When its online properties first began to take off in 2000, CNN needed an automation system that would let their editors get out of the encoding business and back into the creative production business. CNN tapped Agility as an automated, scalable and highly reliable technology for non-creative editing tasks, stronger preprocessing capabilities to enhance quality, elimination of analog-to-digital conversions, and better integration with its existing broadcast infrastructure.

In CNN's new Agility workflow, video segments are captured to a Media 100 workstation, where editors add new graphics and perform any additional editing that might be necessary. The editor then enters metadata using their proprietary VideoSelect tool, and the file is saved to a network attached storage device in Apple® QuickTime® format. Agility picks up the file from the network, performs a host of preprocessing functions on each segment, then encodes the segments in Real®, Microsoft® Windows Media, and Apple® QuickTime® in a variety of frame sizes and bit rates. Agility pulls the metadata from VideoSelect for inclusion with the finished streams, which are then automatically distributed by the Anystream system to CNN's streaming servers. CNN estimates that their streaming media production output has more than doubled without any increase in staff.

With Agility, CNN has been able to take on a variety of new streaming challenges: they have customized Agility's graphical user interface, and CNNSI.com uses Agility to pull stories directly from Leitch broadcast servers. CNN and Anystream also have collaborated to show online ads dynamically inserted into streaming programming.

• Hearst-Argyle Television
• Accuweather
• SPEED
• VRT
• ZDF
• RAI
• BT
• NFL Films
• SCRIPPS Networks
• CNN
• sky
• T-Online