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Letter
from the Editor
- New
Web Site Features
- New
Developer Program
- FREE
Developer Subscription
- streamingmedia.com
Review
of the NiagaraMAX
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Hello
and welcome to the October Issue of the Streaming Media
Newsletter!
Yes,
you read right! This is our belated October issue.
With
so much happening, we've fallen behind on our newsletter
updates. However, we felt it best to get out an October
issue to keep you current on what's happening at ViewCast!
Part
of the heightened activity is a new section to the ViewCast
web site due to go online in a few weeks. This new area
is a special developer's section called Streaming
Dev Zone.
Streaming
Dev Zone is being created to provide an online community
for developers who create applications or products based
on ViewCast Osprey Video capture cards using Software
Development Kits (SDK's). This new program will include
a developer's discussion board, downloadable sample developer's
code, high-level FAQ, upcoming product/feature enhancements,
early beta releases of Osprey drivers, and direct feedback
to Osprey R&D.
Streaming
Dev Zone will be a subscription-based service when
launched. But we are providing access for six-months
at no cost!
Just
go to our Developer
Support Section of the ViewCast web site and register
your Osprey product and contact information. When Streaming
Dev Zone is launched, we'll email your user name and
password so you can access this exciting new area created
especially for developers.
We've
got multi-stream software! Check out the other cool news
in this newsletter issue, like the new SimulStream software.
This enhancement allows you to capture multiple streams,
at multiple bit rates, and in multiple streaming formats!
We've
got bundles galore! Now Osprey capture cards come bundled
with Fluition SMIL authoring software and Niagara Streaming
Systems come bundled with Accordent's PresenterPRO for
creating interactive streaming multimedia presentations.
We've
got video conferencing packages! Get into video conferencing.
Check out the new VBX Starter Packages. The VBX Starter
Packages are pre-configured video conferencing packages
which allow you to select and enable video conferencing
for your business needs. Plus, save money while providing
an open-end system for future enhancements!
We've
got product reviews! I am pleased to announce that streamingmedia.com
just published a very informative and positive review
of the NiagaraMAX. The NiagaraMAX is ViewCast's powerful
portable streaming media encoder. See
for yourself what a streaming media professional says
about NiagaraMAX.
And
lastly, we've added a new section to the newsletter called
TechTalk. Each upcoming issue of Streaming Media
Newsletter will include an article written by a ViewCast
product manager. These articles will feature information
about new driver releases, tips & tricks, and loads
of other technical information. This issue features John
Bishop, Osprey Video Product Manager, announcing a new
driver update for Osprey cards that you don't want to
miss.
I
hope you enjoy this issue of the Streaming Media Newsletter!
Sincerely,
Mark
Fears
Director of Marketing
ViewCast Corporation
If
you have suggestions regarding our newsletter, send your
comments to [email protected].
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New
Osprey SimulStream
Multi-Application Capture
Software!
Provides Workflow
Improvements For
Streaming With Osprey Video Cards
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Streaming
media production today faces scalability problems. Reaching
a broad audience with optimal quality for each viewer
requires increased production time and hardware requirements
-- both of which cost money. ViewCast has the solution
for these issues with a new software offering called Osprey
SimulStream(TM).
Now
available for purchase direct from ViewCast, this new
driver enhancement gives users of Osprey-210
and Osprey-220 cards the ability to output multiple
video and audio streams with independent capture settings
from a single card.
Osprey
SimulStream is also provided as part of ViewCast Systems
package offerings in Niagara(TM)
Streaming Systems that utilize the Osprey-210 and
Osprey-220 for their capture engines.
Look
for the release of SimulStream for the Osprey-500 - Coming
Soon!
More
Streams Created In Less Time
Content
creators of streaming media typically encode several different
streams of the same media in order to provide the best
possible viewing experience over both modems and broadband
connections. Different formats are provided as well, such
as RealMedia or Windows Media, to address the viewer's
preference.
With
existing processes, you had two choices;
Using
SimulStream, multiple encoding tasks can be launched simultaneously.
What used to be four-to-six separate encoding tasks are
now a single session! Huge time saver!
Plus,
while SimulStream is reducing encoding time up to 83 percent,
it greatly improves the video and audio on the resulting
streams.
Osprey
SimulStream also increases the physical density of encoding
tasks for major web broadcasters. Competitive offerings
provide systems-only solutions limited to four streams
per system, while the Osprey SimulStream with a single
Osprey Video card allows an infinite number of streams
-- limited only by the size of the system's CPU capabilities
and specific encoding tasks. This allows encoder density
that was previously unattainable for professional and
large-scale webcasting applications.
Also,
current "multi-bitrate" encoding options from
companies like RealNetworks and Microsoft are complimented
by SimulStream.
Multi-bitrate
encoding is the ability to create a single stream with
the ability to "throttle back" the bit rate
based upon network congestion. There is a drawback, however.
Multi-bitrate streams are either encoded optimally for
a modem with a small QCIF (160x120 pixel) image resolution,
or with a larger image for a broadband stream, but
not both.
Now,
using the multi-stream capability with SimulStream, a
smaller QCIF image is provided to the modem user, while
the broadband user receives the larger CIF (320x240 pixel)
image for an improved viewing experience. Multi-bitrate
applications can be run with SimulStream to combine the
benefits of each.
In
addition to allowing for optimized unique encoding sessions
with independent resolutions and color formats, Osprey
SimulStream also extends to other applications -- such
as Virage's VideoLogger with face recognition or Convera's
Screening Room -- that may be run concurrently with encoding
using only a single Osprey Video capture card.
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Streaming
Multimedia Presentation Authoring Tool with Osprey
Cards
User-friendly Fluition, SMIL Authoring Tool,
Now Bundled with Osprey Capture Cards
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ViewCast
is pleased to announce that Confluent's popular dual-platform
SMIL authoring tool, Fluition™, is now bundled
with our professional-series of Osprey Video streaming
capture devices.
Fluition
combines video, audio, graphics, animation, and slides
into one unified interactive SMIL presentation. SMIL,
Synchronized Multimedia Integration Language, is the W3C
recommended standard for Internet based multimedia presentations.
SMIL is ideal because it allows concurrent and interactive
streaming video with text and graphics.
Fluition
is a great tool for creating interactive presentations
that include streaming video. As such, it perfectly complements
our professional-level Osprey Video products and gives
our customers an additional tool to take full advantage
of the powerful communications opportunity with streaming
video.
Fluition
1.52 includes the following new features:
-
 Quick
Start WIZARD
The new Quick Start Wizard will help everyone, from
novice to expert get started with Fluition and SMIL
easily. With the Fluition Quick Start Wizard the learning
curve for Fluition is virtually eliminated.
The
Quick Start Wizard will walk you through a basic Fluition
presentation; provides templates with step-by-step
instructions that follow you through the process for
creating interactive presentation; and provides a
sample presentation to watch as well as opening the
presentation in Fluition so you can see how it was
created.
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Clip
Sequencer
The new Clip Sequencer Window was designed to assist
with modifying the timing aspects of clips contained
within a Presentation. The Clip Sequencer helps visualize
clips contained within a Presentation and will also
adjust Start, End, In, Out and duration values from
the Clip Sequencer to the Clip Library Window.
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SeriesProducer
The SeriesProducer is a unique utility that generates
a series of SMIL files. SeriesProducer uses a SMIL presentation
as a template and then substitutes clip files into a
region and automatically links those files into a series
of SMIL presentations. The SeriesProducer will also
generate a TextStream play list of those files that
can be modified and inserted into the presentation.
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User-Customizable
Templates
To
make the creation of SMIL presentations easier,
Fluition has templates. A presentation can be created
from a template by selecting New From Template in
the File Menu or using the Quick Start Wizard. Creating
a presentation from a template will open the Template
Instructions window. This window will display the
steps involved with modifying the template to create
a new presentation.
Fluition 1.52 also includes: grid snap slider options; external
application support for image, animation and slideshow files;
and much more!
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ViewCast
Bundles PresenterPRO Software
with Niagara Portable Streaming Systems
Bundling enables
business to take advantage
of live or video-on-demand multimedia presentations
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PresenterPRO,
Accordent Technologies' (www.accordent.com)
corporate communications and e-training software, enables
companies to create live and on demand streaming presentations
- enhanced by synchronized PowerPoint slides, pictures,
Flash, URLs, and "email the presenter" functionality
- with unprecedented speed and ease-of-use. PresenterPRO
includes step-by-step wizards and requires absolutely no
hard coding, so virtually anyone within an organization
can use PresenterPRO to create professional streaming presentations
in minutes. PresenterPRO supports Real and Windows media
players.
We
are now bundling this powerful presentation software with
the Niagara portable streaming systems. The Niagara system,
coupled with Accordent's user-friendly presentation software,
PresenterPRO, is a perfect communications combination for
sales presentations, corporate communications and training
and recruiting, and is a particularly cost-effective alternative
to traditional face-to-face presentations.
 Combining
ViewCast's state-of-the-art streaming technologies with
PresenterPRO, enables businesses to create and deliver effective
multimedia presentations incorporating live or on demand
streaming video, PowerPoint presentations, Flash animation,
active Internet links and more. And now businesses can take
advantage of these powerful communications tools in a single,
cost-effective package.
As
part of the Niagara's pre-loaded software and pre-tested
platform, businesses just plug a Niagara system into their
existing network to start taking advantage of audio and
video streaming in their own digital video applications.
The
Niagara product family has nearly limitless business
applications for almost every conceivable vertical market,
including B2B video collaboration, Internet broadcasting,
distance learning, surveillance/security, healthcare/telemedicine,
encoding/production services, live Webcasting and many others.
Niagara
streaming systems also come bundled with a video editing
software package that allows users to take multiple sources
and create video effects during the capture stage.
In
addition, Niagara systems are compatible with most consumer
and professional A/V input devices, including cameras, VCR's
and VTR's. Niagara also comes equipped with either RealProducer
Plus V8 or Windows Media Encoder V7 streaming encoder applications.
Click
here for more information about the Niagara portable streaming
encoders.
Click
here for more information about Accordant PresenterPRO.
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ViewCast
Announces Video Conferencing Starter Packages
New Pricing Enhances Attractiveness of Teleconferencing
for Businesses of All Sizes
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We
are very pleased to announce our new offering of several
special-priced Viewpoint
VBX(TM) teleconferencing packages to help companies
new to video conferencing cost-effectively deploy systems
in their enterprise. The ViewCast VBX is a unique product
that allows businesses to implement video conferencing into
thier existing infrastructure and deliver rich media communication
from the boardroom direct to the desktop in a variety of
standards. The new VBX packages come in configurations for
4, 8, 15, 32 and 64 users.
 Video
conferencing is the alternative to travel!
With the increased need for teleconferencing solutions as
a safe and cost-effective alternative to travel, companies
need to come up-to-speed fast to make educated equipment
decisions to meet new corporate demands. This specially
priced and pre-configured package makes the Viewpoint VBX
an attractive and effective means of enhancing business
communications with enterprise-wide distribution.
Not
only are these new packages cost effective, but they also
provide many features and benefits beyond the traditional
video conferencing systems in use today.
Viewpoint
VBX takes video conferencing to the desktop!
Traditional systems required scheduling time in the
boardroom with the possibility of being "bumped"
by other priority events. With Viewpoint VBX, users can
conference directly from their desktop PC in their office.
Multi-conferencing is a snap with WorkFone,
the VBX desktop user-friendly interface.
  See
events as they happen!
And since Viewpoint VBX is also a video distribution system,
broadcast financial news and world events are distributed
to the desktop. An absolute must for businesses that need
to respond accordingly to events as they happen!
Now,
any company can deploy video conferencing while reaping
the benefits of using an enterprise-wide video distribution
system linking their headquarters, branch and small offices.
See
a diagram of a video distribution network using the Viewpoint
VBX.
These
price-reduced packages are perfect for anyone who is new
to video conferencing. Even if your enterprise has video
conferencing, these starter packages will increase the users
and capabilities of your existing system while providing
the additional benefits of enterprise-wide distribution!
Click
here for more information on ViewCast VBX Starter Packages.
Click
here for more information on Viewpoint VBX video distribution
systems.
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John
Bishop
Osprey Video Product Manager
New Driver Release:
Osprey-100, Osprey-101, Osprey-200,
Osprey-210 and Osprey-220
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All
Osprey Video products pride themselves on pushing the technology
envelope while maintaining a high level of quality and reliability.
Since this is an ongoing journey, Osprey Video will typically
release new software driver releases throughout the year
allowing you to take advantage of all the latest and greatest
Osprey Video features and enhancements.
These
new driver releases are easily found on our website at:
http://www.viewcast.com/driverdownload.asp
Recently
we released a new driver for the Osprey-100, Osprey-101,
Osprey-200, Osprey-210 and Osprey-220 products that is definitely
worth checking out.
This
new version 2.0 driver introduces several improvements including
increased compatibility with 3rd party products, like those
mentioned in this newsletter, and improved usability.
But
the best feature of this new driver release is geared towards
Osprey-210 and Osprey-220 customers and this feature is
a compatibility with SimulStream (see
SimulStream story above).
SimulStream
is an exciting new software enhancement that works with
the premiere capture cards from ViewCast allowing one card
to do the job of many. For more information on SimulStream,
visit www.ospreyvideo.com.
Click
here to download the latest drivers!
Click
here for more information about SimulStream.
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Copyright
2001, ViewCast Corporation. This information is accurate
at time of publishing and is subject to change without notice.
Product names mention herein are used for identification
purposes only and may be registered trademarks. All trademarks
are property of their respective holders.
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