Media technology and services company MediaKind has announced the CE1, a next-generation media contribution encoder based on cloud-ready software, coupled with hardware acceleration. It is said to enable exceptional time-to-market for new video offerings while facilitating highly immersive and compelling experiences.

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Mediakind: The CE1 delivers low latency HEVC, or MPEG-4 AVC encoding of HD and UHD video content for live events

Combined with MediaKind’s multi-codec and multi-service professional decoder, the RX1, the CE1 enables an end-to-end media contribution workflow that is more resilient and future-ready than existing professional media contribution processing and delivery solutions. The enhanced solution provides an immediate response to anticipated changes in professional media contribution, enabling broadcasters, operators and service providers to transition to all-IP and the cloud, integrate existing and future codecs and standards, and embrace new flexible business models.

The CE1 is available as a cloud-native deployment model and can integrate with public cloud providers to enable broadcast quality contribution to the cloud. CE1 software is also available within a hardware platform, giving broadcasters the option to run their services on-premise.

Raul Aldrey, chief product officer, MediaKind, said: “The launch of our flexible, software-based CE1 encoding platform provides secure, high-quality professional content contribution. In conjunction with MediaKind’s RX1 platform, CE1 delivers an industry-beating, highly resilient, cloud-ready, secure video contribution workflow, which enables the delivery of next-generation media experiences today and in the future. All broadcasters and content owners can invest with confidence, safe in the knowledge they will always remain current in a world of shifting media contribution technologies and infrastructure.”

The CE1 delivers low latency, HEVC, or MPEG-4 AVC encoding of HD and UHD video content for premium live events. A flexible and robust product, it provides a platform to support high-quality, 4:2:2 10-bit content contribution into the cloud, reducing the bitrate required to deliver first-class media experiences. It also accommodates the latest industry standards, including SMPTE ST 2110, Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) and BISS-CA, strengthening MediaKind’s Cygnus Contribution solution with enhanced IP interoperability and security over managed and unmanaged networks.

The CE1 and RX1 combine to directly address the challenges of the most demanding live event coverage, in addition to other use cases such as remote or at-home production. By utilising the X86 server platform, the CE1 is a future-ready application that can accommodate all new codecs and standards, typically released with an X86 software development kit (SDK).