Thinking Media has integrated Bitmovin's Player, VOD Encoder and Analytics to hyper-personalise its new service STIRR using AI, Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) and Multiview.
Bitmovin Multiview
Thinking Media, developers of AI-native TV UI and viewing experiences, acquired STIRR streaming service from Sinclair Broadcast Group in January 2024 as part of a wider strategy to deliver hyper-personalised viewing experiences to audiences. Currently, Thinking Media is developing a new platform for STIRR with AI-generated feeds for news, weather and traffic, resulting in a multi-player setup and creating a generative advertising portal integrated with server-guided ad insertion (SGAI).
In order to continue scaling STIRR further over time, as well as move away from the conventional one-size-fits-all approach to streaming experiences, Thinking Media is integrating several of services from Bitmovin – including its Player, VOD Encoder and Analytics – into its operations.
Assuring Playback Quality on Any Screen
"We see an opportunity to bring a hyper-personalized approach to all aspects of video streaming, applying it to experiences ranging from local news to advertising. We aim to build STIRR into an AI-native Streaming Service," said Todd Carter, Co-Founder and CEO of Thinking Media. "Integrating Bitmovin's Player, VOD Encoder and Analytics puts us in a good position to deliver distinctive experiences for viewers with high-quality playback to the most devices, with ultra-fast encoding and analytics to help us track and fix issues in real time.”
Thinking Media is deploying Bitmovin's Player as a way to guarantee playback quality on any screen on web, TV and mobile devices. Through its modular architecture, they can incorporate low latency DASH and HLS playback, and configurable adaptive bitrate streaming to fit specific demands, which results in a smoother viewing experience for audiences viewing from any location. The player supports various DRM protection systems including Widevine, PlayReady, FairPlay and others.
With the player comes the Stream Lab service that shows how DRM-protected and geo-fenced content performs on devices globally. Testing can be done from any location to better understand content functionality and assure quality across devices.
Bitmovin's Player now has interesting new Multiview capabilities as well, owing to its use of MV-HEVC that encodes multiple views of the same scene in a way that preserves video quality while keeping the bitrates manageable. Viewers can watch multiple video feeds or camera angles simultaneously, producing an immersive experience that can be customized for each event. Multiview suits sports broadcasting, concerts and live events.
Hyper-personalised Ads
Thinking Media will also be using the Player for its Server-Side Ad and Server-Guided Ad Insertion (SGAI) pre-integrations. SGAI combines client-side and server-side ad insertion techniques. The server guides the process through SCTE-35 markers, which indicate where ad breaks can occur, while the client – the viewer’s device – handles stitching and playback of the ad content. These processes together make sure ads are displayed at the right moment, without interfering with the stream.
STIRR streaming service
This approach, which requires the use of a player with integrated SGAI support like the Bitmovin Player, also makes it possible to personalise and target ads more accurately. Because ads are not pre-inserted into the content, SGAI enables real-time decision-making, where ads are selected based on the viewer’s location, preferences and behaviour.
Tracking and Analysing Data
Integrating Bitmovin's Analytics with STIRR will generate user metrics that give Thinking Media insights into how streams are performing in real-time, early enough to fix issues before they impact the viewer. The Analytics tools fit straight into the data architecture, tracking and analysing numerous data points including quality of experience, errors, stream performance, advertising and audience engagement. Using query APIs and data exports, users can access data and build custom dashboards.
Bitmovin's VOD Encoder supports multi-codec streaming, 8K multiple HDR formats. By matching higher performance codecs with compatible devices, the provider can deliver the best potential QoE for every screen, even when bandwidth is limited. This creates an opportunity to expand 4K coverage using AV1 and deliver Dolby Vision or multi-HDR content with HEVC, while maintaining support for legacy devices.
The Encoder also features Per-Title Encoding optimization, which customises the bitrate ladder of each video based on the complexity of the file. It then selects a bitrate just high enough to encapsulate all the information needed to present an ideal viewing experience. This approach ensures each video asset is efficiently encoded, preserves the viewing experience and reduces storage and CDN costs.
Thinking Media is deploying Bunny CDN, which was chosen for its cost-effective, high performance access to markets across North America, Latin America and Europe, achieving fast-loading Bitmovin players and buffer-free experiences in these important regions. bitmovin.com
