Overcast Media Inc. is a digital media technology company based in Seattle, WA. Overcast Media partners with other media companies to help them add user generated content on top of existing video assets. Their service makes it easy for anyone to add their own commentary to television shows, sporting events and movies, while respecting the intellectual property rights of the underlying television show.
Overcast Media has developed a synchronization technology which allows authors to create commentary over one video source (ex. a digital recording) and allows consumers to view the commentary in sync with a different video source (ex. a show acquired through Amazon Unbox). This process is called Overcasting. Additionally, their synchronization technology works with many Flash based players currently in use online. Overcasting handles timing variations found across different sources and file formats. Along with audio commentary, Overcasts can contain text, web links, graphics and arbitrary meta-data.
Overcast Media has a stand-alone flash based Overcast player and editor as well as a client side Overcast Player, browser plug-in and separate Overcast Authoring Studio. All of these work in conjunction with the a web based Overcasting service.
Overcast Media’s unique, patent-pending technology enables our partners to quickly deploy a range of exciting new experiences for digital video. Our combination of software and web services offers both turnkey and custom solutions for those looking to differentiate their website and deliver new scenarios to their users.
Our basic technology allows authors to easily add audio commentary, pop-up text balloons, graphics and web links to digital video available online. Our software and service works in cooperation with existing video sources and players and in most cases, no modification to the original video player is required.
Beyond the basics, our technology allows for “author once, sync anywhere” experiences. This means that Overcast content authored using one version of a video (ex. something purchased and downloaded to your PC) will play back seamlessly and in sync with a different version of the same video (ex. a version streamed over the web). Our Relative Virtual Timeline technology overcomes variation in file format, bit-rate, codec choice and timing variations. This gives content authors maximum opportunity for distribution of their work and future proofs against the constantly changing landscape of digital video.
Technology Components
Our partners can choose the technology components that are most relevant to their goals and easily customize them for their specific sites and scenarios. The following components are available:
Overcast Player for Flash Video
This lightweight, embeddable player, can play flash based video directly and works with most existing, 3rd party flash players to deliver one-click Overcasting experiences with no install and cross platform.
Overcast Editor for Flash Video
The Overcast Editor for Flash Video enables easy authoring of Overcasting content on top of the most popular sources of video available on the web. Like the Overcast Player for Flash Video, it doesn’t require an install and runs equally well across all platforms running Flash.
Overcast Player
Our Overcast Player software offers the maximum accessibility to digital video file formats. It can run as a stand alone video player, or as a plug-in for popular browsers and supports the most popular video formats available including: MPEG2, Flash, WMV, DRM protected WMV, DVR-MS (Windows Media Center), DivX, Xvid, DVDs, etc …
Overcast Studio
Overcast Studio is our professional editing environment for authoring Overcasts. It offers the highest level of precision and control over the Overcasting experience. It also offers the most versatile synchronization across digital file formats. Users familiar with popular video editing packages like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, MovieMaker, will immediately be familiar with Overcast Studio.
Overcasting Service
All of the Overcasting software above, works in conjunction with our Overcasting Service. This service helps find and identify video, delivers the appropriate Overcast content and offers tracking of key usage events.
LePage has devised a budget that provides desperately needed tax relief to spur the state's laggard economy and also addresses rampaging pension costs that can no longer be ignored.
One frustrated state employee certainly got our attention last week at a State House hearing on the governor's budget when she asserted that, "I am not the problem, and I am not the enemy in this budget crisis ..."
We concur. State workers and retirees are not the enemy and they are not, per se, the problem -- although their benefits are a substantial and challenging element of the problem.
Supporters of the governor's proposed reductions must be careful not to demonize state workers and school teachers, most of whom are dedicated public servants who understand the state's need for fiscal stability and are willing to shoulder their share of the burden.
If anything, the wrath of angry taxpayers should be aimed at politicians and bureaucrats who agreed to costly benefits over the years without giving sufficient attention to the financial consequences those benefits would eventually impose.
It's a pattern that continues to threaten the nation as Congress and the president pay lip service to the concept of debt reduction while ignoring the looming crisis presented by the ever-rising costs of entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Maine has a chance to reverse the trend, to start -- and it is only a start -- making a conscientious and significant effort to control costs that for far too long have been out of control. We also have a chance to set an example for the rest of the country by making these changes in a mature and dignified manner.
Overcast Media has developed a synchronization technology which allows authors to create commentary over one video source (ex. a digital recording) and allows consumers to view the commentary in sync with a different video source (ex. a show acquired through Amazon Unbox). This process is called Overcasting. Additionally, their synchronization technology works with many Flash based players currently in use online. Overcasting handles timing variations found across different sources and file formats. Along with audio commentary, Overcasts can contain text, web links, graphics and arbitrary meta-data.
Overcast Media has a stand-alone flash based Overcast player and editor as well as a client side Overcast Player, browser plug-in and separate Overcast Authoring Studio. All of these work in conjunction with the a web based Overcasting service.
Overcast Media’s unique, patent-pending technology enables our partners to quickly deploy a range of exciting new experiences for digital video. Our combination of software and web services offers both turnkey and custom solutions for those looking to differentiate their website and deliver new scenarios to their users.
Our basic technology allows authors to easily add audio commentary, pop-up text balloons, graphics and web links to digital video available online. Our software and service works in cooperation with existing video sources and players and in most cases, no modification to the original video player is required.
Beyond the basics, our technology allows for “author once, sync anywhere” experiences. This means that Overcast content authored using one version of a video (ex. something purchased and downloaded to your PC) will play back seamlessly and in sync with a different version of the same video (ex. a version streamed over the web). Our Relative Virtual Timeline technology overcomes variation in file format, bit-rate, codec choice and timing variations. This gives content authors maximum opportunity for distribution of their work and future proofs against the constantly changing landscape of digital video.
Technology Components
Our partners can choose the technology components that are most relevant to their goals and easily customize them for their specific sites and scenarios. The following components are available:
Overcast Player for Flash Video
This lightweight, embeddable player, can play flash based video directly and works with most existing, 3rd party flash players to deliver one-click Overcasting experiences with no install and cross platform.
Overcast Editor for Flash Video
The Overcast Editor for Flash Video enables easy authoring of Overcasting content on top of the most popular sources of video available on the web. Like the Overcast Player for Flash Video, it doesn’t require an install and runs equally well across all platforms running Flash.
Overcast Player
Our Overcast Player software offers the maximum accessibility to digital video file formats. It can run as a stand alone video player, or as a plug-in for popular browsers and supports the most popular video formats available including: MPEG2, Flash, WMV, DRM protected WMV, DVR-MS (Windows Media Center), DivX, Xvid, DVDs, etc …
Overcast Studio
Overcast Studio is our professional editing environment for authoring Overcasts. It offers the highest level of precision and control over the Overcasting experience. It also offers the most versatile synchronization across digital file formats. Users familiar with popular video editing packages like iMovie, Final Cut Pro, MovieMaker, will immediately be familiar with Overcast Studio.
Overcasting Service
All of the Overcasting software above, works in conjunction with our Overcasting Service. This service helps find and identify video, delivers the appropriate Overcast content and offers tracking of key usage events.
LePage has devised a budget that provides desperately needed tax relief to spur the state's laggard economy and also addresses rampaging pension costs that can no longer be ignored.
One frustrated state employee certainly got our attention last week at a State House hearing on the governor's budget when she asserted that, "I am not the problem, and I am not the enemy in this budget crisis ..."
We concur. State workers and retirees are not the enemy and they are not, per se, the problem -- although their benefits are a substantial and challenging element of the problem.
Supporters of the governor's proposed reductions must be careful not to demonize state workers and school teachers, most of whom are dedicated public servants who understand the state's need for fiscal stability and are willing to shoulder their share of the burden.
If anything, the wrath of angry taxpayers should be aimed at politicians and bureaucrats who agreed to costly benefits over the years without giving sufficient attention to the financial consequences those benefits would eventually impose.
It's a pattern that continues to threaten the nation as Congress and the president pay lip service to the concept of debt reduction while ignoring the looming crisis presented by the ever-rising costs of entitlement programs such as Social Security and Medicare.
Maine has a chance to reverse the trend, to start -- and it is only a start -- making a conscientious and significant effort to control costs that for far too long have been out of control. We also have a chance to set an example for the rest of the country by making these changes in a mature and dignified manner.