SA tech links radio visually in real time

14 Jul 2011

YFM is ready to launch YTV, a real-time, low bandwidth visual feed, based on what immedia describes as a "revolutionary new technology" which it has developed over the past three years in partnership with the University of Cape Town and the CSIR.

Known as Adaptive Real Time Internet Streaming Technology (ARTIST), this South African innovation does away with the buffering associated with slow download speeds by monitoring an Internet connection and adapting the quality of the video stream accordingly. This effectively fills the gap between bandwidth supply and content demand.

According to YFM music and digital manager Mervyn Sigamoney, it is the first of its kind in Africa. "Until now, local radio stations have only been able to offer a video picture that refreshes every few minutes. In comparison, YTV is live, real time coverage or more simply - TV broadcasting on the Internet. It is not meant to be a high-definition offering but rather caters to the bandwidth needs of our audience and in so doing, adds a personal touch by putting our listeners in studio with the DJ in real time."

"Adds the visual to the audible"

immedia director, Bevan Andries, says the benefit of ARTIST within the radio environment is that it adds eyes to ears, faces to voices and the visual to the audible. "Traditional radio has been able to offer an audio and more recently, online environment but this adds real-time, video streaming to the mix, which adds a whole new dimension to listeners' radio experience. We have effectively closed the loop for true integration of media incorporating radio, online, web, TV, mobile and print."

Sigamoney says that it also serves as an additional means of generating non-traditional revenue, as it creates new advertising opportunities. Besides the obvious banner ad spots available around the screen, it offers advertisers endorsement opportunities, eg a DJ consuming a sponsored beverage or wearing sponsored clothing.

Looking ahead, he says the advent of YTV, underpinned by the home grown ARTIST technology, has allowed the radio station to advance its digital vision rapidly.

"In association with immedia, our future plans include taking the technology on to our mobile platform including iOS and also to MacOS devices. This will further enhance our audience's experience of the brand and will further position us as a pioneer within the local media space."

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