TV TECH: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trends at the 2024 NAB Show?
GORDON BROOKS: Anticipated to be the most influential technology trend, AI and ML are set to make a substantial impact in the broadcast space in the upcoming years. However, a key concern for customers is the transition to the cloud for live video at scale. Similar to AI and ML, the trends of video over IP and cloud have evolved from experimental phases to widespread adoption and deployment. Zixi has played a pivotal role in assisting customers in the deployment of large-scale IP video delivery, securing an impressive market share of more than 80%.
TVT: What will be your most important product news?
BROOKS: The launch of our v17 SDVP software marks a significant milestone, featuring industry-first innovations that redefine standards. Dynamic Latency eliminates the need for static latency settings, ensuring a more adaptable and responsive system. High Performance Networking with DPDK enhances throughput performance, reducing compute costs and positively impacting our customers’ bottom line, a crucial consideration in challenging times.
The release also introduces HTML Overlays for Graphics, Smooth Live Midroll Insertion, Error Concealment and Timeline Normalization, enhancing the overall user experience. These advancements collectively make the transition to Live Video over IP at scale an obvious choice compared to other industry options.
Furthermore, we have achieved a major breakthrough in data analytics with our IDP platform analyzing more than 2.5 trillion telemetry data points, solidifying its leadership position. Leveraging AI and ML-powered algorithms and processing more than 9 billion daily data points, the platform can proactively identify and flag issues before they occur. The Multi-Object Correlation Analysis swiftly pinpoints the root cause of issues within minutes, a process that previously took days or weeks and incurred substantial costs for our customers.
TVT: How is your new product different from what’s available on the market?
BROOKS: The distinctive features introduced in this year's Zixi release set it apart in numerous ways. These advancements result from years of investment, expertise and insights gained from customer use cases. One standout feature is Dynamic Latency, exclusive to Zixi, enabling users to set a maximum latency and allowing the network to determine latency based on conditions. As conditions improve, the system gradually reduces latency without impacting downstream devices, significantly enhancing user experiences.
Zixi stands out by requiring only a fraction of the bandwidth and compute resources compared to competitors. Coupled with a skilled team of architects and deployment staff, Zixi makes the design and deployment of large-scale IP workflows remarkably straightforward, providing customers with a competitive edge in the streaming space.
TVT: What is it about NAB Show that brings you back every year?
BROOKS: NAB Show stands out as the most impactful convention, filled with continuous action from beginning to end. It provides a unique opportunity to connect with the majority, if not all, of our significant customers in a concise timeframe. This allows us to gather feedback, address concerns, stay abreast of industry trends, and engage in discussions that would be challenging to achieve in any other four-day period through alternative means. Additionally, we discover new customers and potential partners who take advantage of this opportunity to explore our offerings, often resulting in long-term collaborations spanning several years.
