HBO GO Embraces MPEG-DASH in Europe

HBO Europe's HBO GO is moving to the MPEG-DASH ISO standard for multiscreen video optimization.

Leveraging technology from Fraunhofer (News - Alert) IIS and BuyDRM, HBO has offered a demo where viewers can experience scenes from its drama series Boardwalk Empire via an Android phone, utilizing built-in AAC surround-sound technology from Fraunhofer and BuyDRM’s secure video playback client.

“As an award-winning service, HBO GO continues to innovate with new technology while enriching our viewers' experience with the brand,” said János Szilárdi, new media director for HBO GO for HBO Central Europe. “This exciting new opportunity for HBO GO represents a quantum shift in how consumers will enjoy digital media in the not-so-distant future.”


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 “In combination with MPEG-DASH, Android (News - Alert) devices become true and trusted consumer platforms allowing HBO Europe to easily offer content in the most efficient, highest-quality way using the AAC Multichannel solution from Fraunhofer,” the company said. “Subscribers to HBO GO on Android can benefit from foolproof surround sound delivered as easy and convenient as watching a Blu-ray or DVD.”

Using a variety of KeyOS technologies, BuyDRM’s MPEG-DASH client implementation provides stutter-free streaming as network conditions change. BuyDRM integrated MPEG-DASH support and Microsoft’s (News - Alert) PlayReady DRM in the showcase using MPEG video and audio codecs that ship natively with the new Android 4.1 operating system.

 “Our AAC family of audio codecs now ships with every Android 4.1 device, allowing service providers to deliver the best possible consumer experience to a variety of devices,” said Harald Popp, head of the Multimedia Realtime Systems Department at Fraunhofer IIS (News - Alert). “We do this by combining the highest coding efficiency with the dynamic ability to change audio bitrates in order to adapt to changing network conditions,” Popp added.