SPEED taps SeaChange, Anystream for VOD

SPEED, home of NASCAR TV and other premier racing events, is using the Quicksilver Agility VOD workstation, a system that combines hardware components from VOD server maker SeaChange International and software transcoding components from Anystream, to add some zip to its VOD production process.

Kevin Annison, SPEED VP of business development and operations, says the network can now easily create new programs from existing material and ready them for distribution over a number of platforms.

The system automatically ingests files from storage or editing workstations, marries them with metadata files, box art, promos and ads and then transforms them into CableLabs-compliant packages. Anystream’s Fady Lamaa, VP of product marketing, says by eliminating some of the complexity of VOD content creation networks like SPEED can get more high-value content into the market.

The production process at SPEED begins with ingesting a tape with the original race content and taking out the commercials and inserting promos and new commercials. The video is then sent via file transfer protocol (FTP) to TVN who, in turn, distributes it to cable operators like Comcast and Cox.

“Some of the content has a much longer shelf-life and can be repurposed for VOD,” says Annison. “The races, funny enough, don’t do that well. But programs like American Muscle Car and Monster Jam do well.”