New Worldwide Digital Video Delivery System Announced, "Editvu"

As seen in 2pop.com, Broadcast Engineering, Digital Post Production, Digital Producer, Digital Video Editing, DTV Professional, EditorsNet

NORTH HOLLYWOOD, Calif. (May 29, 2001) -- North Hollywood based marketing company, Chick, Inc. announced the opening of its new online digital video delivery system, Editvu.

Editvu (pronounced "edit-view") is the creation of executive Chick Ciccarelli, former Vice President of Communications of L.A.Digital Post (LADP) and Moviola Digital. "I left L.A. Digital last October to start a small marketing company and found that I had signed 15 post production related accounts in a matter of weeks. Most of these companies were familiar with the post production ad campaigns I had developed, but seemed even more intrigued with my Internet development projects." Ciccarelli designed postproduction's first online order center, "Configurator" for LADP last year, made with a mix of digital video and Flash technology.

"I could see that our industry was eager to become more involved with the delivery of online video, so I set out to design something that would be helpful to my clients. I knew that there were other delivery systems in the works, but most of my clients said the others seemed really high priced and were not very user friendly. What I ended up with was an economical, universal video delivery system that can be used for digital dailies and the distribution of digital video to the consumer marketplace as well", says Ciccarelli.

Editvu has had several successful installations at Hollywood post facilities, including Keep Me Posted and is currently being evaluated by L.A. Digital Post as a valued-added service for their clients. "We create loads of recaps, teases and promos every week for ABC's soaps," says Keep Me Posted owner/editor Andrew Hanges, "and we need to keep in close contact with our clients. Editvu makes it really easy for us to deliver our content quickly, right to their desktops. The way the system is built also allows us to offer the service to our rental clients as well. The only pitfalls we can see so far is in making sure everyone has the right plug-ins for the right browsers and operating systems. But, Editvu supplies us with the resources necessary for upgrading."

Editvu uses an IP to IP address delivery of compressed content on high-powered servers equipped to stream the most popular Internet viewing formats (WindowsMedia, RealVideo & QuickTime) and distributes it through a unique, dynamic interface.

The system is different from point-to-point networks because it allows decision makers to be anywhere as long as they have an Internet connection. Editvu uses real-time streaming for its Library archive delivery (which is most suited to digital rights management) and on-the-fly encryption streaming for its Vault archive delivery (which ensures the information is not intercepted, pirated or altered in transit from the server to the player).

The back-end structure is comprised of an advanced "Synchronous-When-Optimal" routing service which streams media around the congested public and private exchange points on the Internet. These exchange points are the typically a primary cause of latency and packet loss (which contributes to rebuffering of media). The routing technology continuously monitors the traffic situation over all the major Internet backbones and routes mission-critical data in a faster, more reliable and better-managed fashion than conventional Internet technology. At the heart of the operation is a multi-terabyte, scalable, Storage Area Network (SAN) incorporating Fibre Channel technology that maximizes data transfer speeds while preserving integrity of the content with RAID 5 security in addition to an automated tape backup system.

The delivery systems' streaming operations center is directly connected via OC3s and DS3s to almost every major backbone on the Internet. Combining this routing intelligence with its "one-hop" proximity to the Internet enables Editvu to deliver media with a level of performance not found at a typical Internet Service Provider.

Probably Editvu's most unique feature is its interlocking interface. An Industry Package base station comes with a password protected 16 bin access panel, each with its own Editor's Workshop, Screening Room, Library (for short term uploads) and detachable asset management Vault (for completed projects that are ready for distribution). Each bin is individually password protected and uses an anonymous numbering system which offers studios, production companies and post production houses the ability to rotate bins as editing projects begin and end.

With just the click of a button a content owner with a Vault account can have his/her asset database linked to an Editvu enabled post facility base station, which allows the editor to upload the content and readies the project for pay-per-view distribution elsewhere.

"We've taken a look at this system from every angle of a production's workflow," states Ciccarelli. "It's not just about viewing dailies, but about what a producer may want to do with the project once its finished. We've also taken into consideration the financial burden that is sometimes affiliated with this type of digital delivery. Our flat-rate packages start at $99.95 a month and our clients can adjust their purchases as their storage and streaming needs fluctuate, which is far cheaper than our competitors."

Chick, Inc. will be demonstrating Editvu at Show Biz Expo (booth 1613 in the Los Angeles Convention Center) May 31st thru June 2nd, 2001.