Globo Selects Bitmovin to Set New Quality Standards in 4K Video
Bitmovin, a world leader in digital video technology, announces that Globo, the largest mass media group in Latin America, has selected Bitmovin Encoding (www.bitmovin.com) to speed up the delivery of 4K video streams to its digital subscribers.
Rio De Janeiro(10 Nov 2020)
Globo's digital platform is wildly successful in Brazil, especially Globoplay, the OTT initiative of the group. The Globoplay App has accounted for more than 15 million downloads and is one of the most accessed OTT products in Brazil. Globo's content is incredibly popular with Portuguese speaking audiences because it offers the "Globo Standard of Quality". This is a commitment to ensuring that everything from the scripting of content to the technology used to deliver it is of the highest standard. As a testament to Globo's dedication to providing its viewers with optimal viewing experiences, it has focused on delivering its award-winning Latin American content in 4K. Prior to Bitmovin, Globo was using on-premises hardware encoders, but it knew that to retain its market position it needed a cloud-based encoder that could deliver on both quality and cost efficiencies at the same time.
"Globo is renowned for setting quality standards in the industry, which is why its national newscast draws in more viewers than the Academy Awards on any given night," said Igor Macaubas, Head of Online Video Platform at Globo. "We wanted to leverage the power of the cloud so our viewers can experience our great content in stunning 4K video quality, encoded in HEVC. Thanks to its speed and agility, Bitmovin's cloud-based encoding very quickly became our first choice. And, since using its service, we have reduced operational costs and time required to execute the 4K encoding workflow, without compromising on the world-class online experiences we are famous for."
Bitmovin's cloud encoding service gives Globo the capability to encode a 90-minute video asset in 14 minutes across its entire 4K ladder. This is a real-time factor of 6.4 times, resulting in a quicker time to market for Globo, who produces over 3,000 hours of new content each year. Its Telenovelas are hugely popular because they are a cultural cornerstone for Portuguese speakers around the world.
Lucas Teixeira Stephanou, Video Platform Product Owner at Globo added, "The Globo Standard of Quality is deeply embedded in everything we do, which is why we were one of the first broadcasters outside the US to offer content in 4K. It's crucial that we have the ability to encode our video assets at speed without compromising on our visual quality standards. Bitmovin's renowned 3-Pass encoding exceeded our expectations, ensuring that high perceptual quality can still be delivered while streaming at optimal bandwidth levels."
Globo needed to ensure that it could meet the expectations of its audience by quickly uploading them in high-quality 4K. Equally important to speed are Globo's visual quality standards. To continue meeting these, Globo is using Bitmovin's 3-Pass Encoding, allowing it to select the best options for each piece of content and adjust the bitrate requirements to optimize the delivery of each asset. These features allow Globo to offer content on the platform faster, significantly improve picture quality and reduce operational costs.
"Despite a rapidly changing media and entertainment landscape and increased competition in Latin America, Globo continues to set groundbreaking standards that many companies aspire to," said Stefan Lederer, CEO at Bitmovin. "Globo continues to grow in popularity because it understands great content attracts viewers, but a great quality of experience will make them stay. Optimized video encoding lies at the heart of superior online experiences, and I am looking forward to seeing Globo and Bitmovin work together to set a new standard in 4K video encoding."
About Bitmovin
Built for technical professionals in the OTT video market, Bitmovin's software solutions are designed to optimize customer operations and reduce time-to-market, resulting in the best viewer experience imaginable. This is achieved through Bitmovin's unparalleled device reach, flexible integration, and commitment to supporting their customers. Bitmovin works with media companies across the globe to build innovative video products. To find out more, please visit www.bitmovin.com.