Telestream Debuts Vantage at NAB Show to Integrate Video Workflow Silos

LAS VEGAS, April 11 /PRNewswire/ -- NAB Show™/ Booth SL3614 -- Telestream®, the leading provider of video transcoding and workflow solutions, today announced Vantage™, the industry's first, enterprise-class software solution that integrates silos of digital video processing into a single managed workflow. Developed for media and entertainment companies and organizations with high-volume video processing needs, Vantage allows users to design and automate any number or type of video workflows. The modular nature of Vantage allows enterprises to simplify the migration to IT workflows, improve video operations, and more easily address new multi-platform business opportunities and revenue streams.

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"Vantage has the potential to automate some of the toughest workflows and alleviate a lot of manual labour out of the box for many of our customers," said Marc Risby, director of Technology at Boxer Systems, who represents Telestream products in the UK and whose customers include BBC, ITV, Thomson Reuters, Aqiva, Red Bee, BSkyB, Discovery Communications, The Travel Channel and Perform. "Large and small media companies alike can benefit from the standalone Vantage transcoding product as well as creation and automation of more sophisticated workflows." 

Vantage is built from the ground up on a modular, future-proof platform that combines video capture, transcoding, analysis, quality control, metadata processing, graphics assembly and video file management into three solutions, Vantage Workflow, Vantage Analysis and Vantage Transcode. Where yesterday's video workflows frequently used discrete solutions for each step in the digital media workflow, Vantage offers deep integration between components in a unified framework. This in turn allows the creation of complete and seamless workflows that were previously impossible to automate.

Mukul Krishna, global director, Digital Media at Frost & Sullivan observes, "IT video workflows are getting more pervasive and prominent across verticals. It is important for the workflow to be nimble and accelerate cycle time through automated processes that are proactive and not just reactive. With Vantage, Telestream recognizes that the boundaries of transcoding have transformed from being a niche to become part of an entire workflow solution. The company has successfully merged it with other components, such as video and audio analysis, to provide customers with a comprehensive workflow solution that enables users to compete effectively in a very dynamic digital video environment."

Vantage Workflow

With Vantage's video workflow design capability, media, metadata, analysis data and process flows can be built independently of video file formats or video systems.  Flexible process design and an intuitive graphical user interface simplify the design, automation and management of a variety of workflows.  These unique capabilities allow fully-automated, self-adapting video workflows to be built without the need for costly software engineering or consultants.

Vantage integrates directly with today's existing video systems, web services, and supports all major video file formats out of the box.  This enables today's video operations to automate video workflows within existing environments, and makes the operational migration to IT-based infrastructure easier and more cost efficient.

"Following a decade of success with our industry-leading FlipFactory products, Vantage takes workflow automation to the next level," said Dan Castles, CEO of Telestream. "Vantage is built on a flexible, scalable new framework that makes it easy to deploy intelligent workflows on an as-needed basis. Vantage automates hundreds of common workflows or thousands of larger, more complex workflows. Like FlipFactory, Vantage allows our customers to reduce costs, improve operational efficiency and take advantage of today's multichannel revenue opportunities."

Vantage Transcode

Vantage Transcode offers the industry's most powerful, affordable, enterprise-class server transcoder that automates transcoding between all major video and audio files formats. Transcoding as part of the workflow provides the industry's broadest and deepest file format support for broadcast, cable, edit, web, mobile, VOD, and IPTV workflows, including MXF, VANC, timecode, captions, multiple audio streams and metadata. Built upon Telestream's award-winning FlipFactory^® technology, Vantage transcoding is optimized for speed and reliability. When used as part of the workflow deployment, Vantage can automate "smart" transcoding workflows that incorporate adaptive decision-making and automated encode configuration.

Vantage Analysis

Vantage Analysis as part of the workflow allows users to create adaptive workflows that react to content properties and quality. Analysis supports any video file format and properties such as letterbox, curtains, black, slate, telecine and ITU 1770 loudness. Results can be fed directly to transcoding, reporting or web services; this allows the creation of self-healing workflows. Users can design workflows that detect and correct errors at any step in the workflow process and provide input to other tasks, including reporting and downstream video processing such as trimming and cropping.  

Capture from tape or live sources can be added to the workflow using Telestream Pipeline™ which seamlessly integrates with Vantage to immediately automate workflow processes during capture. Graphics assembly can be added to the workflow using Telestream GraphicsFactory^® to increase the value of media by branding, localizing and tailoring media for specific regions and audiences.

Robust and reliable, Vantage runs on Windows 2003, 2008 or XP Pro servers. Processing can take place on one or multiple load-balanced servers to provide high-volume processing. For critical workflows, Vantage provides 24/7 server reliability, auto failover, priority-driven processing and distributed control to ensure no single point of failure.

Pricing and Availability

Vantage will be available in Q2 2010. Basic Vantage workflow design and automation pricing starts at $8,500 per server. Vantage Transcode can be added or purchased as a standalone product for $5,500 per server; $10,500 per server for Transcode Pro. Vantage Analysis can be added for $7,500 per server. Additional pricing is available upon request. Vantage is also available as a paid upgrade for existing FlipFactory customers. Vantage products are available from Telestream's worldwide network of direct sales and distributors. Vantage is being featured and demonstrated at Telestream NAB booth SL3614; Streaming Media East booth 313; webinars and roadshows; see www.telestream.net/events for details. More information is available at www.telestream.net.

About Telestream

Telestream provides world-class live and on-demand digital video tools and workflow solutions that allow consumers and businesses to transform video on the desktop and across the enterprise. Many of the world's most demanding media and entertainment companies such as CBS, BBC, CNN, FOX, CBC, Comcast, Direct TV, Time Warner, MTV, Discovery, and Lifetime, as well as a growing number of users in a broad range of business environments, rely on Telestream products to streamline operations, reach broader audiences and generate more revenue from their media. These companies choose to work with Telestream as they know they will get a trusted and highly skilled technical partner.

Telestream products span the entire digital media lifecycle, including video capture and ingest; live and on-demand encoding and transcoding; playout, delivery, and live streaming; as well as management and automation of the entire workflow. The company also partners closely with the industry's leading digital media companies across the entire digital media lifecycle, from consumer to enterprise. Telestream corporate headquarters are located in Nevada City, California. The company is privately held. For more information on Telestream and its products, please visit www.telestream.net.  For press images, logos, screen shots and corporate materials, visit www.telestream.net/presskit.

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