Executive Summary: StreamWave's growth was stalling due to poor playback performance in international markets. Varcio designed a intelligent, multi-CDN architecture that dramatically improved streaming quality and lowered latency, enabling a successful global expansion.
The Challenge
A subscription-based streaming service with a library of about 1,200 movies and TV shows. However, they faced significant hurdles:
- Buffering: High start-up times for users outside the US.
- Cost: Egress fees were hurting profitability.
- Piracy: Content was being scraped and re-hosted.
Our Solution
Varcio implemented a multi-CDN strategy:
- CloudFront & Akamai: Used a hybrid CDN approach to cache content at the edge, closest to users.
- Adaptive Bitrate Streaming: Transcoded video into multiple qualities (HLS) to match user bandwidth dynamically.
- Serverless DRM: Protected content from piracy without slowing down playback.
Video Start Time (Seconds)
Before
After
Implementation Roadmap
1 Month
Architecture
Selecting CDN partners and routing logic.
2 Months
Transcoding
Migrating library to HLS format.
3 Months
Player Dev
Building custom video players for Web/TV.
1 Month
Launch
Global rollout.
Key Results
StreamWave launched successfully in 12 new countries. User retention metrics improved by 18% due to the smoother playback experience.
"Our users demand instant 4K playback, regardless of where they are. Varcio delivered exactly that."
Head of Product