Digital Rapids Extends Closed Caption and Advertising Insertion Support with New Encoding and Streaming Updates

MARKHAM, Canada, April 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Digital Rapids has announced powerful new enhancements to the Digital Rapids Stream™ software for the company's StreamZ™, StreamZHD™ and Flux™ encoding solutions. The same new capabilities are also available as applicable in the StreamZ Live™ family of live streaming encoders and the Digital Rapids Transcode Manager® automated, high-volume file transcoding software. Recently-released or soon-to-ship new features include enhanced Closed Caption support for adaptive bit rate (ABR) streaming and support for automated advertising insertion when streaming live with Adobe® Flash® technologies.

Recently released new software updates add support for Closed Captions with Microsoft IIS Smooth Streaming technology and with HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) through the optional iPhone®/iPad™ encoding module. Existing Closed Captions from live and file-based sources are preserved and reformatted as necessary for delivery in the chosen output format. These expanded Closed Caption preservation capabilities enable greater accessibility to online content for hearing impaired viewers, while allowing content providers to comply with new regulatory requirements – such as the 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act in the United States – that mandate Closed Caption support in online video.

Expanded support for the use of cueing messages with Adobe Flash technologies enhances content owners' ability to monetize their media across multiple screens in fully automated workflows. Cueing messages in live input sources, commonly used in broadcast operations, can be detected to automate the insertion of cue points into outputs targeting Adobe Flash Player and Adobe AIR® applications. These cue points can be used to subsequently trigger downstream events including regional or personalized advertising insertion or replacement – such as workflows with ad serving via Adobe Auditude as part of Adobe's recently announced Project Primetime initiative. Digital Rapids encoders support Adobe streaming technologies including RTMP streaming and HTTP Dynamic Streaming (HDS) through the Flash Media Server software.

Additional new features in the latest software updates include DFXP timed text file creation from live and file-based sources; expanded advanced configuration options for streaming to Apple® devices; expanded video processing plug-in support for 23.976p to 59.94p frame rate conversion; and a variety of minor additions and refinements. Encoder models based on Digital Rapids' Flux™ hardware technology also now offer triggering based on VITC time code in the source input vertical blanking interval, complementing the existing ability to trigger based on VITC in ancillary data.

"The pace of our software updates continues to accelerate with three releases in the past four months alone, all in direct response to feedback from our customers and their evolving needs," said Darren Gallipeau, Product Manager at Digital Rapids. "From core capabilities to addressing growing compliance requirements and new monetization models, we're committed to providing media organizations and professionals with the industry's richest feature sets across all of our product lines."

The complete range of Digital Rapids solutions will be showcased in booth number SL5624 at the 2012 NAB Show, April 16-19 in Las Vegas. For more information about Digital Rapids, please visit www.digitalrapids.com.

About Digital Rapids Corporation – Digital Rapids provides market-leading content transformation and workflow solutions that empower the world's leading media organizations to reach wider audiences more efficiently, more effectively and more profitably. Recipients of more than two dozen prestigious awards for company and product excellence, Digital Rapids combines innovative technology with proven expertise and visionary insight to help our customers expand their audiences, increase their revenues, and reduce their costs. Digital Rapids Corporation (www.digitalrapids.com) is headquartered in Ontario, Canada with offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, Australia and Argentina.

Copyright 2012 Digital Rapids Corporation. All rights reserved. Digital Rapids, the Digital Rapids logo, StreamZ, StreamZHD, Digital Rapids Stream, Digital Rapids Transcode Manager, StreamZ Live and Flux are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Rapids Corporation. Dolby is a registered trademark of Dolby Laboratories. All other trademarks are the property of their respective holders. Features, pricing, availability and specifications are subject to change without notice.

SOURCE Digital Rapids Corporation