Live truck? Who needs it? The once ubiquitous SNG van is fast becoming obsolete. And it’s not just Skype-plus-WiFi that’s doing it in. Even if you can’t get on the Internet, cell phone technology allows for the transmission of decent quality live video. And it works on the move.
The smaller-faster-cheaper approach to go live from almost any place on the planet made waves two years ago at the NAB convention when LiveU demonstrated its video uplink (pdf company press release). Since then, the technology has been used by NBC News and broadcasters from France to Israel.
LiveU’s system is so small it fits in a backpack–and not a very big one at that. It basically gangs together a half-dozen aircards for multiple cell phone providers to send a video signal in from the field, using the best available bandwidth from whichever one can supply it at any given time. If WiFi or WiMax is available, the unit can tap into them as well. The quality isn’t perfect but it’s plenty good enough to air, especially if it’s the only signal you’ve got. NBC has used LiveU to cover everything from breaking news to holiday traffic, while rolling through the streets of New York City.
You can see what the video can look like in this promotional video (bearing in mind that they’ve selected only the best stuff to showcase):
The Associated Press is using the live backpack systems too. VJ John Mone used one to cover last year’s California wildfires, but he thinks they’re best suited to a locked-down, static shot.
If you figure an ENG van costs $3,000 a day to operate, the $2,500 a month LiveU charges for its broadcast quality system sounds like a bargain. And Aaron Saenz writes at Singularity Hub, the cost is likely to keep coming down:
Eventually, as mobile phone video quality improves, live broadcasts will constitute an even smaller investment. One day, we’ll all be able to transmit our live video online with the same quality as the local TV channel. The idea of the mainstream media may fade when everyone becomes their own source of media.
Now that’ s food for thought, isn’t it?
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A Detroit station uses 3G smartphones to stream live video from snowplows. Cool! http://www.broadcastingcable.com/article/449413-Streaming_Snowplows_Circle_Detroit.php