Streampunk Media
Agile Media Blueprint
Designs for the Cloud-fit Platform
Open the hatch, peek into the engine room and observe the beating hearts of Agile Media Machines, designed according to the Agile Media Blueprint.
Watch a short introductory video (20 mins). For a more in depth description, see Streampunk Media's white paper Agile Media Blueprint: Creating and monetizing content using the Internet technology platform (PDF format). The white paper shares content with an Advanced Media Workflow Association discussion paper (PDF format).
1. Content Creators
The Agile Media Blueprint starts with people, in teams, within organisations and across organisations. Administrators assign roles and grant permissions for users to create with cameras, mics., etc..
2. Social Consumers
The Agile Media Blueprint targets social consumers, through broadcast mediums, OTT and mobile. The content is ever more personalized to those viewing it.
3. At Its Core
At the core of the Agile Media Blueprint is a grain-based Content API for element-by-element access to the media, backed by best-of-breed cloud-fit technology, including uber-RAM-caches, AI and object stores.
4. Media Transport
Media transport in the Agile Media Blueprint is between Content APIs, with bi-directional links operating in parallel, faster than, slower than, or at real time. A time-to-bytes translation connects with existing media formats. Compositions are rendered by microservice just-in-time.
5. Seamless Migration
Using a bytes-to-time unwrap component, backed by an index database, libraries of files and streams can be migrated into Agile Media Machines, either just-in-time or just-in-case. Media factories seemlessly migrate from file-based to API-based.
6. Infinite Possibilities
Time to build Agile Media Blueprint systems? What's missing? Infinite capacity! Or is it? Frames of uncompressed HD video data move many times faster than real time on 25Gbps networks! Create and deliver constraint free - wherever, whenever, however!
The Driving Force of Agile Media Machines
Content API - Up Close
The most significant piece in the design of the Agile Media Blueprint is the Content API - including a RESTful mapping to HTTPS and other protocols - that allows access to read, write and make grains on-the-fly. Any device, from a clip-on microphone up to a large broadcaster's archive or central sports production facility can expose access to read or write content through a DNS name with a path like:
https://<device>.<domain>/<content>/<stream>/<time>.<format>
The path parts are:
<device> - a local name for the device, possibly an alias;
<domain> - a global or .local domain name;
<content> - sub-resources that represent complete items of content, with optional extra services that help find the monetizable content on this device, such as "search.html" or "content.json";
<stream> - sub-resource that represents component parts of the content item, such as streams or graphic files, and additional resources that can be used to find, synchronize and process the components, such as "cable.json" or "description.html";
<time> - for streams, access to grains or grain ranges identified by timestamp, with PTP and other formats may supported, and resources that describe the stream, e.g. "technical_data.json";
<format> - a means of describing the format that is being requested, which may include size, scale, codec, wrapping etc.. The format may be described further through headers, query parameters or in the body of a request (tbd).
Whether content is being written or read,the primary use of the API is to transport media between end points (e.g. a camera and a monitor). The Content API facilitates an easy mapping of flows of grains to the HTTPS protocol. This provides a natural mapping to the platform. As all connections are bidirectional, the rate at which material is moved can be clocked by back-pressure when in real-time use, and is otherwise a cost-function that balances available bandwidth and desired quality.