Brightcove Video Cloud Smart Players Provide New Level of Stability and Consistency for HTML5 Video

Enables reliable cross-platform playback experiences, analytics and implementation of third-party services

Introduces VAST 2.0 support for HTML5 video and turnkey integration with Google DoubleClick ad serving solutions

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., October 26, 2011—Brightcove, a leading global provider of cloud content services, today announced wide-ranging new features for its Video Cloud online video platform Smart Players that help customers overcome inconsistencies in HTML5 video playback across devices, which enables more reliable cross-platform analytics and integration with third-party services, such as ad serving solutions.

Brightcove today also announced that the Video Cloud Smart Players support the VAST 2.0 advertising standard for HTML5 video and provide turnkey integration with Google’s DoubleClick™ ad serving solutions. As a result, publishers are able to monetize video content and drive revenue across HTML5-compatible devices and take advantage of this fast-growing audience to generate more value from their online video initiatives.

“The complexity associated with publishing video across HTML5-compatible devices continues to grow, as the distribution of operating systems and browsers used by these devices has become increasingly fragmented,” said Ashraf Alkarmi, director of product management at Brightcove. “Our Video Cloud Smart Players ensure that content is accessible across all devices and operating systems without sacrificing the stability and consistency required for reliable advertising and analytics.”

Popular smartphones and tablets access HTML5 video using a variety of different versions of the WebKit open source browser technology, but the way WebKit browsers render HTML5 video varies depending on the WebKit version. This results in inconsistent behavior across devices running different versions of the iOS or Android operating systems. These inconsistencies can prevent smooth video playback and block reliable ad delivery and analytics capture, resulting in poor user experiences and ineffective content monetization.

Brightcove has developed a new framework for using the HTML5 video tag that not only helps ensure consistency, but also allows Brightcove to rapidly deploy new player innovations that work regardless of operating system version and without the risk of breaking backwards compatibility with older versions.

The new Video Cloud Smart Players implement a series of innovations that overcomes these limitations to provide a reliable and effective video experience across devices:

• A new HTML5 Abstraction Layer automatically adapts the video experience to account for operating system and browser inconsistencies, allowing reliable playback and execution of advertising and analytics logic across both current and future operating systems and browsers. As a result, Video Cloud customers can enjoy broader reach and higher business impact for their video content.
• A new Universal Player API presents a set of software interfaces that are consistent across video experiences implemented in HTML5 and Adobe® Flash®. This enables developers to create highly customized video experiences and plug-ins that will behave the same way across both Flash and HTML5 environments.
• Video Cloud Smart Players now also include support for the most recent Android and iOS operating system versions to ensure content is being delivered to these devices reliably and consistently.
• HTML5 Analytics provide deep insight into how viewers are engaging with content across every device and playback environment. Now, Video Cloud analytics cover both Flash and HTML5 to give customers a comprehensive view into audience behaviors and device-specific engagement.
• New customization features, including Brightcove Experience Markup Language (BEML) support for HTML5, ensure video experiences play appropriately and gracefully handle situations where unsupported custom components cannot successfully render in an HTML5 video player. Customers can also use the Universal Player API and existing Media APIs to create custom experiences and playlists.

Additionally, the Video Cloud Smart Player enables Google’s DoubleClick ad management technology to serve ads to Brightcove customers for both HTML5 and Adobe® Flash®, regardless of the device or operating system version a consumer is using to access the content. Customers will be able to ensure the reliability of their advertising policies and monetization initiatives across Flash and HTML5 video experiences, while also taking advantage of the expanded reach to consumers on popular smartphone and tablet devices.

“Google believes in the growing importance and evolution of HTML5 to enable distribution across multiple devices and browsers,” says Rany Ng, group product manager at Google. “We’re particularly excited to partner with Brightcove to offer an integrated and efficient HTML5 video monetization experience for publishers. This is one of the many areas where Google is investing to help publishers deliver more engaging advertising experiences and increase the value of their video content.”

For more information on Brightcove’s HTML5 video solutions, visit the Brightcove Learning Center HTML5 video page. Brightcove will also be hosting a special webinar, “What You Need to Know About HTML5 Video Performance and Compatibility” on November 2nd where you can learn more about the new features announced today and the company’s overall HTML5 video strategy.

About Brightcove
Brightcove Inc., a leading global provider of cloud content services, provides a family of products used to publish and distribute the world’s professional digital media. The company’s products include Brightcove Video Cloud, the market-leading online video platform, and Brightcove App Cloud, a pioneering content app platform with general commercial availability expected later this year. Nearly 3,300 customers in over 50 countries rely on Video Cloud to build and operate media experiences across PCs, smartphones, tablets and connected TVs. For more information, visit http://www.brightcove.com.

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