The Modern Livestream Is More Than Just Video

For years, a livestream player had one basic job: play the video.

It was simple: open the link, click play, watch the event. That was the whole experience people expected, with nothing more and only one language.

However, when accessibility and multilingual communication are built into the player, the same live event can provide an audience with so much more. During a broadcast, a modern player can:

• Give a viewer English captions
• Another viewer translated subtitles in Mandarin
• Another viewer a Spanish audio track
• And another viewer a picture-in-picture ASL interpreter

Same event, same link, but four different ways to experience it, all chosen by the viewer.

So, what makes a streaming player accessible? What should your organization look for when choosing one?

Well, that is what this guide is all about!

Does an Accessible Player Matter?

Picture your event: a commencement, conference, service, or town hall. This event will reach many different people online. Do you know who is on the other end watching? What are their needs? What would make their experience easier?

Unless a survey went out ahead of time, this can be very hard to determine, but you can expect that at least one viewer will need one or more accessibility services. With an accessible player, each viewer can choose how they take in your content:

• A graduate’s grandparent turns on English captions to follow every word
• An international attendee listens through a Mandarin audio track
• A visiting family selects Spanish subtitles
• A Deaf community member watches the picture-in-picture ASL window

The point isn’t to include a single feature. It’s to offer multiple options and allow the viewer to decide. This ensures that no one in the audience is left out.

That is what accessibility looks like when it is built in from the start rather than added as an afterthought.

Try it for yourself. Use the controls in the player to switch between captions, subtitle languages, translated audio, and picture-in-picture ASL. Each viewer can make their own selections while watching the same live event.

“Live” Stream – Not VOD

It is worth being clear about the current challenge. Many conventional streaming platforms already have accessibility and language options for recorded or on-demand (VOD) video. Viewers can experience recorded video with captions and translated audio tracks on these platforms.

Livestreaming is a different story. During a live event, many of the capabilities offered for VOD are more limited. This is the gap we aimed to bridge with an accessibility-focused player built to bring these options into the live viewing experience.

Here is a look at how a purpose-built player compares to what mainstream platforms offer during a live event:

Reliability & Responsibility

None of these services matter if the stream itself is not dependable. Viewers need video that plays without constant buffering, captions and translated subtitles that arrive on time, and translated audio that is clear and synchronized with the event.

It is the responsibility of the streaming provider to have a reliable foundation that can continually play out the stream. On top of this foundation is a capable live player built to deliver:

• Reliable playback that holds up from the first minute to the last
• Synchronization that keeps video, captions, translations, and audio aligned
• Consistent performance across both fast and slow internet connections
• A dependable experience across multiple devices and operating systems
• Room to grow and handle larger audiences without compromising the viewing experience

Behind the scenes, the player adjusts to each viewer’s connection in real time and keeps each track locked to the same clock. Keeping video, captions, translations, and multiple audio tracks synchronized is one of the most important parts of delivering a seamless live experience. A good player handles that synchronization so the viewer never has to think about it.

Advanced Technology ≠ Complicated Setup

If this all sounds complicated, don’t worry. The complexity of the technology stays behind the pipeline and player. At Aberdeen, we walk clients through the whole process:

• Determine and configure the languages and accessibility options you need
• Fit the player into your existing workflow without rebuilding your current pipeline
• Complete implementation through a normal setup process, not weeks of custom development
• Provide support before, during, and after your event
• Keep the underlying streaming technology behind the scenes so your team does not need to understand it to implement the service

Your team can stay focused on the event while we handle the work behind the scenes that makes the stream accessible.

What Should You Look for in an Accessible Streaming Player?

Here is a practical checklist if you are evaluating options. These questions are worth asking any provider and touch on everything above:

• Can it support multiple live translated audio tracks at the same time?
  • Live dubbing in several languages at once during the event, not just after.
• Can viewers choose from multiple subtitle languages?
  • Each viewer can choose their preferred subtitle language during the live event.
• Can it use live human or automated captions?
  • Both options should be available to support your policy and budget needs.
• Can ASL be shown alongside the main video?
  • A picture-in-picture signing window should be built in and not burned in.
• Are audio, captions, translations, and video kept in sync?
  • Live synchronization is where many setups struggle.
• Is it easy for viewers to navigate?
  • Choosing a language or turning on ASL should take one tap/click.
• How hard is it to implement?
  • It shouldn’t require a development team on your end.
• What support is available before, during, and after the event?
  • You want a partner on call, not just a login.

Engineering Should Be Invisible to the Viewer

With all the engineering underneath, the viewer should never have to think about it. No one should need a technical background in adaptive bitrate streaming or audio track management to experience a graduation or service. They should simply open the link, choose the language or accessibility option that works for them, and enjoy the event.

That is the real goal: technology sophisticated enough to include everyone and simple enough that no one notices it is there.

Posted by Alyssa Dunagan, Sales Manager at Aberdeen Broadcast Services

In the modern era dominated by automated phone systems and AI-driven chatbots, genuine human interactions in online customer service are becoming a rarity. At Aberdeen, we recognize the significance of delivering an exceptional client experience, and we believe that availability and prompt response time play pivotal roles in achieving this goal. Our commitment to clear, effective, and timely communication is deeply ingrained in our company's core values.

As the Sales Manager at Aberdeen, I can assure you that we prioritize team availability round-the-clock, 24/7. Whether you prefer phone calls, text messages, or emails, we have you covered. Our “Chat With Us” feature on our website is regularly available throughout the day, providing the convenience of quick and personalized responses from a human, not a chatbot.

Client Satisfaction Through Quick Response Times

Our success in delivering quick responses has been remarkable, setting us apart from our competitors. Studies by InsideSales and Harvard Business Review have shown that responding to new inquiries within five minutes increases the chances of connection by 100 times. Astonishingly, only a small percentage of companies respond within an hour, with even fewer responding within 24 hours. At Aberdeen, we take pride in our average response time of 7 minutes, with many inquiries addressed within 2 to 3 minutes. This not only makes a positive first impression but also builds strong and lasting relationships with our valued clients.

Our ultimate goal is to differentiate ourselves through an exceptional customer experience and understanding your needs thoroughly. By promptly responding to inquiries and providing customized proposals, we ensure a seamless sales process and create a great working relationship with you. At Aberdeen, we are committed to your satisfaction and success.

But don’t take our word for it. Browse any of our 100+ positive client testimonials across all major business review platforms: https://aberdeen.io/testimonials/.

Last month, Aberdeen celebrated a significant company milestone – our 20^th anniversary! The Aberdeen team, along with past employees, friends, and family, gathered at our office where our parking lot was transformed into a campground-themed party to help bring the company back to that night when Matt, Becky, and Amy sat around a campfire and imagined starting the company together.

The party featured live music, wood-fired pizza, an obstacle course for the kids, basketball, table tennis, miniature golf, and of course, a campfire.

Here’s Matt Cook with a walkthrough:

Company Milestones

2001

Aberdeen Captioning was founded by Matt, Becky, and Amy Cook.

• Number of Clients: 7
• Number of Employees: 3

2002

The National Religious Broadcaster’s (NRB) convention, known in the industry as “the largest gathering of Christian communication professionals,” was held in Nashville, TN. The team landed the captioning work for 2 large ministries (still clients!) at this show, setting the company in motion to grow to where it is today. The NRB convention would immediately prove to be one of the most important and valuable events attended every year.

2006

A new FCC requirement for closed captioning leads to a massive growth year in our low-cost live-to-tape service.

• Number of Clients: 145
• Number of Employees: 6

2007

EEG introduces its IP-based captioning software, iCap. This technology would eventually improve the connectivity and audio quality shortcomings of modem-based hardware and further improve live captioning accuracy.

2009

In April, the team drove to Las Vegas, NV, to join over 1500 other exhibitors at the Nation Association of Broadcasters (NAB) Show.

2010

Aberdeen purchases its first license to Telestream’s Vantage transcoding software to explore a move to digital files and put an end to tape.

2011

Tests with Vantage were successful and led to the launch of our Dallas data center and marked the start of our AberFast Digital File Delivery service.

• Number of Clients: 237
• Number of Employees: 10

2012

Now expanded beyond just a captioning company, Aberdeen Captioning is rebranded as Aberdeen Broadcast Services. The three divisions of broadcast services are given names: AberCap, AberFast, and Aberlingo. The rebranding came complete with a new logo (the paper airplane) and a refresh of the website.

2013-14

The immediate success of AberFast generated buzz around the industry and grabbed the attention of some large programmers. Several more top clients are added to help add significant growth.

2016

TBN announced a partnership with the Sydney-based international congregation Hillsong Church that rebranded The Church Channel as the Hillsong Channel—a network devoted to its ministry, teaching, and worship music. Aberdeen became the exclusive captioning and delivery partner of the channel.

• Number of Clients: 379
• Number of Employees: 33

2017

The “Dallas Meltdown” led to the urgent need to look elsewhere for redundant cloud computing, landing on Amazon Web Services (AWS), the industry’s gold standard. The growth and scale that AWS offers lead Aberdeen to hire an in-house development team for R&D of the technologies in place today.

2020

The pandemic hits and live business doubles.

2021

A new AWS transcoding factory is built around Vantage 8 and workflows and processes are simplified with integration into Salesforce. Vantage workflows were reduced from 3,500 to less than 400.

Aberdeen launches AberFast Lite, our terrestrial IP-based program delivery method which is an alternative to satellite delivery for video producers sending a single-version program to 50+ TV stations.

In the fall of 2020, Aberdeen’s AberFast engineers were presented with a challenge: find an alternative for broadcasters who utilize satellite feeds to distribute their programming. The spectrum auction sanctioned by the FCC had cut the number of available satellite transponders in half, leaving broadcasters who use satellite feeds to be hit with premiums, overcharges, and even losing their feeds altogether.

The answer has been in front of us for a while: terrestrial IP-based file delivery.

Since 2010, our AberFast Station Delivery service has successfully delivered over half a million broadcast-ready files all over the world. We have been proving that IP-based program delivery is practical and the future of broadcast delivery which is why we heavily invested our time and money in this technology, allowing us to spin up a new service for satellite replacement: AberFast Lite.

Aberdeen recorded a video interview with the client to discuss the workflow and experience after a successful launch. Throughout the article, quotes and reference points are linked in blue and will take you to that part of the discussion in the video interview. The full video is available in the player at the end.

Client Profile: In Touch Ministries

In Touch Ministries is the outreach ministry of Dr. Charles Stanley, pastor of First Baptist Church of Atlanta, Georgia. After success with a half-hour religious program called The Chapel Hour, which began broadcasting in 1972, Stanley founded In Touch Ministries and began televising the In Touch program on The Christian Broadcasting Network in 1978. His program remains one of the longest-running religious broadcasts in the US, reaching more than 800 outlets through television and radio.

Awards and honors:

• 1988: National Religious Broadcaster’s Hall of Fame
• 1989: Named Clergyman of the Year by Religious Heritage of America
• 1989: NRB named In Touch with Television Producer of the Year
• 1999: In Touch named Radio Program of the Year
• 2017: Thomas Nelson Publishing recognizes Stanley for selling more than 3.5 million copies of his books

As one of Aberdeen’s long-time partners, In Touch Ministries began using Aberdeen’s services as a supplement to their in-house captioning & distribution workflow in 2010. After 11 years, our partnership continues to grow and Aberdeen now handles all of In Touch’s captioning and distribution for the television program.

John McKinnon, Executive Director of Programming for In Touch, recalls when they first made this move to Aberdeen:

“Captioning and file delivery is not as simple as everybody thinks it is. Once you have the systems in place to do it, it can be done, but to do it right consistently is a nightmare. And we actually did captioning, captioning of tapes, and everything else in-house for a very, very long time. […] when you start actually getting out to multiple stations and doing other things, it’s a headache all the time.”

The Problem

Over the past 30 years, a significant amount of In Touch’s broadcast outlets have received the program via satellite delivery. For In Touch, the decision to use satellite for so long was heavily based on two factors: price and quality control. The ministry was always concerned about what would happen to the quality of the program when it was distributed through multiple mediums: tape, DVD, file, sat signal, etc. Satellite allowed them to “standardize” their broadcast – they knew that each station receiving the signal was receiving the same quality. However, the desire to standardize to a file-only option had been a hot topic with the ministry for years but nothing existed at the price point they needed and it was just still cheaper to deliver via satellite. Until now.

Because of the changing satellite service business and the FCC Spectrum sale cutting the number of available satellite feeds, In Touch was forced to change satellite providers five times over the last six years. Deadlines were becoming more of an issue when last-minute changes to a program forced their team to frantically resend a feed to hundreds of stations. It was at this time that McKinnon and his team turned to Aberdeen to find a solution.

The Solution

Since 2011, Aberdeen has been in the file-based, terrestrial delivery, space with their AberFast File Delivery service and has delivered over a half-million programs around the world. AberFast was introduced to provide significant financial savings for producers by eliminating tape and delivery costs associated with program delivery. It also allows producers to reach more broadcast outlets in high definition. Beyond financial savings, the AberFast service included a broadcast QC and correction of audio and video levels on all programs before delivery. Each station also received a broadcast-ready file transcoded to their preferred file specifications through a hand’s-off automated point-to-point upload to their servers along with email notifications.

So in the case of In Touch and a broadcast that reaches nearly 300 outlets weekly, how could they scale a terrestrial-based delivery to function similarly to a satellite signal that pushes the program out to all stations at once? Aberdeen now offers a more “lite” version of the full-service AberFast where most of the white-glove treatment is removed, but there is no sacrifice to the program's overall quality.

After surveying hundreds of stations, AberFast Lite settled on the five most commonly accepted file formats that will work in their automated ingest workflows. Each station will choose one format and receive the program through the same automated upload utilized for the full-service AberFast delivery. Stations will also have access to download the files from our online portal if they happen to move or delete the program. No more worries about “missing a feed” as the file will remain available well after the airdate.

The Results

In Touch Ministries has been off satellite since May of 2021 and is currently handling all of the distribution of their 30 & 60-minute weekly programs through Aberfast – station-specific versions are still running through the flagship AberFast service and where a single version is going to 50+ stations, AberFast Lite picks up the baton.

“Captioning and file delivery is not as simple as everybody thinks it is. Once you have the systems in place to do it, it can be done, but to do it right consistently is a nightmare. And we actually did captioning, captioning of tapes, and everything else in-house for a very, very long time. […] when you start actually getting out to multiple stations and doing other things, it’s a headache all the time.”

McKinnon also added: “I would say for any organization out there that may be considering doing this, it’s kind of a no-brainer from an ease-of-use standpoint, from a pricing standpoint, from everything that I can think of. We have converted all of our deliveries over to Aberdeen and AberFast, and it’s been one of the better decisions that we’ve made in a long time. So, I can’t recommend you guys enough.”

The launch of this service has proven to be such a successful alternative, that we’re thrilled to announce that the AberFast Lite service is available to all programmers who meet certain criteria and are sending a single-version program to 50+ TV stations. Want to see if your program qualifies? Contact us to have one of our engineers go through your workflows and present the appropriate solution. Learn more about the AberFast Lite setup process here.

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The discussion between Matt Cook, President of Aberdeen Broadcast Services, and John McKinnon, Executive Director of Programming for In Touch Ministries referenced throughout this article can be viewed in its entirety below.

When we launched our new website last year, we also made the move host it on the .IO domain. Why? Because all of the advancements we're executing behind the scenes that help ensure we're captioning and delivering media in the most advanced and efficient way possible are connected by our application programming interfaces ("APIs") built on this domain. Having our website on the same domain is a reminder of our continued dedication to our clients to improve, and highlights one of our core values: to be solution driven.

Our most considerable investment was our move to the AWS platform – the gold standard in the industry and what more than 40% of cloud computing is run on. This move not only permitted us to work uninterrupted by the current global pandemic, but it also allows us to expedite those quick-turn broadcast deliveries for our clients without losing that personal touch or eyes-on review by our AberFast engineers that makes our video delivery service unique.

Here’s our President, Matt Cook, explaining how a client came to us with a new challenge of captioning and delivering time-sensitive content – where every minute counts – and how we found the perfect solution for them:

While the delivery time frame is shrinking, viewers still expect quality — as do the broadcast outlets and online platforms that make content available. We are well aware of these pressures and that’s why we encourage you to bring us your challenges so our team can find the most efficient workflow for you.

Engineering solutions is one of our commitments to our clients and one of the values to which our team is dedicated.

**Update: July 29, 2020** Changes have been made to the integration methods on WebEX, YouTube, and The Church Online platforms since we hosted this webinar. Please download the materials to get the most current charts.**

From April 9th, 2020

Virtual gatherings have become the new normal during the stay-at-home orders in place as a result of the COVID-19 outbreak. It's as important as ever for organizations to keep their audience engaged, informed, and connected. With that in mind, it’s also essential that these events are accessible to the deaf and hard of hearing – which is approximately 20% of American adults.

We've been receiving countless phone calls looking for answers on how captioning works, what's possible, and how quickly businesses can get set up and ready to go.

In this 30-minute webinar, Matt Cook (President) and Becky Isaacs (Executive VP & Live Captioning Manager) from Aberdeen Broadcast Services discuss the options available for implementing accessible meetings with captioning – from the most simplified approach, to seamlessly integrating with your video player or conferencing platform.

Whether you use Zoom, Adobe Connect, or Microsoft Teams for your virtual meetings or YouTube, Facebook Live, or even The Church Online platform to stream your remote events, Aberdeen can find the solution for your audience to stay engaged and accessible with closed captioning.

With global attention on the COVID-19 outbreak, each day that brings more uncertainty for businesses and our communities, we are reminded that this too shall pass (Ecclesiastes 3). In the meantime, our team is closely monitoring developments on the outbreak and are taking the appropriate steps — consistent with CDC and WHO recommendations — to help support the ongoing health and safety of our employees and customers.

We know that first and foremost on your mind is making sure you are taking the appropriate precautions to care for yourself, your family, and others around you.

No doubt, you are also focused on taking care of your businesses, employees, and customers during this time. Here is what we are doing at Aberdeen:

• We are fully operational with a good portion of our team already working remotely with the ability to move to 100% remote if mandated.
• Our Live Captioning Team is responding and fulfilling emergency meetings and events. We will continue to do so as long as we have the capacity. Please call (949) 302-0004 if you have a new need for Live Captioning.
• We have taken several steps to help ensure the reliability of our critical business processes and supporting infrastructures. This includes up-front prevention and mitigation efforts, as well as comprehensive emergency response and recovery plans.
• We're asking all of our employees to take appropriate preventative measures. This includes regular and consistent use of hand sanitizer and disinfecting spray and wipes as well as increased cleaning and sanitizing.
• We're also encouraging any employee who does not feel well to stay home, get well, and avoid interacting.
• We understand and are committed to providing our media and captioning services that are a key link to ensuring necessary media is broadcast to help the overall public.

Some reassuring words…

Romans 15:13
May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Philippians 4:6
Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

Change is a beautiful thing! So we're pleased to announce the rebrand of our logo and launch of our new website. You may have noticed us testing out the new brand at the trade shows earlier this year. The response was so great, we've rolled it out and built a new site to complement it. 

Why the .io domain? All of the "techie" advancements we're implementing behind the scenes that help ensure we're captioning and delivering your media in the most advanced and efficient way possible are connected by our own application programming interfaces ("APIs") built on this domain. Having our website on the same domain is a reminder of our continued dedication to our clients to improve. And the vintage photos on the site are our way of saying that even with the adoption of new technology, we're still old school in our customer service - always available and ready to come alongside your team!

Win a $100 Amazon Gift Card!

Find the hidden plane and you'll be entered into our sweepstakes to win!

While checking out our website, keep your eyes out for our old paper airplane logo - we've hidden it on one of the pages. It's a clickable image so when you find it, give it a click to submit your contact information to win a $100 Amazon gift card!

Be on the lookout for one of these…

(HINT: the color may help guide you to it)

The winner will be announced on December 18, 2019 on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn. So be sure to follow us.

Aberdeen has been a long-standing partner in providing captioning services for Joseph Prince Ministries. Recently, the team had the opportunity to attend the Power of Right Believing Tour as it came to the United States. The event, held at the Long Beach Arena, was a special occasion for Aberdeen's management team who had the chance to see Pastor Joseph Prince preach live on November 6th. It was a memorable moment for everyone, marking the first in-person meeting after years of collaboration.

The event also provided a chance for a memorable photo with Joseph Prince. The team, including Nathan Isaacs, Becky Isaacs, Matt Cook, and Ed Gallagher, captured a moment alongside Pastor Prince.

Joseph Prince, the senior pastor of Singapore's New Creation Church, is known for his program "Destined to Reign," which reaches viewers in over 150 countries. To explore more about Joseph Prince and his ministry, you can visit their website: http://www.josephprince.org/