[SatNews] With the advent of 4G/3G LTE bonded cellular and IP video over Ka-Band satellite, broadcasters have two revolutionary new transmission technologies to backhaul live HD/SD video from virtually anywhere very cost-efficiently.
On July 23, 2013, executives from Disney/ABC and their Philadelphia affiliate WPVI-DT flew down to Clearwater, Florida to see a demonstration of WPVI’s new Ka-band DSNG vehicle—the first of its kind built on a Ford E-350 cargo van. Executives from AvL Technologies, ViaSat, and Dejero, three vendors whose technology was integrated into the vehicle, were also present for the groundbreaking demo.
Since this truck combines IP video over Ka-band satellite (DSNG), ENG (microwave), and CNG (3G/4G LTE bonded cellular) newsgathering, operators can select the best transmission path to backhaul live news in any given situation.
Philly news leader WPVI commissioned Frontline Communications to do the systems integration, including an AvL 1.2m antenna system with AvL controller, ViaSat Tria feed and modem, and a Dejero LIVE+ VSET bonded wireless transmitter. ViaSat’s Exede Newsgathering Ka-Band SNG service, which uses a high-capacity satellite architecture, also changes the economics of newsgathering by making it significantly more affordable.
This Clearwater demo served as the testing and acceptance phase prior to WPVI taking delivery of their new vehicle. The vehicle successfully transmitted 1080i HD video back to WPVI’s station via Ka-band satellite followed by bonded cellular.
There are pros and cons to each of the transmission options. Cellular is low-cost and ubiquitous, but bandwidth may not be sufficient at crowded news scenes. Ka-band satellite carries bandwidth-hungry HD video but image quality is susceptible to rain fades. And while broadcasters control the microwave path, they can only use it within its geographical confines. This combo truck’s technology automatically detects available bandwidth and transmits signals via the optimal path for reliability and picture quality.
“This DSNG/CNG vehicle can be half the cost of traditional Ku-Band satellite trucks when customers provide their own bonded cellular encoders,” said Steve Williamson, director of sales for Frontline Communications, in Clearwater, Fla. “Considering the lower cost of Ka-Band satellite hardware, coupled with lower capital and labor costs, we expect demand to be very strong for this technology due to its compelling business and operational advantages.”