Content or footage that is created while engrossed in the action makes for fantastic and compelling viewing for live sports. Unfortunately, it can also bring fantastic costs! Cycle races, marathons, sailing and cross country skiing are just some of the sports that rely on live camera feeds from moving vehicles to provide compelling sports footage.
RF versus 4G
Traditionally sports production companies use motorbikes, cars and helicopters to capture live sports video which are then beamed via RF to an overhead plane or helicopter which are then relayed to a near-by Outside Broadcast (OB) truck. The OB truck is then responsible for the transmission back to the broadcast centre for playout. It adds latency and cost with every hop.
However, with Soliton’s smart telecaster range, the use of RF, overhead planes and OB trucks are no longer required and giant costs savings can be made for video contribution solutions. The Zao makes live video streaming much more efficient and affordable using the public 3G or 4G LTE networks. Multiple mobile signals from different carriers can be bonded together. Meaning that as moving vehicles travels through different mobile reception areas, the Zao encoder unit will automatically compensate providing a quality of service. It will use as many of the mobile operators it can at any given time. Coupled with H.265 (HEVC) encoding, it provides an extremely reliable transmission experience with super quality HD video streaming from the camera direct to a broadcast centre anywhere in the world while on the move. The OB Truck is not necessarily required. The Zao is small enough it can go on a motorbike, the Zao-S is even smaller and can be carried on a person or mounted on a bicycle.
Wide range of live streamed sports
Many sports are broadcast live with ZAO equipment from remote locations and also stadiums and arenas. Viewers can benefit from football (both indoor leagues and outdoor), multi-stage cycling events and marathons. Viewers are spoilt for choice.
End-to-end live streaming
The whole STC Zao platform supports the cameraperson as though they are connected with a cable to the studio. It also includes IFB audio return functionality allowing the studio to communicate back via the Zao. This end-to-end platform takes advantage of the latest and most cost-effective technology for high value content delivery in a live sports video environment.
Contact us now for more information on how Soliton’s Smart Telecaster range of products can help in your live sports production environment for cost effective and highly reliable video contribution. It is also possible to rent Zao’s for your sports production needs.
