Videon Launches New EdgeCaster Edge Compute Encoder

Videon is addressing professional and prosumer demand for lower-cost, lower-latency live streaming with its new EdgeCaster edge compute encoder.

Videon's unique edge compute encoding technology bypasses a layer of cloud-based processing, in turn reducing latency to as little as less than 4 seconds and cutting the average user's streaming costs by 50%.

"Our new EdgeCaster edge compute encoder makes it easier and more economical than ever to deliver high-quality streaming content to emerging markets — smaller groups of viewers dedicated to specific events or interest areas — that represent a quickly growing share of content consumption today," said Todd Erdley, Videon co-founder and CEO. "Ease of use, low latency, and a low price point combine to make the EdgeCaster a transformative live streaming option across a wide range of use cases."

Traditional live streaming models can add 20 or 30 seconds of latency. By comparison, traditional live broadcast introduces 5 seconds of latency. Videon's EdgeCaster edge compute encoder technology enables a wide range of emerging applications with <4 second latency from camera to playback using public internet connections.

The EdgeCaster HD and EdgeCaster 4K encoders eliminate heavy computational processes — transcoding, format repackaging from RTMP to HLS/DASH, and creation of multiple bit rates — in the cloud by handling these tasks efficiently at the network edge. As a result, the Videon encoders offer higher performance and a lower fixed cost per stream in addressing the requirements of delay-sensitive video applications, as well as applications with high-volume streaming to limited numbers of viewers per stream.

Built for professionals in the prosumer, pro AV, and broadcast markets, the EdgeCaster line offers an advanced streaming feature set with capabilities including ultra-low-latency streaming, cost-saving edge compute processing, forward error correction, and full duplex encoding/decoding.

The EdgeCaster HD boasts latency of less than 4 seconds and provides multiple RTMP, SRT, and HLS support. The Videon EdgeCaster 4K includes these capabilities, plus the ability to output up to 6 streams simultaneously in multiple bit rates/resolutions, power over Ethernet (PoE), support for H.265/HEVC, and video resolution up to 4K30.

The new EdgeCaster edge compute encoder line is making its debut at ISE 2019. Videon will begin shipping the EdgeCaster HD and EdgeCaster 4K during the 2019 NAB Show.