Challenge:

• Limited access to its digital library internally and for external

• No control over workflow processes

• Inefficient usage of bandwidth

Solution:

• Signiant Content Distribution Management (CDM) solution enables collaboration between origination and post-production facilities to accelerate and manage file transfer work flow worldwide.

Results:

• Efficient management, acceleration, automation and security of digital assets worldwide

• Ability to centrally manage assets and ensure they are getting to the right place at the right time
  

• Appropriate handling of bandwidth by throttling specifications

• Cost savings through efficient use of assets and shortened post-production cycles

Discovery Communications is the number one nonfiction media company with 100-plus worldwide networks including Discovery Channel, TLC and Animal Planet. As the network moved towards file-based workflows, it was looking to facilitate a more efficient and cost effective post production and distribution process for popular existing series and upcoming premiere programming, including Jockeys (Animal Planet), Treasure Quest (Discovery Channel) and Count Down to the Crown (TLC). To move its low-resolution assets, the company had built an in-house solution referred to as the DMC (Digital Media Center). But it needed a more advanced solution that could make its extensive library of assets viewable worldwide - across the entire company and to outside partners - while enabling a more efficient process to transfer both SD and HD assets.

Discovery performed an extensive proof of concept review of several vendors before deciding to implement Signiant's Content Distribution Management (CDM) system. The deployment was broken down into two areas: one was to support heavy asset transfer of SD and HD content, and the other to support the DMC. This massive deployment supports eight thousand users, with an estimated 250 of them on the site concurrently uploading and downloading files at any given time, making it easy for users to search for and retrieve digital assets (e.g videos, stills, etc.), while collaborating on productions and repurposing content.

Using Signiant, Discovery estimates that it has seen a 700 to 800 percent improvement in file transfer rate over 1 Gb/s link. The speed, automation, security, and centralized management all translate into a more efficient method for Discovery to leverage its most valuable asset - its content - while reducing the costs of post-production and distribution.

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