Enterprise Streaming Platform for Canal+

Description

Canal+ is a leading satellite digital television service operating in Vietnam with approximately 1 million subscribers. The service was set up as a joint-venture between Canal+ and Vietnam Satellite Digital Television (VSTV) in 2014.

Canal+ service subscribers can enjoy all K+ channels and live streaming content anytime and anywhere via the myK+ application. The application is available on all devices, including laptops, tablets, and mobile.

Tech stack

Java (backend)
Java (Android)
Objective-C (iOS)
.Net
AngularJS
ReactJS
AWS

Team

Mobile (iOS, Android)
Web
Set Top Box (STB)
QA (Quality Assurance)
Support Team
PM (Project management)

Challenge

The client’s task was to develop a comprehensive Over-The-Top (OTT) Solution, including video distribution, content discovery, and immersive multi-screen apps for mobile, desktop, and Set-Top Boxes (STBs). The solution needed to cater to multiple channels, accommodating both high-definition (HD) and standard-definition (SD) content. With a vast subscriber base of 1 million, Vodworks had to ensure seamless performance even during peak events, such as highly anticipated matches in the English Premier League (EPL), when a significant influx of users would simultaneously sign in to the service. Additionally, providing robust support was vital to meet customer expectations. The challenge was also in the introduction of new hardware, particularly STBs, which had limited support capabilities. Despite these complexities, Vodworks embraced the challenge and developed innovative strategies in order to deliver a cutting-edge OTT Solution.

Our solution

Vodworks provided a complete turnkey multi-screen solution with the following key features and services:

myK+ Apps: iOS, Android, web, and Set-Top Box (STB) These apps provide an immersive user interface (UI) that enhances the viewing experience for the end-customer. Additionally, the streaming capabilities of myK+ apps adapt seamlessly to varying network conditions, ensuring smooth playback and security.
Content & Metadata Management System: This system efficiently handles the ingestion of raw content, including all the necessary details for both Live and Video On Demand (VOD) content. It also manages channel details and an Electronic Program Guide, ensuring seamless user experience, organisation and accessibility.
Video Life Cycle Management Solution: This solution covers the entire life cycle of videos, from encoding and transcoding to securing and distributing over 30 Live Channels (including catch-up functionality) and a vast library of 1000+ VOD content. This robust solution ensures that videos are optimised for the best quality and compatibility across different devices. Vodworks team prioritised the security of video content by implementing measures to safeguard against unauthorised access, piracy, and content theft. All the features ensure a seamless user journey and broad accessibility for myK+ viewers.
24/7 Support & Maintenance Team: Vodworks provided a dedicated support team that diligently monitors the infrastructure of applications. Our specialists provide comprehensive L1/L2/L3 support, addressing any issues reported by the customer (myK+). This service ensures uninterrupted operation of applications, helps promptly identify, address, and resolve any challenges that may arise, and maintains the highest level of protection within the given Service Level Agreements.

Project management

Due to the nature and substantial size of the project, Vodworks’ team leads decided to break down the project into multiple phases in order to be launched to market as quickly as possible. This strategic approach was implemented with a sole objective of not only pushing meaningful features to the market, but also taking viewers feedback and incorporating those and new features in the subsequent iterations.

For this project, we adopted a hybrid approach that merges elements of both Agile and Waterfall methodologies, known as "Agifall." By implementing Agile principles into a flexible Waterfall framework, our goal was to increase efficiency, reduce expenses, and improve the overall quality of the project. The Agifall approach prioritises user-centric planning and uses quick prototyping tools to facilitate iterative development cycles. This combination allows us to benefit from the strengths of both methodologies, leading to improved outcomes.

Features

Multiscreen apps for iOS, Android, Web and STB Access to the platform across various devices
Live & VOD Live streaming and Video on Demand (VOD) functionalities, allowing users to access a diverse range of content options.
20+ Live HD Channels and 50+ SD Channels - A wide selection of channels to cater to different user preferences.
Electronic Program Guide (EPG) Detailed information about upcoming programs and allows for easy navigation and scheduling.
CatchUp TV Play, pause, and rewind LiveTV functionalities, ensuring a seamless viewing experience.
Watermarking mechanisms protect content and detect unauthorised distribution or piracy attempts, enhancing the platform’s content security.
VOD Catalog Video on Demand (VOD) catalogue with a vast library of movies, series, and other on-demand content.

Results after the launch

Total app downloads: 6.5 million downloads (~5M Android and 1.5M iOS)

Review

Nicolas Cazamayou IT Director, VSTV

"Broadcasting over internet is a new business product line VSTV is developing. Working with Vodworks and Irdeto has been an excellent experience and proved to be very successful. Thanks to this professional collaboration, their quality of work and in-depth expertise, VSTV was able to launch its OTT suite myK+ on different platforms (smartphone, tablets and web) in 6 months with an end-to-end solution compliant with its premium’s content providers and its business objectives."