Good tech doesn’t stay the same.

Tech improvements and shifts in the streaming media industry have changed Unified Virtual Channel for the better. The solution now yields more value for the companies that deploy it, and their end users, too.

(It better have improved, right? Since its launch, two years have gone by, just disappeared.)

So let’s take a look and see why, and how, the software has evolved. What’s gone on?

How it all started: VOD2Live

In 2021 we launched the precursor of Unified Virtual Channel: our VOD2Live solution, which sought to bridge the abyss between traditional live TV and on-demand streaming. 

Integrated with Unified Remix, and technically titled Remix VOD2Live, the software allowed content providers to repurpose existing video-on-demand (VOD) libraries and form them into live linear channels.

Mimicking a TV-like experience, VOD2Live curated pre-existing VOD assets into a continuous, scheduled stream.

The benefit of this approach was twofold.

One, it increased viewers’ engagement by offering a “lean-back” experience similar to traditional TV.

Two, it allowed providers to maximize content usage without needing to do additional encoding or make extensive infrastructure changes. Rather than requiring costly live broadcasting setups of OTT platforms, VOD2Live enabled scheduling and streaming of existing on-demand content, as if it were live.

But. (There’s always at least one, right?)

But even though it was a breakthrough, VOD2Live had its limitations.

The solution’s approach stayed relatively static, to be honest. VOD2Live necessitated pre-configured playlists that lacked real-time adaptability. Seamless transitions between different content types needed improvement, too.

VOD2Live’s approach was also based exclusively on server-side playlist technology, which meant stitching things together before packaging. This method worked well in some use cases, but it lacked something for the most complicated ones.

Essentially, the solution missed the capability of switching between VOD and live streams. Also, it couldn’t dynamically update the playlist of the content.

With these minuses in mind, Unified Streaming strove to make a more dynamic and flexible solution.

The newcomer: Unified Virtual Channel

In early 2023, Unified Streaming launched Unified Virtual Channel, a next-gen solution built upon the legacy of VOD2Live.

Unified Virtual Channel is a more complex solution we developed to save customers the time and effort of building it themselves. 

Enabling seamless transitions between playlists, and supporting stitching of Live and VOD sources, Unified Virtual Channel simplifies the deployment of Unified Remix, Unified Origin, and associated workflows through an API and other functionality.

API stands for application programming interface. So you could say that Unified Virtual Channel contains a translator, basically, or an agent. Acting as an intermediary, the solution’s API gets two applications to talk to each other, peacefully.

If you just want to get things going, get a channel up and running, the API comes in pretty handy. So you send a playlist, and you get a URL that you can use for your players. Simple. (Or simpler.)

The seamlessness, the API, and mixing of VOD and live sources are features that were just not possible with Remix VOD2Live. These key improvements brought greater flexibility, real-time adaptability, and a better user experience.

Real-world applications and impact

Well, two years in, Unified Virtual Channel enables content providers to generate linear channels using both VOD assets and live feeds, blending them into a single, uninterrupted viewing experience.

Unlike Remix VOD2Live, which relied on preconfigured playlists, Unified Virtual Channel opens more opportunities for its users all over the world.

Imagine the grand football finale, live—filled with star-studded clips from the past, the season's most exciting seconds, and tales of grit and glory. Picture the content, already produced by your company, looping 24/7, generating more revenue. Envision a 3-day festival streamed online for millions of fans who can’t attend, but still want to see their favorite bands play their hearts out.

Unified Virtual Channel makes it all happen. Here are some more things it makes happen.

• FAST channels and pop-up channels
• Personalized linear channels
• Live event integration
• Education and training channels
• And many more, naturally

With Unified Virtual Channel, content providers now have greater control over how they deliver and monetize their content.

Wrap ’er up

The evolution from VOD2Live to Unified Virtual Channel shows Unified Streaming’s commitment to improving how content is delivered in the streaming era. While VOD2Live was an important step forward, Unified Virtual Channel has enlarged its capabilities, making it the more dynamic, feature-rich, and flexible solution.

By offering an API-driven approach, real-time content adaptability, improved monetization strategies, and seamless transitions, Unified Virtual Channel provides must-have features more fully, and in ways that its predecessor couldn’t.

Despite snags, hurdles, and hitches during development—‘twas ever thus—the solution now aids content providers in completing their mission. The end result for the end user is compelling, broadcast-quality streaming experiences. And Unified Virtual Channel offers up cost efficiency and sustainability easily, too.

For further insights, visit Unified Streaming’s official documentation, or check out the related blogs to learn more about how Unified Virtual Channel is changing the streaming landscape.