Do you know the phrase ​“cut to the chase”? It comes from early Hollywood.

Movie execs said it, meaning, Let’s skip extra dialogue and go straight to the action. Like a chase scene. The saying caught on with the public. Now ​“cut to the chase” means ​“get to the point.”

Getting to the point’s good for video streaming, too, like when you’re launching a channel.

But timing’s everything. If you want to catch the content wave before all the other surfers beat you to it, you’ve got to be quick.

Now how on land or sea do you speed up channel creation?

One way is using a new solution Unified Streaming offers, called Unified Virtual Channel.

Here are five different ways that our solution lets you cut to the chase.

#1: Implement ​‘n’ integrate fast with an API

If your goal is beating others at their own game — drawing audiences — then you need to act fast and achieve a quick time-to-market.

The thing that speeds up channel creation in Unified Virtual Channel is the same thing we’re offering in a solution for the first time: an API (application program interface). In simple terms, an API handles the communication (requests and responses) between other applications for you. An API shortens the number of steps you need to take to get your project done.

Why not build a virtual channel solution yourself? Well, if you just use our complete end-to-end workflow (which took us a year to build), you can save yourself 12 months of development!

By developing a lot of the complex logic you used to have to spend time on to launch a streaming channel, the Unified Virtual Channel API speeds things along nicely, reducing the complexity of launching a channel greatly. And with Unified Virtual Channel, our efforts to deliver simplicity equals speed for you and your viewers.

#2: Pop channels up fast

In the content business you best not let the moment pass you by. Breaking news breaks just once. Trends appear out of thin air, then vanish. Milestones like anniversaries, historic events, and sudden deaths warrant quick tributes and quicker new channels to cover them.

To newsjack all that’s buzzworthy, to create channels to commemorate significant events and capitalize on hype, look no further than Unified Virtual Channel.

The solution comes playlist-driven. You can create playlists that deliver mixed streams using existing pre-encoded VOD, and new live content. You may update channels dynamically, on the fly. There is no need for encoding, decoding, re-encoding, all that bothersome stuff.

All this is done without you having to lift a finger. Work be damned!

#3: Experiment fast

Maybe you don’t know what’ll work. You like the iconic singer Kate Bush, but until recently, launching a whole channel devoted to her songs would probably win you little interest. But her 1978 single ​“Running Up That Hill” just featured on an episode of ​“Stranger Things.” Kate Bush’’s career has caught fire again. You can bet people will tune in to your channel now.

If you have an inkling about a hype that’s about to take off, you might want to test it out first. Create its manifest easily and swiftly. If nobody tunes in, not to worry. Not only does zero viewers cost you zero dollars, you can change the content quickly too.

#4: Localize and customize fast

Be specific. Say you live in a small town.

Suddenly you hear Katy Perry’s coming. She’ll play a surprise concert at a tiny venue just down the road.

With Unified Virtual Channel you can create a pop-up Katy Perry channel for everyone within 5 miles of the concert to keep the event personal and local.

Say your local football team’s gearing up for the big game.

With the solution of Unified Virtual Channel, you can insert a live feed of the game in between VOD content. Which could be pre-recorded highlights of other games leading up to the championship, interviews, etcetera, making your stream a fully immersive experience. The pre-game VOD footage gets your fans pumped, and the live event delivers as only live sports can.

And of course, switching between VOD and live, or transitions between playlists, is seamless.

#5 Save time fast

If we were all video streaming engineers, would the world be a better place? Debatable, but the short answer is: no way. Definitely not. Specialists in different areas ensure that systems work.

The Unified Virtual Channel solution is pretty turn-key, so you can forget the hassle of doing all the preparatory work. It’s done. The solution integrates seamlessly via API, so it automates pushing your content out there. At the end of the day, all you want to do is feed your viewers great content.

Saving time developing tech is important because it lets you focus on what you do best: honing your business. Your viewers aren’t the only ones who crave a lean-back experience: so do you.

Your engineers benefit, too. Not having to do time-intensive integration, they can optimize technical aspects critical to their own infrastructure. With the nitty gritty taken care of, you and your engineers can prioritize all the other aspects of profit making.

The tech world doesn’t do ​“slow.” So why not win the race by using the Unified Virtual Channel solution? Check out the solution’s landing page here. Get a free trial. Or book a personal demo here.

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