Headquartered in Burbank, California, DVS Intelestream is a leading provider of media supply chain management software and services, targeting feature film promotional materials, television programming, movie trailers, music videos, commercials and other broadcast media. The company' s services are used by all of the major motion picture studios, many of the world's largest advertising agencies, radio stations, Fortune 500 and independent production companies. In 2006, the management of DVS embarked on an ambitious project partnering with its television clients to build a portal for electronic distribution of promotional material to the global press. The Electronic Press Kit capability allows television studios to distribute content and clips digitally, for timely, cost-effective global reach.

Global Distribution Challenge

“Never before in web-based downloads have we or our clients been able to truly maximize bandwidth and quick throughput until now. Digital distribution of today's video requirements for promotional material would not be possible without Aspera.”

John Libby, Chief Technology Officer of EPK.tv

As DVS investigated what was needed to distribute content electronically, it became clear that conventional content delivery solutions were cost-prohibitive, and an innovative, low-cost alternative was needed. The planned EPK.tv service would allow television stations, radio stations, cable networks, web sites, newspapers and magazines to download promotional clips and documents. Items available for download would include video, audio, graphics, and descriptive documents. DVS anticipated many thousands of downloads each month, yet with conventional content delivery services that charge by the amount of data transferred, the expense was unattractive, if not prohibitive. The company then considered building its own delivery infrastructure. However, the limitations of conventional protocols such as HTTP for content downloads over the global Internet meant that the download of large video clips would be slow or even impractical, or DVS would have to invest in its own edge servers to move content closer to users. DVS came to NAB 2006 look for a high-quality and inexpensive technology solution, and found Aspera.

Aspera-Enabled Solution

DVS integrated the Aspera Enterprise Server and Connect browser plug-in into its web portal, and www.epk.tv. Aspera's distance-neutral performance meant that DVS did not need to replicate content on edge servers to improve throughput. In fact, DVS was able to distribute content worldwide through a single serving location. Users of the service are prompted to download the Aspera Connect browser plug-in to initiate transfers with the server. The plug-in integrates seamlessly with the end-user's web browser and allows users to download files fast, reliably and with predictable transfer time, regardless of the distance between the user and the server. Advanced users take advantage of the built-in transfer monitor to view bandwidth utilization and adjust the speed of individual downloads as needed. Within the first three months of launch, DVS recorded over 13,000 downloads with excellent reviews from stakeholders who appreciated the convenience and speed of receiving the broadcast quality video over the web. EPK.tv provides downloads to domestic and international locations, offering equally good performance to all users.

John Libby, Chief Technology Officer of EPK.tv, commented, “Never before in web-based downloads have we or our clients been able to truly maximize bandwidth and quick throughput until now. Digital distribution of today's video requirements for promotional material would not be possible without Aspera.”