Instant HD ENG
Feb 1, 2012 12:14 PM, By Ned Soseman
Who can’t think of a couple of dozen reasons why live ENG, via local microwave or satellite, is the top daily headache for many stations? Dedicated ENG and SNG vehicles are expensive to buy, and keeping the fleet safe and reliable is an endless responsibility and expense. They are also a tremendous liability. Some are top-heavy. Most are loaded to the max. They’re all filled with built-in dangers such as masts, generators and extension cords.
Several new solutions to the challenges of traditional ENG, SNG and DSNG have appeared in the market recently. These solutions, known as bonded cellular, use portable video-over-cellular technology to get live reports and video files back to the station with the reliability of typical ENG microwaves and latency similar to DSNG. They can provide live backhaul virtually anywhere, anytime with relatively little effort or preparation. The technology is so new it doesn’t have an acronym, so let’s coin one. Bonded Cellular News Gathering is BCNG.
BCNG first gained popularity overseas, but domestic TV networks broadcast groups and others are quickly embracing the technology across the U.S. Some estimate approximately 1500 to 2000 BCNG systems are currently in service worldwide.
Few are predicting that BCNG will totally replace ENG vans and SNG/DSNG trucks. Instead, BCNG is being positioned as a complement to traditional RF backhauls. Big vans and trucks have obvious and significant advantages at some news events, but you can’t park them just anywhere. A small crew using a bonded cellular system can drive a hybrid sedan to a news scene and get live shots and stories on the air that vans and trucks equipped with microwaves and satellite dishes may have a problem accessing or operating out of.
Instant HD
The significant side-benefit of BCNG is that can be an instantaneous upgrade to HD ENG. It allows operators to backhaul and broadcast or webcast live HD feeds with nothing more than an HD camera, a lightweight BCNG backpack and a ride to the scene.
There is no need to upgrade microwave systems or station infrastructure. All you need at the studio is a 3Mb/s to 5Mb/s Internet connection, a few units of rack space and a cross point on the station router. The terminal equipment often includes store-and-forward technologies to work in conjunction with newsroom editing systems and servers. Some will simultaneously forward messages to notify users when clips are available.
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