The Unique Best-of-Breed Advantages of the ConnXstream Multiscreen Solution

Transcription

1 The Unique Best-of-Breed Advantages of the ConnXstream Multiscreen Solution

2 Introduction Choosing how to satisfy consumer demand for multiscreen access to premium content has emerged as one of the major challenges for strategists at midsize and smaller network service companies. People of all ages are watching TV programming and movies on Internet-connected devices, either as a personalized viewing alternative to subscription TV or in lieu of subscribing at all. At the same time, satellite providers and other competitors are bringing more multiscreen services to market. Existing service provides can retain existing and attract new customers by making premium TV (and local) services readily available for viewing on mobile devices as any over-the-top (OTT) content. Given the obvious benefits to service providers and their customers, the vendor community is responding to the multiscreen opportunity with a growing number of solutions aimed at enabling managed service delivery to unmanaged IP devices, including options designed with smaller operators in mind. In all cases, these solutions purport to enable costeffective execution of all the functionalities required to extend pay TV services to PCs, tablets, smartphones, connected TVs, IP set-tops and game consoles. But behind these claims are significant variations in how such solutions impact service providers costs, operational flexibility and service migration options. Some solutions require purchase of all components from a single vendor source. Some are cloud-based solutions which put operators in the position of relying on a relatively inflexible one-size-fits-all approach under control of an outside party. Still others are little more than offerings of preaggregated content with support for OTT streaming from origin servers directly to end users with little or no control over end user experience on the part of the operator. Standing apart from these approaches is the ConnXstream platform, which, as described in the preceding white paper (see A Pain-Free Way to Build Live, Multiscreen Video Delivery Networks: Part I), is a modular, standards-based, end-to-end solution developed jointly by itaas, RGB Networks, Verimatrix and Verivue. ConnXstream delivers a ready-to-launch live streaming service that minimizes the workload for Tier 2 and 3 operators while giving them complete management control and greater flexibility to tailor all aspects of their infrastructure and the applications layers to suit their specific needs. For every operator, the goal in choosing among these many options is to make sure the solution not only achieves initial service requirements, but does so in ways that cost effectively map to the size and density of any given market with minimal disruptions to existing network design and legacy back-office systems. Moreover, the solution should be easy to scale to meet future service and applications requirements without the risk of stranding capital or incurring unnecessary migration costs. Making the right choice requires a thorough understanding of all the issues to be addressed and the distinctions among the various options as they pertain to each operator s requirements. In Part I of this white paper, the ConnXstream partners described the architecture and functionalities of their end-to- 1 ConnXstream

3 end multiscreen service solution, along with some of the basic functionalities introduced with IP-based service delivery, such as digital rights management (DRM), adaptive bitrate streaming and content delivery networks (CDNs). Here we build on that background by explaining in greater depth how the end-to-end ConnXstream platform strategy compares to other system-level approaches as well as the unique benefits of specific solutions brought to the platform by participating vendors. Optimizing an End-to-End Multiscreen Service Solution Benchmarks and Shortcomings Every type of solution available to mid- to small-size operators needs to be assessed with respect to several key parameters, beyond the solution s ability to support the basic service requirements. Any contemplated solution should be evaluated with respect to how it addresses: Content security Device diversity Quality of experience Scalability and expandability of service options Are all components of the system designed to enable expansion of functionalities over time to support new service categories and applications? Does the system support customization with regard to user interface design, use of advanced content discovery tools, itv and advertising applications and companion device functionalities? Do operators have the flexibility to choose and integrate best-of-breed components into the chosen end-to-end platform? But, weight must also be given to issues such as: The operator s flexibility to tailor functionalities User interfaces Policy management Workflows Evolving needs These must be balanced with the desire to have bestof-breed components at the outset and over time. In other words, operators must ask: Does the solution lend itself to minimizing upfront investments while supporting pay-asyou-go, modular scalability where functional capacities of each key component in the end-toend architecture can be scaled as needed, independent of scaling requirements of other components? Does the solution allow operators to leverage existing network and operations resources to maximum effect? Is the system sufficiently rigorous to ensure consistent, trouble-free quality of performance? Most solutions fall short on one or more of these parameters. Take, for example, a multiscreen service platform where all components are supplied by a single vendor. There are many pitfalls here, starting with the fact that most single-supplier systems are optimized for Tier 1 operators. Such solutions use costly, proprietary components that are designed to support huge subscriber bases, often in conjunction with use of specific types of customer premises gateways. Once locked in to such a system, the operator s ability to migrate services is dependent on continued reliance on the single-source supplier. Equally important, these systems are provided on the assumption that customers will employ their own IT resources to provide the operations system layer that glues all the pieces together and integrates them into the billing and other back-office systems. They leave it 2 ConnXstream

4 Most single-supplier systems are optimized for Tier 1 operators. Such solutions use costly, proprietary components that are designed to support huge subscriber bases to those IT groups to design the applications layers and workflows for enabling advanced navigation, usage policies, metadata distribution, asset management and other functions that integrate multiscreen services into the legacy TV environment. Moreover, single-source suppliers steeped in traditional TV distribution environments require customers to rely on them to address all the complexities of delivering managed services to multiple types of connected devices. Invariably, this means their customers are cut off from best-of-breed suppliers who are much better versed in the arcane requirements of this new service environment. And, for smaller operators, reliance on Tier 1 suppliers is a prescription for being ignored or receiving low priority when it comes to service support. This is especially risky in a service domain that is new to everyone, including the supplier. At the other extreme of the multiscreen service platform mix are cloud-based solutions which leverage economies of scale to give multiple service providers access to the processing and software resources that go into streaming premium content to connected devices. But, by virtue of providing a platform that supports virtually any size or type provider, such solutions cannot offer the flexibility operators require to perfectly meld the multiscreen service with local back-office, headend, network and customer premises environments, which can vary greatly from one system to the next. Typically these solutions provide IT support in the form of prescribed operations systems and applications layers with customization largely limited to the skin level of user interfaces. Specific hardware and software components supporting asset management, DRM, transcoding, packaging/ fragmenting, distributed caching and other CDN functionalities are baked into the solution, leaving customers no opportunity to find and implement best-of-breed technologies. The operator s destiny with respect to service migration, maintaining quality of performance and scaling service availability is in the hands of the supplier, whose platform decisions are dictated by whatever works for the largest common denominator, irrespective of unique individual requirements. In both of these cases, much of the solution is predetermined and little thought is given to the specific requirements of the customer. The Contrasting Advantages of an Optimal Solution The ConnXstream platform overcomes all these drawbacks by providing Tier 2 and 3 operators a costeffective means of delivering live content to connected devices of every description with total control over all facets of service management. Operators receive full service support for end-to-end integration of the platform into the existing operating environment along with the IT elements essential to managing all the multiscreen service functionalities and applications within that environment. 3 ConnXstream

5 End-to-End Modularity To expedite service providers implementation of multiscreen services, ConnXstream provides a readyto-deploy, end-to-end solution for delivering live premium content to connected devices that is uniquely designed to minimize operating and bandwidth costs while ensuring robust quality of experience on all devices. At the same time, as a completely modular platform, ConnXstream affords operators maximum flexibility to tailor the system to their precise network and back-office requirements and to evolve services and applications however they choose. While each partner in the ConnXstream ecosystem offers superior best-of-breed solutions within their areas of expertise, the fact that all components use standards-based interfaces and protocols to interoperate with all others means customers have the option to replace any of these components with others of their own choosing. Moreover, the ConnXstream partners provide the integration services essential to facilitate such flexibility. Back-Office Functionalities and Interoperability The core point of system orchestration is the application server supplied by itaas, which aggregates all the touch points between the ConnXstream platform and the operator s back office, including processes associated with authentication, defining usage policies, service provisioning and asset and metadata management. In other words, by bringing to bear all these processes and adding ones specific to managing the multiscreen service, the application server acts as a back-office extension dedicated to managing all facets of IP-based operations. But, it is not a closed, pre-baked system. Rather, itaas, serving as ConnXstream system integrator, works with each customer to design the multiscreen service backoffice system to work in tandem with the larger operations environment. Where operators already have certain tools in place to support ConnXstream functionalities, the integration support team works with the customers to ensure those tools operate seamlessly with the ConnXstream components. Where such tools are missing, ConnXstream supplies them. A Superior Distribution Architecture The accompanying architectural diagram (Figure 1) provides a helpful overview of the ConnXstream system. Critically, every component is designed to optimize end-to-end performance so that content is distributed in precisely the right format for each device with minimum impact on bandwidth and processing resources across the distribution chain. The linchpin to these efficiencies is the unique distribution system anchored in CDN technology supplied by Verivue. This system exploits all the performance advantages of operating in unicast mode yet matches the bandwidth efficiencies that come with use of IP multicasting.. 4 ConnXstream

6 Figure 1 In the live program streaming application supported by ConnXstream, subscribers IP devices are authenticated through the itaas application server, which also delivers the user interface application developed by itaas and the client software for security management supplied by Verimatrix. Every request for access to a channel stream is sent upstream to the nearest cache which, once authorization is confirmed by the application server, passes the request to an origin server where an adaptive streaming segment appropriate to that device type is unicast to the cache and from there to the user s device. The adaptive streaming segments for all classes of devices for each TV channel are injected into the origin server via unicast streams from the RGB Networks TransAct Packager. Each segment unicast to the origin server is assigned its own ID within a complex multi-channel, multi-segment playlist, which is continuously updated by the Packager to provide a means of associating a given device request with the appropriate stream segment from the requested channel. The request routing component homes the requesting device to the cache that s best able to serve it so that each segment is routed accordingly. Typically the 5 route taken will be through the cache closest to the client device, but if that cache is 100 percent busy at the moment, the next best cache will be chosen. In the instance of a first request to a given cache for a given segment, the cache will register a miss and go to the next cache in the hierarchy to request the segment or to the origin server if there isn t another caching tier. Verivue s cut-through caching feature accomplishes all this in near real time with extremely low latency of just 10 milliseconds from request to delivery in the instance of a single step up the caching hierarchy or 20 milliseconds if the segment is found to be two layers removed from the first cache. Once created, video segments for a given class of devices of a given program are sent to a caching server. These segments are then cached, and, as long as the stream continues, all subsequent requests for that program will be served with unicast streams from the cache server. In this fashion the hierarchical use of unicasting from packager to origin server to caches to end users conserves bandwidth to maximum advantage with rigorous quality performance end to end. Quality assurance is maintained throughout by the application of management analytics to report on all streams as they enter and leave the caches. ConnXstream

7 The Unique Benefits of System Components Clearly, from the holistic perspective on the ConnXstream platform as described above, the solution is a far better alternative for smaller operators than cloud-based and single-vendor systems. But, to fully appreciate the superior capabilities of ConnXstream, it s important to understand the unique strengths of each of the partners contributions to the system as they pertain both to enabling the basic live streaming service and to opening highly flexible paths to enhanced service and applications migration. itaas Integration and Development Expertise Those strengths begin with the IT software skills employed by itaas. With over 12 years of experience as a hardware- and OSS-agnostic integrator, itaas is well positioned to work with operators to tailor their multiscreen service platforms precisely to their needs without sacrificing speed to market. This includes the capability to introduce alternative components into the platform in instances where operators have reason to prefer any such alternatives to the components on offer from the ConnXstream partners. Moreover, as a custom software developer, itaas has the skills to create an API or specific software component to close any gaps that might otherwise exist in the end-to-end solution deemed to be optimal by any given customer. Equally important, itaas brings its know-how in enduser app development to ConnXstream customers, providing them support to enhance the user experience beyond the basic UI and other functionalities included with the foundation ConnXstream service. Such modifications might be simply a matter of UI design changes. Or they might entail more advanced applications such as search and recommendations with utilization of content metadata enabled through access to asset management workflows. The itaas API expertise can also be put to use in instances where operators want to leverage the full scope of program usage rights in future multiscreen service iterations, such as streaming of on-demand content, placeshifting for on-the-go access and download-to-own. With such expansions, itaas will be able to enhance the basic ConnXstream UI to enable access to these services. Operators may eventually want to add other capabilities with their multiscreen service. Because itaas understands the existing MSO OSS infrastructure and set-top environment, the company can readily provide the software components to add remote control capabilities to devices for navigating on the TV set and communicating DVR commands. In fact, itaas has already done this for operators on EBIF (Enhanced Binary Interchange Format) enabled set-tops and on set-tops that run Cisco s SARA (Scientific Atlanta Resident Application). 6 ConnXstream

8 Verimatrix-Enabled Content Security As described in Part I, the rigorous content protection required by content suppliers for live multiscreen streaming of broadcast programming is provided through tight synchronization of the Verimatrix digital rights management system with other components in the ConnXstream architecture. The result is a studioapproved streaming solution that can be used across the widest range of tablets, smartphones, connected TVs/STBs and PC/Mac computing platforms. Verimatrix has brought together all the complex processes required for providing security in both the HLS (HTTP Live Streaming) DRM environment, which has come to dominate content usage on Apple and Android devices of all descriptions, and the Microsoft Smooth Streaming PlayReady DRM environment that dominates content usage on PCs, Xboxes and other devices running Windows OS. These are very different protection environments for which Verimatrix has developed specific products, namely, VCAS for Internet TV, featuring enhanced HLS security, and MultiRights PlayReady DRM for Smooth Streaming. As shown in Figure 2, these systems are combined in the VCAS 3 headend so that decryption keys for either platform can be generated on the fly with each unicast stream in accord with whatever device is being served. This is done simultaneously for any program which is being accessed over both types of streaming platforms at the same time. The Verimatrix system relieves operators of any need to deal with these complexities by handling the abstractions of interfaces to billing and entitlement systems for each security domain. Figure 2: Multi-network Deployment with HLS, Smooth Streaming, IPTV and/or DVB Verimatrix has extended the basic HLS security, which includes AES-128 encryption, with specific pay-tv security techniques in order to qualify for licensing of premium content and adequately protect pay-tv services to all forms of connected devices. The most essential security techniques commonly used in pay- TV systems for managed networks, such as IPTV and DVB, are client device authentication and subscriber entitlement management, both provided as standard in VCAS for Internet TV. 7 ConnXstream

9 Another essential feature is the value-added common entitlement API built into VCAS, which provides a single point of integration with business management systems. While PlayReady supports a multi-device subscriber domain concept by itself, VCAS enables cross-drm super domain management. Thus when content is entitled to a subscriber s domain, it is automatically authorized to all the domain s devices, regardless of delivery network and CAS/DRM. There are additional complexities that must be addressed within the HLS domain when it comes to ensuring that DRM player requirements for each type of Android device are accommodated. As shown in Figure 3, the client players in ipads, iphones and other Apple devices are uniformly scripted to Apple s HLS fragmentation prescriptions in the QuickTime player. Thus, the mode of distributing the key in the stream is always the same. Figure 3: ViewRight Web for ios In contrast, support for HLS security on Android devices (Figure 4) is a little more involved insofar as native client implementations of HLS fragmentation vary from one brand of Android device to another and, sometimes, even from one model to another. Verimatrix has integrated its security system with a comprehensive range of third-party players to ensure its keys are properly distributed to whatever device is making a content request. 8 ConnXstream

10 Figure 4: ViewRight Web for Android As depicted in these illustrations, a fully secured database of encryption keys is a critical component to enabling ironclad, studio-compliant security in the HLS and PlayReady domains. When a device authenticated by VCAS requests content, the VCAS server generates a key that is precisely matched to entitlements associated with the requested program. The ViewRight client ensures device usage is consistent with policies pertaining to control over content output, content overlays and the integrity of the OS. Another important advantage to how the ConnXstream security system works is the fact that the Verimatrix key management system (KMS) and the RGB TransAct Packager employ a key-exchange API developed jointly by the two vendors as a proposed standard within the API workgroup of the MPEG Industry Forum. The Packager, which, along with formatting and segmenting requested streams encrypts them as well, must have access to the keys in order to perform the encryption. By employing what has already emerged as a de facto key-exchange API standard, the ConnXstream solution affords operators the flexibility to use other combinations of key management systems and packagers, should the need ever arise. With the Verimatrix security platform operators are assured support for other service models beyond live broadcast streaming, because the system persistently secures content that is stored in on-demand servers and subscribers DVRs. In all cases, an entitlement check is always performed prior to issuing a key for content decryption. RGB Video Processing Operators also enjoy many best-of-breed advantages with the RGB transcoding and packaging components of the ConnXstream platform. The RGB Video Multiprocessing Gateway (VMG TM ) is the industry s only carrier-class transcoding platform, providing high availability through multi-level redundancy features. With unmatched density and capacity supporting up to 144 transcoded HD streams or 432 output profiles for adaptive streaming per 13 RU chassis the modular VMG provides the scalability required for 9 ConnXstream

11 cost-efficient, pay-asyou-grow expansion as subscriber growth dictates. By virtue of its modular, multi-function design, the VMG can also serve a range of other video processing functions, including transrating, grooming, ad insertion and program substitution. Its support of these functions allows for parallel distribution of programming over MPEG-2 TS to traditional set-top boxes, as well as ad insertion utilizing traditional SCTE standards. Due to its unified functionality, the VMG requires only a single management system, saving the cost and headaches of cabling and configuration of multiple video processing devices, and its high-density design reduces rack space and power requirements. And in keeping with the best-of-breed theme, it employs a best-of-breed processor approach, utilizing the best processor for the job ASICs for computationally demanding tasks with little feature evolution needs, such as video transcoding; FPGAs for lighter-weight tasks that can be processed in parallel and that may require feature evolution, such as ad insertion; and general purpose processors for rapidly evolving functionality that requires frequent updates, and computationally simple tasks, such as audio processing, that require reconfiguration in different deployments. Working as an integrated pair, the VMG and TransAct Packager provide a flexible solution for delivering and monetizing content to multiple devices. As shown in Figure 5, RGB s Packager can be deployed centrally, co-located with the VMG, or it can be deployed separately at the network edge (Figure 6) with the same level of interoperability and functional range. Also, by virtue of this modularity and the use of the aforementioned de facto standardized key-exchange API, operators have the option to deploy the Packager as a standalone appliance with other vendors transcoding platforms. And the Packager offers both software- and hardware-based options, giving operators maximum flexibility. Matching the best-of-breed feature-set of the VMG, the TransAct Packager offers many unique qualities, including: Support for live and VOD output packaging options for Apple HLS, Microsoft Smooth Streaming and Adobe HDS, in addition to support for RTMP Ingest of H.264/AAC over MPEG-2 transport streams (MPEG-2 TS/UDP) for live source packaging Ingest of H.264/AAC over MPEG-2 TS files for VOD asset packaging Internal Microsoft IIS-like functionality for Smooth Streaming manifest creation within the Packager, so that no external IIS server is required Insertion of manifest markers based on SCTE 35 signaling to support adaptive bitrate ad insertion for hyper-targeted advertising IGMPv3 support for source-specific IP multicast CDN-friendly Can act as an origin server, allowing reverse proxy from the CDN Supports expire headers Automatically purges expired content for live streams Source stream capture for troubleshooting/ diagnostics Dual transcoder input stream striping redundancy allows multiple VMGs to input to a single Packager, striping the bitrates within the manifest Local storage does not require a separate NAS 10 ConnXstream

12 Figure 5: Centralized Transcoder/Packager Deployment Figure 6: Distributed Transcoder/Packager Deployment Finally, through proprietary algorithms and constant improvements, RGB s integrated transcoding/ packaging solution delivers the highest video quality available, as proven in dozens of shoot-outs with top operators throughout the world. 11 ConnXstream

13 Verivue s OneVantage Content Delivery Solution The Verivue OneVantage Content Delivery Solution, now deployed by major service providers in North America and Europe, provides operators an extremely cost-effective way to implement a CDN for streaming video content over their private managed networks. The Verivue CDN functionalities, including caching, request routing, streaming, management and analytics, are implemented via software on virtual machines running on commodity servers with streaming capacity set at 10 Gigabits-per-second per server. This is a highly scalable system that selforganizes servers into clusters with the addition of more capacity, allowing operators to easily accommodate more traffic without having to manage new configurations. Operators can implement the CDN hierarchically on a tiered architecture that can include a core caching center, an intermediate level cache positioned with an operator s regional data center and edge level caches co-located at headends or central offices. Typically operators find that the traffic levels for newly implemented multiscreen services are such that an initial deployment at the mid-tier or data center level is sufficient to serve subscriber demand. As traffic volume grows the typical next step is to implement caching at the edge locations. Occasionally, with larger operators there may also be a need to implement a core caching center that can serve multiple data centers and from there all the edge points. Figure 7: Content Delivery Network Architecture 12 ConnXstream

14 Conclusion With ConnXstream the barriers to delivering live programming to subscribers connected devices have been overcome for network service providers of all descriptions. Operators do not have to settle for one-size-fits-all and single-sourced solutions to enable multiscreen TV Everywhere services. They can maintain a competitive edge against their most aggressive adversaries without sacrificing control over their service or incurring unnecessary costs. By exploiting the integration expertise of the ConnXstream team, operators can leverage their existing OSS and network infrastructures to maximum advantage. And, with implementation of the ConnXstream partners technology platforms, operators equip themselves with the means to migrate services as far as, and at whatever pace, the market wants to go. For more information, please contact: Itaas info@itaas.com RGB Networks Verimatrix Verivue ConnXstream