NPO expands streaming operations for London 2012 with Digital Rapids

Digital Rapids encoders will play a key role in servicing the mobile and online coverage provided by Dutch broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS).

Dutch public consortium Publieke Omroep (NPO) will expand its streaming operations during the London Olympics with the purchase of ten dual-calibre encoding systems from Digital Rapids.
These encoders complement NPO's existing Digital Rapids solutions, and add new possibilities in streaming projects such as the recent Euro 2012 and the Tour de France. They will also play a key role in providing mobile and online coverage service provided by the Dutch broadcaster Nederlandse Omroep Stichting (NOS).

Digital Rapids' systems will offer continuous full-time operation to NPO, encoding the live feeds of the three Dutch public channels as well as special events and thematic channels.

The flexibility in the format support of these encoders is key for NPO in its migration from traditional streaming protocols to HTTP-based adaptive streaming to distribute content to devices from PCs to tablets or smartphones.

Jeroen Mol, Manager at NPO ICT 3, commented that "the reliability and resilience of Digital Rapids encoders allows us to carry out our operations 24/7 without interruptions, while their quality, configurability and flexibility of formats are also important advantages. Digital Rapids is the only supplier that met the requirements, and its solutions are also very cost-effective. We have relied on Digital Rapids solutions as our encoding platform for high-profile events, and we hope to continue doing so in the future."

Clive Vickery, Managing Director EMEA and Asia at Digital Rapids, said: "We are pleased that NPO is expanding its use of our encoding systems, and that they are once again being used for NOS coverage at major events such as the London Olympics. Our solutions continue to offer the excellent quality and reliability that high-end multi-platform media organizations require to reach different audiences, with the flexibility that allows our clients to adapt to the new technical and business needs of the new multi-screen environment of average.”