event, Limelight Networks. Audience delivery of the streams was provided by Limelight Networks, for viewing through Adobe Flash Player.
Mike Nann, Director of Marketing and Communications at Digital Rapids, said: "We're excited to have worked with the Hollywood Radio & Television Society on this exceptional event, which featured an impressive roster of leaders in the digital entertainment industry.
"With the event focusing on the future of digital media and featuring panelists who are shaping that future, it seems fitting that our award-winning technology was used to power the live internet coverage directly from the venue. We look forward to working with HRTS further on their new digital initiatives."
Dave Ferrara, Executive Director of HRTS, said: "We're pleased to work alongside Digital Rapids to provide live internet streaming to all of our members and industry associates that are unable to attend our events. The industry's transition into the digital space is a key focus for us, and combining our digital efforts with market-leading technologies is an important element. The response that we received to the broader accessibility of this event and the visual quality of the live stream were extremely positive."
Ideal for live event coverage, TouchStream live streaming appliances are built on the same market-leading technology that had made Digital Rapids' versatile encoders the platform of choice for leading studios, networks and facilities worldwide. TouchStream delivers Digital Rapids' renowned streaming video quality and reliability in fully a self-contained, portable form factor with unparalleled ease of use. Software controls are accessed through an intuitive touch-screen interface with integrated video monitoring, eliminating the need for laptops, keyboards, mice and separate monitors. Flexible features allow refinement of the incoming source and the addition of branding to the outgoing stream, while models supporting multiple formats - including VC-1 and H.264 compression formats for Microsoft Silverlight and Adobe Flash technologies - provide easy adaptability to varying project requirements.
HRTS is the entertainment industry's premier information and networking forum. Chartered since 1947, the HRTS gathers together leading industry executives and companies representing broadcast and cable networks, studios, talent and management agencies, producers, legal and financial firms, new media companies and more to address issues that are relevant to the ongoing success and future of the entertainment business. Current HRTS membership represents over 700 executives and 48 leading companies from across the entire industry landscape.
Further information is available at: www.digital-rapids.com.
(KMcA/BMcc)