This software is designed to significantly reduce live streaming distribution costs by delivering a 15%-25% bandwidth savings. These savings translate into millions of Euros in reduced distribution expenses and an improved end-user experience.

Unique VisionScience Technology

According to Vikram Arumilli, Senior Vice President and General Manager of Streaming and Consumer Technology at IMAX, their approach to reducing live streaming distribution costs is unique due to their award-winning VisionScience technology. IMAX’s StreamSmart On-Air is the only cloud optimization tool that operates at the speed of live streaming, utilizing the patented IMAX ViewerScore (XVS) in real-time to ensure optimal quality while significantly reducing bitrate.

Real-Time Quality Metrics

The StreamSmart On-Air software uses the IMAX ViewerScore (XVS), a patented perceptual quality metric based on IMAX VisionScience. This metric measures video quality in real-time based on human vision, ensuring bitrate reductions occur only when they are visually imperceptible to viewers. The software, an API-based optimization tool, integrates with existing encoding and packaging workflows and uses an AI-driven approach to dynamically select optimal segments from ABR/HLS/standard streams and optimize bitrates in real-time.

Live Demonstrations and Monitoring Solutions

At IBC, attendees will witness real-time optimization of a live AWS stream on the show floor, showcasing savings while comparing the quality of IMAX-optimized and non-optimized streams. Additionally, IMAX will display StreamAware On-Air, a real-time monitoring software for live streams that also utilizes XVS to provide video service providers with complete visibility of video quality throughout the delivery chain.

Proven Performance in High-Profile Events

StreamSmart On-Air was recently used to optimize the NBA Finals, streaming live in high quality using low-bandwidth public internet to IMAX theaters in Hong Kong and Taiwan.