In October 2015, VUDU, a leading premium streaming service in the USA, launched a revamped version of their Android™ app using our playback solutions.
The new version was a significant update over its predecessor providing customers with an enhanced experience when watching their favorite movie and TV shows on mobile devices.
VUDU developed the new app using our Android Video Player SDK technology to enable a number of under-the-hood improvements as well as utilizing our multi-DRM service.
Secured HD playback
Many studios place strict security requirements on streaming services when HD quality is involved typically requiring a form of hardware-secured DRM to be used.
Through our SDK technology, the player is able to access Google Widevine™ Modular as a hardware protected DRM system (level 1 secure media path), allowing customers with compatible devices to enjoy 1080p studio content on-the-go.
To complement this, we also provide content protection for the app’s video streams through our DRMtoday licensing service.
MPEG-DASH delivery format
VUDU previously used the HDS video format for streaming over Android devices. Along with their new player upgrades, the company has switched to the MPEG-DASH adaptive bitrate streaming format with playback handled by our SDK.
File-set packaging for this change was also facilitated through the Professional version of our DASH.encrypt application.
The move to MPEG-DASH allows VUDU to use the same assets not only for DRM-secured streaming to Android devices, but other playback environments as well such as web browsers and Chromecast™.
We also helped enable offline-playback support for downloaded content, meaning the same MPEG-DASH format works for both streaming and local playback.
Other new features
Our SDK also provided additional features for the app including:
- TTML subtitle support including the latest FCC requirements for display and customization
- Customizable streaming adaptation algorithms to help VUDU better integrate with their CDN to warrant the best user experience under all network conditions
- AAC 5.1 audio playback
Working together with VUDU has been a great experience, and we’re happy to have helped contribute to the success of their new app! If you’re in the USA, you can download the updated version now from the Google Play store.
About VUDU
A leader in streaming, VUDU offers the world’s largest selection of movies, including thousands of blockbusters, Hollywood classics and indies available in HD 1080p. Movies are available the same day they are released on DVD or Blu-ray, and can be rented or purchased without a subscription. VUDU is a wholly owned subsidiary of Walmart Stores, Inc., and is headquartered in Santa Clara, CA.
Learn more
To discover more about our solutions, please visit our mobile video player SDKs and multi-DRM product pages, or contact us directly at sales@castlabs.com.
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