The product of a strategic research initiative, OptiQ Channel transforms the new channel creation task from a process that took weeks or even months to one that takes just minutes to complete. Once created, these new video channels exhibit considerable sophistication: as standard, they feature integrated monitoring throughout. A ‘pay as you go’ business model offers the flexibility to accommodate unforeseen fluctuations in demand while aligning such costs to revenues. As a result, users do not need to pre-spend to ensure they meet such demand.

OptiQ is a merging of the entire Telestream skill set around live streaming, workflow, cloud, integrated monitoring, containers and much more. Since we started its development, it has become clear that underlying this channel creation system is an OptiQ framework that enables the creation of multiple different applications to meet different customer needs.

The first application – OptiQ Channel – was showcased at NAB with its ultra-fast deployment, fully integrated monitoring and self-healing capabilities. Ever since its introduction at NAB, interest in OptiQ Channel has been strong. Many people ask us how this innovative technology development initiative is progressing and what they can expect to see at IBC (booth 7.C14 & 7.C16). The good news is that we are engaged in commercial conversations with a number of broadcasters and streaming service providers on both sides of the Atlantic. We will showcase a commercial product at IBC, and we are optimistic of signing up our first customers later this year.

Monitoring as a Service
In the months since NAB, we have identified another key OptiQ application – OptiQ Monitor - which takes the form of Monitoring as a Service (MaaS). It takes the post-CDN monitoring capabilities in the Telestream iQ portfolio and lights them up in a Cloud deployment. It targets customers that have already put in place the infrastructure required to support their live streaming channels but have no monitoring infrastructure, especially post-CDN.

A key feature of the OptiQ framework is the ability to deploy Telestream technology in any public cloud data center. Now, we have the ability with OptiQ Monitor to select any cloud data center, or as many as we require, and to specify the types of monitoring probes that we want to push into those data centers. Then, all we do is hit ‘go’ and everything is automatically built up to perform robust QoS and QoE monitoring of a customer’s live streaming channels.

What’s the big deal about monitoring?

OptiQ Monitor allows users to observe how their CDNs are performing across multiple geographies. Also, they can monitor the performance of video encoders across their entire distribution network. If this performance is sub-optimal we have a fast and cost-efficient solution. OptiQ Channel will deliver robust and efficient live streaming channels as a service (CHaaS) in a completely de-materialized cloud-deployed way.

OptiQ Monitor is the definition of a successfully delivered channel. How do we quantify this: is it the best encoder; the best contribution environment; the best graphics, captions, packaging format support, advertising workflow or monitoring? To successfully deliver a fully monetized, high quality event or channel requires more than just a world class encoder or packager. It starts with a good knowledge of what you’re delivering.

The only way to do this is through pervasive video monitoring and analytics. Without effective monitoring you don’t have a channel. If you don’t monitor extensively and have granular visibility of the channel across all of the geographies that it serves, and the devices and platforms that you seek to leverage then you can’t be confident that you are delivering a high-quality channel. Having good visibility of the health of a channel centres on the ability to monitor and analyze video data.

Telestream’s new OptiQ Monitor enables users to integrate this level of video monitoring without needing to modify anything in their existing delivery chain. Building on this through OptiQ Channel, we can then provide all the necessary packaging, encoding and ingest environments to help customers build high quality live channels quickly and easily. But always, video quality monitoring comes first!

In our 20+ year history, Telestream has never experienced as strong a response to a new product as we are currently enjoying with OptiQ. With both OptiQ Monitor and OptiQ Channel on show at IBC, we are predicting a very busy time in Amsterdam. For all your Telestream IBC updates and to schedule an on-site meeting, check out www.telestream.net/ibc