January 12, 2026

Short Cuts

How HBO Max Approaches Streaming Ops as a Product Not a Service

In this clip from his Streaming Media Connect 2025 keynote, Warner Bros. Discovery distinguished video platform engineer Neal Roberts discusses what he calls "3 Up," the process of upgrading HBO Max live content from SDR to HDR, uprezzing from 1080i to 1080p, and upmixing Stereo or 5.1 audio to Dolby Atmos, as an example of how his team "productizes" streaming ops and ensures that they can have confidence in all of the audio and video experiences they deliver on HBO Max, regardless of any deficiencies in the source content or any assumptions made by platforms viewers use to watch it.

Why Streaming Demands a Different End-to-End Workflow From Broadcast

When pre-existing live broadcast operations add streaming for the same events or content, there's a temptation to "bolt on" streaming to the existing workflow and treat it as just another output or destination, but Warner Bros. Discovery distinguished video platform engineer Neal Roberts insists that doing so means sacrificing the streaming end-user experience in this conversation with Alchemy Creations founder and principal Andy Beach at Streaming Media Connect 2025. He says that also means duplicating operator requirements and goes on to discuss comms between streaming and broadcast teams and other best practices for optimizing experiences for all viewers regardless of platform.

Where Do Cloud and Remote Production Reduce and Increase Streaming Costs?

The now-familiar narrative of livestreaming in the pandemic tells us that when social distancing compelled streamers to migrate from on-prem to remote production and the cloud, massive cost savings were our reward. But cloud-based streaming also carries hidden costs. NBCU's Paul Kirchberg, Live X's Corey Benkhe, and Sargeway's Sarge Sargent discuss the true costs and savings of cloud and REMI operations and how to avoid the pitfalls in this clip from Streaming Media Connect 2025.

Industry News

Zixi Accelerates Global Growth with Appointment of Heather Mellish as Vice President of Global Sales

Zixi, the industry leader in IP-based video transport and orchestration, today announced the appointment of Heather Mellish as Vice President, Global Sales.