Broadcast Beat is in Brazil and we’re covering the World Cup from behind-the-scenes!
What can be said about the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil that you can’t already read about in the various mediums covering it? Not much… so, there’s no need for me to go into talking about this event. However, the coverage of the event is another thing entirely! At least one major news organization is covering the event in a salute to the clandestine by using a TVUPack Portable Studio. Quickly in, quickly set-up, and broadcasting in seconds. That’s why Broadcast Beat had to document it with photos!
How many seconds? The TVUPack starts up in 20 seconds from a cold start. The pack automatically establishes all available wireless connections, giving the ability to broadcast live in no time – which is what Sky News Arabia has done – they’ve employed a run-and-gun approach to covering the World Cup, deploying a two man team of Tarek Boussaha (Senior Photographer/Editor) and Jafer Khalil Al-Zoubi (Chief Sub Editor).
“We shoot at least one packaged piece every day,” says Boussaha. “We also go live multiple times a day. We have a fixed time where we go live at 7:30 pm local time every day, but we’ll also do live shots throughout the day, depending on the situation. Sometimes we go live from the stadium, from downtown, from the fan fest. It depends on the event. There have been times where we’ve done as many as 12 live shots in a given day.”
Using a Panasonic P2 250 camera, a Sennheiser MHK-416 shotgun mic, a cellular IFB setup and TVUPack mobile IP newsgathering transmitters, the Sky News Arabia team has delivered dozens of live shots from multiple locations in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.
TVUPack provides broadcasters with a cost-effective alternative to traditional satellite and microwave trucks. Units cost a fraction of the price of traditional OB vans, and TVUPack customers are able to additionally lower operating costs by reducing the dependence on expensive satellite links and removing the need for additional engineers in the process.
Transmitting over Brazilian 3G/4G networks, with the TVUPack, Sky News Arabia has delivered live shots in HD back to the production facility in Dubai at two seconds latency.
“We covered a protest here in Brazil,” exclaims Al-Zoubi. “We carried the TVUPack and walked with the protesters and the police as we went live. It was so easy. We didn’t have to run cable and we could just go with everybody wherever the
protest went. The studio took us live for 20 minutes. That’s unheard of for us to carry a live shot for that long.”
As their website says, operating TVUPack is simple. Just plug in the camera via SDI or composite connections, flip-on the power, and the pack begins broadcasting live in less than a minute. No field configuration is required – it allows the camera operator to focus on collecting compelling live footage without worry. You can see from the photos – transportation, set-up and broadcasting in a minute!
Al-Zoubi is definitely impressed with the ability of the TVUPack. “At Sky News Arabia, we have a slogan, ‘Now and From Everywhere.’ We’ve taken that approach in Brazil, so because we’re trying to go live from anywhere, we can’t be troubled with a big SNG truck. The TVUPack is one of the best solutions that I’ve ever worked with. We just grab the backpack, go wherever we want, and the signal has been perfect. It’s so easy to work with and the picture quality equals that of the big machines like an SNG truck. My experience with TVU has been the best. It’s very familiar, very useful and very easy. A child could turn it on. With a professional cameraman, going live from Brazil has been easy.”
In today’s competitive environment, broadcasters are looking for flexible solutions to deliver quality live shots to viewers before their competitors and expand their arsenal of tools to get the story first. TVUPack enables broadcasters to transform the way they broadcast live news and events and broadcast live at any time from practically any location using existing 3G/4G wireless networks. TVUPack takes viewers deeper into the event.
“The quality of the shots has looked terrific,” exclaims Boussaha. “Colleagues have asked me where we rented the SNG. I tell them it’s not SNG – it’s TVU.”
About TVU Networks
The TVU Networks provides broadcast organizations around the globe with innovative wireless electronic newsgathering (ENG) and Internet broadcasting solutions. Since its founding in 2005, TVU has provided solutions that enable any size broadcaster to overcome the limitations of traditional broadcasting infrastructure, expand distribution to a wider audience and capture and broadcast live video content in a cost effective way. TVU Networks is privately held and is headquartered in Mountain View, Calif. with offices in New York, Boston, Raleigh, and Shanghai, China. More information about TVU Networks can be found at www.tvupack.com.
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