David Mowrey, Author at Streaming Video Blog

Revised Acceptable Use Policy

Written by David Mowrey in Company News on 15 January 2021

Tackling Broadcast Delays and Syncing Issues from Streaming

Please note IBM’s revised acceptable use policy:

Cloud Services may not be used in any jurisdiction for unlawful, obscene, offensive or fraudulent Content or activity. Examples of prohibited activities are advocating or causing harm; interfering with or violating the integrity or security of a network or system; evading filters; sending unsolicited, abusive, or deceptive messages; introducing viruses or harmful code; violating third party rights; or streaming Content that would constitute offensive speech, including Content that could be interpreted as racist or discriminatory, with the latter category specifically including speech that is intended to discriminate based on race or ethnicity, religion, gender or gender expression, or sexual orientation.

IBM Watson Media Powers Live Streaming of the Masters Tournament

Written by David Mowrey in Customer Stories on 5 April 2019

When executed at the highest level, golf appears beautifully simple. The greatest competitors in the sport swing a club with seemingly effortless grace, sending the ball on a perfect flight between towering pines and rolling along manicured greens toward a flag flapping in the Georgia breeze.

In these moments, we don’t see the countless hours of practice. We don’t see the history of injuries, exhaustion or frustration. Yet although we can’t see it, all that time and effort was necessary to create this seamless moment, tirelessly earned and presented as a gift to patrons of the sport.

These glimpses of simple perfection are why millions will watch the Masters Tournament this April. Delivering these moments in a seamless viewing experience to patrons around the world requires the right infrastructure—a solution architected using both technological innovation and human expertise.

AI-generated Highlights Tell the Story of the Masters

Written by David Mowrey in AI Video Technology on 5 April 2019

The pursuit of excellence is as captivating as it is timeless. That’s why millions of people will turn their eyes to Augusta, Georgia, from April 11 – 14, as a field of elite competitors vie for one of golf’s most prestigious accolades – the Green Jacket awarded to the Masters 2019 champion.

For more than 20 years, IBM and Augusta National Golf Club have worked together to invite patrons around the world onto the sport’s most hallowed ground through innovative digital experiences. This partnership is rooted in each organization’s shared desire to preserve and expand golf’s most unique experience through advanced technology. From developing the event’s first website and mobile application to creating AI-generated highlights and analysis, IBM has used industry-leading solutions to present the pristine timelessness that is the Masters Tournament to millions of viewers around the world.

Captioning at the Speed of Live for Accessible TV

Written by David Mowrey in AI Video Technology on 5 November 2018

When news breaks, television news crews do what they do best: hustle to the scene to get the word out quickly, accurately and often under daunting conditions.

Their work has enormous impact: Even in a new era of instant-access to digital news on the Internet, television remains a go-to resource. The September 2017 State of the News survey by the Pew Research Center found more people get their news from television than any other source. What’s more, Pew found most of those TV news viewers get their news from their local TV stations and their companion websites.

Understanding the scope and social impact of TV news helps to explain why it’s disappointing to news directors and station managers that coverage isn’t always accurate and available for a significant share of the audience – people who rely on written text, not spoken language, to know what’s happening. To highlight this, we cover the importance of making accessible TV possible, even for live television content, through advancements happening around automation thanks to AI (artificial intelligence).

For more depth on the topic of using AI for captions, also download this white paper which goes over some of the solutions available from IBM Watson Media: Captioning Goes Cognitive.

Sinclair Broadcast Group Taps IBM Watson Media to Automate Live Broadcast Closed Captions

Written by David Mowrey in Company News on 6 September 2018

This has been a big year for IBM Watson Media. Since launching a year ago, we’ve worked with the Grammy’s, FOX Sports and The World Cup, The Masters, and introduced a new product: Watson Captioning. A highly trainable, AI-powered offering, Watson Captioning provides broadcasters and publishers alike with a new tool to take closed captions to the next level. Today, we’re excited to kick off a new collaboration with Sinclair Broadcast Group that will roll out Watson Captioning to all of their local stations across the United States, making live programming more accessible to local viewers, including the Deaf community, senior citizens, and anyone experiencing hearing loss.

Television requirements for closed captioning were established in 1996, but more than two decades later, live captioning remains both challenging and labor-intensive for production teams to deliver in real time. As a result, breaking news, weather, and live sports segments often have delayed or incorrect captions, leading to a confusing and occasionally frustrating viewing experience. With our Watson Captioning technology, Sinclair will be able to improve caption accuracy, automate time-intensive manual processes, and reduce production costs, all while providing captions in real time at scale.

IBM and FOX Sports Team Up to Enhance Sports Viewing Experience with AI Technology

Written by David Mowrey in AI Video Technology on 7 June 2018

As fans around the world get ready to head to Russia for the 2018 FIFA World Cup this June, FOX Sports and IBM are launching a historical AI collaboration across multiple FOX Sports properties and programming— the first of its kind for the broadcaster.

Beginning with the 2018 FIFA World Cup, FOX Sports is tapping IBM Watson Media’s specialized AI video technology and IBM iX’s proven expertise in designing user experiences to streamline production workflows to quickly classify, edit and access match highlights in near real-time. The advancements to production and distribution will enable FOX Sports to curate engaging video clips and match highlights so that sports enthusiasts back home don’t miss a single play, penalty kick, or goal.

Live Intelligent Closed Captions for Broadcast Networks

Written by David Mowrey in AI Video Technology on 9 April 2018

With the news moving at lightning speeds, consumers are more tuned into current events than ever while media companies are challenged to keep pace. Broadcast networks are under intense pressure to respond quickly to breaking news, world events, and sporting games in order to satisfy consumer demand for instant, quality digital experiences.

However, delivering accurate captions for live broadcast is both time and resource intensive for broadcast networks, given that production teams must manually transcribe live programming in real-time – which often leads to delayed or incorrect captions. To solve these challenges, IBM launched Watson Captioning – a flexible, scalable, closed captioning software solution that leverages AI to automate the captioning process and uses machine learning to improve accuracy over time. As outlined in this white paper, Captioning Goes Cognitive: A New Approach to an Old Challenge, Watson is bringing greater context to video assets while removing some of the challenge associated with closed captioning.

Through its Live Captioning functionality, Watson Captioning empowers closed captions for broadcast networks, unlocking value from live video content and optimizing the viewer experience. By accurately captioning live video content, broadcasters can provide premium experiences for local viewers, increase accessibility for the hearing-impaired community, and adhere to compliance standards.

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