Burst.com Unveils Upgraded Internet Media Player

Burst.com, (San Francisco) a developer of Internet audio and video delivery software, has launched version 2.0 of Burstware, including an access control interface for enabling transaction-based media on demand.

Burstware 2.0 also includes compatibility with Quicktime for Windows, and an "Enhanced Narrowband Viewing" feature that allows viewers with slow connection speeds to view high-quality video.

The access control feature provides an interface that allows users to develop custom "Access Control Modules" that plug into the Burstware Conductor. The feature "is designed to help broadcasters, ISPs, and other content providers turn Internet Video on Demand into viable business models," says Burst.com CEO Richard Lang.

The addition of Quicktime capability targets the growing content creation market, according to the company. Burstware is already enabled for Windows Media Player and a version for the Mac will be released later this year.

The "Enhanced Narrowband Viewing" (ENV) feature will allow users with connection speeds less than the encoding rate of the content to pause playback until the video can be viewed uninterrupted. "The Enhanced Narrowband Viewing feature is used in situations where quality viewing experiences are critical, but viewers do not yet have access to broadband Internet connections," Lang says.

Burst.com specializes in providing Internet video through a "bursting" method that allows media delivery via scheduling and caching.

Edited by Tom Butts