Imagine Communications debuts in Las Vegas software-only version of compression platform Selenio

Selenio One XC high video quality transcoder is deployable on virtualised or cloud environments and COTS appliances.

Imagine Communications, empowering the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation, introduced Selenio One XC, a software-only addition to the company’s next-generation multipurpose compression platform, which offers media companies a single platform for performing a range of encoding, transcoding and related processing operations. Selenio One XC, optimised for both primary and secondary distribution, enables content owners and video service providers to improve operational efficiencies by delivering more channels over existing distribution infrastructures.

The solution, which is powered by Zenium, the pure microservices-based technology from Imagine that enables the development of flexible and modular platforms, can be deployed with an optional stat mux to enable media companies to maximise video quality and bandwidth efficiency. The software-only, cloud-native nature of Selenio One XC also provides media companies with the ability to support both premises- and cloud-based deployment modules, or a mixture of the two, as well as take advantage of steady increases in the computational capabilities of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) computing platforms.

“With the introduction of XC, the newest offering from the Selenio One platform, Imagine Communications is further validating its commitment to reducing complexity and overall operating expenses by providing content producers and distributors with a single, versatile platform for handling virtually all of their compression and processing needs. The software-only XC, which provides market-leading deployment flexibility and exceptional video quality, complements previously released configurations of the Selenio One”, said David Heppe, VP of product management, Distribution, Imagine Communications.

Selenio One is among the first platforms to be released within Imagine’s initiative to empower media companies to adopt technology in a modular fashion, with the objective of reducing complexity and increasing integration across workflows and traditional operational divisions within a media facility. Selenio One can be deployed in different physical implementations to optimise for density, quality and cost, with all Selenio One elements controlled by a common user interface for operational efficiency.

The new Selenio One XC is initially targeted at providing video service providers with high video quality, highly efficient linear transcoding capabilities. It can run in Linux-based virtual machines, making it deployable in a variety of datacenter and cloud settings. It supports H.264/MPEG-2 to H.264/MPEG-2 IP-based transcoding and can be paired with an optional multiplexer to provide bandwidth-conserving statistical multiplexing of expensive or bandwidth-constrained distribution channels. The product is scheduled to support adaptive bitrate (ABR) technology for Over-the-Top (OTT) distribution operations in the summer.

All configurations of Selenio One share a common management system, enabling all encoding, transcoding and processing functions to be controlled and managed through a single solution and interface. Powered by Zenium, Selenio One systems share a common technology foundation and use the same codebase for common functions. The flexible and modular Zenium software framework enables new features, such as future formats, to be added to all Zenium-based configurations as they are developed. Features can be shared across different configurations within the Selenio One platform or by other Zenium-based solutions in Imagine’s portfolio.

Zenium Technology

In addition to technology sharing, Zenium supports a “plug-n-play” model that enables the rapid integration of new and third-party technologies, such as the latest and most powerful codecs in the industry. Zenium’s flexibility and extensibility make it possible for media companies to easily optimise compression across multiple applications. By supporting a best-of-breed technology model, Zenium offers significant performance and speed-to-market advantages over platforms that rely on proprietary codecs.

The availability of Selenio One XO in January marked the debut of the Selenio One platform. Selenio One XO is focused on helping media companies generate new revenue and maximising the efficiency of their networks through more effective distribution of high video quality ABR and linear channels. The Selenio One XO, fortified with a powerful graphics processing unit (GPU), supports HEVC/H.265 and AVC/H.264 encoding in both ABR and linear transcoding formats at extremely high densities, enabling media companies to realise significant space and power savings. The product is capable of supporting up to 720 ABR profiles or 360 HD linear channels in a 4.3-RU server. It is also available in a 1-RU server format.

Selenio One XO and XC can be deployed in tandem to address specific compression requirements and to enable a hybrid deployment model that provides media companies with better alignment of compression resources and market demand across linear, multiscreen and OTT applications.