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There comes a time in every truly innovative technology sector when the question changes: it’s no longer whether to the use technology but how to deploy it. From a LiveU perspective the London Olympics marked this point, more of which shortly. What’s exciting is that LiveU led this change, moving from a product-based approach to one that concentrates on solutions, offering broadcasters and online media professionals an even greater number of devices for transmitting live video coverage. Ronen Artman, VP of marketing at LiveU, reports.
growing connectivity of terrestrial wireless networks has begun to provide a resilient, cost-effective alternative to streaming SD and HD video via traditional satellite and fibre. Today, more and more broadcasters and online media use cellular-bonded technology for cost-effective live video transmission from any location, combining multiple cellular technologies and networks, including 2.5G, 3G, 4G LTE, Wi-Fi and WiMAX, for reliable, HD (even up to 3D) video uplinks.
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It’s clear from a LiveU perspective that the London Olympics marked a turning point in the use of cellular uplinking. The Games were an undoubted success, not only in terms of the event itself but also in terms of the breadth and depth of coverage available. LiveU’s pioneering portable uplink technology was deployed for the first time at the 2008 Beijing Olympics where NBC Universal used LiveU’s live mobile units to broadcast live from the Games.
At the London Olympics the company came full circle, providing over 100 units of its professional- grade LU70 bonded uplink solution on the ground for its global customer base covering the event for viewers around the world. This was an event
The expansion of cellular uplinking
o recap: over the last five years, widening cellular networks and new video uplink technology have changed the transmission space significantly. The
Ronen Artman, VP of marketing at LiveU.
where the mobility and flexibility of the technology came to the fore with the figures showing a massive leap in usage since Beijing - in total over 3000 hours were transmitted using LiveU technology from the London Games. LiveU, along with its exclusive UK partner Garland Partners Limited, further enhanced its technology for the Olympics using QoS SIM cards. The services, backed by the onsite support team, enabled customers to deliver the best broadcasting and online video experience.
Cellular uplinking has entered the mainstream, used for almost every major event around the world,
including this year’s US presidential campaign.
Now for the next stage. The world of technology never stands still for long: no sooner have the benefits of using cellular-bonded backpacks over 3G been recognised by broadcasters and online media companies than 4G is rolled out - in some parts of the world, the US in particular, 4G is in widespread use and has been for a while. In other parts - the UK for example - these are only now being deployed.
Impact of 4G LTE
There’s no doubt that 4G is potentially a game-changer in terms of available bandwidth but what is the real-world impact of 4G likely to be in the content acquisition space? Will the additional bandwidth negate the need for bonded modem technology? 4G LTE networks are expected to offer considerable bandwidth benefits allowing consumers, especially smart phone users, to take advantage of
28 l ibe l november/december 2012 l
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surfing and downloading content. Does the same apply for HD (1080, 720), or even SD, live video transmission from the field for broadcast or online use? Well, yes and no. For the 3GPP 4G LTE (not LTE-Advanced which is still some way from realisation), with all the variations in operators, territories, spectrum, infrastructure and modems, significantly higher total bandwidth is certainly possible with LTE both in the downlink and the uplink. Lower uplink latency is also achieved.
However, the fundamental factors that affect 3G networks and have an impact on uplink video transmission affect 4G - or any cellular network for that matter. Regardless of the exact bandwidth demand versus availability, many of these factors touch on the basic requirement from live broadcasting: resiliency, stability, anywhere, anytime.
Firstly, the topology: the number of base stations and antennae deployed and their locations - up high with great line of sight or around the corner in a high-rise urban area where signal quality can be compromised. Then, as with 3G, multipath interference and fading is an issue with 4G, for example in built-up areas. Of course the distance from the tower remains very important in limiting the momentary performance of a 4G device, even more so in the uplink.
Secondly, the frequency being used has a very real effect on performance. In much of Europe, for example, 2.6 GHz is allocated for LTE whereas 3G
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