Digital Rapids Previews Next Generation of High-Volume Transcoding Software with Cloud Support, Intelligent Automation and More

LAS VEGAS, April 11, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- NAB Show, Las Vegas, Booth SL6010: Digital Rapids has unveiled version 2.0 of the award-winning Digital Rapids Transcode Manager® enterprise-class, multi-screen media file transcoding software. Transcode Manager 2.0, built on the groundbreaking new Kayak™ application platform, combines outstanding quality, intelligent automation and exceptional performance for transforming high volumes of media between acquisition, production, archive and distribution formats. New features include powerful, logic-driven process automation; greater deployment flexibility; and seamless scalability beyond facilities into the cloud.

In addition to previews of Transcode Manager 2.0 in Digital Rapids' booth (SL6010) at the 2011 NAB Show, the new cloud transcoding capabilities running on the Windows Azure platform will be demonstrated by Digital Rapids in the partner demonstration area of Microsoft Corp.'s booth, SL3812.

"The rapid growth of revenue-expanding, multi-screen distribution opportunities and the exploding volume of available content are driving fundamental shifts in the way media enterprises approach their content processing workflows," said Brick Eksten, President of Digital Rapids Corporation. "From the on-demand scalability of the cloud to greater automation 'intelligence', these organizations are seeking more efficient ways to grow their operations while managing costs. Leveraging our new Kayak application foundation, Transcode Manager provides these customers with a powerful, future-proof transcoding platform that addresses these needs and can easily adapt with the evolving media landscape."

Advanced logic-driven process automation

Transcode Manager 2.0 features sophisticated new process automation capabilities. The included Kayak Designer allows users to visually define sophisticated, decision-based media processing flows with rich metadata support. Processes from video and audio manipulations and compression to progress monitoring and publishing can be easily combined into simple or complex workflows with immediate visual feedback.

Transcode Manager 2.0 integrates its logic-driven automation inline within the transcoding process. Advanced logic branching allows different tasks or parameters to be applied based on the characteristics of the source media and previous processing results. Continuous analysis dynamically adapts processing to changing input attributes on a frame-by-frame basis, such as mixed 3:2 pulldown and 'natively' interlaced content within the same source file.

Into the Cloud

Transcode Manager 2.0 extends its superior scalability with seamless integration between on-premises and cloud-based media processing. Cloud transcoding support enables on-demand, elastic resource expansion without the capital expenditure and time-consuming effort of provisioning of additional local physical systems. Lightweight, self-deploying Kayak Cloud Engines can be instantiated as-needed using available software licenses. Running on the Windows Azure platform, Transcode Manager 2.0's cloud transcoding capabilities tightly integrate with on-premises Transcode Manager installations for seamless hybrid operations.

"The cloud model offers content creators and distributors the ability to scale up rapidly to meet peaks in demand without a significant capital expenditure burden or lengthy deployment cycle," said Jake Winett, Director of Media & Entertainment Industry Solutions, Microsoft Communications Sector. "Digital Rapids' approach with Transcode Manager 2.0 and the Kayak application foundation enable media organizations to use the Windows Azure platform in their content transformation workflows, and we're excited to be working closely with Digital Rapids to showcase these combined strengths to our customers."

Flexible Deployments and Easy Transitions

Transcode Manager 2.0 will enable flexible new deployment models, with licenses 'checked out' from a central pool as needed by transcoding tasks rather than statically assigned to specific transcoding engines. Transcode Manager 2.0 will also provide a smooth transition path for existing Transcode Manager users. New Kayak-based transcoding engines can be integrated easily into existing Transcode Manager installations, appearing to operators as additional resources in the Transcode Manager interface alongside existing 'classic' Transcode Engines.

Developers wishing to deeply integrate their technologies or solutions with Transcode Manager 2.0 can develop directly on the Kayak application platform. Kayak provides a rich, multi-language, component-based foundation for developing, designing and managing applications deployable from the desktop to the cloud.

Transcode Manager 2.0 is slated for release in the second half of 2011.

The complete range of Digital Rapids solutions is being showcased in booth number SL6010 at the 2011 NAB Show, April 11-14 in Las Vegas. For more information about Digital Rapids, please visit www.digital-rapids.com.

About Digital Rapids Corporation – Digital Rapids provides the leading hardware and software solutions for transforming and delivering media, enabling the multi-platform experiences that are changing how audiences view content. Scaling from standalone appliances to global workflows, Digital Rapids solutions enable media professionals to maximize their productivity, quality, and the value of their content. Recipient of a coveted IBC Innovation Award and four prestigious Frost & Sullivan honors for encoding and transcoding leadership, Digital Rapids combines innovative technology with proven expertise to help our customers expand their audiences, increase their media revenues and reduce their costs. Digital Rapids Corporation (www.digital-rapids.com) is headquartered in Ontario, Canada with offices in the United States, the UK, Australia, Argentina and Hong Kong.

Copyright 2011 Digital Rapids Corporation. All rights reserved. Digital Rapids, the Digital Rapids logo, Digital Rapids Transcode Manager and Kayak are trademarks or registered trademarks of Digital Rapids Corporation. 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