Edge cloud service provider Limelight Networks introduced a new live streaming offering that aims to reduce latency issues and enable interactive live streaming experiences.
Limelight’s Realtime Streaming product is targeted at broadcasters, OTT services, or social media platforms that have rights to live stream sports events, as well as online casinos and esports platforms to support online participation, among others.
It uses the UDP (User Datagram Protocol) to transport video streams and Adaptive Bitrates. This differs from HLS and DASH, which use HTTP/TCP and break up video streams into chunks, creating delivery buffers that delay video delivery anywhere from 6 seconds to more than one minute, Charlie Kraus, senior product marketing manager at Limelight Networks explains to CED.
“Plus, TCP is a chatty protocol, so adds latency with packet acknowledgment messaging,” Kraus says. “Realtime Streaming does not use buffering, and adjusts to each viewer’s connectivity by adapting the optimum delivery bitrate.”
Kraus says that the edge is also critical to achieving the scalability needed to support large numbers of streams, noting that Limelight’s global network comprised of 80 PoPs and nearly 1,000 last mile ISP peering agreements enables the company’s product scale to support major live events.
The new offering is based on WebRTC technology, which is natively supported in all major browsers including Chrome, Safari, Firefox, and Opera. It also provides support for all Android and Apple smartphones and tablets, popular streaming devices, smart TVs, and laptops.
The service also supports the integration of real-time data, the type of which depends on customers’ use case.
“For example, for in-game sports wagering, it would be betting offers displayed on viewer screens; for online gambling, online casinos would interact with players who would send their desire to place a bet, take another card, indicate how much to bet,” Kraus says.
Limelight’s service provides sub-second latency, and latency is so important for live events because viewers expect broadcast quality without delays, Kraus says. He points to the Super Bowl as an example where cord-cutters can experience a typical 30-second delay.
“This means that a fan watching the game online could receive a text from a friend, or see an update on social media about a big play before they’re able to watch it ‘live’,” he notes. “Ultimately, this spoils the whole viewing experience and could even push cord-cutters back to old-fashioned (but reliable) pay TV providers. In-game online wagering would not be possible unless all viewers are seeing the event in real-time to level the playing field.”
Interactive streaming capabilities creates new opportunities for broadcasters and media companies to engage and retain audiences in ways that traditional TV can’t, Kraus says.
Back to the Super Bowl example, Kraus says content distributors could layer live video streams with data that lets viewers see stats about the match-up or players, or place a bet on who will score the next touchdown. It could also let viewers choose a specific camera angle, or providers could layer in social features that let viewers chat with a fantasy league, he says.
Limelight has received positive feedback when the service recently debuted at the IBC show in Amsterdam.
“Based on our experience at IBC the past few days, the overwhelming responses from so many organizations at the show wanting to engage with Limelight to investigate this solution has us very excited,” Kraus says. “We are looking forward to a very interesting future.”
