Samuel East – Video Software Engineer

I thoroughly enjoyed my time at 3SS; it was a privilege to work with their team. I started the project and took it to successful completion by building the entire streaming UI for a new set-top box (STB) for Vodafone. Overcoming challenges while working from the UK and syncing with the team in Budapest was incredibly rewarding.

I developed a remote access suite using ZeroTier and Raspberry Pi, allowing real-time streaming and remote control of the STB from the UK. This innovation enabled simultaneous work on DVB and OTT streams, improving team collaboration and remote development efficiency. As a result, the project met deadlines that would have otherwise been impossible.

The project was built using LightningJS for optimal speed on low-end devices. I also applied my Tizen expertise to ensure the app worked on Smart TVs with minimal changes from the STB version. Working in the DVB broadcasting field and using OIPF for playback—while switching protocols with Shaka Player for OTT playback—was a new and exciting experience. We faced challenges with low-end devices when switching between DVB and OTT, but overcame them by using Shaka’s unload method to free resources and prevent crashes, ensuring a smooth playback experience.

I became the main developer responsible for the player, handling all player-related tickets and building the UI to implement multiple playback types: Live, StartOver, TimeShift, Catchup, VOD, and recordings. The streaming setup featured a 7-day rolling buffer, allowing customers to pause live TV, watch past content, and record live TV. I also implemented trickmodes restricted to users with certain capabilities—pause, play, rewind, fast-forward, etc.

Being part of a smaller team than at NBC allowed me to make decisions and be deeply involved in the project. I’m proud of what we achieved and built; it was a truly fulfilling experience.

At NBC PeacockTV, I contributed to groundbreaking initiatives across the NBC network, including PeacockTV, SkyShowTime, and NowTV. Our goal was to deliver a superior streaming service, prioritizing lightning-fast video start times (VST), zero rebuffering, and seamless content delivery.

My responsibilities ranged from implementing BrightLine ads and mid-stream bitrate capping to conducting memory and CPU analysis to enhance the overall streaming experience. I worked across platforms—Web, Xfinity, and Samsung—and actively monitored KPIs, addressing issues on low-end devices such as Samsung 2017/2020 and Xi3/Xi6.

Daily, I leveraged the CVSDK in TypeScript, managed pull requests, and ensured seamless CI integration through unit testing with Jest. I also contributed to technical meetings, presentations, and documentation efforts to enhance team collaboration.

This was my own company, where I built various media applications and projects: