In Amazon CloudFront, Amazon Elastic Kubernetes Service, Amazon Simple Storage Service (S3), AWS Elemental MediaConvert, AWS Elemental MediaLive, Media & Entertainment, Media Services
In an era where digital solutions are paramount, it’s clear that the cloud represents the future of broadcasting. Before it was acquired by Frankly, WorldNow had been a significant player in the digital solutions sector since 1999, providing a comprehensive digital publishing platform. This platform featured a content management system (CMS) and multimedia capabilities that catered to various devices, including iOS, Android, Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, and the Web. It found its primary users among TV and radio broadcasters, as well as select newspapers.
Responding to the evolving needs of broadcasters, Frankly introduced a fully integrated video workflow system. They developed proprietary hardware designed to capture and record SDI broadcasts, enabling live-to-VOD editing and live streaming functionalities.
According to Liam Johnson, COO at Frankly, “That architecture served us well for many years. Initially, delivering high-quality video to the cloud and working with it remotely was a challenge. However, recent advancements have shifted our entire architecture to the cloud.”
What was once a daunting prospect has now become a logical choice for numerous broadcasters. With bandwidth being both stable and affordable, organizations can rely on robust connections to and from the cloud. Johnson highlights additional practical advantages of adopting cloud architectures.
“The cloud enables us to diversify video sources,” he states. “We’re no longer limited to a primary broadcast signal; we can incorporate secondary signals from the station or feeds from the field. Our aim is to leverage our customers’ investments in IP video workflows and transition those capabilities to the cloud, eliminating the need for local appliances. Everything can be managed through our web-based CMS.”
Building their new service atop the AWS Elemental platform allows Frankly to facilitate smooth migrations for customers to the cloud, ultimately enhancing their ability to monetize content and services effectively.
CLOUD TOOLS TAKE OVER
Over the past year, Frankly has concentrated on developing a codebase on the AWS Cloud, currently in testing with clients. The new workflow permits certified appliances to transmit into the cloud, where content can be managed via the Frankly Producer web-based CMS.
Once the video signal reaches the cloud, it undergoes processing through AWS Elemental MediaLive. Subsequently, it’s made accessible on the AWS Elemental Delta video delivery platform, optimized for monetization, management, and distribution across both internal and external IP networks.
AWS Elemental Delta, with its frame-accurate editing capabilities, records a buffer that customers can access immediately through the CMS. Using Frankly Producer, customers can manage, store, and archive content in Amazon S3 or employ AWS Elemental MediaConvert to create video-on-demand content for broadcast and multi-screen delivery at scale.
“Customers can easily select a particular show they wish to edit, extract clips or other assets, and publish those on their websites or apps,” Johnson explains.
“Behind the scenes, we utilize AWS Elemental Delta features to export HLS packages or MP4 outputs, storing them on Amazon S3 or delivering them via Amazon CloudFront or other CDNs. This process remains entirely transparent for the customer, orchestrated through an API layer we developed on the Amazon Elastic Container Service for Kubernetes (Amazon EKS). We’re harnessing various elements of the AWS ecosystem to connect all these components.”
CAPTURE EVERYWHERE
Johnson recognizes that in many regions, a “mobile first” approach is essential, and Frankly is adapting accordingly. Presently, the company is exploring standards-based encoders such as LiveU and other cellular bonding solutions that can transmit content to the cloud. Regardless of the source or device used for capture, each new content stream is represented as a unique channel in the Frankly CMS.
“The beauty of the cloud lies in its elasticity. Depending on customer needs, they can have multiple channels of video simultaneously streaming in. We provide a dashboard displaying all channels, and we record them in the cloud. Through the web-based CMS, they can clip and highlight desired segments and publish them to all their endpoints,” Johnson elaborates.
“Our objective is to create a comprehensive channel management system in the cloud. While restreaming their current broadcast channel is an initial step, the ultimate goal is to empower customers to control all aspects of channel programming in the cloud.”
For additional insights into the cloud’s transformative potential in broadcasting, check out this blog post. For more authoritative information on media technologies, visit this resource. Additionally, for those interested in learning and development opportunities, this page offers excellent resources.
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