Shared Motion - multi-device synchronization and media control for the Web.

Dear IG Members


We would like to present ourselves to this forum, as we share your interest
in improving the Web as a platform for broadcast and multi-device media,
and because we have some contributions which you might find relevant.

My collegue (Njål Borch) and myself (Ingar Arntzen) are researchers working
for NORUT (Northern Research Institute), Tromsø, Norway. Over the last
couple of years we have focused on timing, synchronization and media
control in multi-device media. Currently NORUT is in charge of the
workpackage that deals with this topic in MediaScape, a FP7 EU project
aiming to provide a fundament for multi-device Web applications. The
consortium includes BBC R&D, Vicomtech, IRT, NEC, NORUT, BR and W3C.

To the point: We have invented and developed the concept of  "Shared
Motion", a generic mechanism for synchronization and media control in
time-sensitive, multi-device Web applications. This mechanism has already
been included as fundamental component in the multi-device architecture
explored within the MediaScape project.

To give you a rough idea what this is about:
- Shared Motion synchronizes *globally*, thus multi-device synchronization
is not limited to Intranet or specific network carrier.
- Shared Motion synchronizes across Internet with errors < 10ms, and works
fine even under poor network conditions (e.g. edge - albeit a modest
reduction in precision may be expected)
- Shared Motion works in any modern Web Browser, no plugins required.
- Shared Motion is highly scalable, turning the synchronization of a
million companion devices into a realistic scenario.
- Shared Motion has been made available for public use by start-up company
Motion Corporation. motioncorporation.com

Please find enclosed an internal report documenting that Shared Motion
synchronizes HTML5 Video across Internet, using unmodified Chrome and
Firefox browsers, with end-to-end synchronisation errors in the order of
10ms (i.e., well below frame-rate).

Note also that the enclosed report includes links to a demo allowing you to
verify this for yourselves.

Concerning our interests:

We have identified the concept of Shared Motion as a huge enabler for a
wide variety of web-based multi-device applications, and we want it
(eventually) to become an open standard and included into the Web as a
principal component in web-based, multi-device applications.

Furthermore, we have identified the WEB+TV IG as a means of bringing this
technology to the attention of the W3C community. The W3C representatives
in MediaScape has recommended this group, and we have also noted that
Shared Motion solves many of the use cases you have already outlined in
this forum.

So, if you deem this relevant for the group, we would be happy to enter
this group and of course discuss this further,


Best regards,

Ingar Arntzen and Njål Borch, Norut and Motion Corporation