Amazon has announced the launch of its new Interactive Video Service (Amazon IVS), which uses the same technology that powers Twitch.
The new service enables broadcasters and OTT providers to set up live, low-latency interactive video streams for web and mobile apps.
Amazon IVS ingests the video, then automatically transcodes and optimizes it, making it available for live delivery across AWS-managed global infrastructure using the same video transfer technology Twitch employs for its live streaming service.
According to Amazon, the service’s live content latency can be less than three seconds.
Users can stream content through their own website or mobile application. The IVS SDK and APIs can be used to build interactive features into live streams such as virtual chat spaces, votes and polls, moderated question and answer sessions, and synchronised promotional elements.
“Customers have been asking to use Twitch’s video streaming technology on their own platforms for a range of use cases like education, retail, sports, fitness, and more,” said Martin Hess, GM, Amazon IVS. “Now with Amazon IVS, customers can leverage the same innovative technology that has taken Twitch over a decade to build and refine. Any developer can build an interactive live streaming experience into their own application without having to manage the underlying video infrastructure.”