EpixHD is an exciting new cable channel with movies from Paramount, MGM and Lionsgate. Their library includes blockbuster titles like “The Curious Case of Benjamin Button” or “Iron Man”, in combination with interesting features like the private screening with friends. The service will be available through cable subscriptions as a regular cable channel, but also in the form of an online portal.
What’s remarkable is the technical execution, especially the video player utilizing latest Flash Media features. Multiple bitrates per movie allow FMS 3.5 dynamic streaming to adjust based on available bandwidth, and also based on client performance. The player seamlessly supports everything from a slow DSL line, to high speed cable (720p), and it can adjust to changing conditions without a single stutter. The CDN for this is Akamai, which provides significant scale as seen during the live YouTube U2 concert last weekend.
The performance is also well tweaked with optimized H.264 encodes up to 3 Mbps. It implements the fullscreen performance best practices described in previous posts. This means is perfectly smooth playback on any screen sizes, including your HD TV or even higher resolution screens, without impacting the CPU – scaling and smoothing is fully taking care of by the GPU.
A very enjoyable experience and the great showcase of combing traditional broadcast with new innovative, new technology.
If you want to experience it on your own, each weekend between now and Thanksgiving, Epix is opening the EpixHD.com service to consumers. To get your access code, visit http://www.epixhd.com/invite/.
