Blackbird (software)

Blackbird (formerly named FORscene) is an integrated internet video platform, video editing software, covering non-linear editing and publishing for broadcast, web and mobile.

Blackbird
Developer(s)Blackbird plc. (formerly Forbidden Technologies plc.)
Stable release
Blackbird / 25 January 2007 (2007-01-25)
Operating systemCross-platform
TypeVideo editing software
LicenseProprietary
Websitewww.blackbird.video

Designed by Blackbird plc to allow collaborative editing of video at resolutions of up to 540p and up to 60 frames per second on bandwidths as low as 2MBit/s,[1] it is capable of video logging, reviewing, publishing and hosting through HD and 4K to UHD quality from original sources. The system is implemented as a mobile app for Android and iOS devices, a Java applet and a pure JavaScript web application as part of its user interface. The latter runs on platforms without application installation, codec installation, or machine configuration and has Web 2.0 features.

Blackbird won the Royal Television Society's award for Technology in the post-production process in December 2005,[2][3] and is now used globally. The underlying compression technology and the user interface are covered by separate patents.

Usage

The Blackbird platform's functionality makes it suitable for multiple uses in the video editing workflow.

For editors and producers wanting to produce broadcast-quality output, Blackbird provides an environment for the early stages of post-production to happen remotely and cheaply (logging, shot selection, collaborative reviewing, rough cutting and offline editing, for example) and more recently fine cut editing.[4] Blackbird then outputs instructions in standard formats which can be applied to the high-quality master-footage for detailed and high-quality editing prior to broadcast.

Other users want to prepare footage for publishing to lower-quality media - the small screens of mobile phones and video iPods, and to the web where bandwidth restricts the quality of video it is currently practical to output. For these users, all editing can be carried out in Blackbird, before publishing to social media and online video channels, OTT[5] or commercial cloud storage. Video can also be saved in MPEG, Ogg, HTML5, podcasting formats as well as Blackbird's proprietary player.

The platform was reported in July 2012 as being used by NBC in connection with the 2012 Summer Olympics involving integration of the service with YouTube[6][7] and continues to be used to deliver coverage for top tier sports such as Formula One,[8] PGA European Tour and the Premier League.

Services

The video platform is referred to broadly as Blackbird and marketed as three distinct B2B products:[9]

  • Edge
  • Ascent
  • Forte

All exploit the cloud for delivery. Integrations to third parties provide additional services (for example graphics, CC, transcription) and workflow (such as to other NLE systems).

Blackbird Ascent and Blackbird Forte

Ascent and Forte enable functionality including: video logging, frame accurate[10] non-linear editing (and multicam support for up to 18 cameras), reviewing, publishing, storyboarding and clipping. Ascent is designed for workflows that require a subset of Forte's features.

Blackbird Edge server

The Blackbird Edge server is a gateway between content and the Blackbird platform. Clients may elect to use a single physical Edge server per fixed or remote location to scale up operations and improve overall performance (e.g. the time taken to retrieve video for review). Features may vary based on workflow / infrastructure requirement but include:

  • Live and non-live Content ingest
  • Local caching of video downloads
  • Immediate access of video over a Local Area Network (LAN) during upload
  • Seamless transfer of video as required between a Blackbird Edge Server and the Blackbird Infrastructure

The product exploits high speed LAN access whilst preserving the principal of access from anywhere. Deployment may be on-premise, on-location, or to public / private cloud. Linux and macOS supported. Logging, editing and reviewing of uploaded material can start as soon as the upload process starts. Files containing video, audio and still may also be picked and uploaded using a web browser for ingest.

Blackbird Player

The Blackbird Player supports; renderless publishing, multiple layers, own branding,[11][12] clipping and URL sharing, ability to revoke access and a patented navigation bar. The Blackbird decoder is packaged in libraries for native mobile apps, applets[13] and a pure JavaScript player.[14]

Components

The Blackbird platform is made up of various components, discussed here.

Platform servers

The server infrastructure on the Blackbird backbone network (referred to as the cloud) dedicated to Blackbird's customers are distributed over numerous locations and handle around 10,000 hours of new video content each week. These act as one system, increasing both effective capacity and redundancy. As the front end does most of the work during editing, and the upload software does the compression work, the server is lightly loaded and can support many users at the same time. Sites may also attach a server to their own network (Edge) for improved performance/scalability (local ingest and caching to multiply the numbers of users on existing internet connections).

Codecs

Blackbird has its own codecs for both video and audio. These use a form of adaptive coding to allow local variations in the type of data to be encoded efficiently.

Osprey

Osprey supports loss-free video compression. Blackbird users can see broadcast quality video during editing (as well as proxy quality as has been the case with Blackbird's other codecs) and broadcasters can use the video output from Blackbird directly for transmission.

Blackbird

The current Blackbird video codec is called Blackbird 9. It is designed for both editing and video streaming over variable speed broadband Internet connections. By varying the frame rate, it can provide consistent picture quality even on slow connections.

Like its predecessor Firebird (used in the FORlive system), the Blackbird codec allows real time compression and playback of video. This is important for handling the quantity of video in modern productions, as well as the reviewing, logging, editing and publishing features of Blackbird.

The Blackbird codec (formerly "Firebird") is a proprietary video codec developed by Forbidden Technologies and used by their flagship product, Blackbird (formerly "Forscene").

Blackbird is designed for both editing and video streaming over variable speed internet connections. Blackbird can provide consistent picture quality on slow connections by varying the frame rate through the use of tokens. The tokens represent each source image which are scaled versions of each source image.[15][16]

The Blackbird video codec facilitates a content-aware dynamic framerate.[17] The codec can create a lightweight proxy, which can be used to deliver a live stream from an event.

Stephen Streater is the principle progenitor of the Blackbird video codec, which was released in 2004.[18]

On 22 January 2017, Forbidden Technologies released the Blackbird 9 codec.[19][20]

On 6 March 2018, MSG Networks received a New York chapter Emmy nomination for "Technical Achievement" as follows "MSG Networks Digital Video Editing & Digital Distribution via Blackbird Technology".[21]

Impala

The Blackbird audio codec is called Impala. Datarate and quality can be varied depending on the use: 10 kbit/s for modem web video and mobile playback, 30 kbit/s for audio only modem playback or broadband playback with video, and 80 kbit/s per channel for editing.

User interfaces

Functionality to support production workflows, account management and media asset management is accessible from native mobile apps for Android and iOS, web and Java platforms. In 2017 a strategic migration to JavaScript[22] was begun to deliver video playback and video editing capability to web browsers without additional programs or plugins.

Account management and MAM

Accounts and users are separate. Many individuals may use the same Blackbird account and each user is assigned a role (manager, commenter, reviewer, logger, editor, storyboard). Admin/operational and MAM features include; transfer, search and playback of material, ingest configuration, workflow, account and user settings and usage reports.

Security

Each standard user account has its own password-protected single sign-on web page. Once logged on, the users have access to their own videos, library material, and any functionality their account supports. Video is not stored on the local computer's hard disc, so when the user closes their web browser, their video is not accessible to subsequent users of the same computer.

Internet standards

The Blackbird interfaces operate through Internet standards such as HTTP, JavaScript and Java, so can be used even in companies with severe firewalls. If web browsing works, then Blackbird almost always will too.

Publishing

The Blackbird editing platform supports publishing from original sources up to 4K, to destinations including: social media and online video channels (e.g. YouTube, Facebook, Twitter), OTT and commercial cloud storage (e.g. S3, Azure). Video can be saved to a range of formats (e.g. MPEG, Ogg, XDCAM, EDL, HTML5, FCPX), still images (e.g. JPEG) and the proprietary Blackbird Player.

Timecode export

Each frame of professionally shot video is tagged with a timecode which identifies it. Combining the timecode information of video handled within Blackbird at browse quality with the original broadcast quality video allows information in Blackbird to be transferred to a broadcast quality version. Videos logged or edited in Blackbird can be exported in the form of a simple EDL or more complex XML for autoconform and offline or online on an Avid or Final Cut Pro system.

Broadcast

Videos which have been edited within Blackbird can be conformed/rendered to multiple outputs automatically at anything up to 3840p - full Ultra High Definition (UHD). At present 1080p HD accounts for the majority of production workflows.[23] After editing Blackbird uploads the full quality frames used in the finished programme into the Cloud, or alternative eco-systems via Blackbird Edge. The special effects, captions, layers, graphics, cropping and stretching, colour correction and titles are combined at full resolution on a Blackbird Cloud for download, or Edge Server, ready for transmission. Material can be reviewed and edited from anywhere on the web, not just one local source.

Systems integration

Final programmes can be made, even in High-definition, and sent in broadcast quality efficiently to the broadcaster for transmission without using any third party editing systems. However Blackbird supports integration with third party systems, both in broadcast and elsewhere.

EDL/XML

Blackbird supports Edit decision list/XML export to industry editing systems such as or Avid / Final Cut Pro. For example, creation of rough cuts in Blackbird can then be reliably conformed on Avid, even when they include clips which the Avid would not normally be able to ingest because of time code breaks and gaps.

SDI

Serial Digital Interface improves Blackbird's integration into the high end broadcast environment. SDI support allows Blackbird to ingest source material in both Standard Definition (SD) and High Definition (HD) resolutions from any professional video source in real time. The SDI video input meets both Phase Alternating Line (PAL) and National Television System Committee (NTSC) standards.

Licensing

The software is provided as a service (SAAS) which is charged by usage.[24]

History

Blackbird is a development from an editing system made by Eidos Interactive in the 1990s. This history starts from the first public showing of this product, at the International Broadcasting Convention in Europe in 1990.

1990–1999
Date Version Platform Significant features
1990[25]-1999 Edit 1, Edit 2, Optima
  • Software codecs
  • Cheap removable storage
  • Reliable platform
  • Quick to learn
2000–2005
Date Version Platform Significant features
Feb 2000
  • London float for Forbidden Technologies plc
  • Shares rise 5000% in first week
Feb 2001 Java video streaming on website Java
  • 384x288 pixels
  • 25 frame/s
  • 40 kbit/s for talking heads.
  • Picture quality "cartoon-like"
May 2002 Live video streaming to mobile phone Java/GPRS Picture quality poor e.g. monochrome
Dec 2002 Broadband web streaming Java 384x288 pixels, 25 frame/s
Sep 2003 FORlive[27] launched Linux compression/ Java player
  • Live video compression
  • 384x288 pixels, 25 frame/s.
Nov 2003 FORmobile launched Symbian Series 60
  • Mobile phone player application
  • 160x120 pixels, up to 12.5 frame/s, colour.
Sep 2004 Forscene launched[28][29] Java
  • Forlive compression
  • Optima-style editing
  • Formobile/FORweb publishing
Sep 2004 IBC TV news use FORscene/FORmobile[11] Symbian Branded player
Feb 2005 GMTV first broadcaster to sign up[30] Java International access to GMTV
May 2005 Logging added to Forscene Java Java logging, editing and publishing tool
Sep 2005 Upload over-the-air from mobile phones[31] Symbian
  • Video: up to 352x288 pixels
  • Photographs: phone resolution
Sep 2005 IBC TV news use FORscene/FORmobile Symbian Branded player. The mobile player can be sent from handset to handset for free via Bluetooth, and videos can also be distributed virally via Bluetooth once the Forscene mobile player has been installed. Forbidden has coined the term Viewtooth to describe this process.[32]
Sep 2005 First broadcast TV series uses Forscene Channel 5 (UK) Trust Me - I'm a Holiday Rep
2006–2010
Date Version Platform Significant features
Jan 2006 New video codec designed for editing Blackbird 1 codec
Jan/Feb 2006 First prime time TV series uses Forscene BBC1 (UK) Super Vets
Apr 2006 Podcasting released Video iPod, iTunes
Apr/May 2006 British Army uses Forscene mobile player[33] Symbian mobile phones Ascent of Everest published on mobiles
May 2006 Video Podcast Forscene Videos edited in Forscene can be published directly as video podcasts. These can then be downloaded and viewed in a podcast viewer such as iTunes or on a video iPod.
June 2006 Forscene review[34] BBC Breakfast, This Morning, Sky News

Channel 4 News, Channel 5 News

 Broadcasters select Save the Children footage
August 2006 Forscene Ogg support added Java Ogg format is supported by Wikipedia for upload of suitable video content
September 2006 Forscene online chat feature added Java
  • Share edited videos
  • Forscene users talk in real time
  • Contributions (and logging entries) are spell checked (as of Nov 2006)
November 2006 Citizen Journalism Java / Symbian mobile phones Third project completed at the World Congress of Science and Factual Producers (WCSFP). Citizen journalism began at the IBC in 2006.
January 2007 Account Management Web Interface provides for management of accounts by customers.
February 2007 Forscene Flash support added Java Export of video to the Flash format for use with the Adobe Flash Player.
March 2007 Forscene Speed Control Java Video and/or audio clips can be edited for slow motion/fast motion style effects.
April 2007 Forscene Fades Java Fade up and fade to black with a single drag on the video track.
May 2007 File names/playback Java Multi-line file names and three-speed playback control.
June 2007 Security Java Log on now supports the secure HTTPS protocol.
August 2007 Images / playback Java Images can be integrated directly into the video track and playback can now be viewed at 150% (as well as 100% and 200%).
September 2007 DV Java Broadcast quality DV can be output directly from the web interface and effective transfer of DV from the field over standard internet links.
October 2007 Webstart/codec Java Webstart can be used to run FORscene, providing access to more memory available, and better performance. The Blackbird codecs deliver better picture quality and lower memory requirements.
December 2007 Audio/graphics/codec/ account management Java Simpler stereo audio editing by linking the two audio tracks. Add anti-aliased graphic overlays with transparency levels and fades. Accounts distinguish between departmental and inter-departmental (programme-wide) levels of access.
January 2008 Codec Java Blackbird codec upgraded to version 5.
February 2008 Saturation/recompress/ 1GB/audio Java Right dragging in the video window adjust saturation levels. Recompress videos to benefit from the latest codec. Modern machines may set a new memory limit to 1GB (reducing network traffic). Improved audio quality.
March 2008 Proxy box/AAF Java Boost internet performance for videos captured locally or viewed recently. Support for Avid's AAF files is available, complementing existing support for EDL and FCP (XML).
June 2008 Thumbnails/storyboard Java Web published videos have click-through thumbnails. Storyboard offers a simpler editing process with fewer clicks required to use it.
July 2008 AAF/white balance/JPEG export Java Additional data added to AAF output to carry more information through to Avid from FORscene. Adjust for colour differences between artificial / daylight conditions. Export a video frame to a JPEG image.
August 2008 Colourful fades Java Colour wheel controls fades to/from colours other than the default (black) can pick from colours on the video window.
October 2008 Titles Java In addition to imported graphics Forscene's subtitle functions are enhanced with background and font colour, transparency, and size controls.
September 2009 Forscene Server Server Sites can multiply the number of users on their existing internet connections whilst preserving all the advantages of internet access from anywhere.
September 2009 Forscene HD HD Forscene can now output HD directly providing remote access to video for editing from anywhere in the world, only uploading the fraction of HD that is actually used in the final programme, and ability to use existing computers and internet links.
September 2009 Osprey Codec With Osprey codec Forscene enables video editing at broadcast quality locally through a web browser interface and wide-area over the public Internet.
April 2010 Multicam Java Multicam can support up to eight concurrent synchronised video streams for logging and editing.
2011–2015
Date Version Platform Significant features
February 2011 Android Mobile Client available on the Android platform (consumer edition) including integration with YouTube and Facebook.
February 2014 iOS Mobile Forscene client demonstrated on the iOS platform (iPad).
July 2015 eva iOS Video social network launched.
August 2015 Blackbird 8 Codec Release of Blackbird 8 codec.
2015–2019
Date Version Platform Significant features
March 2016 Captevate JavaScript Video editor designed for the consumer market launched.
August 2017 VidLib JavaScript Conversion of core video library from Java. Downloads and renders edits in real-time. Will initially support two applications; Blackbird Player ("The Player") and Blackbird Clipper (shot selection of live or pre-recorded video).
March 2018 Blackbird 9 Codec Release of Blackbird 9 codec.
April 2018 Cloud Provider Azure Forscene made available on Microsoft's Azure Marketplace cloud computing infrastructure.
May 2018 Ascent/Forte Integration AI OS integration annotates content with meta-data and drives workflow.
September 2018 Ascent/Forte JavaScript Products Ascent and Forte JavaScript implementations launched. Frame accurate editing can be undertaken in browsers without additional configuration or installation of plugins or applications.
January 2019 Blackbird Fitness Technology Peloton select Blackbird to edit on-demand virtual classes.
March 2019 Blackbird Sports IMG adopt Blackbird to clip, edit and publish live sports video content.
May 2019 Blackbird Sports Deltatre extend use of Blackbird for turnaround of long and short-form game highlights and clips for a range of sports, including rugby, cycling and athletics.
May 2019 Blackbird Sports NRL use Blackbird to support packaging short highlights during live NRL matches to be distributed to the league’s global fanbase.
June 2019 Blackbird Social Media A+E Networks adopt Blackbird to give executives, producers, editors, marketers and others within the ability to view, edit and enrich video library content.
August 2019 Blackbird News TownNews extend use of Blackbird to 39 TV stations.
October 2019 Aperture Solutions Group Cloud Editing Turnkey System The US Department of State and its production teams will use Blackbird to rapidly clip, edit and publish news broadcast live to its social channels including Twitter, Facebook and YouTube and to own website and other digital news outlets across the United States.[35]
November 2019 Blackbird AWS Blackbird's cloud production and distribution system chosen by Bloomberg Media.[36]
December 2019 Blackbird Sports Eleven Sports adopt Blackbird for rapid editing and publishing of sports content to fans online
2020–2024
Date Version Platform Significant features
June 2020 Award Platform TV Technology’s Best of Show Digital Video Award[37]

See also

Video editing

Web

Technology

Mobile related

Other Online Editing Technologies

References
  1. David Shapton (9 July 2019). "This may be the fastest video editing technology anywhere". RedShark.
  2. Awards, UK: Royal Television Society, archived from the original (MS Word .doc) on 27 February 2006
  3. Royal Television Society award ceremony (Video), FORscene
  4. Pennington, Adrian. "Forbidden Technologies Brings Cloud Editing To Brightcove Users". Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  5. Going behind the screens: 48 hours inside Deltatre (Video), SportsPro Media Limited
  6. Lyall, Ian (17 July 2012). "Forbidden Technologies' Olympic breakthrough puts it ahead of the field". Proactiveinvestors.com.au. Archived from the original on 20 July 2012. Retrieved 9 August 2012.
  7. Tobin, Lucy (3 July 2012). "Forbidden in YouTube deal". The Independent. Retrieved 1 March 2014.
  8. Pennington, Adrian (9 July 2020). "F1 PROMOTES REMOTE PRODUCTION TO FRONT OF THE GRID".
  9. "Repositioning of Forbidden under Blackbird brand". Financial Times. 5 April 2008.
  10. "Forbidden Puts Frame Accurate Editing in the Cloud". The Broadcast Bridge. 3 August 2018.
  11. Digital-Lifestyles.info IBC TV News uses Forscene and Formobile
  12. Army on Everest Archived 22 July 2007 at the Wayback Machine Mobile page
  13. e-consultancy Archived 21 November 2004 at the Wayback Machine report on Misys
  14. Adrian Pennington (17 July 2019). "Blackbird Plans Launch into Video Distribution". Streaming Media Europe.
  15. Streater, Stephen. "Compressor". Google. Google Patents. Retrieved 7 January 2018.
  16. Streater, Stephen. "Method for enabling efficient navigation of video". Google. Google Patents. Retrieved 21 December 2017.
  17. Niedermeier, Florian. "Quality assessment of the MPEG-4 scalable video CODEC. Lecture Notes in Computer Science". researchgate. Retrieved 26 January 2018.
  18. Garland, David. "The Evolution of Online Video With Special Guest "THE BRITISH BILL GATES" Stephen Streater". therisetothetop. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  19. Stewart-Smith, Hana. "Forbidden Technologies details new video codec Blackbird 9". morningstar. Retrieved 22 January 2018.
  20. Sanders-Hewett, Rebecca (23 January 2017). "Next generation of Blackbird video codec". Financial Times. Redleaf Communications. Retrieved 20 December 2017.
  21. "THE 61st ANNUAL NEW YORK EMMY® AWARD NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED THIS MORNING!" (PDF). www.nyemmys.org.
  22. "IBC 2018: Forbidden Technologies' Blackbird highlights cloud capabilities and conversion to JavaScript". SVG Europe. 17 September 2018.
  23. Davies, David. "Monitoring 4K/HDR content". Retrieved 25 January 2019.
  24. Larry Jordan (11 April 2019). "NAB 2019 INTERVIEW". Digital Production BuZZ.
  25. IBC 1990 programme guide
  26. Acorn Cybervillage Optima
  27. "Live demonstration". Forbidden. 10 November 2003. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  28. Highbeam Research Forscene launch
  29. "hoeksteen.dds.nl". Archived from the original on 6 March 2006. Retrieved 21 January 2017.
  30. Hardware depot online article about GMTV signing up to Forscene
  31. Regulatory News Service Over-the-air upload
  32. e-consultancy Archived 15 December 2004 at the Wayback Machine report on Bluetooth
  33. Cellular news article on British Army use of Forscene for mobile
  34. Regional Film and Video article on Save the Children use of Forscene for review
  35. Source Blackbird PLC 2 October 2019| https://www.prnewswire.co.uk/news-releases/u-s-department-of-state-chooses-blackbird-for-fast-efficient-video-production-800105522.html
  36. David Shapton (27 November 2019). "Blackbird's cloud production and distribution system chosen by Bloomberg Media". RedShark.
  37. "Blackbird scoops TV Technology's Best of Show Digital Video Award". 11 June 2020.
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