Level 3 Communications and Microsoft Collaborate to Deliver Live On-Demand HD, 3D Streaming for PC and TV
Level 3 and Partners Collaborate to Demonstrate Live and On-Demand 3D Streaming to PC, 3D TV
New Technology Will Be Showcased at NAB Using Level 3 CDN, Microsoft IIS Smooth Streaming and Microsoft Silverlight
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT – News) today announced its collaboration with Microsoft Corp. to deliver live and on-demand high definition (HD), three-dimensional (3D) streaming for both PC and television using the Level 3 content delivery network (CDN), Microsoft Silverlight for playback and Internet Information Services (IIS) Smooth Streaming for delivery. The technology will be demonstrated at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show in Las Vegas on April 12-15 at the Microsoft booth # SL220.
The demonstration will show how 3D content can be made available quickly as IIS Smooth Streaming content and delivered via Level 3’s CDN over the Internet and watched on a PC (with Anaglyphic glasses) using Silverlight. It will also show how 3D live or on-demand content being played back in Silverlight can be delivered via HDMI to the new generation of 3D TVs and viewed with Polarized or Active Shutter glasses.
A number of companies collaborated to enable this demonstration, including:
- Film and TV production company, TVN GROUP, which captured live HD 3D content in Germany.
- Digital media preparation company Inlet Technologies, whose SpinnakerTM real-time streaming appliance encoded the HD-SDI 3D output into IIS Smooth Streaming.
- Microsoft, which developed IIS Smooth Streaming and Silverlight.
- THX Ltd., whose THX® Media Director™ drives switching between 2D and 3D playback settings automatically. NAB demo will also feature complete THX Certified Display and home audio system.
- Level 3, which will deliver the content using its London Broadcast Encoding Center and global CDN during a live demonstration at NAB.
“This technology opens up a world of content to 3D streaming and offers new possibilities for event delivery starting as early as this year – major live sporting events or concerts streamed right to your television or computer in 3D,” said Peter Neill, senior vice president of Content Markets at Level 3. “Combined with the work of our partners, Level 3’s broadcast encoding and content delivery experience and significant network scalability have helped make this delivery possible.”
“Microsoft is pleased that Level 3 has invested support in Silverlight and the next-generation application development platform,” said Brian Goldfarb, director of the developer platform group at Microsoft. “Companies like Level 3 help developers use their existing skills to create unique experiences that run across many and varied devices.”
For more information on Level 3’s Media services, please click here or visit www.Level3Delivers.com. Level 3 will be at NAB in Las Vegas on April 12-15 to discuss its broadcast delivery capabilities. In addition to the demonstration in the Microsoft booth, Level 3 will have a booth in the South Hall – SU9506Z in the Destination Broadband Pavilion.
About Level 3 Communications
Level 3 Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: LVLT – News) is a leading international provider of fiber-based communications services. Enterprise, content, wholesale and government customers rely on Level 3 to deliver services with an industry-leading combination of scalability and value over an end-to-end fiber network. Level 3 offers a portfolio of metro and long-haul services, including transport, data, Internet, content delivery and voice. For more information, visit www.Level3.com.
