How a cloud channel works, in plain words
A channel is a schedule with a brand and a continuous output. Here is what happens between a file on your desk and a picture on a viewer's screen.
The short definition
A cloud channel has a schedule, branding and an output that never stops, like any television channel. What differs is where it lives. Your media sits in cloud storage, the planner and the output engine run on cloud servers, and the finished stream travels to viewers over a content delivery network.
You steer everything from a web page. No playback machinery is needed on your side, and the service is run for you by people, not left as a kit to assemble.
From file to screen
Every channel, large or small, follows the same path. What changes is how much of it you handle yourself.
Arrive
Files are uploaded in the browser, or a live feed is connected.
Check
Each item is inspected and marked ready or flagged.
Arrange
Ready items are placed on the line-up, with live slots reserved.
Dress
Logo, notices and sponsor graphics are applied at channel level.
Deliver
The stream is prepared at several quality levels and sent to viewers from a nearby point.
How it differs from what you already know
| Format | What viewers get | Who keeps it going |
|---|---|---|
| Live stream | One event at a set time | A production crew, for that event |
| Video on demand | A catalog where each viewer picks a title | Nobody, once the files are published |
| 24/7 channel | A schedule they can tune in to at any hour | A schedule plus a service that plays it |
| Equipment you own | The same channel, from your own machine room | Your engineers, spare parts and floor space |
Many organizations use all three first formats together. The live cut-ins page shows how a live event slots into a channel.
Plain words, one line each
- Line-up
- The plan for what plays when.
- Intake
- The step where each file or feed is checked.
- Fallback
- What viewers see if a source fails.
- Overlay
- Logos, banners and tickers laid over the picture.
- Adaptive streaming
- The player picks the best quality the connection can carry.
- Guide data
- The list of what is on now and next, for apps and partners.
Questions people bring
On managed cloud infrastructure that we run. If you have requirements about locations, tell us and we will confirm them when we scope your service.
Yes, through Roku and IPTV services and connected-TV apps. See Reach more screens.
Ask us to show you a channel running. We will build the example around content like yours.