Harmonic will use the 2026 NAB Show in Las Vegas to introduce a series of upgrades to its video appliances and SaaS platforms, including a next-generation media server and new AI-driven workflow tools.
The company says the enhancements are designed to simplify video workflows, reduce operational costs and help broadcasters, streamers and service providers monetise both live and on-demand services across broadcast and streaming environments.
“At the 2026 NAB Show, Harmonic is bringing practical, readily deployable solutions that help media companies monetise more effectively in an increasingly IP- and AI-driven environment,” said Gil Rudge, senior vice president, solutions and Americas sales for the video business at Harmonic. “Across our portfolio of video appliances, hybrid and SaaS solutions, we’re enabling customers to minimise TCO, unlock more meaningful revenue opportunities and stay ahead in an evolving media landscape.”
A key launch will be the next generation of Harmonic’s Spectrum X media server, designed to simplify video ingest and playout while lowering the total cost per broadcast channel.
The company will also highlight its XOS Advanced Media Processor, which supports broadcasters migrating to DTV+ and ATSC 3.0 or transitioning away from C-Band spectrum. The appliance combines playout, encoding and delivery functions in a single platform and can be deployed in both headends and affiliate facilities.
On the streaming side, Harmonic will demonstrate its first large-scale production deployment of VOS Media Software running on Red Hat OpenShift. The integration forms part of the company’s hybrid streaming architecture, enabling centralised management across private and public cloud environments.
The company will also showcase what it describes as the first production deployment of server-side in-stream advertising by a US regional sports network. The system automatically inserts ads during live sports coverage without interrupting the viewing experience.
In addition, Harmonic has developed a server-side multiview capability that can be configured within the VOS360 Media SaaS platform. The feature allows multiple live streams to be presented simultaneously, with the option to combine multiview channels with in-stream advertising to increase monetisation.
AI will form a central part of Harmonic’s NAB demonstrations. The company is introducing a new AI orchestration service designed to aggregate and manage both third-party and in-house AI functions across live video workflows.
The service coordinates AI-based processing, manages redundancy and synchronises outputs, while allowing operators to configure and schedule AI functions through a dedicated user interface. It is designed to work alongside Harmonic’s VOS360 Media SaaS, VOS Media Software, XOS media processor and the new Spectrum X platform.
Using NVIDIA GPU acceleration, the service will also support server-side HD-to-UHD upscaling, enabling improved 4K display quality even when source content is produced in full HD.
Moore Macauley, Harmonic’s CTO for the video business, will discuss the role of AI in broadcast and streaming workflows during the Broadcast Engineering and IT Conference on 18 April.
Harmonic will demonstrate its latest technologies at booth W2831 during the NAB Show, which runs from 19-22 April in Las Vegas.
