September 26, 2017
Users of NewTek multi-camera integrated production systems and media distribution systems who have been hosting their on-demand content at Vimeo can now also do their live-streaming events with that platform. Vimeo has announced a new premium professional service, Vimeo Live, which offers live streaming capabilities for the first time on the platform. NewTek IP Series, TriCaster® and MediaDS are adding support for Vimeo Live streaming, so for users, it will be as simple as selecting Vimeo Live from the streaming menu presets.

Content creators can broadcast live events in full HD (1080p), with built-in cloud transcoding and adaptive streaming. Live streamed videos are auto-archived and immediately available on demand; in addition, they can be replaced with files later to support up to 4K viewing. (Video replacement is one of our favorite features of Vimeo since it allows you to update or correct a video and preserve the link you have already deployed. Many services don’t have that option – you have to delete a video that you need to change, upload a new one which is given a new link, and deployed content with the old link is just obsolete.)

“Ultimately, Vimeo is a creator-first platform and live video is what our creators are asking for – this was the #1 request from our community, and it is critically important for us to deliver on what our community needs, while also ensuring that what we produce is founded in quality and reliability, which is why we’re so proud of Vimeo Live,” said Vimeo CEO Anjali Sud. “Finally, live video contributes to our goal of offering an end-to-end solution across a creator’s entire video workflow, from broadcasting live events to archiving and hosting videos, to distributing and monetizing them anywhere.”

…After abandoning its plans to launch a subscription video-on-demand business earlier this year, IAC-owned streaming video site Vimeo announced today that it’s acquiring the live video streaming platform, Livestream, and launching its own live streaming product, Vimeo Live. The move to integrate Livestream’s technology into Vimeo will allow video creators to capture, edit, stream and archive their live events, the company says, in addition to hosting, distributing, and generating revenue from their videos.

Terms of the acquisition were not disclosed, but the deal is expected to close early in the fourth quarter. Vimeo tells TechCrunch that it’s also the largest acquisition in its history,

The deal makes more sense for Vimeo than its scrapped move into subscription video-on-demand ever did, especially since it would have had to compete with leaders in the space like Netflix, Amazon and Hulu who are spending billions on content.

Instead, Vimeo’s core business is focused around selling tools and services to professional and semi-professional video creators, as upgrades to its basic and free plan. This includes Vimeo’s VHX unit, an acquisition from last year, which helps companies launch their own video streaming services to sell their films, shows and web series across platforms. The service, according to its website, is used by Foo Fighters, NPR’s “This American Life,” Comedy Central, Drafthouse Films, and several others.

With the addition of Livestream’s technology, Vimeo creators can now branch into hosting live events, as well…[continue reading]