Call for: Video streaming and archive platform

Buyer: CTBTO (The Preparatory Commission for the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization), Vienna

Deadline: 7 April

SCOPE OF WORK

The objective of this contract is to provide the Commission with access to a suitable, modern video streaming and archiving platform that meets current and future requirements. The selected platform shall support high-quality live streaming and on-demand video playback while ensuring scalability, security, and reliability. The contracted solution shall be also designed in a way to evolve with

technological advancements and user needs, ensuring long-term sustainability and value for the Commission. The scope of work includes, but is not limited to, the following:

• Deployment of a robust and user-friendly video streaming, management and archiving platform.

• Compliance with current industry standards for video encoding, streaming protocols, and accessibility.

• Continuous system updates and maintenance to ensure optimal performance, security, compatibility with emerging technologies and minimize potential downtime.

• Implementation of identified future requirements to enhance the overall viewing experience for end users.

• Improving video management tools for technical staff, streamlining content organization, video metadata, video viewing and download.

• Simplification and automation of technical workflows to reduce manual interventions.

• Implementation of access controls and content restrictions as required

CURRENT TECHOLOGY PLATFORM

The current video platform service has the capability to create and host remote live video events with video transcoding and customizable video metadata. Finished live streams are automatically

compressed and encoded to be stored in the video recordings archive and provisioned to allow client

applications.

REQUIREMENTS FOR THE VIDEO PLATFORM

The Contractor shall provide an integrated Software-as-a-Service solution for all media services,

including live streaming, Video on Demand (VOD), storage, comprehensive and flexible exposed

Application Programming Interface (API) with prompt on-demand support (hereinafter referred to as

the “Platform) for the entire contract period. This could be in the form of an already built-in platform

solution to manage media streaming and archiving with yearly subscription renewal possibilities

meeting the requirements of these Terms of Reference.

Technical Specifications – System Requirements

Internal Audience ~ 300

External Audience Live streaming shall support between 50 and 5000 clients.

Volume of Data Backup ~ 5TB Video Files

Number of existing Video On Demand (VOD) videos

The VOD service shall support an existing catalogue of about 3000 videos.

Videos created per Year / Volume ~ 200 / ~ 1TB

Up to 200 Live Streams are transmitted each year, each of which shall be added to the VOD catalogue.

Volume of Streaming Data per Meeting ~ 500 GB

* NOTE: Each Live Stream and VOD Video usually covers a morning or afternoon session of about 3

hours, but sessions can be significantly longer or shorter.

Functional Requirements

Considering the current architecture and the needs of the end-users, the following section is a

comprehensive list of the main features the new video Platform shall address.

Live Streaming

4.2.1 The Platform shall provide a streaming engine to stream live events of the Commission.

4.2.2 The Platform shall allow each source file to be ingested and transcoded into multiple flavors

i.e. files with different and adaptive bitrates, dimension and quality.

4.2.3 The main requested formats are: Apple HLS, RTMP, Apple HSD and Microsoft Smooth Streaming.

4.2.4 The Platform shall provide the option to stream videos branded with the Commission’s

watermark logo.

4.2.5 The Platform shall provide a REST API that Commission built-in-house applications will call:

o to signal the start and end of streaming events; and

o to mark cue points.

Integration

4.2.6 Live Stream and VOD Video viewers shall not be shown branding or content not issued by the

Commission.

4.2.7 Live Streams and VOD Videos shall be viewable in standard HTML video player.

4.2.8 The Platform shall support live streams which are recorded and transmitted using standard

video streaming tools, such as OBS.

4.2.9 The Platform shall support live stream start/stop notifications via Web Hooks or similar

technology.

4.2.10 It shall be possible to create Live Stream placeholders in advance of each planned event.

4.2.11 The Platform shall provide an API with the following features:

o Create a Live Stream;

o List Scheduled Live Streams;

o List VOD Videos; and

o Search VOD Videos by date and/or title.

Availability

4.2.12 Live Streams and VOD Videos shall be available for viewing in all countries.

4.2.13 VOD Videos shall be available at all times.

Audio Video Format

4.2.14 As well as the language spoken in the room, events are interpreted into six (6) languages. The

Platform shall support Live Streams and VOD Videos with up to seven (7) user selectable audio

channels.

a) Live Streams are currently recorded in Full HD resolution (16/9, 1920×1080). The Platform shall support this resolution.

b) Some older VOD recordings are in an older 4/3 low resolution video format which shall also be supported.

c) Live Stream and VOD Video playback shall adapt the video and audio quality according to available bandwidth.

Video Hosting and Video on Demand

4.2.15 Videos and live streams shall be accessible from every member state of the Commission.

4.2.16 The Platform shall provide a high level of security and access controls.

4.2.17 Data shall not be accessible without the proper level of authorization.

4.2.18 The Platform shall protect Live Streams and VOD Videos from unauthorized access. Access shall be granted via tokens or other industry standard mechanism.

4.2.19 The Platform shall provide the possibility of configuring different user profiles, roles and workflows. Different user profiles shall be responsible for defining their own workflow(s) and for managing their content and its distribution. The Platform shall also provide the following options:

i. Customization of metadata, since internal applications are using specific subset of metadata that must be maintained.

ii. Media manipulation such as: thumbnails generation; image cropping and resizing; video trimming, video transitions and bookmarking.

iii. Styles and branding services.

iv. Basic editing of recorded Live Streams shall be possible when they are added to the VOD service, this shall include trimming the start/end of the recording.

4.2.20 The Platform shall provide an administrative user interface with the following features:

i. Create a Live Stream;

ii. List Scheduled Live Streams;

iii. List VOD Videos;

iv. Search VOD Videos by date and/or title;

v. View active Live Streams and preview VOD Videos;

vi. Basic Video Editor;

vii. VOD Video Upload; and

viii. Convert recorded Live Streams into VOD Videos.

4.2.21 The Platform shall allow exposing data via REST API to manage content, embed videos (via a native HTML 5 player) and search across the library. Moreover, REST API shall be used to integrate video content on other internal applications. The Platform shall provide analytics and insights to measure quality of service, audience engagement and audience geographic distribution.

Migration

4.2.22 The Platform shall host future and past videos, supporting their distribution and adapting them to the device of the viewers. The Contractor shall provide tools for migration or migrate videos stored on current contractor’s platforms, and of metadata from current contractor’s

database to the new system.

Audio Tracks Management

4.2.23 The Platform shall provide the possibility to ingest and manage videos recordings linked to multiple audio tracks (specifically different language audio tracks) and its native player shall allow users to switch to another audio track (language) while watching a video. The Platform shall allow the use of multiple audio tracks not only for Video on Demand but also during a live streaming event.

Disaster Recovery

4.2.24 The Contractor shall demonstrate that the Platform has a reasonable disaster recovery strategy. VOD Videos should be automatically replicated to a file backup service such as Amazon S3 operated by the Commission.

Bulk upload and automatic creation of “Playlists”

4.2.25 The Platform shall provide the possibility to upload videos in bulk and eliminate repetitive tasks and group those videos into an entity like a “playlist” to indicate that those videos should be viewed together in a continuous manner.