DataArt Releases Open-Source Video Player Using MPEG-DASH

NEW YORK & LONDON – March 18, 2015 – DataArt, a technology consulting firm that creates end-to-end solutions, released an open-source video player built to use MPEG-DASH, a video format that had its first ISO ratified release in 2012, but has remained largely conceptual as companies have gone to great lengths to maintain their own proprietary streaming technology.

DASH (Dynamic Adaptive Streaming over HTTP), the latest standard delivered by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), was established by a panel of companies, including Microsoft, Apple, Netflix, Qualcomm, Ericsson and Samsung, which saw a vision of interoperability and convergence in an industry besieged by three comparable and yet, incompatible segmented formats.

Key benefits to the MPEG-DASH standard include:

• Industry convergence for streaming delivery – Content producers adopting DASH can avoid having to provide multiple streaming solutions, each of which requires a separate ad insertion flow, content protection scheme, and different closed captioning formats.
  
• Multi-video and audio tracks – DASH delivers the complexity of a DVD or Blu-ray experience, with multiple synchronized video and audio options.
  
• Efficient ad insertion – DASH enables server-based and client-based targeted ad-insertion through the use of timestamps.
  
• Common encryption – DASH includes one-time encryption and packaging of content allowing simultaneous use of multiple DRM technologies.
  
• Ease of integration – DASH will work on any HTTP server and most mainstream media servers, meaning service providers and broadcast operators are not required to buy into new vendor-specific ecosystems or invest in a specialized DASH-specific infrastructure.

"While DASH by itself is no magic panacea for the fragmentation problems of media, devices, and markets, the streaming media companies that participate in its adoption do share a common vision that the long-term benefits of convergence outweigh the costs of shorter-term efforts involved in achieving that goal," said Gregory Gor, Head of Media & Entertainment practice at DataArt. "Our proof of concept with a iPod Touch was designed to highlight the flexibility of DASH and present a standards-based approach to video, which benefits content providers, advertisers and consumers alike."

About DataArt

DataArt (www.dataart.com) is a technology consulting firm that creates end-to-end solutions, from concept and strategy, to design, implementation and support, helping global clients in the financial services, healthcare, hospitality, media and IoT sectors achieve important business outcomes. Rooted in deep domain knowledge and technology expertise, DataArt designs new products, modernizes enterprise systems and provides managed services delivered by outstanding development teams in the U.S., UK, Central and Eastern Europe, and Latin America. As a recognized leader in business and technology services, DataArt has earned the trust of some of the world’s leading brands and most discerning clients, including McGraw-Hill Financial, Coller Capital, BankingUp, Ocado, artnet, Betfair, SkyScanner, Collette Vacations, Booker and Charles River Laboratories.

@DataArt