MediaKind, the media technology joint venture recently spun off from Ericsson, today announced the launch of its Cygnus 360-degree-as-a-service (360aaS) video solution for live events.
The product will provide a cloud-based workflow for live 360-degree video processing and multi-platform publishing for video viewed either through an augmented reality or virtual reality headset, or viewed on a multiscreen device as a companion to existing broadcast or streamed services.
Cygnus 360aaS is geared toward capturing and processing live 360-degree video at up to 8K resolution and delivering content to the consumer with delivery bitrates of 10-15 Mbps. The product will use a single contribution source for delivery at suitable resolutions and formats for simultaneous live publishing to an operator’s app over public CDN, as well as via social media platforms.
MediaKind also is offering technical support and monitoring throughout the staging and broadcasting of a live event.
“As consumers look to be even further immersed and engaged in their favorite live content, today’s media players are continually looking for new innovations and formats to increase subscriber engagement with premium, pay-per-view events and new avenues to experience ‘being there,” said Angel Ruiz, CEO of MediaKind, in a statement. “We are providing the tools to put fans of live sports, e-sports and music in the producer’s seat, with the opportunity to self-curate and become more engaged in their favorite content in a way they never have before.”
RELATED: MediaKind claims first with multichannel 6K 360-degree livestream
MediaKind will use viewport-adaptive, tile-based 360-degree video so live capture can be scaled beyond 4K resolution without requiring the consumer display device to have a matching capability for full-resolution decode. Cygnus 360aaS solution also offers resolution conversion, processing, and publishing to social media platforms and for legacy device support.
Late last year MediaKind claimed a first with its multichannel 6K 360-degree livestream of a basketball game. The company worked with Deutsche Telekom, Tiledmedia and Magnum Film to livestream a game between Telekom Baskets Bonn and EWE Baskets Oldenburg from the Telekom Dome in Bonn, Germany, to customers of Deustche Telekom’s commercial Magenta VR service.