Haivision’s KulaByte Powers Live Multiplatform Video Streaming for Nautilus Live

Haivision Network Video’s KulaByte live Internet encoder powers multiscreen video delivery for Nautilus Live, a live ocean exploration program. A part of a complete media system provided by KIT digital, the KulaByte H.264 encoder receives the raw HD video signal from the Nautilus vessel and converts it into multiple H.264 IP streams in the formats required for delivery to the Nautilus Live Roku channel, website, iPhones, iPads, and other mobile devices.

“Reaching the target audience across a wide array of platforms was critical to the educational mission of Nautilus Live, and KulaByte was an essential component in that effort,” said Jesse Francis, solutions specialist, KIT digital, Inc. “This implementation was completed prior to the release of the KIT Video Platform, and so KIT digital worked with KulaByte to convert a single video stream to multiple high-quality formats with minimal latency. We were also impressed with its Internet streaming capabilities, which were able to detect outbound network congestion and automatically adjust the stream bit rates to deliver the best-quality output.”

Currently docked in Yalikavak, Turkey, the research vessel Nautilus just completed a four-month field expedition in the Black and Mediterranean Seas and the Atlantic Ocean. Nautilus Live is a project of Dr. Robert D. Ballard, the renowned oceanographer and explorer, and his international team of scientists and engineers, who conducted a range of activities such as mapping the sea floor, studying underwater volcanoes, and investigating aquatic life forms. Throughout the expedition, students, educators, researchers, and general audiences ashore were able to participate through the 24/7 live video feeds that were delivered from the ship via KulaByte and the KIT digital solution. The video feeds are an important component of The JASON Project, a partnership between National Geographic Society and Sea Research Foundation that delivered programs to classrooms and after-school settings such as Boys & Girls Clubs of America.

During the expedition, the Nautilus transmitted via satellite video feeds originating from the ship as well as its companion remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) that were exploring the seafloor. The feeds were received at the Inner Space Center at the University of Rhode Island, where the KulaByte encoder converted them to the formats required for multiplatform delivery — including Dynamic Flash for the Nautilus Live website, and Adaptive HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) for mobile devices and tablet computers. In addition, KulaByte provided an HLS stream for Roku set-top streaming devices that were installed at Nautilus Live Exploration Command Centers (ECCs) at museums, aquariums, and schools around the country. The Nautilus Live Theater at Mystic Aquarium in Mystic, Conn., has hosted more than 30,000 visitors since its opening as a featured ECC venue in 2010. The KIT digital solution employed Akamai’s content delivery network to distribute the streams to all end-user devices.

“The Nautilus Live and JASON Project programs are truly groundbreaking in their efforts to give viewers the experience of being aboard the Nautilus ship, sharing discoveries in real time as they watched live ocean exploration and shipboard activities. And, thanks to KulaByte, they could participate using the platform or device of their choice,” said Peter Forman, vice president, Internet media division at Haivision Network Video. “Nautilus Live is precisely the type of use case for which KulaByte was designed: a far-reaching program that relied on live HD video streamed over the Internet to provide a valuable learning experience for many types of viewers.”