“Professional equipment utilization know-how delivers 3,000 installation cases per year.”

Since its founding in 1997, J-Stream Inc. has been synonymous with streaming services in Japan. With J-Stream's CDN as the core, the company offers end-to-end video business solutions. These range from content distribution to creative services and video ad services. In addition to its unparalleled track record and vast experience on many important projects in the online video spectrum, J-Stream has the largest market share in the Japanese online video platform market today.

What products are mainly used currently?
The Roland VC-1-SC, XS-1HD, and V-60HD.

Describe the functions you’re utilizing and the points you’re evaluating for each one.

VC-1-SC

Main Points
It corresponds to a wide range of input signals and can be converted easily. Also, it’s compact, robust, has few breakdowns, and is highly reliable on-site.

Features
We rely very much on converting the PC video output into an SDI signal and inputting it to the switcher. It brings the video of the PC for the lecture to the video switcher at the live streaming site of the web lecture. At lectures, speakers often bring in PCs. It can be difficult to check the communication and change settings of PCs in advance. However, the VC-1-SC can complete the settings in a short time and output the video in the specified format.

This is useful because it converts slides with thin borders and images with sensitive colors faithfully. Because it’s very widely used in other settings, it’s a tool that you want to use onsite.

XS-1HD

Main Points
The functionality allows you to switch each one while assembling the screen layout of Picture by Picture. We use it in the field with one and three roles.

Features
The main use is to create a PbyP layout using SPLIT mode. There are often requests for “camera video + slide materials” for live streaming of briefing sessions. The XS-1HD is usefuf in such projects. In addition to assembling PbyP, there is a wide range of requests. These include “displaying logos and agendas in the margins (background)”, “displaying still images in full screen before and after live events”, “switching two cameras”, “two slide materials”, etc.

We can accomplish these with one unit, and the more you use it, the greater the freedom to expand. The compact housing helps in that you don't put a strain on space even if you line up several units in multiple simultaneous live streams.

V-60HD

Main Points
The specifications of input and output are clear, and the main panel operation is intuitive. We can create a flexible performer return monitor system using an AUX bus linked to PGM. Mixing is possible without being aware of i/p conversion.

Features
Compact and easy to use, it’s used in a wide range of live streaming sites. When livestreaming web lectures, the output video of the camera of the SDI output and the PC for the lecture is switched. In the field of web lectures, it’s necessary to conduct rehearsals for performers at the same time as broadcasting VTR for viewers. Here, it’s used for simple rehearsal applications by switching the main line independently using the AUX bus.

In large-scale projects with switchers and mixers at the top, it’s available in one unit. This helps for the final adjustment of video audio and insertion of still images before and after production. Operation during production is also simplified, which helps.

What kind of content and scale of delivery do you have? (Client's industry, number of cameras, number of microphones, number of PCs, etc.)

There are a wide variety of industries. Currently, our most common is the distribution of web lectures in the pharmaceutical industry. Since there is very little movement due to lecture format, the number of cameras is from one to three at most. There aren't many performers. Since it is about a speaker, a chair, and a narrator, there are about three microphones.

As for personal computers, there are usually about three to five pieces for sending out slide images for presentations. In addition to the pharmaceutical industry, we work with enterprise companies' in-house and external event distribution, shareholder meetings, and financial results briefings. Entertainment-related music live performances are also on the rise. Depending on the content and delivery specifications of the event, there are considerable differences in the number of cameras, machines, PCs, etc. This makes it difficult to digitize them in general.

It seems the distribution business is increasing due to the pandemic. How many distribution operations did you have in 2020?

The number of delivery projects due to the coronavirus pandemic has increased rapidly. As of October, we delivered about 300 cases per month. I think there will be about 3,000 cases in 2020 as a whole.

Is there anything that has changed the content of the distribution business due to the pandemic?

The form of “remote” distribution, which is also performed on television and other devices, is increasing. Before the spread of the coronavirus, performers gathered at the venue where to deliver the broadcast. However, to avoid risk when moving performers and to avoid dense conditions due to the gathering of multiple people, we don't gather at one live streaming base. Instead, we use video transmission systems and web conference systems to aggregate performer images from remote locations into live streaming bases and broadcasted them from there.

How many staff members are usually in the field?

At the site of the web lecture in the pharmaceutical industry that I gave earlier, it’s operated by about 4 people. This is the number of people including support staff we provide for customers other than delivery technology.

Do you pay special attention to preventing problems such as preparing equipment backups and checking the status of network lines? Is there know-how unique to professionals?

Since the distribution venues are over the country, there will always be a spare (cold standby) of equipment. All-in-one equipment like the VR-50HD MKII can reduce the number of peripherals, so it helps to reduce spare equipment and cables.

Since the distribution itself may use the internet, there is a lot of uncertainty, so it is always redundant, and the internet often has two wired lines. When using our distribution platform, it’s a system that can fail with a viewing player or distribution server. When using a platform that can be configured in the same way such as YouTube, we always use a backup server. When using PC-based delivery encoders, we constantly check the communication of the network line. Plus, we have a system that allows us to instantly cut whether it is a local network problem or a more upstream problem in the event of a failure.

Events are always required to be in real-time. We believe it's important not to get stressed by equipment and the stability of the distribution. There’s no way to change the compatibility problems and run of show scripts with PCs that arrive on the day. As a result, we’re conscious of eliminating anxiety as much as possible. We do this by preparing in advance with redundant distribution and stable equipment.

What are your future initiatives, and what do you expect from your equipment?

Livestreaming has become common and gets ordered a lot. As the number of sites increases, we expect to need a simple, compact, and lightweight system. At the same time, we have to maintain the stability of the equipment. The miniaturization and low price of HDMI-based equipment is progressing. Still, there are many situations where SDI is better in terms of connection stability. I want more SDI-based products added to the lineup of small and lightweight equipment.