Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards: Voting Deadline Extended

We've extended the voting deadline in this year's Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards until midnight EDT on Monday, October 2. We've already had a record number of votes—more than 33,000—so make sure your voice is heard!

This year we're featuring 31 categories, as detailed below, including new categories for end-to-end workflow, QoE/QoS, PTZ camera, video player, and VR/360° camera. All readers of Streaming Media are eligible to vote. You must enter a valid email address when you vote; you will receive a confirmation email soon after you submit your ballot. You must click the link in that confirmation email for your vote to count. Votes by company employees for their company's products will be discounted; we don't want this contest to be decided based on the number of employees a company has.

Voting will conclude on October 2. In mid-October we'll announce the finalists—the top three vote-getters in each category.

Click here to vote

The winners will be announced November 3 at Streaming Media West, which once again is being held at the Hyatt Regency Huntington Beach Resort and Spa in Huntington Beach, California. This year's awards are sponsored by DVEO, LiveU, Teradek, Harmonic, and Magewell. Winners will be featured in an article in Streaming Media magazine and StreamingMedia.com, as well as our Streaming Media Xtra newsletter.

If you'd like to see what companies took home the Streaming Media Readers' Choice Award in 2016, look to our list of winners.

We can't do this without you, so please think about what companies are doing outstanding work and cast your votes . The categories below are listed in alphabetical order.

Analytics Platform

These solutions deliver video viewership reporting and analytics, whether standalone or as part of a larger offering. (Note that this year we've added a separate category for Quality of Experience/Quality of Service solutions.)

Capture Hardware

Today's capture hardware is more robust and powerful than ever before. Which one is offers the most bang for the buck?

Cellular Bonding Solution

Presenting a useful way to broadcast from the field, cellular bonding solutions have taken off for live or on-demand coverage.

Closed Captioning Solution

Closed captioning isn't just a good idea; in many cases, it's the law. Making it simple and accurate is crucial.

Cloud Encoding/Transcoding Service

Who's got the best SaaS for encoding and transcoding video, in terms of quality, turnaround time, and service?

Content Delivery Network

This category covers both telco and traditional content delivery networks.

DRM/Access Control Service Provider

It's more important than ever for premium content owners to protect their content on every possible device, necessitating a multi-DRM approach. Which DRM service provider offers the best experience for the content owner and the consumer?

Education Video Platform

Educational institutions have unique requirements and face distinct challenges when it comes to publishing video. Which video platform works best for schools and universities?

Encoding Hardware (Live)

This category is for hardware encoders specifically designed for live encoding. (As more companies move to software-based solutions for on-demand encoding, we've deleted the on-demand encoding hardware category this year.)

Encoding Software

We're combining the desktop and enterprise-class encoding categories this year, as we search for the best overall encoding software.

End-to-End Workflow Solution

When a content owner, whether entertainment or enterprise, is looking for a soup-to-nuts video workflow solution that includes professional services and consulting, these are the service providers they turn to.

Enterprise Video Platform

When large organizations look to create their own internal YouTube or other company-wide video solution, this is the platform they should look to first.

Field Recorders/Monitors

Field recorders, camera-attached or otherwise, play a critical role in video production when you need to archive a high-quality feed for editing and on-demand delivery. And whether you’re shooting in bright, outdoor sunlight or trying to match images from different cameras, portable HD or 4K field monitors can be critical for reliably delivering quality shots. Which combination field recorder/monitor does the job best?

Live Streaming Platform

Which live streaming platform leads the way in terms of features, functionality, and usability?

Media & Entertainment Video Platform

What's the best platform for delivering short- and long-form content to viewers? Note that we have a separate category for OTT platform.

Media Server

Recognizing the best hardware or software solution for delivering audio and video files to listeners and viewers, regardless of delivery protocol.

Mobile Device (Phone or Tablet) Production Solution

Today's mobile phones and tablets are capable of serving as professional-level video production and communications devices—with the right software and (sometimes) accessories, that is. Which mobile device solutions are on the cutting edge?

OTT Platform for MSO and MVPD

As MSOs and MVPDs deliver more over-the-top content, they're looking to more robust and functional solutions than traditional media and entertainment video platforms can offer.

Portable Live Streaming Appliance (Less than $7,000)

Portable Live Streaming Appliance (More than $7,000)

These portable appliances do it all—switch, mix, title/overlay, and stream—from virtually anywhere; this year, we've broken the category in two based on price.

PTZ or Network-Controlled Camera

More and more video productions are using PTZ and network-controlled cameras in their multi-camera shoots. Which one leads the pack?

Quality of Experience/Quality of Service Solution

You need to ensure that your content is getting to your viewers in the highest quality possible, in terms of both the network and the end user. These solutions help you gauge and improve QoS, QoE, or both.

Small/Medium Business Video Platform

When a business needs a video platform with functionality beyond YouTube, but isn't looking for a full enterprise or OTT solution, these are the platforms they turn to.

Stream Stitching/Server-Side Ad Insertion Solution

Want to provide seamless ad delivery on the mobile web and stop ad blockers? These are the solutions that help you do it.

Video Optimization Solution

Video optimization helps content owners reduce file sizes with little or no sacrifice in image quality.

Video Player Solution/SDK

When it comes to winning and maintaining viewers. a quality video player is every bit as important as quality content. These are the companies that help content owners make sure they're giving their viewers a great viewing experience.

Video Switcher/Mixer

Viewers demand broadcast quality in live online video events, and these units make it possible, handling switching, mixing, overlaying, and keying (but not streaming).

VR/360° Cameras/Camera Systems

VR/360° video is the next big thing, and streaming producers and content owners are committing to it now. Which cameras and camera rigs offer the best VR capture capabilities today?

Webcasting/Presentation Solution (On-Premises)

These in-house solutions capture video and audio, combine it with slides and images, and deliver it to online viewers in an interactive environment with Q&A, surveys, and more.

Webcasting/Presentation Solution (Cloud)

Webcasting and presentations are a big area this year, so we've broken the category into local and cloud solutions.

Wireless Video Transmitters

Wireless video transmission systems provide affordable, compact solutions for moving video across wireless bands. Which transmitter tops them all?