Videoswitch – Video on Demand platform
The Videoswitch is a complete platform for delivering online content to various screens, from smartphones, through PC to high definition home theaters.
The system supports following streaming technologies:
- Flash streaming (RMTP, also encrypted RTMP)
- Http live streaming – protocol used by Apple products (iPhone, iPad)
- RTSP with RTP h264 streaming
- SIP with RTP h264 streaming
In all the protocols our implementation allows for trick play i.e. play/pause, rewind, forward, seek.
Supported devices:
- All devices that support flash 9 or 10.1 version
- iPhone, iPad, iPod through our VOD for IPhone application
- Android based handsets through our VOD for Android application
- Roku player HD and SD (the most popular vod player)
- XBMC running set top boxes, through our XMBC VOD plugin
- RTSP set top boxes, handsets, Internet TVs
- SIP video devices
Content protection
In the VOD business model it is crucial to have a proper content security implemented preventing the content from being intercepted and copied. Our system offers full protection on different levels:
Content access management:
In our system the content is never stored on the client’s side, it is being streamed on request only based on the rights assinged to a user account. The system administrator can decide which accounts are allowed to watch particular content, when they have access and through what duration. Each user has to log in prior to start streaming, the user authentication is based on username/password credentials. This does not apply when a free content is offered but even so the content itself is still protected from being copied.
Stream protection:
The stream is protected from being intercepted from the network by the means of different technologies:
Flash streaming – encrypted RTMP protocol
- Http live streaming – SSL protocol
- RTP streaming – encrypted RTP
User side software
The following user side components are delivered as the part of the system:
Flash player with built-in authentication procedures (fully compatible with the standard flash installation). Can work with the VOD Portal or as embedded into any website
- VOD Portal – flash/flex based web interface for browsing the content catalogue and ordering movies. Fully customizable from the Admin interface. Can be incorporated into an existing website
- iPhone, iPad VOD application – support for user authorization, browsing catalogue, ordering and playing movies. Ready to be uploaded to the Appstore. Optional support for the Apple InApppurchase payment method.
- Android VOD application – support for user authorization, browsing catalogue, ordering and playing movies. Ready to be uploaded to the AndroidMarket.
- Roku player channel – support for user authorization, browsing catalogue, ordering and playing movies. Available to the Roku users thru public or private channels, can be submitted to the Roku Channels Store.
- XBMC VOD plugin – a software plugin which can be downloaded directly from the XBMC application level from the plugins repository.
- XBMC VOD custom version – a downloadable distribution of the XBMC which can be installed on a PC or set top box. Does not need any additional user configuration.
We provide branding and customization for all the above components
Server side platform components
The following components are provided as the part of the solution:
- Voipswitch – SIP softswitch, media proxy and billing engine. The core element responsible for handling signaling from users, authentication and real time access control. In addition it provides RTSP to SIP bridge
- Videoswitch – the media streaming server
- Flash media server – responsible for converting the streams to flash and http live streaming formats
- VOD Admin Portal – a web interface for the content management.
- VOD web services – a web API exposing set of methods for browsing catalogues, ordering movies etc.
- Transcoding module – responsible for converting uploaded movies to RTP h264 format with required properties
The picture above shows the basic setup with the software components running on separate servers divided by their functionality.
The platform is fully scalable allowing for load balancing by introducing several Videoswitches sharing the same storage unit with the content
