Remote Sports Production Comes Into Reach
By Jim Bask
From Kitplus
It’s not often that improvements in technology make something not only easier to accomplish, but less expensive too. However, that’s precisely the case with the low-latency digital-transmission solutions now available to sport and media organisations looking to produce and broadcast more live events from remote locations.
“Until now, a satellite truck, on-site production equipment and a host of skilled people were needed to broadcast live events,” says Malcolm Harland, Managing Director of UK-based digital solutions provider Garland. “Connectivity limitations and the delay in delivering live video globally meant that the final produced programme needed to be done at the event location before being broadcast for onward delivery to the home site.
“But that’s all now changed with technological innovations such as wireless transmission over multiple global 4G cellular networks and ultra-low latency delivery. Now, if you want to showcase an event far from your home base, technology within reach financially is making it easier, with less equipment and fewer people needed onsite.
Charlton Athletic Football Club provides an excellent example of this new technology being put to use by an organisation where budget was a consideration. The club travelled to Ireland as part of its pre-season tour and, for the first time, streamed live game coverage to its fans. It was an option that had previously been financially impossible for the club given the high cost of hiring a broadcast truck. The use of solutions from LiveU made it not only fit within their budget constraints, but also allowed them to broadcast with the level of quality they knew their fans were expecting. By using cellular networks, the club also did not have to depend on local connectivity.
“Using LiveU broadcast kits, we were able to beam back two camera feeds from Ireland to a gallery in London where a final feed could be mixed with graphics, replays and VT links,” says Steve Adamson, Audio Visual Content Editor at Charlton…..[continue reading]