We’ve improved our Enhanced Mobile Detection technology with additional metadata

When using our Enhanced Mobile Detection feature users are able to use a single embed code and our system handles the rest in terms of who is watching the video and from what device. It then delivers the most appropriate asset for whatever device it is being watched from. We have now included additional metadata in the generated HTML5 video tag, which assists devices in choosing the most appropriate asset for playback. This further helps streamline your video workflow, especially when it comes to HTML5 and mobile video.

New documentation is available for embedding Twistage videos in a facebook page

It is now possible to embed Twistage videos directly into facebook rather than include a link, which is traditionally the way most non-youtube videos are shared in the popular social networking site. Please take a look at our documentation to learn more.

A new plugin is now available for integrating with a Drupal website.

We’ve been integrated with Drupal, the popular Content Management System, for years, but it’s now easier than ever to integrate the Twistage functionality into a Drupal website using this new plugin. The plugin handles most of the hard work in terms of integration so you can get right to the media management for your business.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

Twistage customers that were already reaping the benefits of the company’s comprehensive online video platform now have turnkey access into a universal monetization solution. Cleeng enables video content owners to leverage various business models, from pay-per-view to subscriptions while offering an unparalleled ease of use for online users.

“Cleeng’s solution to the for-pay content challenge is both elegant and powerful. It is both simple – customers can activate it with just a few clicks of the mouse – and powerful. Content owners have been clamoring for more flexibility around monetization and Cleeng’s solution provides just that. It offers content owners and distributors a full set of options that for generating revenue while enhancing audience engagement. We are expecting it to drive significant additional revenue for content owners.” said David Wadler CEO at Twistage.

How does Cleeng work?

Cleeng in-video monetization enables any video owner to collect payment for watching all or part of a video. Publishers retain control of their strategy deciding which part of their video to protect between two cue points and the price charged for accessing it. This requires just a single click and uses multiple payment methods including major credits cards, PayPal, SMS and local market methods.

“We are thrilled to partner with Twistage in delivering a major breakthrough to the online video ecosystem, empowering content owners while easing access for online users.” said Gilles Domartini, CEO at Cleeng.

The big idea behind Cleeng is to make content acquisition and sharing effortless. With Cleeng, users with a single user account can access content on any devices at any time. Enthusiasts can also take advantage of a smart social sharing commission system for content creators. Cleeng is a flexible way to monetize any type of content: text, video, images, all with a single tool.

Visit our demo page to see it for yourself: http://cleeng.com/us/features/demos/

About Cleeng

The Cleeng solution is an award-winning monetization platform that equips content creators’ with a single fully integrated solution that is capable of:

• Protecting any type of content
• Selling in context (in-page or in-video), allowing users to preview their content while keeping their ads revenues
• Offering a smart, dynamic shopping cart with multiple payment options to boost conversion rates
• Increasing social commerce to boost sales and reward loyal users.

Publishers save time and money implementing this easy-to-use solution and can test different forms of monetization including lead registration, pay per article, subscription, and more. Cleeng, with offices in Amsterdam and Paris, was founded in 2010 by an experienced team composed of online experts with experience working at Apple, Philips, Best of Media, and Packard Bell.

About Twistage

Twistage is the leader in carrier-grade digital media management, delivering web, mobile, and connected TV solutions including Online Video Platform (OVP), audio and image management, cloud-based transcoding, workflow automation, and more. Already the platform of choice for many leading enterprises and digital publishers, Twistage enables organizations to drive return on existing investment and accelerate their time to market.

Media contact: Benedicte Guichard or Dru Johnston
bguichard@cleeng.com
pr@twistage.com

A new plugin is available for Twistage integration within a Joomla site

A new plugin is now available for integrating Twistage within a Joomla-powered website. The plugin simplifies the process of embedding the video player and ingest wizard within your site and makes it easier to bridge the gap between our video management and your content management. One of the leading content management systems, Joomla is used by businesses and bloggers alike and joins the growing ranks of CMS’s with built-in Twistage plugins.

It’s easy to edit and choose the videos displayed in your “Related Videos Panel”

New usability improvements allow users to select which videos should be displayed in the related videos panel after a video has finished playing. Videos can now be included in the related panel based on having similar tags, title, or contributor, as well as other popular videos from your account. All of these improvements let your user base stay engaged on your site and waiting to see more.

New documentation is available for importing audio tracks programmatically via the Import API

For the programmers our there we’ve added new documentation for importing audio tracks programmatically. This documentation improves the streamlined functionality inherent within the Twistage infrastructure, and continues to improve our Audio offering. Contact us for any information on full media management including video, images and audio.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

Well I was out of town the last three weeks so was unable to keep our readers up to date about what’s been going on here on the dev side at Twistage. But wait no more! I am back with updates on what’s been happening this month from a release point of view. Here are a few of the highlights.

Video files now support subtitles in multiple languages

Video subtitle data (in Timed Text/XML format) can now be uploaded to a video. With this new feature it’s easier to reach a larger more international audience and continue to strengthen your brand. To upload subtitle files, navigate to a specific video and click the Subtitles tab on the left side of the page. Each video can have subtitles for multiple languages. The player profile can be configured to display subtitles uploaded to your videos, or subtitles hosted on your own server.

New support is available for Apple HTTP Live Streaming

Apple HTTP Live Streaming is now supported with some CDNs, for enhanced delivery to mobile devices. When using HTTP Live Streaming, an HTML5 video player on a mobile device can downgrade to a lower quality version of a video stream based on changes in network connectivity.

The new Twistage slideshow player is now supported in HTML5 for tablet devices and iPads

For those users on iPads or Tablets it’s now possible to view and use the new Twistage slideshow player for presentations and demos. The slideshow player will automatically detect whether Flash is installed and, if not, will use an HTML5 video player and a JavaScript carousel. The JavaScript carousel can be themed similar to the Flash carousel, by configuring your player profile.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

We’re thrilled to announce that Twistage was included in the Streaming Media 100!

Compiled by industry experts and professionals in the online video space, the list details the hundred companies that matter the most in the online video space. We are thrilled to be sitting in the company of partners, competitors, and even behemoths such as YouTube.

“The companies in the Streaming Media 100 represent many different pieces of the online video ecosystem,” according to Streaming Media editor Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen, “but they all have one thing in common: The world of online video today would be markedly different without any of them. Each one, in its own way, has made the online video industry what it is today and is pushing it towards the future.”

Please check out the full list of companies honored here, or in the most recent issue of Streaming Media Magazine.

A new Google Sitemap XML Template is now available

Due to popular demand we have released a new Google Sitemap feature allowing you to generate a document according to Google’s video sitemap document specification. The Google Sitemap template can be applied to a video RSS feed, and can be accessed within the console and via the API. This new feature allows your media an even greater scope when it comes to syndicating your content.

A new slideshow player widget is now available, allowing you to embed a video alongside a set of synchronized images.

Our new tool allows a brand new presentation style for on-screen demos or social communication. Last release we announced support for Powerpoint presentation slides within our image management console. With this new release you’re able to present full Powerpoint presentations, timed to match your video presentation, in an on-demand setting. It’s a powerful tool for employers to communicate new policies within their company’s infrastructure, and a terrific sales tool to show off your product. This feature is currently in beta. Please contact support if you are interested in evaluating the slideshow widget.

The JavaScript carousel now supports additional layout options.

New customization options within the JavaScript carousel allow more aesthetic choices when presenting video playlists. When the carousel is horizontal, the text can now be placed below the still frame image, and when the carousel is vertical, the text can now be placed to the right of the image.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

A new Playlist Update API is now available for modifying playlists.

We are continuing to build out our robust set of APIs adding a new Playlist Update API to the mix. When used with a static playlist, the API can modify the list of videos in the playlist; when used with a dynamic playlist, the API can change the criteria used to select videos. As with all of our APIs, this functionality is now available to be managed programatically, easing the video management workflow processes. Please see our documentation for details about how to use the new API.

It is now possible to upload PDF and PPT files to an image album.

As we continue to build out both our image and audio feature sets we are enabling clients to increase the range of their online media functionality. This is why we’ve added a new feature which allows PDF and powerpoint files to be uploaded directly into the Twistage system, where it will then be saved as JPEG files for image viewing on demand. Powerpoint slides will be automatically converted to JPEGs for online presentations and demos, making it easier to engage with your audience. An incresingly necessary tool in the online ecosystem.

Bumpers & Midrolls can now be configured to preload several seconds before they are scheduled to begin.

A new advertising tool allows video bumpers and midroll ads to preload several seconds before they are scheduled to begin. This reduces the amount of time the user must wait for the bumper video to buffer before playback, enhancing the viewers experience across the board when it comes to ingesting media.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

You can now set up conditional “update” and “ready” hooks that are sent based on additional specific video metadata fields.

Last release we noted that a new feature had been added to our callback hooks allowing information to only be sent in the presence of select metadata fields such as title, description and contributor. This release we’ve built out the functionality allowing users much greater flexibility with regards to this feature. New hooks can be triggered to send notifications based on additional metadata fields, including duration, tags, and file size. These features continue to give our publishers much greater flexibility and freedom when it comes to automating video workflow and also can give users a more detailed communication with their video content. Please note that “create” hooks cannot currently be configured to be conditional based on video metadata.

We’ve added new audio management functionality to add or change an audio track’s cover image programmatically

Using the Audio Track Update API it is now possible for publishers to add or change their audio track’s cover image programmatically. This new feature continues to build out our Audio management console to allow greater freedom when it comes to audio management. It also rapidly speeds up and automates all things audio, letting you handle all audio management from a single third party CMS.

It is now possible to replace individual assets for audio tracks through the console interface

Continuing our efforts to build out our Audio Management Console, users are now able to replace individual audio assets. This change will let you upload improved audio tracks without affecting the asset’s metadata or external placing. You can do this by using a browse button to upload the replacement track asset.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

New feature added to Hook Callbacks allowing them to only be sent in the presence of a certain piece of metadata.

Hook callbacks can now be configured to only be sent based on the presence of certain metadata in the video, such as when the title, description, or contributor contains a specific word or phrase. This feature gives greater flexibility to your workflow automation. You are able to select which videos will be targeted by hook callbacks and set appropriate workflow business rules around them. These options can be applied to all the various hook callback types: server/URL, email, YouTube, and TubeMogul.

When using the enhanced mobile detection JavaScript embed code bitrates can be optimized to reduce buffering and improve delivery.

When videos are loaded on a mobile device using the enhanced mobile detection JavaScript embed code, video assets with typical bitrates around 1000kbps are now preferred over those with extremely high bitrates. This new detection allows for a much better end user experience for any user with a mobile phone. In the end it helps by reducing buffering and improving the delivery.

At Twistage it’s a priority to keep innovating and evolving our platform to keep up with the newest trends and technologies in online video. To achieve these goals we follow an iterative development model, with regular releases every two weeks. These releases contain everything from small encoding solutions to entirely new product feature sets. Here we highlight a few of the most influential releases from the most recent notes, and talk a little bit about what it means for Twistage clients. For a full list of release notes and to answer any questions you might have on the platform please contact Twistage at info@twistage.com.

Twistage: What is your business? What are the primary focuses/goals of Catch The Fire?

Jonathan Puddle: Catch The Fire is a global network of Christian churches that grew out of a spiritual revival that began in Toronto in 1994. We’ve been live streaming our Toronto church meetings since 1997 (yup, you read that right… RealPlayer G2, baby!), introduced video-on-demand in 2003 with Windows Media, and rebuilt our live and VOD service in 2009 with Flash video.

Benjamin Jackson: When revival exploded at our church in Toronto in the 1990s we had literally millions of visitors travel from everywhere around the world, they came to experience what was happening here and to see for themselves. Twistage allows us to reliably reach everyone of those people on a daily basis with live and archived footage from all our events – technology has never been so pivotal in the distribution of the gospel than it is today.
We also have a large training division, known as Catch The Fire College, with a whole bunch of campuses around the world and hundreds of training events elsewhere when our teams are travelling. We’d like to expand our training into the online arena, which will allow even more people to participate without increasing costs. We have loads of content ready to stream!

T: Where do you see Catch The Fire heading in the short term? In the long term?

BJ: Our vision is to provide fresh, world-class Christian content and resources TO people all around the world FROM people all around the world. We are planting churches, schools and ministries in locations across the planet and want to not only be able to bring content to those locations, but also send from those locations out to anyone. The task of equipping these locations with all the technology is quite a challenge, but Twistage handles all the back-end seamlessly once we’re streaming!

JP: We’ll be planting more churches around Canada in the next few months, and are really hoping to start streaming French language church meetings from Montréal before long. We’ve not done anything multilingual yet, so it poses some fun challenges! If you visit CatchTheFire.com, you’ll see we have churches or schools in 7 different nations. My goal is to eventually stream live from all of those locations, in their native languages, making CatchTheFire.TV a truly global video resource.

T: How has Twistage helped your company from a technology standpoint and from a business standpoint?

JP: Oh man… Where do we start? We like to think of ourselves as pretty smart guys; we have talented developers, good project managers, and fairly high standards of quality. We took 18 months to give up on building our own OVP service, and then found, developed & re-deployed on Twistage within 6 months. We’ve been predominantly a .Net shop, so we integrated Twistage’s capabilities into a DotNetNuke site, which probably took 3 months of active development from a single dev. The fruit is CatchTheFire.TV, which has been live just over a year now, and which our customers love. All during that time Twistage’s product has been excellent, and the partnership we’ve found with their team is pretty much the best we’ve found with any company we’ve ever dealt with, in any industry. That’s high praise, to be sure, but they deserve it. In those 12 months we’ve served 57,000 unique viewers from all over the world, and the Twistage platform handles it all with aplomb. Their API is rock solid, high performing, and well documented, and their 2-week release cycle has often put new functionality into our hands within days of chatting with them about stuff.

BJ: As Jonathan said, we went through a painful season of trying to accomplish what Twistage does right out of the box. Working with Twistage has helped us to focus on creating and providing the right content rather than worrying about all the systems and technology that can so often distract us. As a non-profit, we’re not looking to make a load of cash from our online video service, but just to cover it’s operating costs. Twistage have made it possible for us to keep impressing our customers with new features and functionality while they’re the ones doing much of the hard work behind the scenes. I’ve never seen a company so committed to the future of their product, or so passionate about the needs and service of their customers. The whole team at Twistage are outstanding!

T: Any final thoughts?

BJ: One thing that’s worth mentioning is that Twistage’s APIs make it so easy for us to switch our other service providers and platforms without compromising service. We have integrated with three different CDNs for content storage and delivery without any hitches, and we’re also able to easily develop with an alternative CMS for our sites without losing all our content and metadata.

JP: As Ben said, technology is so pivotal to spreading the gospel today. In the last 12 months we’ve seen OVPs change from saying “Huh? Church streaming?” to featuring Houses of Worship as one of their main verticals. We evaluated 4 or 5 OVPs at the time, and Twistage understood us from the start. My only fear today is that Twistage will be snapped up by a CDN (or someone else) looking to capitalize on Twistage’s success. Whatever the future holds for us both, Ben and I hope this partnership is a long one, and we wish them all the best!

Check out more about Catch the Fire at their website: www.CatchTheFire.com