7 NEWSFEED Updates & Upgrades
VIZRT ACQUIRES NEWTEK
Disney+, the new streaming service, has announced its launch date - 12 November. Customers will be able to pay a monthly ($6.99) or yearly ($69.99) fee for a vast library of Disney’s and Fox’s legacy content, as well as new and exclusive TV shows, movies and documentaries. There’s concern about the impact Disney+ will have on other streaming services. The Guardian said Disney+ will be a “Netflix killer”, but CNBC stated “Netflix and chill probably isn’t going anywhere”. According to CNN, Netflix has 150 million subscribers worldwide, and with this income, programming despite the new competition. Wall Street analysts expect Netflix to spend close to $15 billion on programming this year, whereas Disney claimed it would spend $1 billion on original content for Disney+ by 2020. There could be an opportunity Disney+ in Netflix’s plans to raise subscription fees. Disney+’s $6.99 a month by far undercuts the $13 monthly fee for Netflix’s most popular US plan. should continue to create high-quality
News that VizRT, Norwegian titan of real-time 3D graphics and Virtual Studio software, had acquired NewTek broke before the NAB Show 2019, but it still became one of the biggest stories of the event. NewTek is widely recognised for NDI, a complete network for real-time production that kicked off the evolution toward IP infrastructure. Together, VizRT and NewTek create the largest company in the broadcast space that is focused on enabling IT- based video production, with 700 employees worldwide. The new company hopes to emerge as the driving force in the transition to IP video for
“The tools from our two companies have fuelled the video revolution – from kids in classrooms, little league games, and web shows, to the highest levels of broadcasting, news and sports,” said Dr Andrew Cross, NewTek CTO. “The combined company represents one of the most disruptive changes for the video industry in decades. However the goal remains the same – to build a new world of IT-based video technology to grow the reach and impact for anyone with a story to share.” Both brands will keep their own identities and names going forward, but the overall company will be called VizRT.
live production with NDI and SMPTE 2110, with each serving different needs. “Combining our organisations allows us to pursue our joint vision of software-based video production,” said Michael Hallén, VizRT CEO. Both companies claim that this acquisition brings two diametrically opposite, albeit complementary, sectors of the industry together.
MIXER PARTNERS WITH MAKE.TV FOR ESPORTS TOURNAMENTS
Microsoft’s Mixer livestreaming gaming service has enlisted Make.TV’s cloud-powered video technology to bring Mixer Matchups to Microsoft Stores across the US. Mixer, similar to Twitch, launched in 2017 and boasts over 20 million active users. It was the first streaming platform with sub-second latency, dubbed Faster Than Light streaming, on Windows 10, Xbox One, iOS and Android.
Mixer hosts weekly Mixer Matchups tournaments at participating Microsoft Stores and broadcasts them live on its streaming platform. Now, with Make.TV’s Live Video Cloud, Mixer will be able to bring competing players and remote talent together into a single stream for the first time. Andreas Jacobi, Make.TV CEO, says, “we’re excited to be working with Mixer to help
bring new gaming experiences to players and fans alike. Microsoft’s production team can capture content from multiple locations, curating and distributing it to fans in a groundbreaking show. Bringing people together from multiple locations to enjoy shared experiences is fundamental to the future of esports broadcasting, and this can now be achieved on an unprecedented scale.”
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