Wowza has introduced the third generation of its streaming solution, Wowza Media Server 3. Wowza Media Server 3 is a single extensible foundation for "any screen done right" media delivery. With Wowza Media Server 3, adaptive bitrate (ABR) streaming and time-shifted playback are made simple and cost-effective, according to the company.
Complementing the platform are three initial value-added components, Wowza Transcoder, Wowza Network DVR (nDVR), and Wowza DRM.
General availability of Wowza Media Server 3 and the new value-added components is expected in Q3 2011, at which time all current Wowza Media Server 2 licensees will be eligible for a free upgrade to the new platform.
Wowza Transcoder AddOn
Wowza Transcoder AddOn for Wowza Media Server 3 uses commodity hardware to transform incoming live streams from encoders, IP cameras, IPTV headends, and other live sources into multiple stream sets "done right" for H.264-everywhere adaptive bitrate delivery using Flash RTMP and HTTP Dynamic Streaming, Apple HLS, and Silverlight Smooth Streaming.
Wowza Transcoder can also be used for non-adaptive streaming using any transport protocol supported by Wowza Media Server 3, including RTMP, RTSP/RTP, MPEG-TS, and HTTP. Integrating transcoding and media server eliminates the provisioning complexity typical of adaptive bitrate streaming, reduces needed access bandwidth by up to 80 percent, and enables better utilization of network resources such as routers and switchers, according to the company.
Wowza Network DVR (nDVR) AddOn
Network DVR AddOn is a live-stream cache for delivering live linear streams as time-shifted services to any screen. Supported features including live-stream pause, rewind, and resume, enable content publishers and service providers to develop premium catch-up TV services to individualize the viewer experience. Wowza nDVR works by storing content for any-screen playout in a normalized format accessible to Wowza Media Server 3.
