Fisher Communications, a Seattle-based independent owner and operator of 13 television stations, has deployed the new Avenir compact mobile encoder from Streambox for IP-based newsgathering.

The Avenir is a mobile device that can be carried as a side pack and leverages Streambox’s ACT-L3 codec with up to eight bonded 3G/4G wireless network modems. It enables low latency and low-bandwidth IP transport of HD and SD video for broadcast and Web streaming.

Fisher’s local news teams will now be able to transport full-resolution HD and SD for both live and file-based video with a dial-up system that uses a combination of mobile phone circuits, Ethernet, WiFi or low-bandwidth portable satellite devices such as BGAN.

Shown at NAB 2009, the Avenir is Streambox’s first hardware-based encoder. It was designed as a lightweight, inexpensive alternative to a full-blown ENG live truck.