At NAB, Level 3 Launches Video Cloud Services

At the NAB (National Association of Broadcasters) show this week in Las Vegas Level 3 Communications (LVLT) launched Video Cloud Services, and partnered with Elemental Technologies to demonstrate live video streaming to a Sony 4K television.

Broadcast and Internet Video Simplified

Level 3 announced Video Cloud Services, a cloud-based solution that moves, stores and delivers broadcast and Internet video on a global scale. The service combines Level 3's content delivery, video broadcast and cloud storage capabilities to create a streamlined approach to global content distribution. The services are comprised of a full suite of IP-based video services designed to support content delivery throughout its life cycle, from signal acquisition to delivery to viewers. Services include live Vyvx broadcast video acquisition, encoding and transcoding, global delivery via the Level 3 CDN, as well as comprehensive, self-service analytics and reporting.

"Level 3 has collaborated with many content-driven companies, and the one recurring theme we keep seeing is that these companies want a one-stop-shop for high-quality video transfer and storage – for both traditional and online media," said Mark Taylor, vice president of Media and IP Services at Level 3. "Level 3's Video Cloud Services simplify every aspect of video delivery, giving our customers the performance and global reach they need to not only deliver an unparalleled video experience, but also realize cost efficiencies."

"Ubiquitous networks, hyper-connected devices, and the ever-increasing consumer appetite for time, space and device-shifted, on-demand content have forced media companies to revisit their business models and technology capabilities. For a media company to survive and thrive in today's environment, agility is critical," said Mukul Krishna, global director of Digital Media at Frost & Sullivan. "Companies need to leverage the cloud to cost effectively and efficiently manage video throughout its lifecycle and deliver it measurably and intelligently across multiple screens. Media companies that do that well will be best poised for success. At such a time, the availability of Level 3's Video Cloud Services are extremely timely and the industry can benefit greatly from such services."

More information on the Services can be found at www.level3videocloud.com, as well as demonstrations at the Level 3 NAB Recreational Vehicle parked on the patio of Las Vegas Convention Center's South Hall.

4K Ultra HD video stream

Level 3 also announced that  it has teamed up with Elemental Technologies to conduct demonstrations of the world's first real-time 4K Ultra HD video stream in MPEG-DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP) using high-efficiency video coding (HEVC). Level 3's content delivery network provides the performance and scalability required to transmit the 4K video, which will be encoded and packaged by Elemental. The combination of these technologies gives programmers and pay-TV operators a turnkey, scalable way to deliver 4K content simultaneously to millions of viewers across the globe.

"Level 3 is proud to play an integral role in the first demonstration of these exciting video broadcast technologies used together," said Mark Taylor, vice president of Media and IP Services at Level 3. "What's more, this is a live stream over our global CDN, which shows our ability to deliver this type of Ultra HD to millions of viewers across the world."

A NAB 2014 booth demonstration includes live playback of a cinematic 4K short captured by Sony Pictures Entertainment's F55 camera with final rendering on a 65-inch Sony 4K Bravia TV.