CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks is reporting that Big Ten Network (BTN) has deployed the TVU Remote Production System (RPS) platform to bring super slow-motion replay to a broader range of collegiate sports—extending the capability beyond football and basketball to events like baseball, soccer, and volleyball.

BTN has also expanded the role of TVU RPS Link encoders in its field production trucks, using them as a hot backup to fiber-based workflows and as an early access network that provides connectivity before venue fiber is even activated.

"The primary hurdle for moving our super slo-mo workflows to a remote model has always been the synchronization drift over the open internet," said Nick Smith, VP of Engineering, Big Ten Network. "TVU has allowed us to take super slo-mo replay where it wasn't previously possible."

BTN's football and basketball productions already rely on established, high-end replay workflows. But fans increasingly expect the same caliber of 3x, 4x, and 6x super slo-mo replays from a collegiate wrestling match or soccer game. Until now, the synchronization demands of high-speed replay cameras made that impractical for events without dedicated fiber infrastructure, or having replay hardware on site, which isn't practical for all events. The TVU RPS platform now gives BTN a new option to extend super slo-mo to more sports and more venues—complementing its existing production model rather than replacing it.

TVU RPS units at each venue encode multiple super slo-mo camera feeds and transport them over standard internet, 5G, or Starlink connections to BTN's central production hub, where they arrive perfectly synchronized with zero drift. The hub's Evertz DreamCatcher replay servers then create the super slo-mo content viewers see on air. TVU's synchronization has proven stable over multi-day continuous operation—a level of precision that competing transport solutions have been unable to match, often drifting or requiring manual resets that disrupt live coverage.

For these additional sports, the system also gives BTN full remote control of cameras in the field. From the central studio, operators can adjust cameras, manage tally and intercom, and produce shows across different venues without anyone traveling—allowing BTN to extend its production quality to more events without scaling up on-site crews.

Separately, BTN has also integrated TVU RPS Link units into its regional field trucks as a hot backup for its existing fiber-based productions at major events. If the primary fiber connection fails, the TVU system seamlessly takes over, maintaining the synchronized super slo-mo feeds. The units also run TVU Router, which provides immediate high-speed connectivity to production trucks before venue fiber is activated—giving crews operational access from the moment they arrive on site.

"Big Ten Network's implementation is a brilliant example of total network orchestration," said Matt McEwen, VP of Product Management, TVU Networks. "They saw an opportunity to use TVU RPS to bring super slo-mo to more sports and more venues, while also adding resilience and flexibility to their existing fiber-based productions. It's a smart, layered approach, and we're proud to support their vision for expanding what's possible in collegiate sports production."

To learn more download the white paper: Super Slo-Mo Anywhere: The Democratization of Elite Sports Production via TVU's Bonded RPS REMI Ecosystem.

AUSTIN, Texas—FloSports is a U.S.-based sports media company that specializes in live and on-demand streaming of more than 25 underserved sports to hyper-passionate fan bases.

As senior director of live production at FloSports, part of my role is to ensure we deliver a quality product to our viewers, and a big part of that is transmission quality and stable contribution streams. In the early days, internet bandwidth made this challenging and we didn’t have nearly the scale we do now. Last year, we streamed more than 40,000 live sporting events including all of the stick-and-ball sports, along with wrestling, grappling, track and field, motorsports, cheer competitions and tons of collegiate athletics.

Our customers aren’t necessarily interested in all the sports that we stream, however. They’re interested in their sport and a particular game. They expect a good quality on-air product and they don’t necessarily care how it gets there.

On-Site and REMI
With that in mind, reliability in production is something that is critical to our operations. Given the wide variety of events we stream, there is a split between those produced by our partners and those produced by our team. Until recently, most of the events we produced ourselves were handled completely on-site, but in recent years, we started to incorporate REMI production coverage. In both these instances, that is where TVU Networks comes in.

Our relationship with TVU started because we were seeking a backup transmission solution that didn’t need to rely on a standard internet service provider. We needed a way to send high-quality, composited audio and video back when ISPs didn’t work well or when we didn’t have enough bandwidth. To maintain uninterrupted live coverage, we deployed TVU One mobile units as backups where our contribution feed started, ensuring resilience against potential connectivity issues.

After we realized the success of integrating the units and the benefits we were seeing—ultra-low latency, ease of use, relia­bility and seamless integration with the TVU ecosystem—the partnership grew significantly.

Now, we’re doing REMI productions with TVU, utilizing its IP-video solutions to produce live programming from remote venues, such as a cross-country course or dirt racing track, where traditional broadcasting infrastructure may be lacking. We’ve also started moving more to the cloud, utilizing TVU Producer to produce live events remotely. This offers us plenty of flexibility as we bring everything back in-house to our facility in Austin to put it all together.

More Time at Home
The most obvious benefit we see with TVU is efficiency; we want to save money where we can without compromising the quality of the product we put out. TVU definitely offers flexibility when it comes to REMI workflows, which in turn allows us to bring production in-house, where we can maintain consistent crews who know our gear and workflows. This also has an impact on our team’s quality of life—less travel and less time on the road means more time at home, which is beneficial for everyone involved in our productions.

Today, TVU has become a foundational piece of how we are evolving as a production company. In this business, consistency is everything: consistent streams, consistent quality, consistent crews. The flexibility we’ve gained by using TVU’s IP and cloud-based tools has allowed us to rethink how we cover live sports—not just in terms of cost and logistics, but also in terms of people. We can focus on building long-term teams and workflows that grow with us while still delivering the kind of seamless, high-quality viewing experience that our audiences expect.

As we continue to expand and refine our production capabilities, partners like TVU are instrumental. They don’t just just help keep us up to date with the tech, they also help us lead, which, in turn, keeps our customers happy.

For more information, click here.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks, a pioneer in live video production and a leader in cloud-based media solutions, is marking its 20th anniversary at the 2025 NAB Show between April 5 to 9 in Las Vegas.

"TVU's innovation has always been fueled by the needs of our customers and partners," said Paul Shen, founder and CEO of TVU Networks. "For 20 years, we have been committed to being a true partner to the industry. This collaborative approach has driven our success and enabled us to shape the future of live production together."

Since its founding in 2005, TVU Networks has been dedicated to transforming the way live video content is produced and distributed. By harnessing the power of IP-based technology, mobile connectivity, and cloud services, TVU has empowered broadcasters, content creators, and media professionals to deliver high-quality live video from anywhere in the world—without the constraints of traditional infrastructure. Today, TVU's media platform offers hundreds of microservices, enabling millions of producers to go live from anywhere with unprecedented flexibility.

At the 2025 NAB, TVU is set to unveil a game-changing innovation aimed at significantly reducing the cost of cloud-based live workflows. As part of its ongoing commitment to empowering media organizations with the most efficient and scalable tools, TVU said it will also introduce new solutions that redefine affordability and performance in live streaming workflows. Attendees can visit TVU's booth (#W2120) in the West Hall see how these innovations will further optimize their cloud-based operations, the company said.

Additionally, NAB visitors will have the opportunity to explore several new applications recently integrated into the TVU cloud platform, including a media analyzer, scan conversion, and SCTE service, along with AI-powered features designed to significantly enhance productivity.

The company also reported that TVU MediaHub—launched in 2024 as the most advanced cloud routing solution for live video—returns to NAB with an expanded feature set.

MediaHub has rapidly become the backbone of major cloud productions, earning widespread industry recognition, including six major awards in 2024. The platform played a pivotal role in last year's biggest cloud-based broadcast breakthroughs, from BBC's record-breaking 369 live feeds for election coverage to France Télévisions' disaster recovery solution for the 2024 Games in Paris. It was also a central component in Red Bull Dance Your Style Finals in Mumbai, proving itself as the essential tool for tier-one live event coverage in the cloud.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced a Software as a Service (SaaS) platform designed to provide visibility and operational control across cloud, on-premise and hybrid environments, giving media organizations a complete understanding of every stage of their production workflows.

The company’s SaaS platform offers a fully integrated virtual Network Operations Center (NOC) that is included at no additional charge for all TVU SaaS subscribers. The NOC gives broadcasters real-time visibility into their entire media pipeline—from contribution to final playout. It extends beyond traditional cloud offerings by providing deep operational control across diverse infrastructure setups on the cloud, on-prem or in a hybrid environment, the company said.

“Cloud solutions often come with limited transparency, but our platform breaks that mold by integrating a virtual NOC that gives broadcasters complete operational control,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen. “It’s about ensuring data integrity and workflow reliability while enabling users to respond to issues in real-time. This isn’t just about adopting the cloud—it’s about transforming media operations with full trust and control.”

TVU’s platform also offers UDX for Up/Down/Cross-Conversion, browser-based video scopes and manual or AI-powered color correction for any IP source. The platform’s support for NDI, SRT, SMPTE ST 2110, SDI, MPTS and other standards ensures seamless integration into any media production environment, the company said.

The company is charging $98 per month for access to all TVU SaaS platform features. Additional charges apply only when specific microservices are used during active production, offering a cost-effective approach for media and entertainment enterprises to experiment and innovate, it said.

Major broadcasters, such as France Télévisions, which used the company’s field acquisition and SaaS platform for its Paris Olympics Torch Relay coverage, have achieved up to 92% in cost savings, the company said.  

“TVU is removing the barriers to cloud adoption by making it simpler, more transparent, and vastly more cost-effective. Our customers gain total control over their media pipelines, which is vital in today’s fast-paced production landscape,” said Shen.

More information is available on the company’s website.

LONDON—TVU Network has announced that the BBC’s 2024 U.K. General Election coverage used TVU's cutting-edge cloud platform to manage 369 live feeds from vote counting locations across the UK. 

All the feeds were captured using the TVU Anywhere mobile app. The feeds were streamed on BBC iPlayer, the BBC News website, and transmitted to a giant virtual mosaic screen at the BBC’s London studio headquarters London Broadcasting House, providing audiences across the U.K. and around the world with an unprecedented, immersive experience. The broadcast reached a peak audience of 4.6 million viewers in the U.K.

A BBC custom created tripod and smartphone kit running the TVU Anywhere app for cellular bonded live transmissions was sent to every vote counting location, allowing BBC News to capture real-time video feeds regardless of local pressures on cellular networks. The user-friendly remote production setup was easily configurable, even by staff without a technical background. The compact design of the kit assembled by BBC representatives already attending the count combined with the lack of reliance on broadcast vehicles allowed the corporation to generate more live content in an environmentally friendly way, TVU reported.

“This approach not only upheld the BBC's highest quality standards but also pioneered a new method of election broadcasting that would have been near impossible using traditional methods” said BBC News’ Geraint Thomas, who led the project. “The TVU cloud platform allowed us to scale up a vast number of feeds and handle peak traffic seamlessly without investing in additional hardware. This was both an editorial and technological innovation that transformed the viewing experience, bringing the vote counting process closer to our audience, setting a new benchmark in election coverage.”

TVU also noted that hundreds of live feeds, which would typically require extensive server setups, were ingested and recorded in real-time on the TVU Search cloud platform. These feeds were displayed in a large mosaic view using TVU Partyline, allowing viewers to see all voting locations across the UK simultaneously and access custom mosaics for their local regions.

The BBC managed 21 regional workflows through TVU Partyline, providing tailored coverage for different areas of England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. 

“We delivered the most personalized election coverage ever in live video. Across the UK, wherever you looked you could see democracy in action, live” said Jonny McGuigan, BBC News’ streaming editor. “The ability to choose from any one of 369 counts on the night meant we could always be where the story was. When augmented with our traditional broadcast live SNG and bonded connectivity, we could guarantee we’d be where audiences needed us, on digital platforms, TV and radio all night long”.

Viewers could tune into live feeds via BBC News’ website constituency pages, creating a personal connection to the electoral process. The BBC’s London studio featured a massive virtual LED wall connected to all feeds, while the national programmes in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland also all had access to the live content. The live streams were also used as political commentators provided real-time updates and expert analysis in a split screen, making the coverage as interactive and visually engaging for the audience. The TVU platform was able to output IP for OTT, as well as SDI for the TV and Radio programmes seamlessly integrating into the existing broadcast infrastructure.

"When we started planning this project, many believed the election would be held later in the year” added Geraint. "In a matter of weeks, we managed to achieve what we thought would take months to develop, and integrated the TVU cloud platform with our on-premise workflows in a cost-effective manner."

“It’s about innovating together and redefining the boundaries of broadcast technology,” says Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks, praising the BBC for leading the way in blending linear and digital broadcasting across their media supply chain to offer a wider variety of content. “This collaboration is a testament to what’s possible when we combine our strengths. The future of broadcast is now, offering an accessible, sustainable model that opens up endless possibilities for storytelling to audiences everywhere.”

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced the appointment of Socrates Lozano, vice president of solutions for the Americas and global head of partnerships; Laura Pursley, global director of marketing; and Brian Swanson, director of enterprise sales for North America.

Lozano has nearly two decades of industry experience, including roles at The E.W. Scripps Company, and has spearheaded newsroom transformations and technological integrations. His previous experience will be instrumental in expanding the company’s media supply chain ecosystem, TVU Networks said.

“Media has the unique ability to inspire and connect communities,” said Lozano. “As the industry continues to evolve with new technologies and shifting consumption habits, my goal is to help TVU customers leverage advanced workflows to enhance efficiency and engage audiences more effectively.”

Pursley will oversee the company’s go-to-market strategies in the Americas, the Middle East and Africa. The new global director of marketing has 12 years of experience promoting emerging video production and post-production technologies, including those from Adobe, Frame.io and Sony Electronics. TVU looks to her experience as an accelerant for the adoption of TVU’s cloud and AI offering, it said.

“Everyone involved in content creation is a storyteller at heart. TVU empowers users to bring more stories to more audiences around the world - with speed, ease and customizability,” she said.

Swanson joins TVU with more than 20 years of experience. He has lead affiliate sales and marketing teams and most recently held a position as vice president of distribution.

“TVU's approach to meeting the client where they are at and leveraging its highly collaborative model for experimentation is unique and unprecedented. I am proud to join such a progressive company and I look forward to helping our customers innovate through this fast-evolving media landscape,” said Swanson.

TVU is extending its reach and strengthening its user-focused approach, said company founder and CEO Paul Shen. 

“Our new team members bring the expertise and vision necessary to keep us at the forefront of industry transformation alongside our clients,” said Shen.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced that their full cloud ecosystem will be on display at the 2024 NAB Show, including the much anticipated TVU MediaHub. 

As TV Tech reported in January, TVU MediaHub is designed to be a game-changer in video routing. It is the company’s most dynamic launch in 20 years with its swift adoption and innovative impact in live media workflows, TVU reported. 

This platform reduces the clutter of physical equipment and simplifies the process of connecting and distributing content. With limitless inputs and outputs, it ensures seamless content flow across SDI, various IP formats and destinations. It excels in scaling production for both everyday programming and global events, managing new cloud and on-premise resources from just $35 per month, the company said. 

TVU reported that one of the most compelling features of TVU MediaHub is its ability to turn complex routing operations into a simple, intuitive process. With real-time previews and straightforward drag-and-drop functionality, automation manages encoding, scaling, and decoding in real-time. This enables broadcasters to focus on delivering high-quality content, while the interface’s ease of use allows operators to manage inputs/outputs with minimal training. 

During the 2024 NAB Show, TVU also said that it will be unveiling upgrades across its entire ecosystem, starting with TVU Search.

Powered by advanced AI, TVU Search streamlines ingesting, clipping, and distribution leveraging real-time metadata for a wide range of applications. Highlights include automating advertising reports for ‘in-game brand mentions’ and instant clipping and transcription for swift news production. With TVU Search already enhancing broadcasts workflows for five years, NAB 2024 will see the launch of new AI-driven features, equipping broadcasters with even more robust tools for covering this year’s elections and Summer Games, the company said. 

As media companies gear up for the Games, TVU is also spotlighting TVU Producer, showcasing significant advancements since its pivotal role in the live production of the 2024 Games 1-year Countdown for France Télévisions. TVU Networks is excited to reveal a groundbreaking live workflow at TVU MediaLab demo-pod, a culmination of collaborative efforts with France Télévisions. This innovation, set to enhance content around the Games, exemplifies TVU Networks’ commitment to pushing the boundaries of live broadcast technology.

“Our commitment at TVU Networks has always been to empower broadcasters and content creators with solutions that meet today’s demands and anticipate tomorrow’s,” says Paul Shen, CEO at TVU Networks, “At TVU Networks, innovation means transforming media workflows in partnership with our clients. From pioneering cloud-based production for the 2024 Games to achieving a 20-ton CO2 reduction at the 2023 Pan American Games, we are committed to not only setting up your media workflows for success, but also significantly reducing costs and carbon footprint along the way.”

During the show, TVU will also be offering immersive demos within the TVU Live Sports Ecosystem that empower users you to become both the player and the producer, controlling the action and crafting the narrative in real-time. These hands-on experiences with state-of-the-art tools will transform users understanding of their impact in live sports production settings, casting them as stars of their own broadcast.

Visit TVU Networks at the NAB Show 2024 in the West Hall, booth #W2101, to experience how TVU MediaHub and its sports cloud ecosystem are transforming the broadcast industry.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—After analyzing 2023 usage data from thousands of clients, TVU Networks is reporting three key trends that will continue into 2024: AI-driven use is being adopted more regularly and frequently; remote production applications continue to be relied upon for coverage; and 5G use for video transmission reached a milestone.

TVU noted that in 2022, video ingest saw a significant leap as compared to the prior year based on usage metrics from AI-based TVU Search across news, entertainment and sporting events. Not only has usage continued in 2023, but the number of daily interactions associated with TVU Search by users has also increased dramatically by 1200% over the past year. TVU Search is a cloud-native application that provides live video content ingest and discovery. It features content search capabilities based on advanced AI algorithms and automation, allowing users to locate live or archival feeds or clips for immediate playout, download, or distribution.

“The robust daily use of TVU Search suggests that the use of AI for rapid content identification and clipping is becoming more commonplace for everyday use such as for story creation,” remarked Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “We introduced TVU Search with AI a few years ago based on our customers needing a faster, easier, and more effticient way of locating relevant content for coverage. It’s now an integral part of the cloud-based TVU ecosystem for live production.”

Tools designed for remote production also continued to be popular for broadcast enterprises this past year, TVU is reporting. 

TVU’s cloud-based ecosystem for video coverage of news, events, and other live applications saw a rise in overall use including for content acquisition and production compared to the prior year. For example, TVU Anywhere experienced a 400% increase based on data throughput by users for the live video mobile app. TVU Producer saw a more than 130% increase in the number of monthly users actively using the platform for cloud-based live production.

“We have seen the strong trend of broadcasters transitioning to cloud-based remote production workflows which started a few years [ago], and it continued throughout 2023,” said Shen. “With viewer media consumption habits constantly changing, the need for scalable, cost-effective, fast deployment, and easy-to-use tools is at the top of everyone’s media supply chain wish list going into next year.”

Shen also identified 5G as another major trend. “We continue to also invest in our portable transmission backpack units,” he said. “For the first time, usage of our packs on 5G outpaced 4G/LTE in data and hours used as broadcasters began relying more heavily on the newer mobile network.”

BARCELONA—TVU Networks has announced that MediaLuso, a leading provider of broadcast and media services, deployed the TVU Remote Commentator solution at the recently completed 2023 Pan American Games and Parapan American Games in Santiago, Chile.

TVU Remote Commentator enabled MediaLuso to successfully host 50 commentators over a two week period to cover the Pan American Games medal events live, eliminating the need for commentators to be physically on-site for the first time. Remote Commentator was able to support commentary for multiple simultaneous events. 

The Pan American Games, a premier event in the world of sports, showcases over 300 events in 24 sports, featuring athletes from 41 countries across the Americas every four years. This year's games attracted millions of viewers worldwide, with hundreds of hours of live coverage.

"TVU Remote Commentator has proven to be an invaluable tool for streamlining remote commentary operations, allowing us to deliver exceptional coverage of the Pan American Games," said Francisco José De La Fuente, CEO of MediaLuso. "We were able to manage the entire commentary process for the Games with just two operators and two producers – a testament to the system's efficiency and effectiveness.”

“TVU Remote Commentator’s ability to maintain uncompromised audiovisual quality through server-based operations is what makes it outstanding,” he continued. “It ensures an immersive viewing experience for audiences globally with minimal delay”.

TVU Remote Commentator allows users to make significant changes in traditional commentary methods and avoid extensive travel and logistical complexities those methods require. It also significantly reduces operational costs and environmental impacts and enables commentators to create engaging, localized content, enhancing the global appeal of major events such as the Pan American and Parapan American Games and bringing the excitement of each event to a wider audience.

"We were thrilled to partner with MediaLuso in this groundbreaking effort for the Pan American and Parapan American Games," said Rafael Castillo, vice president of Latin America and EMEA at TVU Networks. "TVU Remote Commentator was designed specifically to replicate on-location commentary but from a remote location such as a commentator’s home. By removing the need for travel and reducing production infrastructure while delivering a pristine production, sports broadcasters can cover more events much more cost-effectively."

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks has joined the Adobe Video Solution Partner Program and released a new Premiere Pro plug-in that gives users access to TVU Search from within the editing application, the company said today.

Live and archived video sources are directly available for import into a Premiere Pro editing session with the new plug-in, which the company will demonstrate during NAB New York 2023, Oct. 24-26, at the Javits Center in Manhattan, TVU Networks said. 

Rather than requiring time-consuming manual searches, editors can use the plug-in to locate desired video content in seconds, easily clip it and transfer it immediately to Premiere Pro without leaving their creative canvas or application, it said.

TVU Search, a cloud-based tool, relies on AI-driven algorithms and automation to transform the process of searching for the right content. Able to ingest nearly any live video source, TVU Search analyzes and indexes video content in real-time upon ingest and enables users to pinpoint the specific content needed using an intuitive interface, it said.

The plug-in presents Premiere Pro users with an extensive array of tools, including speech-to-text transcripts, integrated player tools with shortcut keys, quick transcript export and easy mark-in/mark-out timecode configurations, to create video clips. Multiple users in multiple locations can use TVU Search to access the same content at the same time, it said.

The ability of TVU Search to reduce content search time dramatically offers an advantage to news and sports producers of broadcast, OTT and social media content who require quick turnaround times to build audience and ultimately revenue, the company said. 

Having already transformed many live ingest newsroom workflows, TVU Search as a plug-in for Premiere Pro offers users of the Adobe editing solution the same ability to search for the very latest live content to drop into their editing timeline, it said.

“Adobe Premiere Pro is recognized as the industry standard with it comes to video editing,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen. “Users of the program will now be able to find exactly the content they need for their video projects and bring it directly to their production without ever having to leave the Adobe Premiere Pro interface.

“In addition to saving time and effort, TVU Search will expand content discovery for users allowing them to crate more compelling video projects faster and easier using AI and automation technology.”

See TVU Search at NAB NY booth 542.

More information is available on the company’s website.

CUPERTINO, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced that its end-to-end TVU Cloud Ecosystem for live video production now supports 4K natively for collaboration, playout and distribution as well as AI-based recording, indexing, and search. 

The new 4K TVU Cloud Ecosystem will be demonstrated live at the upcoming IBC2023 Conference in Amsterdam at the TVU Networks booth 5.C28 between September 15th to 18th. 

As a result of the upgrades, users can now use the cloud to ingest, process, record, and output in 4K easily and cost-effectively on the TVU platform across all solutions, including:

• TVU Producer - With TVU Producer, users can natively ingest 4K live video to the cloud from virtually any IP video source or VOD content and fully produce the content in 4K including the switching of sources, accessing graphics overlays, and custom PIP configurations to name a few. The finished production can then be simultaneously output to broadcast, OTT, social media, and many other types of content distribution channels in 4K.
• TVU Partyline - TVU Partyline enables all members in a remote production environment using TVU 4K devices - technical crews, producers, talent, and guests - to communicate seamlessly in a virtual environment. Users also have access to professional production tools and can collaborate remotely in real time with high quality video, perfectly synchronized audio and video, and mix minus one audio feedback. With a simple shared URL, participants can join Partyline to watch all program feeds live and interact, discuss, control and participate in a production with undetectable latency. Collaboration within Partyline is made possible through the use of TVU’s exclusive Real Time Interactive Layer (RTIL).
• TVU Search - TVU Search provides AI-driven live video content ingest and discovery all in the cloud. It features content search capabilities based on advanced AI algorithms and automation, allowing users to locate live or archival feeds or clips for immediate playout, download, or sharing easy and fast. TVU Search offers 24/7 ingest, record and AI based metadata creation indexed to the timecode of 4K content as well as playout or downloading of archived 4K content.
• TVU Channel - TVU Channel upends traditional playout. It doesn’t operate on customary infrastructure which can be both expensive and complicated. Instead, TVU Channel can be deployed in minutes to schedule, manage and output one or hundreds of live content channels including OTT, websites, apps and social media all in 4K if desired. TVU Channel supports LIVE and pre-recorded/pre-programmed content. Its intuitive user interface design borrows from familiar web-based calendars making it quick to get started and easy to use. TVU Channel supports dynamic ad insertion with SCTE decoration and can be set to operate continuously 24/7 with no downtime.
• TVU Remote Commentator - Professional, high-quality sports and event commentary can be delivered from anywhere with TVU Remote Commentator. On-air talent can call the action from their homes, hotel rooms, offices – wherever there’s an internet connection - using a simple browser-based interface without needing to be at the venue. 4K support is now available for high quality, low-latency commentary that’s 100% in sync with the live program. 
• TVU Grid - TVU Grid delivers highly scalable point-to-point and point-to-multipoint switching, routing and distribution of live video over IP. It’s used by news agencies and media organizations around the world to share and exchange reliable live broadcast quality video feeds with virtually no latency. TVU Grid can now provide the point-to-point and point-to-multipoint distribution of 4K content using commodity internet.

“We are seeing a growing demand for live 4K production, particularly within sports, entertainment, corporate, and major events. The pivotal consideration of applying 4K in these specific industries revolves around cost effectiveness and flexibility, as the cost and complexity of a traditional 4K production environment is generally not practical,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “The TVU Ecosystem provides a comprehensive array of tools covering the entire spectrum from content acquisition and production to delivery. This empowers the creation of premium live 4K content tailored for various platforms, including live streaming, virtual reality, pop-up channels, and more with a strong emphasis on simplicity and affordability.”

Register at https://info.tvunetworks.com/ibc-2023 to schedule a demonstration at our booth at IBC 2023 in Amsterdam.

BARCELONA, Spain—TVU Networks will make the European debut of its TVU RPS One, a new hybrid cloud and studio remote production solution at IBC 2023, Sept. 15-18, at the RAI Amsterdam in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

First shown in April at the 2023 NAB Show in Las Vegas, TVU RPS One seamlessly integrates synchronized multi-camera encoding and transmission capabilities in a portable and durable design. Offering six integrated 5G modems with support for mmWave technology, the unit provides reliable, untethered wireless transmission for cost-effective remote production, the company said.

The company also will feature the latest updates to its cloud-based and on-premise ecosystem for complete, professional live production, including TVU Producer used for cloud-based live production; TVU Search, an AI-based solution to locate precise video segments; TVU Grid, which offers effortless IP-based switching, routing and distribution of live video to multiple locations; and TVU Channel, a cloud-native master control and playout solution for OTT and OTA applications, the company said.

TVU also will demonstrate the latest enhancements to TVU Replay, an app that enables game officials to review plays captured with multiple cameras on a media tablet.

“We are very excited to be at IBC again this year and to welcome colleagues, partners and new visitors to our stand. We will have many new product updates to demonstrate across our entire cloud ecosystem that are designed to make remote production, channel programming and content search for compelling stories faster, more efficient and cost effective,” said Rafael Castillo, general manager and vice president of EMEA and Latin America at TVU Networks. 

See TVU Networks at IBC 2023 Hall 5, Stand C82.

To schedule an IBC appointment, visit the company’s IBC webpage. 

More information is available on the company’s website.

The role of the cloud is now well entrenched in broadcast and cinema production, but some traditional tools remain. This gives flexibility to production workflows that would have been unthinkable 15 years ago, when everyone’s attention was focused on the digital/HD transition.

At the 2023 NAB Show, April 15-19, there will be something old and something new. One of the latest technologies is the use of “volumes” to provide hyper-realistic backgrounds for live and cinema production.

The following is a sample of new production gear that will be shown in Las Vegas next month. 

Knocking Down Barriers
Pixotope, a provider of virtual production software solutions, will showcase its Graphics XR Edition, which includes a range of tools that simplify setup and operation in connection with the use of LED volumes, by reducing the technical complexities and associated resource costs of XR workflows and environments.

“With XR Edition, Pixotope is knocking down a major barrier to virtual production adoption by addressing the challenges that have previously made it difficult to leverage XR outside of major blockbuster productions,” said David Dowling, chief revenue officer of Pixotope. “It effectively removes the need for proprietary hardware, bringing users an off-the-shelf XR solution that enables bigger, better stories with greater ease.”

Blackmagic Design will roll out its line of network storage solutions, including Cloud Store, Cloud Store Mini and Cloud Pod, all of which let users share media files between multiple users on a global scale. The devices also understand proxy workflows, allowing a whole timeline and its media to be shared in minutes with responsiveness similar to a directly connected drive.

“We noticed how other storage solutions on the market didn’t offer the performance needed by the feature film and TV industry, so we took it upon ourselves to build something for our customers that’s not only fast but also reliable, portable and accessible in terms of costs,” said Bob Caniglia, director of sales operations for the Americas at Blackmagic Design. “The resulting Cloud Store, Cloud Store Mini and Cloud Pod are easy to set up and use, while providing secure access to media files globally with syncing and sharing media via Dropbox and Google Drive, allowing users from around the world to collaborate.”

Open Architecture
Panasonic will feature its Kairos line of IP-based production switchers. Kairos is an IT-based open architecture platform that enables functional enhancements and control linkage with external devices by adding software. At the show will be the next-generation Kairos Core 200 and Kairos Core 2000 mainframes, which offer improved functionality and performance, including many more inputs and outputs, improved video-processing performance and enhanced file-storage capacity.

Avid will be on hand to demonstrate its Maestro suite of graphics design and production tools for broadcasters. From news tickers and data-driven visuals to interactive and augmented reality content, Maestro provides solutions and tightly integrated workflows to add content on-screen in a coherent and engaging way.

LiveU will focus on flexible workflows such as remote/decentralized production, and cloud-based management and distribution help to allow delivery of high-quality, dynamic live content. LiveU will also showcase its latest 5G offerings and cloud-based solutions, which use the company’s low-latency, high-quality transmission protocols.

Rolling out its latest NDI-capable switchers is For-A, which will introduce the HVS-190, a 1-M/E version of the company’s flagship HVS-490 video switcher. As with the HVS-490, the HVS-190 also supports high-bandwidth NDI and NDI HX input and output. In addition to these switchers, FOR-A’s MFR-3100EX all-in-one production center, ClassX graphics, Insight media server, and SOAR-A live production platform are all upgradeable to NDI.

Ross Video will feature its 12G ready Ultrix FR12, the latest version of its award-winning Ultrix Router. The FR12 router has an integrated production switcher that allows customers to build an infrastructure with greater flexibility, performance and integration. The Ultrix FR12 is targeted at studios, OB vans and flypacks.

Monetizing Content
Dalet will highlight its Dalet Flex media asset management and workflow solution, which lets users seamlessly produce, curate, orchestrate, archive, deliver and monetize content. With its new mobile app, FlexMOBILE, you can bring the power of Flex to your fingertips with the ability to find, preview, comment, review and approve your assets from anywhere.

TVU will demo its RPS Link Encoder and Channel Plus. The RPS Link Encoder provides multicamera, synchronized remote production capability, targeted for use in remote locations where reliable wired IP connections are unavailable or inadequate. Channel Plus, a cloud-based playout service with integrated ad sales support, enables broadcasters to create live and VOD channel programming from a simple web browser with minimal training and experience.

Matrox will spotlight its ConvertIP line of 4K distribution products that can send zero-latency 4K over 1, 10, and 25 GbE cabling systems. Built on Internet Protocol Media Experience (IPMX), ConvertIP encoder/decoder line supports 4K60 4:4:4 IP signal transport.

Vizrt will highlight its AR and virtual studio capabilities in live production through Viz Virtual Studio and Viz Engine 5. Together, Viz Virtual Studio and Viz Engine 5 enable the creation of interactive 3D virtual sets, AR graphics, and mixed reality presentations, elevating audience experience through XR with hyper-realistic quality.

“Viz Virtual Studio in combination with Viz Engine 5 is a game changer for visual storytellers,” said Chris Black, head of brand and content at Vizrt Group. “Presenters can simply walk through 3D spaces, while the camera follows them and captures the interaction with XR infographics in an XR set that illustrates the story.”

NewTek will showcase the latest in its TriCaster line at the 2023NAB Show. On display will be the new Flex Control Panel, TriCaster Mini X, its sports replay solutions, and more. CaptureCast, the company’s flagship lecture capture solution for enterprise and education technology, will also be available.

Teradek, which will exhibit as part of the Creative Solutions Group in the North Hall, will focus on 4K with the debut of Prism Mobile, a camera-back video encoder with integrated cellular bonding, delivering 4K HDR live video from the toughest network environments. 

Teradek says it developed Prism Mobile “to provide better connectivity, seamless portability, and more reliable video contribution for professionals in the field.” It features two built-in high-performance cellular modems, and support for nine simultaneous network connections across WiFi, Ethernet, and Cellular offering the connectivity required for going live at sporting events, political rallies, and conferences. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Groupe Spécial Mobile Association (GSMA) has chosen TVU Networks as a 5G Industry Challenge winner in the “5G Innovation Challenge” category for its submission of “How 5G Lowers the Barriers for Live Broadcast.”

TVU was also selected as a runner up in GSMA’s Entertainment category and participated in Spain’s 5G Catalonia project for which telecom provider and TVU partner Cellnex Telecom received a GSMA Foundry Excellence Award.

The GSMA 5G awards were presented during the Mobile World Congress show in Barcelona, which runs through March 2.

The GSMA 5G Industry Challenge was launched last summer. It is dedicated to building on the success of the GSMA 5G Transformation Hub, which showcases the most innovative 5G solutions in the world and now includes more than 50 case studies. The Challenge is designed to show how industries across the globe are making the most of 5G and to recognize those leading the way with the most innovative use cases.

“We’re honored with this selection,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Partnering with 5G technology leaders like Qualcomm, we’ve successfully implemented 5G-based live video transmission solutions for broadcasters, which has brought revolutionary changes to the industry. 

“The power of 5G connectivity is very visible in live production where it can radically reduce crew and travel costs for broadcasters. Our innovations in video-over-IP technology align perfectly with recent 5G network breakthroughs. TVU continues to innovate and collaborate on 5G development, transforming it for the industry and delivering future solutions. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with our 5G partners on future initiatives that showcase the transformative power of 5G.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

More information on the Challenge is available online.

BARELONA—Spanish public broadcaster betevé recently successfully used TVU Networks’ cloud-native ecosystem for live multi-camera news production via a private 5G network as part of Spain’s 5G Catalonia project.

The project, one of several 5G pilot development grants awarded by Red.es as a means to advance 5G transmission in the Barcelona region, saw betevé synchronize, edit and distribute multiple live audio and video signals for its “btv notícies migdia” newscast over a private 5G network.

The cloud-native TVU Networks ecosystem consisted of TVU One 5G mobile transmitters, the TVU Producer live video production platform and the TVU Anywhere mobile app, enabling the video contribution and editing of up to five live signals from betevé robotic, studio and cell phone cameras, TVU Networks said.

The project demonstrated the expansive capacity of the TVU ecosystem within a 5G network as well as the ability to transport and edit multiple HD signals remotely while supporting high-quality, low-latency broadcast output, the company said.

Bonded cellular connections, sub-second latency and increased signal quality of TVU’s technology provide underpinned the live multi-camera workflow, the company said.

The low latency of TVU solutions over 5G made it possible to conduct live interviews for "btv notícies migdia" without signal delays. It also enabled remote control of robotic cameras. 5G’s high-capacity bandwidth enabled multiple HD signals to be delivered simultaneously, it said. 

Spanish broadcasters La Xarxa and betevé produced the content, sending the live broadcast over a 5G network made available by telecom providers Cellnex Telecom, Grupo Masmovil and Lenovo. Spanish telco consulting firm Nae handled project management for the pilot.

With TVU Anywhere, betevé and La Xarxa synchronized the video and audio over a cloud-based server. Once in the cloud, the various camera signals were switched using the TVU Producer remote production system. The remote news content was then distributed to the internet, social networks and downloaded to betevé's broadcast studio. At the studio, the cloud-produced video was integrated with the rest of the content in the DTT broadcast, TVU Networks said.

“TVU’s cloud-based tools in combination with 5G private networks and mobile transmitters provide the ultimate flexibility and reliability for remote live event production because they remove any concern about bandwidth availability and signal delays during the event,” said betevé director Sergi Vicente.

More information is available on the company’s website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Based on an analysis of key measures and product usage from thousands of customers, TVU Network is reporting that some of the top trends among its customers include: the increased use of metadata-driven content throughout the media supply chain; the escalation of the FAST channel ecosystem; and the acceleration of 5G networks adoption for acquisition.

“Sports, entertainment, and news organizations throughout the world are discovering the power in delivering actionable data while on air,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Besides being able to make it easier to find relevant video content, the added information within metadata boosts the ROI of content. The shift toward data-driven technology for large media organizations will only grow as a means to support the entire organization.”

The value of video metadata and its ability to make it easier to find relevant clips gained  momentum in 2022, as evidenced by the increased use of the AI- and cloud-based TVU Search, the company said. 

Content creators helped propel a more than 630% increase in hours of video ingest in 2022 versus 2021, including live feeds from the year’s major news, entertainment and sporting events. With TVU Search, content creators can quickly find the clips they need for a story without having to scan through hours of video, resulting in significant time savings. 

TVU Search allows the user to quickly locate and clip live or historical content at any time from anywhere. It automatically adds metadata to the content at ingest, making identification of relevant content easier than ever before.

Another key trend was the addition of FAST (Free Ad-supported Streaming TV) channels, TVU said. According to a special report in Variety this year: “...the number of available FAST channels in the U.S. is over 1,400, with 22 major providers including Pluto TV, Tubi and Roku Channel.” According to nScreenMedia and Verizon Media, FAST platforms sold $2 billion in advertising in 2021, which will grow to more than $4 billion in 2023.

This is reflected in usage numbers for TVU Channel, a cloud-based playout service, the company reported. 

TVU Channel saw over 1000% increase, up 1217%, in on-air use this year over last. With an as-run log included in TVU Channel, it’s ideal for FAST channel playout or for any content creator looking to start a fully ad insertable channel. 

Another big driver for live video production and delivery this year was the availability and proven benefits of 5G networks, TVU reported. 

The numbers for TVU One 5G-enabled mobile transmitters bear that out. In January of 2022, 7% of the TVU One units shipped were 5G-equipped. In December of 2022, that percentage rose to 78%.

“The uptick in 5G implementation combined with the increase in remote production has created more opportunity for video producers around the world,” said Shen. “5G infrastructure, expanded network capacity and flexible configurations continue to drive explosive growth in live, immersive, and interactive experiences.”

In terms of global deployment, hundreds of TVU One 5G mobile transmitters and RPS Link Encoders were commissioned for the tournament in Qatar. Brazil’s leading TV network, Globo, employed 17 TVU One’s for its live coverage. With the exclusive rights to broadcast the event in Brazil, Globo produced over 300 hours of transmission with TVU One 5G units.

“This year was a significant shift in the way customers used our technology,” reported Shen. “We’ve seen a greater importance placed on mobile portability, metadata-embedded video that propels the entire production process and distribution to multiple platforms, it’s been a complete migration in the media supply chain. We’re gratified to see our customers derive such value from what we provide.”

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—KORIZON Esports, a South Korean production company founded to connect the League of Legends Champions Korea with its global fan base, ran into a lack of bandwidth this fall while covering the game’s world championships in the United States, resulting in hours-long uploads of video interviews with players.

However, with the delivery of a TVU Networks TVU One transmitter, a device traditionally used to transmit live HD and 4K video, KORIZON founder Ashley Kang, was able to maintain a constant 5G internet connection for the duration of the nearly one-month-long event, TVU Networks said.

With so many members of the media covering the event and the thousands of fans in attendance, available bandwidth was quickly consumed, creating the problem Kang encountered. However, using the router feature of the TVU One transmitter, KORIZON was able to share large files and footage with its editor in South Korea so fans ultimately could view the content on YouTube. KORIZON’s coverage received 5.8 million views on YouTube, it said.

The interviews included a conversation with the 2022 World Championship team DRX, which completed a Cinderella-story run and runner-up T1, the company said.

The TVU One’s compact size meant KORIZON could upload on the go, no matter the venue or location of the interview. “KORIZON and I could not have covered Worlds 2022 at the speed and precision I achieved without TVU Networks,” said Kang.

TVU Networks plans to expand its remote broadcast solutions and products into the esports arena, the company said.

“Being able to help KORIZON provide their top-tier content even faster while being so far from their offices was a no brainer,” TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen said. “The global scale, speed and lack of latency needed for esports makes our remote solutions a perfect fit.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

BARCELONA—TVU Networks and the public broadcaster betevé have launched a 24/7 live, pop-up channel to cover the four-day La Mercè Festival using the cloud-native TVU Channel scheduling and playout solution.

The launch, which took only a few hours, required no additional infrastructure and was available via the broadcaster’s website as the Mercè 24h channel as well as via the betevé app.

“La Mercè is a huge event in Barcelona,” said Oriol Icart, technical and innovation director at betevé. “We wanted to cover it all, not just highlights, and for the first time ever, we did. Plus, we reached a global audience far beyond Barcelona.

“Our coverage was flawless, running 24/7 for four days over our app and website without any issues. Because TVU Channel operates entirely through the cloud, we were able to spin up our La Mercè pop-up channel quickly without adding infrastructure or significant cost. We set it up in minutes and began using it the same day.”

The broadcaster currently is planning its next use of TVU Channel, he added.

TVU Channel, designed initially for a large broadcaster, makes it possible to schedule live programming for digital platforms, including connected TV (CTV) channels, such as Free Ad-Supported Television (FAST) channels, and over-the-air (OTA) TV using a web browser, the company said.

No extensive training is required. The solution provides for adding SCTE markers to programs for ad insertion. It allows breaks to be scheduled, or manual breaks can be inserted with the click of a mouse to accommodate schedule changes on the fly. TVU Channel also supports pass-through of SCTE decoration, it said.

“betevé created a specialized channel to cover one of Barcelona’s biggest events exactly the way they wanted without incurring the cost or resources typical with this kind of broadcast initiative,” said Rafael Castillo, vice president EMEA and Latin America at TVU Networks. “We’re thrilled that our technology came through for them and that the city of Barcelona and the world got a true taste of the La Mercè festival – no matter where they live.”

More information is available on the company’s website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks will feature its TVU Cloud ecosystem during IBC 2022, Sept. 9-12, at the RAI Amsterdam Convention Centre.

The company will feature its end-to-end solution using 5G networks to provide greater bandwidth, resiliency, ultra-low latency and connectivity with speeds up to 100 times faster than 4G. 

The ecosystem, developed with insights from news and sports media companies, is fully cloud-native and customizable to meet the evolving needs of video producers across the globe, the company said.

“The 5G infrastructure, expanded network capacity and flexible configuration is driving explosive growth in live, immersive and interactive experiences,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen.

“These ground-breaking applications require a video-over-IP infrastructure with the capability and flexibility to enable them," he continued. "That’s why TVU has delivered a cloud-native ecosystem of 5G, 4K solutions that integrate smoothly in a microservices-based, building block approach, making it easy and cost-effective to add capabilities as needed.”

The components of the TVU cloud-based ecosystem work together seamlessly in challenging network environments. Professional cameras equipped with the TVU One mobile transmitter, as well as mobile devices using the TVU Anywhere app, deliver high-quality, low latency 4K video, the company said.

The TVU RPS remote production system uses an encoder and decoder to synchronize the multiple remote sources perfectly and send them to the studio, while TVU Producer enables live streaming programs from any of these sources without a studio infrastructure. TVU Partyline brings the whole team together to collaborate in real time via fully synced signals for live production or virtual events – no matter their location. With the TVU Remote Commentator cloud-based platform, announcers can call the action from anywhere with an internet connection, it said.

Finally, TVU Channel is a 24/7 solution that combines cloud-based playout, live production, SCTE management, scheduling, server-side ad insertion and CDN into a user-friendly micro application. With an as-run log included in TVU Channel, it’s well-suited for FAST (Free Ad-Supported TV) channel playout or for any content creator looking to start a fully ad-insertable channel. 

The company also announced that Spanish national public broadcaster Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in July relied on its cloud-based 4K and 5G solutions for live productions of the Almagro Classical Theater Festival in Almagro, Spain.

See TVU Networks at IBC 2022 Stand 5.C73.

ALMAGRO, Spain—Spanish national public broadcaster Radiotelevisión Española (RTVE) in July used cloud-based 4K and 5G live production technology from TVU Networks to cover the Almagro Classical Theater Festival, the company said today.

RTVE deployed the TVU One mobile IP transmitter, TVU Producer cloud-based live video production system and TVU Anywhere, the company’s mobile contribution app for smartphones and media tablets, for an HD production of the evening performance of Ficción Sonora (Sound Fiction) performed by colleagues from Radio Nacional de Espana at the Corral de Comedias in Almagro, TVU Networks said.

The production, part of the 45th International Classical Theater Festival, required the RTVE production team to switch eight separate HD video inputs in the cloud with TVU Producer as well as add a stereo audio mix, the company said.

The RTVE team also produced a 30-minute, magazine-style program in 4K focused on the atmosphere of the annual festival with interviews from different locations around Almagro, including the Corral, it said.

For the magazine-show production, RTVE used TVU Producer in a 4K cloud workflow with shots from a PTZ camera in the town hall and three smartphones in other locations within in the city. The production team also used TVU Partyline for real-time collaboration. The cloud-based tool enabled IFB communications among the technical crew as well as communications between the show presenter and contributing journalists, it said.

The broadcaster’s RTVEplay OTT service distributed the afternoon show as did RTVE Castilla La Mancha’s Twitter account. Canal 24 Horas, the broadcaster’s free-to-air channel, broadcast the live production of The Ficción Sonora.

“It is important to know the operational possibilities that 4K cloud production will offer in order to define future use cases,” said Pere Vila, RTVE director of technology strategy and digital innovation. "Through our first-hand experience, we witness the possibilities it brings to live entertainment and sports events.”

Calling the broadcaster “a leading player in Europe for advancing new technology," TVU Networks general manager and vice president for EMA and Latin America Rafael Castillo said RTVE took an approach that points to the future of production. 

“The configuration used in Almagro will be one that’s easy to reproduce and will prove beneficial to RTVE in the future," Castillo said. 

The company has posted a behind-the-scenes video of the production online.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Ihlas News Agency (IHA), a Turkish news agency with correspondents in each of the nation’s cities and more than 60 countries, has taken delivery of 30 TVU One mobile 5G transmitters for use throughout the Middle East, Europe, Asia and the Americas.

IHA will deploy the TVU One transmitters in all Turkish provinces and at all of its international offices. Alen Elektronik, TVU Network’s authorized dealer in Turkey, recommended the TVU One transmitters serve as the core of IHA’s remote broadcast systems because the news agency wanted resilient contribution technology that could make acquisition fast, TVU Networks said.

“We’re looking forward to a strong and strategic relationship between TVU and IHA that furthers the news agency’s mission to provide high-quality, late-breaking coverage from anywhere in the world,” said Emad Qawasmi, sales director for MENA at TVU Networks. “We’re confident they’ll see significant improvement in the quality of their newsgathering efforts with the addition of our latest 5G-ready mobile transmission technology.”

The TVU One has a track record of reliably contributing audio and video for broadcast news and live production from remote areas of the world and in unstable conditions, the company said.

It simultaneously aggregates up to 12 data connections from networks in more than 180 countries. Supported bandwidth sources include cellular 3G, 4G, 4G LTE and 5G networks, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, satellite, microwave and BGAN. TVU One automatically aggregates all available network infrastructure to transmit stable, broadcast-quality video from any location, it said.

The company’s patented Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) video/audio algorithm ensures reliable transmission regardless of the environment, it said.

The TV One delivers video with higher contrast, brighter images, and more vivid colors. It relies on an advanced HEVC/H.265 chip to encode video for delivery of full broadcast-quality 4K, 10-bit true 60fps HDR at bitrates as low as 3 Mbps (or 1080p60 HDR as low as 800 Kbps), TVU Networks said.

The real-time dual encoder simultaneously records a full 4K or HD copy of the live video to be downloaded later. A bi-directional IFB audio feed enables communication between the studio and field operators with nearly zero latency, it said.

“With the TV One, international news agencies like IHA can enter a whole new phase of remote broadcasting, with worry-free operation, anywhere in the world, even in the most unstable network conditions,” said Rafael Castillo, vice president/general manager, EMEA and Latin America, at TVU Networks.

“Today, viewers demand high-quality live news—not just from the studio, but also from remote locations," he continued. "We’ve partnered with major cellular networks around the globe to ensure that broadcasters can take advantage of 5G infrastructure for remote reporting. And we’ve developed next-generation solutions like the TVU One mobile transmitter that can automatically aggregate the best connections available, wherever reporters find themselves covering the latest news.”

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—The Republic of Korea’s Army Special Warfare Command deployed TVU One 4K HDR mobile transmitters for the live broadcast Nov. 12 of the 2021 National Counter-Terrorism Comprehensive Exercise hosted by South Korean Prime Minister Kim Boo-kyum.

Some 450 people from eight organizations participated in the exercise, which simulated emergency action in four terrorist attack scenarios, including the hijacking of passenger ships at sea, occupation of land passenger terminals and explosive and bio-chemical threats, TVU said.

KoreaTV, a national television network, and regional broadcaster OBS Gyeongin TV broadcast the exercise live. 

The national broadcaster combined real-time coverage from passenger ships, police cars, drones, speedboats and TV reporters. Four TVU One mobile transmitters and two dual-channel TVU Transceivers were used to transmit and receive live video signals for the coverage, it said.

All signals were transported to the KoreaTV studio center where the director orchestrated the live production, directing broadcast, audio and graphics producers as shots were switched. Background music and graphics were added before the production was delivered via KoreaTV’s public channels.

The TVU One transmitters provided mobile transmission through network signal fluctuations with frame synchronization, rapid multi-position synchronous switching and multi-view conversion to stabilize live signals across challenging airborne and seaborne camera positions, the company said. 

“The TVU One 5G transmitters brought great convenience to the live video broadcast of this anti-terrorism drill. The cameraperson could shoot alone and move quickly to capture more details of the drill and send it back to the command center,” said OBS Gyeongin TV technical manager GunHo Song.

“The output frame synchronization of multiple TVU One transmitters solved the problem of using multiple sets of devices for production,” he said. “Compared with traditional video capture and transmission solutions, TVU live broadcast is simpler, reduces costs, and it provided great live video for this drill.”

More information is available on the TVU Networks website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks today released a year end tally of business activity—all of which underscores 2021 as being a year of rapid adoption of remote production and cloud-based alternatives to traditional solutions across the entire media supply chain.

For example, the company saw a 243% increase in SaaS use this year compared to 2020 across all business sectors, including media, sports and entertainment, it said.

“The impact of the pandemic on the media and entertainment industry cannot be overstated,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen. “It necessitated an evolution that would have taken a far longer time, roughly five years in our estimation, under business-as-usual conditions.

“Customers are seeing firsthand the advantages of adopting cloud-based solutions to enhance or replace their traditional broadcast workflows. As the cloud continues to disrupt production paradigms, the benefits are clear: lower cost, faster to air, increased flexibility and greater monetization opportunities.”

Expanding its portfolio of solutions that enable working remotely, TVU Networks this year unveiled new cloud-based solutions, including TVU Remote Commentator and TVU Channel, the company said.

TVU Remote Commentator enables sports producers and event organizers to add synchronized, real-time audio commentary from multiple play-by-play and color commentators located in separated geographies via the internet.

TVU Networks also launched TVU Channel, a cloud-native, pay-as-you-go playout solution that enables users to launch and manage live and VOD channels from a web browser. It offers SCTE ad insertion and third-party scheduling platform support and can be used to play out to social media, CDNs and OVPs. 

“The overwhelmingly positive response to TVU Channel since its launch in October has exceeded our expectations,” added Shen. “We have a major TV broadcaster that’s deployed the platform and is using it for all programming on a new channel it launched, as well as the backup channel for their existing on-premise channel to protect against any unexpected disruption. The platform is already supporting hundreds of thousands of viewers.”

IP network delivery also experienced a surge, indicating it as an M&E Industry preference for content distribution. Over the past year, use of TVU Grid, the company’s IP-based video switching, routing and distribution solution, increased 20% compared to last year, it said.

Use of the company’s content distribution platform to manage and distribute video also experienced accelerated growth with a 752% increase in the hours of downloaded video in 2021 compared to last year. Leveraging the company’s AI and cloud-based search capability, called TVU Search, broadcasters could find the clips they desired from massive amounts of footage gathered covering the Capitol Riot, the Impeachment Trial, the Summer Games in Tokyo and the Dubai Expo 2020, which is occurring in 2021 and 2022 due to the pandemic, the company said.

TVU Networks also saw continued strong growth in its IP transmitter business as well as strong demand for TVU Media Services, which supplies equipment rentals for major events, live content search, clipping and data services. As it did for the Summer Games in Tokyo, TVU Media Services will offer broadcasters equipment rentals, 24/7 camera shots and other services for the upcoming Winter Games in China.

More information is available on the company’s website. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA—TVU Networks has introduced a new infrastructure-free, 24/7 channel solution, the TVU Channel, that allows the user to schedule live and VOD programming from a simple web browser. 

The cloud-based solution can be used for playout via a traditional television channel, an OTT channel, a pop-up channel or distribution directly to social media – all at the same time and all without any added infrastructure, the company said. 

TVU is billing TVU Channel as a product that makes building and managing channels as easy to learn as an online calendar. It also stressed that a wide range of organizations can use it to produce specialized channels.

The platform provides extensive support for ad insertion, including scheduled breaks, manual breaks and full SCTE passthrough.

“This is a game changer,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Channel enables you to launch and manage live, 24/7 content channels from your browser. With a 24/7 fully ad insertable channel, all your content can be monitored and monetized. We even made sure TVU Channel provides an as-run log, which is crucial to advertisers.” 

Direct support from CDN, social media and online video platforms (OVP) is available. TVU Channel also interfaces with BFX, Wide Orbit, and most third-party ad scheduling platforms, the company said. 

Because it’s cloud native, TVU Channel can be quickly deployed without complicated configurations or extensive training needed. The browser-based interface can be accessed through any laptop or smart device from anywhere in the world with Internet access. 

Users don’t need to be located at a physical studio and TVU Channel can serve as a backup Master Control in the event a physical studio can not be accessed, TVU noted. 

“This is the first in our product line designed for continual programming and not individual events, like live sports or live news coverage,” said Shen. “TVU Channel is ideal for any organization or individual looking to create their own channel or even back up their existing commercial channel. It isn’t just for TV. Radio stations, newspapers, magazines, churches, college and universities, amateur sports leagues, law enforcement and government agencies, and many other organizations could use TVU Channel to produce a specialized channel for their audience.”

The TVU Channel is priced as a pay as you go. It also integrates easily within the TVU Networks ecosystem: TVU Producer for multi-camera live video production and graphic overlays, TVU Search for AI-powered content search, TVU Transcriber for real-time closed captioning, TVU Grid for point to multi-point video distribution over the Internet, and the TVU One mobile transmitter and TVU Anywhere mobile broadcast app for live video sources.

In addition, video can be captured on a mobile phone, fed into TVU Producer on a laptop, graphic overlays created in TVU Producer, ads of any length inserted, and then pushed out to the channel for distribution to any playout platform. It also works with other edge devices for the ingest of live content via SDI/SMPTE 2110/NDI, as well as output for traditional linear channels, TVU said. 

BURLINGTON, Mass.—Avid has announced that Sony and TVU Networks IP-connected devices are now interoperable with MediaCentral | Stream, an upgrade that dramatically expands the pool of journalists, producers and other production resources who can contribute live streams from anywhere for news and remote live production workflows. 

“News and other live TV production teams can escalate volume and speed with reliable, secure IP content ingest from any device, anywhere, at any time through  MediaCentral l Stream,” said Raul Alba, Director of Solutions Marketing, Media and Cloud at Avid. “Avid’s customers continue to rely on Sony and TVU in the field and it’s crucial to boost productions with our seamless interoperability. We’re taking an open approach based on common protocols with a strategy to add more in the future, so customers can bring more content contributors into their live productions.”  

MediaCentral | Stream is a software-only solution that immediately opens the MediaCentral platform to contributions over IP from sources anywhere using any device.  

With MediaCentral | Stream, production teams can easily ingest multiple incoming IP streams in on-premises and cloud-based scenarios without changes or interruptions to their existing workflows, Avid said. 

Users can preview incoming IP streams, record them in production-ready formats, or edit an incoming stream simultaneous with its recording to create stories for digital distribution and linear broadcast. 

With end-to-end encryption and authentication processes, teams achieve simple, secure and reliable contribution from any camera, encoder and mobile device running Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) or Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP), including products from Sony and TVU Networks in addition to those from Haivision, Teradek, LiveU, and other third-parties. 

“We're proud to play a key role in helping the industry’s most creative production teams simplify the many complex processes involved in remote IP contributions,” said Martin Lindsay, product manager at Sony. "With Sony's network connected camcorders, RTMP streams can deliver content quickly and securely into the Avid MediaCentral | Stream environment.” 

“With Covid-19 still pervasive, we’ll surely be seeing more crews having to lend their talents remotely,” said Paul Shen, CEO at TVU Networks. “We believe that a data-driven media supply chain is what broadcasters need to be able to serve their audiences on all platforms. This integration allows TVU and Avid to not only reliably deliver raw material in real-time, but to deliver it with the metadata needed to really reinvent workflows for our clients.” 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Kenya Broadcasting Corp. (KBC) has added 10 TVU Networks TVU One 4K HDR mobile transmitters to its existing complement of TVU technology as well as a TVU VS3500 4K UHD server to support web and social media streaming, the company announced today.

“TVU is the backbone of our ENG operation,” said Job Karimi, manager of technical operations at KBC. “We’re able to report various incidents as they happen and keep the public updated on the latest news within the shortest time possible. We use TVU every day in our daily ENG news production.

“In cases where we deploy our OB van, we also use our TVU One units to capture critical cut-away shots and to cover areas where the OB truck cannot," he continued. "From the market information we’ve seen, TVU is a superior brand, and following our acquisition of their technology, that has proven to be true.”

The broadcaster has used TVU solutions since 2016. They initially bought 10 TVU One mobile transmitters that were first used to cover Kenya’s 2017 presidential elections. 

Nairobi-based firm, Philmart, a TVU Networks partner, provided systems integration services to KBC. Philmart also provided training to the KBC editorial, technical and ICT teams on how to leverage TVU Anywhere, TVU Partyline and TVU Producer, all TVU Cloud solutions.

“KBC and Philmart, are long-time valued partners of TVU Networks,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “It’s rewarding to witness how KBC has utilized our solutions to push their news coverage forward. Given what they’ve accomplished thus far, we expect their media services to continue to break boundaries both locally and globally.”

More information is available on the company’s website. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks today revealed its support plans for broadcasters covering the 2022 Winter Games in China, including unlimited 5G service.

Several factors may make coverage of the winter event more challenging than the Summer Games in Tokyo, including the possibility of greater COVID spread, potentially stricter travel requirements in China and the mountainous terrain surrounding the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou venue locations.

Among the expected restrictions in Beijing are limited availability of 5G SIM cards, three-week visitor quarantine, rules on equipment transport and limited visitor access to the Great Wall, the company said.

TVU Networks has had offices in Beijing and Shanghai for more than 15 years, and it offers one of the largest teams on the ground to support broadcasters. TVU staff will be on site 24/7 to help with live transmission and remote production technology as well as translation, logistics and cultural challenges, the company said.

“We’ve got a solid support network in place,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen. “Our TVU team will take care of any issues our customers face, so they can focus on producing the best possible coverage in Beijing. While we provided a host of services on the ground in Tokyo, our support will be even more extensive in China based on our lessons learned, and because we believe that conditions in Beijing could make remote coverage there even more challenging. Given our successes in Tokyo, we’re confident in our ability to help broadcasters navigate the complexities of next year’s Winter Games.”

The company is coming off a successful experience in Tokyo, which saw a 100x increase in the use of its TVU Grid of IP-based video switching, routing and distribution and a 10x higher use of its TVU Anywhere mobile app compared to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, it said.

TVU One mobile transmitters for rent in Beijing will feature: 5G transmission with unlimited 5G data; 4K HDR or 1080p HDR picture quality; sub-second latency; and the aggregation of all available data connections, including cellular, 5G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and satellite, to ensure broadcast-quality video transmission from any location, it said.

TVU Networks services in Beijing will include:

• Equipment delivery, pick up, set up, technical assistance and exchanges within two to four hours from notification subject to COVID regulations;
• Zero risk booking ensuring a full refund if games are cancelled;
• 24x7 live pool feeds from Beijing;
• Watch Party Solution to easily and cost effectively share live moments between athletes and friends and family remotely;
• Professional Remote Reporting Solution, which provides reporters and producers the ability to conduct remote interviews from their home or studio;
• Complimentary office space in the TVU Beijing office with free high-speed internet access and language assistance;
• All-in-One Interview Kit for mobile journalists that enables high-quality live shots from anywhere.

 More information is available on the company’s website. 

TOKYO—Brazilian TV broadcaster Globo relied on 16 TVU Networks TVU One mobile transmitters for its coverage of 33 sporting events during the Olympic Games, the company announced.

Use of the IP-based wireless transmitters made it possible to the broadcaster’s reduced staff in Tokyo to provide live broadcast-quality video of the games.

Globo, a premiere media channel serving Brazil and Latin America, dedicated 1,040 hours to live coverage of the Summer Games. Globo reporters were on site at event locations and provided exclusive coverage of Brazilian athletes, the company said.

“Because of safety standards imposed by COVID-19, Globo sent only part of its staff to Japan, but that didn’t affect the quality of their coverage at all,” said Paul Shen, TVU Networks CEO. 

“They were able to produce incredibly dynamic footage from all locations in a safe and reliable way thanks to TVU One 5G and its Inverse StatMux technology. This has been a difficult time to produce the Games, but we’re proud of how customers like Globo have risen to challenge by employing new ways to maximize viewer engagement. Their coverage excited fans all over Brazil,” he said.

More information is available on the company’s website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced that the extreme athletes and influencers Alex Roca and Valenti Sanjuan live streamed their entire 700-kilometer tandem bike ride from Barcelona to Madrid to deliver the Summer Games torch using the TVU Nano Router and TVU PowerPac2.

Broadcast over Sanjuan’s Twitch channel (twitch.tv/valentisanjuan) to over 100,000 viewers, the event was part of the #StartYourImpossible movement from Toyota, a sponsor of the Summer Games, promoting inclusion in sports.

Sanjuan is well known for broadcasting extreme challenges to his large base of followers on his social media networks. Roca, who has cerebral palsy, has participated in several events with Sanjuan including: the Titan Desert, the Camino de Santiago, and individually - the Barcelona Half Marathon. 

For the seven-day ride to deliver the Summer Games torch, the athletes wanted to make sure they’d have the connection and technical support needed to share every second of this experience with Spain and the rest of the world.

“We relied on our TVU Nano Router and PowerPac to keep us online 24/7 through some of the harshest and most remote parts of our trip,” said Sanjuan. “We never once lost our stream. Since we were pedaling 100 kilometers a day, it was a huge relief not to have to worry about our connection.”

Weighing less than 500g, the TVU Nano Router delivers up to 200Mbps of stable bandwidth and is ideal for live streaming. TVU PowerPac2 is a lithium ion battery pack that can power any device in any circumstance, using: USB-C, D-tab and USB. With it, there is no need to carry another power adapter, TVU reported. 

Valenti Sanjuan explains the use of TVU Nano Router to stream the journey via Twitch here. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.— TVU Networks has entered into a global reseller partnership with London-based Laminar Global, a new PaaS (Platform-as-a-Service) provider.

Laminar will offer TVU remote production solutions as part of its state-of-the-art platform, providing its live sports customers with high-quality, low-latency, multi-camera coverage, TVU Networks said.

Laminar’s solution delivers live streams with low latency at the highest quality that edge networks allow across all classes of consumer devices—from 4K smart TVs to mobile devices. The TVU solutions will support the Laminar platform’s ability to stream rights-protected live sporting events in multiple languages simultaneously with social media network-specific live graphics to millions of viewers.

Laminar is adopting TVU RPS (Remote Production System) along with TVU cloud-based technology, such as: TVU Producer for multi-camera live production, TVU Partyline for collaboration and broadcast-quality conferencing, the TVU Anywhere app and the TVU CloudRx receiver to deliver content to its OTT infrastructure for distribution.

“Today’s consumer has already shifted to watching live sports on digital platforms,” said Laminar Global CEO Narendra Nag. “Tomorrow’s customer is going to expect a transformative live-sports experience, where they will want to be part of the action. Streaming live sports presents a unique challenge. It requires infrastructure to both produce and deliver a high-quality stream to viewers globally. Our partnership with TVU solves both, ensuring that Laminar receives the highest quality content that can then be streamed to millions of fans, almost instantly.”

By adopting TVU Networks’ technology for remote production, Laminar will help its customers deliver high-quality, multi-camera coverage at a much lower cost than it would incur with a traditional OB setup.

“This partnership is further proof of our commitment to lowering the cost of remote sports production while offering the type of low latency, synchronized multi-camera coverage associated with more expensive and complicated systems,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen.

Laminar Global provides an end-to-end, cloud-based infrastructure for content companies looking to launch their own global streaming service on the scale of Netflix or Amazon Prime.

More information is available on the Laminar and TVU Networks websites 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks today announced it has partnered with video management and distribution software provider Vimond Media Solutions, bringing the Vimond IO cloud-native non-linear video editing tool to the TVU ecosystem where it can access live video.

With real-time access to live video, Vimond IO editors can begin editing before ENG crews return from the field to offload their footage to a server. The integration gives editors the same immediacy they enjoy with other TVU applications, the company said.

For example, using the TVU MediaMind platform, live video sources can be enriched with a variety of metadata automatically, such as the names of people identified by facial recognition AI algorithms or the types of objects in a frame.

If Vimond IO editors are producing a package on forest fires, they can create an alert that finds live footage of a forest fire from authorized sources. Using TVU MediaMind’s AI-driven metadata, Vimond IO editors can find other archived forest fire footage or expand their searches to include other parameters, TVU Networks said.

Vimond IO is a browser-based video editing and publishing tool that runs in the cloud. News and sports organizations can ingest video from live streams and file-based footage directly to Vimond IO, then publish to multiple social media and content management systems using a fast rendering engine, thereby reducing time to air, it said.

This content also can be sent to TVU Producer to be included in a mutli-camera live production, the company said.

LONDON—Adoption of cloud and IP-driven solutions for video production has rocketed as media operations have had to adapt to remote collaboration workflows to protect their teams and ensure production continuity. But “cloud and IP” are catch-all phrases that disguise a myriad of complexities that must work differently to the pace, strategy and existing models of individual businesses. 

The merits of IP and cloud are well understood and the acknowledged end game, but getting there is “a journey of many paths,” as someone once said, and not of a little faith during which broadcasters have to be prepared to fail. But at least with cloud they can fail fast and move on. 

AT THE SPEED OF LIGHTNING

It’s also why vendors talk of wanting partnerships with broadcast clients and that they will evolve solutions and services together.

Here’s Avid’s Director of Product Marketing Raul Alba, “As a result of the pandemic, large organizations are increasingly incorporating cloud at the early stages of their planning.” 

TVU Networks’ Senior Director of Product Strategy, Luc Comeau believes the transformation and transition into IP and cloud-native models have “circumvented on-premise dependencies and legacy hops, because of all the efficiencies you’re gaining in the pipeline. This is all moving at lightning speed.”

While post-production teams are already used to working remotely, arguably TV workflows and certainly live TV cannot be fully moved to the cloud yet.

A case in point is Avid | Edit On Demand which makes all the company’s post-production tools available as a service. “It’s addressing the need to have geographically dispersed teams collaborating to create high-quality content,” Alba says. “We’ve had feedback from Hollywood editors who cannot tell the difference between Avid | Edit On Demand that can be connected to a cloud service miles away and Media Composer on their own computer.”

When considering the next evolution of IP-based video transport in the cloud, Primestream asks us to think of a browser as a “tuner” that works in much the same way as traditional RF-based tuners. Instead of sending a video signal on an RF frequency, you’re sending it over the internet—but without the high-power antennas and cumbersome field equipment needed for RF transmissions. 

“That said, one of the key challenges of video production in the cloud is management,” says Namdev Lisman, Primestream executive vice president. “Producers need to be able to switch, manage, and control IP streams just as they’re used to doing with an RF-based network operations center [NOC] in an SDI-based environment.”

Consider a conventional production, in which the NOC controls the routing switcher and manages camera signals and calibration, color correction, embedded audio, and other functions such as chroma-keying remote sources without artefacts. 

“Until now, the ability to switch and manage IP signals in the same manner has been missing,” Lisman says. “An IP NOC has been the missing piece of cloud video adoption.”

Primestream says its IP NOC  answers these signal management challenges. It consists of the company’s Media IO for IP-based signal acquisition and Xchange Media Cloud for asset management. Since the IP NOC is cloud-based, it can acquire signals from unlimited baseband or non-baseband sources using the usual protocols (SRT, WebRTC, HLS, RTSP, etc.), and then output the signals via an Ethernet switch. 

Explains Lisman, “Remote operators are able to log into the IP NOC for live multicamera monitoring, real-time transcoding to house formats, live editing, and finally publication, distribution and/or retransmission. Since MAM is a core component, remote production teams are able to access all the video assets they need from any location and at any time.” 

In broader terms, the IP NOC enables video operations to leverage the power of IP to produce programs from anywhere and transmit them instantly anywhere. “Gone are the days when global signal transmission required multiple satellite hops, sometimes up to seven or eight, resulting in sometimes-unacceptable latency,” Lisman asserts.

NO PLACE LIKE HOME

Infrastructure management is also the focus at Lawo which recently launched its "Home" IP configuration system. “In today’s IP project implementations, the physical build and cabling is only half of the way. The other half consists of configuration,” says Axel Kern, Lawo’s senior product manager. “Home significantly increases efficiency in setting up IP system installs.”

Built on “cloud-ready microservices architecture” the software enables broadcasters to connect, manage and secure networked production setups over IP ST 2110 from the ground up. Of course, it also provides centralized access and control for all Lawo gear. 

One challenge it's designed to solve is registration and discovery via NMOS. It enables automatic plug and play discovery of IP audio and video devices, which are registered with their name, location, status and type. This applies not only to Lawo’s but to third-party kit as well. 

Home is built on a “cloud-ready microservices architecture” which Lawo defines as built to run detached from hardware constraints. This does not automatically mean that services must be outsourced to an external service provider whose meter is running 24/7. 

“With Home, the cloud starts on your campus, private and locally, on COTS hardware,” Kern said. “The Home platform is designed as functional blocks that provide microservices, which are self-contained and supply functionality to operators or other services.”

One of the pitfalls that vendors marketing cloud-native products like to point out are vendors touting cloud-enabled products. They aren’t quite the same thing.

“Cloud-enabled usually means that whoever has that cloud-enabled service hasn’t completed the transition to a fully cloud-native approach,” suggests TVU’s Comeau. “They have connectivity to cloud resources but remain reliant on premise or a physical dependency while still providing connectivity to cloud resources.”

In a cloud-native scenario, by contrast, there’s zero dependency on on-premise, and the user experience can be from any device; a browser is all you need. 

“We’re very focused on removing the reliance on buildings and people’s location, putting the focus more on the creative’s talent as opposed to the skills and hardware used to support those skills,” Comeau says. “It’s akin to editing a Google Doc wherever you are and collaborating with your colleagues wherever they are. Take that concurrent, real-time editing process and apply that to a live cooking show, where you have multiple talent and creatives in different studios, or in their homes with a guest somewhere else. 

“We are bringing that same level of live content production natively to the cloud and applying the common concepts of the tech world to the broadcast world. It’s about breaking down these barriers where you’re no longer locked down by a legacy approach.”

With TVU’s new cloud-based TVU Remote Commentator, producers can add real-time, synchronized and broadcast-quality audio commentary with on-air talent remotely. The cloud-based multicamera live production platform and its cloud-based TVU Partyline “people router” allows producers to run virtual events over IP.

ELASTICITY AND RESILIENCY

One of the drivers to cloud is the need to scale up and reach more audiences, in targeted fashion, as consumption proliferates in line with new content platforms. With benefits like scale, reach, flexibility, and more, Grass Valley firmly believes everybody in the industry needs a “cloud” strategy.

“Cloud-based technologies built on cloud-native applications [like production switchers or clip players in the cloud] benefit from improved efficiency of compute/storage and automated scaling,” argues Marco Lopez, general manager, live production. 

These technologies offer what Lopez terms “true elasticity and enhanced resiliency” by enabling models that use multiple availability instances which a number of data centers offer by all cloud providers. This elasticity, he says, makes cloud-based workflows ideal for remote and live productions. “It provides more flexibility while aligning with the OPEX models most managed service production companies offer to their customers,” he said.

GV’s cloud platform GV AMPP (Agile Media Processing Platform) now features several applications including master control and playout and recently the company debuted a SaaS version of the K-Frame switcher engine on AMPP that provides a hybrid transition to cloud-based video production.

“The functionality of the recently launched AMPP Audio Mixer further demonstrates what is possible in the cloud,” Lopez says. “It’s a true, cloud-native, microservices-based application that can interact with audio flows from sources within AMPP or external third-party sources, such as the NDI software standard.”

Telestream points to the changing skillsets of the media teams implementing the workflows. “There are changes occurring in who manages the operations of the media companies,” says Marketing Director Alan Repech. “More and more there is core competency in software development able to use API-first software to be flexible in their workflow deployments.”

Telestream’s new Cloud Transform enables development teams to build transcoding and media processing workflows without having to understand the intricacies of the many file formats in use worldwide.

“Transform is meant for both traditional media companies such as broadcasters and post-houses, as well as relative newcomers such as social media platforms and app developers,” Repech says. “Traditional broadcasters are looking towards an architecture that shifts some or all of their existing workflows into the cloud to take advantage of the massive scalability and cost-effective SaaS solutions to be found there.”

Truth is, as large media enterprises scale up or shift load into the cloud, in addition to flexibility and security, they need a foundation of technology they can trust to meet their demanding and detailed specifications.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks is expanding its offerings for remote production, announcing the new TVU Remote Commentator, which allows for a host or commentator to provide real-time commentary on a live event from a remote location using public internet.

The Remote Commentator is a cloud-based technology with push-to-talk functionality that allows independent audio control for communication and live commentary. It can be integrated with the TVU Anywhere app and a PC browser.

An intuitive user interface makes it easy to create events with predetermined start and end times. The event organizer can select any feed from a TVU Receiver SDI input and use it as the return video feedback (VFB) source and channel output, so commentators receive a high-quality video feed to follow the action.

Groups can be created using independent links, enabling people to engage with each other. Voice-overs can be added to recorded content as well. 

The Remote Commentator supports TVU Grid video sources (Live Source or SDI IN) as VFB. Users can access the Advanced Audio Mixer used by TVU Producer for audio control. The platform can support up to eight feeds in Audio Mixer and up to 17 users in Remote Commentator groups.

For more information, visit the TVU Networks website. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks has announced the release of the TVU Anywhere SDK, a free software development kit for its TVU Anywhere live IP video streaming app. The TVU Anywhere SDK is designed to provide high-quality, low-latency live video to an iOS and Android app.

With TVU Anywhere SDK, developers can integrate TVU Anywhere into an existing app, adding a live streaming element compatible with TVU Networks products, including TVU Receivers, TVU Grid, TVU Producer and more.

With this SDK, broadcasters can add TVU Anywhere into their app, which enables reporters and crews to stream live video directly from the field without separate cameras or uplink equipment.

Live transmission feeds feed directly into the TVU ecosystem, providing compatibility with TVU Grid for IP video distribution. Live footage is also compatible with TVU hardware devices and cloud-based solutions.

“Our new TVU Anywhere SDK provides developers with a simple and affordable way to help media companies, sports organizations, and other content creators to generate more content from more people faster, which leads to more viewer engagement,” said Matt McEwen, vice president of product management at TVU.

TVU Anywhere SDKI is now available to download. For more information, visit www.tvunetworks.com. 

SHANGHAI—South Korea’s Munhwa Broadcasting Corp. (MBC) recently conducted a special COVID-19 broadcast, which utilized three integrated remote production technologies from TVU Networks to support it.

MBC’s live broadcast special addressing the pandemic called for 64 guests to participate live via remote locations, something that MBC’s broadcast facility was not equipped for. They also had to work with many different smartphones and rely on the public internet.

To meet these demands, MBC used TVU the Anywhere mobile broadcasting app, TVU Partyline cloud-based videoconferencing platform and TVU receivers. These technologies enabled MBC to support remote contribution, integrate live shots into the program and have real-time, interactive communications between hosts and guests.

Guests used the TVU Anywhere app through their smartphones and other digital devices, with MBC taking in and managing those shots through the TVU Receivers. The receivers fed their SDI output into the inputs of the broadcaster’s routing switcher. TVU Partyline, meanwhile, supported real-time, high-quality interactive HD video and audio.

“TVU Partyline, along with TVU Anywhere and TVU Receivers made it possible to overcome the distance separating everyone and the delays that you’d normally expect,” said Sang Dong Kim, production engineering department manager with MBC. “All of the guests and hosts could interact as if they were together in the studio, and viewers were spared the distraction of endless pauses due to technical limitations, so they could focus on the important information being conveyed about COVID-19.”

For more information, visit www.tvunetworks.com.  

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Spanish TV and radio broadcaster RTVE recently switched a live multicamera concert production for Radio 3 from Madrid’s Casa America palace using TVU Networks’ TVU Producer live production platform, the company announced.

The production, which featured top Latin American performers, was switched and distributed entirely from the cloud. Sources were synchronized and switched, graphics added and signals distributed to RTVE’s broadcast and digital networks with TVU Producer.

"We were able to set up our multicamera production incredibly fast with minimal equipment and expense," said Tomás Fernando Flores, director of Radio3. “The production and distribution were entirely managed in the cloud.” 

“With the click of a button, we sent a very high-quality stream, perfectly synchronized, to every platform in the correct format. I’m thrilled with what we delivered to our audience,” he said.

TVU Producer offers the ability to distribute a live event as an SDI signal or as vertically or horizontally oriented content via social media from the cloud with virtually no latency, the company said.

The multicamera production was shot with one traditional broadcast camera equipped with a 5G TVU One mobile transmitter and three smartphones with the TVU Anywhere mobile broadcast app (for fixed and moving images.) The production also marked one of the first uses of 5G for a live streaming in Spain, it said. 

The TVU One transmitter was equipped with six modems—two supporting 5G and four supporting 4G/LTE networks. The audio from the radio broadcast served as the only audio reference distributed to all devices and broadcasts.

TVU Producer’s multichannel IP video switcher automatically synchronizes its output to all receiving devices. Images were sent in the formats required for broadcast and streaming, including a specific vertical output for Instagram. The platform’s 9:16 Vertical Video feature allows users to produce a live program simultaneously in landscape and portrait mode, the company said.

TVU Producer distributed the live event to Television Espanola’s 24-hour channel and to RTVE social media platforms. The platform and format mix included: YouTube, horizontal; Twitter, horizontal; Facebook, horizontal; website, horizontal, SDI TV, Canal 24 Horas; and Instagram, simultaneous landscape and portrait modes, TVU Networks said.

The production will have a lasting impact on the broadcaster. “We have a solid history of innovation at Radio 3, and our recent application with TVU Networks solutions will change how we produce future live events,” said Flores. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—When COVID-19 prevented competitors for Cybathlon 2020 to travel to Zurich, Switzerland, TVU Networks was brought in with its remote production technology to help create a live-streaming event so that teams from all over the world could compete.

Cybathlon 2020 is a series of races in which people with disabilities use exoskeletons, brain-computer interfaces and other state-of-the-art assistance systems to complete everyday tasks. The Cybathon organizations tasked TVU with finding a way to transmit high-quality live video over the internet from multiple locations to create a virtual event.

Using TVU One mobile transmitters and the TVU Anywhere app, the production was able to bring together a mix of footage captured by both professional cameras and camera phones. Thomas Stäubli, CEO of BBM Productions, whose team produced nine hours of live streaming content for Cybathlon, said the flexibility of the TVU systems helped with working with everyone involved, some of which had no broadcast or streaming experience.

To coordinate the live feeds from competing teams, the production used the TVU Command Center, a cloud-based management platform that remotely controls and monitors all live transmissions. Five BBM operators managed the event—one was assigned to the Command Center, the other four coordinated live streaming efforts with the competing teams.

In addition, the TVU Partyline system provided a videoconferencing interface for content creators to have real-time interaction between talent, crew and external content contributors.

TVU systems and support were provided by Cybathlon participants by Videolink, a systems integrator based in Zurich.

MOUNTAINVIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks has added an audio mixing panel to its cloud-based TVU Producer multicamera, cloud production tool.

The TVU Producer is designed to assist with remote produced multicamera live events. By adding an audio mixing panel, an audio production crew can now manage the audio elements from a separate location from the video crew, per TVU.

The audio mixing panel features a browser-based user interface to offer full control of all audio signals. Users can operate the panel with touch-screen tablet computers. There is also TVU’s time synchronization technology, which provides zero latency execution of production commands and synchronization between video and audio.

“The mixing function is extremely easy to use and gives the audio operator full control over program audio,” said Paul Shen, TVU CEO. “As part of our continued expansion of remote production capabilities, this is one more piece that enables all crew … to be part of a professional production operating from a safe location such as their homes.”

TVU Producer can accept any standard IP video sources, as well as SDI signals via an IP encoder or TVU transmitter. It can also be used with the TVU Anywhere App or integrated with TVU Partyline.

For more information, visit www.tvunetworks.com.  

Late last month, TVU Networks announced Partyline, a communications tool designed specifically to make life a bit easier for production crews grappling with the challenges of show production during COVID-19 pandemic lockdowns.

Think of a mashed up intercom and IFB system together with HD video of all Partyline participants, such as producers, talent and guests, and you get an idea of what Partyline can do.

Leveraging the cloud and the company’s Real-Time Interactive Layer (RTIL), part of TVU’s Inverse Stat-Mux technology, to transport virtual intercom/IFB-related audio and video bits, Partyline enables common communications among all participants as well as directed communications to specific individuals regardless of their location.

Supporting a variety of professional features, including mix-minus audio, undetectable video and audio delay and synced AV signals, Partyline is available to users of TVU Producer, TVU Anywhere and TVU One.

Late last week, Paul Shen, founder and CEO of TVU Networks, took out a few minutes to talk about the origin of Partyline, what makes it different from consumer solutions like Zoom meetings and the future of remote production. 

(An edited transcript.)

TVTechnology: Was Partyline in the works prior to the COVID-19 outbreak, or did you suddenly see your customers needing this communications capability? In other words, what came first, the virus or the Partyline?

Paul Shen: The virus. 

TVT: So you hustled to get Partyline out.

PS: Yes. This organization’s [TVU Networks] entire development philosophy is based on what we call “Dev Ops.”

Our products are usually released on databases. What that means is internally we are not thinking of a product, we are thinking of microservices.

So when this [COVID-19] surfaces, we said: “OK, people are removed from working with each other. They no longer have the real-time interactivity among them and also with their equipment. That’s missing throughout the whole remote working process.”

So, there were two components that must be addressed. One is quality and the other is interactivity—and how we can put them together. We said, “Let’s create a real-time interactive way to do that.”

TVT: At the very beginning of the lockdowns and work-from-home mandates, broadcasters began using tools like Zoom and Slack. But Partyline is purpose-built for broadcasters and the production community. Given the short development cycle for Partyline is it fair to say your engineers drew on TVU’s experience with customers rather than lengthy research to guide them through the process?

PS: Precisely. In fact, this project was quite amazing. Partyline is available across TVU Anywhere, TVU Producer as well as our physical transceiver, our TVU One. It spreads across the entire portfolio. It’s another microservice that spreads across all of them.

One of the very important differences between Partyline and consumer products, such as Zoom, is mix-minus. This is a huge issue that Zoom cannot deal with.

Another big part of the problem is people being interviewed, they don’t just want to watch the host, they want to watch the program.

The same is true of the whole production crew. They want to be a part of it, but they want to talk to the right people—they don’t want to just broadcast to everyone.

Video conferencing really cannot handle these issues.

TVT: The Real-Time Interactive Layer (RTIL) that’s part of the TVU Inverse Stat-Mux technology serves to transport the audio and video of participants in a Partyline session. Does this in any way degrade contribution video quality?

PS: No. In fact, that is a very important part of what we’ve done. That is to make sure that there is a very clear priority separation between the bits transported via RTIL and the bits used to contribute video for the broadcast side. Broadcast bits are given the highest priority.

TVT: Even though the work-from-home orders are in place, many broadcasters are relying on skeleton crews on premise to carry on operations. This makes me wonder if there is the ability to integrate Partyline with existing professional intercom systems so production personnel on site can have this communication link with those working remotely.

PS: It integrates with existing intercom systems. It has an intercom interface. So, the intercom user can talk directly into it. That’s something that people inside of our industry think about, but it’s not really something that people from the computer industry would think about.

TVT: When COVID-19 finally passes, do you think production will return to normal, or do you think it will have a lasting effect and there will be a continuation of these remote workflows?

PS: As the producer of this product, we always said that remote production is where the future is. The main reason is the cost difference is so significant.

The whole coronavirus outbreak accelerated remote production because people are forced into this situation. But once people experience this, I don’t think they will return [to conventional ways].

The whole economy has caught a cold right now. In the next two quarters, we will see the effects. So during this period, people want to save costs. Moving forward, people will want to make production much more efficient so they can create much more product at a much lower cost.

The industry is moving in that direction. Young viewers want to watch much more content than the mainstream media can deliver because the production costs of the mainstream media are way too high. But with this, the production costs can be significantly less.

More information is available on the TVU Networks website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—In an effort to support all local communities nationally during the COVID-19 pandemic, TVU Networks has been working with news stations and municipal government offices across the country to set up free local live video pool feeds through its Project Pool Feed. Using the free TVU Anywhere app on a mobile phone, municipal officials and spokespersons can share live video to the pool feed by simply pressing the “live” button. No training is required to use TVU Anywhere because of its intuitive interface.

“As local government officials need a reliable way to quickly and effectively communicate vital information regarding efforts to combat COVID-19, TV stations are a critical outlet for this effort,” explained Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “We at TVU have been assisting communities nationally with Project Pool Feed. In using our tools, local municipal government offices can easily run news conferences while respecting the requirements of social distancing.”

For example, Georgia Public Broadcasting has an agreement with TV stations in the Atlanta market to provide a pool feed of the coronavirus task force briefings from Governor Brian Kemp. Powered by TVU Grid, Atlanta-based GPB is also working to share content with stations across the state as well as some parts of South Carolina.

TVU Grid is connected to a network of thousands of Grid-enabled broadcasters around the world. TV stations use TVU’s Grid technology for receiving, sharing and distributing live video content such as from a pool feed. Through Project Pool Feed, broadcasters coordinate with local governments to accept TVU Anywhere content from press conferences and other events for distribution.

TVU Networks looks to share this spring how it is attempting to update the media supply chain with the integration of AI, 5G and remote production technology.

Among the highlights for TVU is its MediaMind supply chain platform that has an AI real-time search engine that can index all media content from the beginning of the video production process. Using voice and object recognition technology, MediaMind can locate and index down to a frame within a live video clip.

The company also has 5G-ready technology, namely its portable and rack-mount 1080p60 HD and 4Kp60 HDR transmitters, including the TVU One mobile transmitter with HEVC and patented IS+ technology. The TVU equipment supports true 5G protocol.

A full line of remote production technology is also available, specifically TVU’s integrated cloud and IP-based platforms for REMI/At-home applications. This includes the TVU RPS for live, remote, synchronized multicamera production for news and sports that uses a broadcaster’s existing control room and public internet connection; the TVU Anywhere mobile app; the TVU Producer for multicamera, cloud-based live video production from a web browser; and the TVU Timelock for automatically synchronized transmission from multiple remote TVU mobile transmitters to an existing studio.

For more information, visit www.tvunetworks.com.  

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—As the coronavirus outbreak that originated in Wuhan, China, continues to make headlines across the world, TVU Networks has helped a pair of Chinese broadcasters keep up to date with all the developments with live remote broadcasts via the TVU Anywhere app.

Quarantines in China have limited reporters from being able to easily cover the events surrounding the coronavirus. To help with those limitations, news outlets Xinhua News Agency and China Central Television have employed the TVU Anywhere app.

The TVU Anywhere app features Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) technology to aggregate cellular with Wi-Fi connections for reliable video transmissions. It also has dual camera technology for simultaneous transmission from the front and rear cameras to create a picture-in-picture or split-screen multicamera live production with a single phone.

Xinhua News Agency has been using TVU Anywhere to conduct interviews and report from hospitals through Wuhan, producing more than 100 hours of live video on location. With TVU Matrix, which Xinhua has been using for five years, the news agency was able to manage and distribute live video footage to their affiliates and viewing audience.

CCTV has also used TVU Anywhere for remote location interviews from SuiZhou and Qianjing, two cities in Hubei Province, the epicenter of the outbreak, providing insight on how local governments are dealing with the disease.

“Our partner, TVU Networks, provided us with the support and technology required to have the freedom to cover the news from any location, even from within highly quarantined areas,” said Liu Wanming, deputy director, Broadcasting & Transmission Technology Center, CCTV.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIFORNIA – January 14, 2020 – TVU Networks, the market and technology leader in IP-based live video solutions, today announced industry veteran Jared Timmins joined the company as senior vice president of solutions in late Dec. 2019. Based in the Atlanta area, he will lead the company’s Global Solutions Team, which will partner with TVU customers to help them quickly adapt to changes in consumer media consumption.

Prior to joining TVU, Timmins held several senior positions at Grass Valley. In his most recent role as vice president of advanced technology, Timmins worked closely with customers to help transform their business operations to digital and SaaS, as well as build cloud first systems. He also brings previous experience in solutions architecture as vice president of global sales engineering. Before joining Grass Valley, Timmins held senior strategic sales roles at Piksel and Miranda Technologies.

“We are very pleased to welcome Jared to TVU. He understands the challenges facing today’s changing production environment, and is experienced working with broadcasters to identify the proper solutions for operational success,” said Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks. “With Jared now on board, we are consolidating all of our solutions engineering resources globally under his leadership.”

Added Shen, “TVU has always been in the forefront of developing IP and cloud solutions designed to streamline and optimize production workflows. We continue to integrate more production tools into TVU MediaMind, our story-centric workflow platform. This will expand the platform’s ability to deliver the end-to-end needs of the broadcast Media Supply Chain, as well as allow for the mass content customization for a single audience essential for success in the Media 4.0 revolution.”

“I am excited to be leading global solutions at TVU during a time of rapid evolution in the media industry,” said Timmins. “In bringing a consultative approach to our customer relationships, the Global Solutions Team will focus on identifying opportunities for greater operational efficiencies and greater content monetization throughout our customer’s workflows. We will provide recommendations that utilize the next generation of media supply chain solutions and technologies, such as cloud enabled workflows.”

Media companies interested in learning more about TVU MediaMind or looking to streamline and optimize their production workflows can contact the TVU Global Solutions Team through the TVU website.

About TVU Networks®
TVU Networks has over 3,000 customers globally. The TVU Networks family of IP transmission and live production solutions gives broadcasters and organizations a powerful and reliable workflow to distribute live video content to broadcast, online and mobile platforms. TVU has become a critical part of the operations of many major media companies. The TVU Networks suite of solutions has been used to acquire, transmit, produce, manage and distribute professional-quality live IP HD footage as an integral part of news, sports and major global events. For more information about TVU Networks solutions, please visit www.tvunetworks.com.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks has hired Jared Timmins as senior vice president of solutions and will be tasked with leading the company’s Global Solutions Team, which has the goal of helping TVU customers adapt to changes in consumer media consumption.

Timmins comes to TVU having most recently worked at Grass Valley as the vice president of advanced technology. Previously at GV he served as the vice president of global sales engineering. Timmins has also had experience in senior strategic sales roles at Piksel and Miranda Technologies.

“We are very pleased to welcome Jared to TVU,” said Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks. “He understands the challenges facing today’s changing production environment, and is experienced working with broadcasters to identify the proper solutions for operational success. With Jared now on board, we are consolidating all of our solutions engineering resources globally under his leadership.”

Timmins added: “In bringing a consultative approach to our customer relationships, the Global Solutions Team will focus on identifying opportunities for greater operational efficiencies and greater content monetization throughout our customer’s workflows. We will provide recommendations that utilize the next generation of media supply chain solutions and technologies, such as cloud-enabled workflows.”

Timmins officially joined the company in December 2019 and is based in Atlanta.

WASHINGTON—FedNet is providing live broadcast coverage of the impeachment inquiry hearings using TVU Networks TVU Grid, the company announced this week.

If the House of Representatives approves articles of impeachment of President Donald Trump, the multimedia content provider to the U.S. Congress will also rely on the TVU Grid for its coverage of the subsequent Senate impeachment trial, it said.

FedNet provides a secure video network throughout the Capitol complex. It broadcasts thousands of hearings, press conferences and live Senate and House floor debates. The content provider’s choice of TVU Grid for impeachment hearing coverage is FedNet’s first live streaming initiative, said TVU Networks.

“We needed an infinitely scalable set up,” said FedNet President Keith Carney. “With TVU Grid, we can scale to any number of locations to our network without increasing bandwidth requirements at each site. And we can route live video streams using TVU Grid anywhere in the world with sub-second latency.”

Besides the live gavel-to-gavel multicamera switched coverage of the hearings, FedNet is providing live interviews with legislators. Multiple feeds are being made available on TVU Grid.

FedNet is looking at reaching educational institutions with feeds to assist in the study of political science and journalism as well as targeting commercial media outlets, the company said.

The TVU Grid offers point-to-multipoint bidirectional live video distribution via IP. Those on the grid can view available video sources from around the world and request to make the stream available to their audiences. The TVU Command Center manages TVU Grid, enabling uses to examine the status of transmissions and TVU Servers, the company said.

More information about FedNet is available on the company’s website.

More information about TVU Grid is available on the TVU Networks website.

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—Full Sail University has enlisted TVU Networks’ IP-based live video technology into its curriculum for its Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting to assist with the university’s stated goal of “preparing the next generation of sportscasting talent.”

Students within the degree program will be equipped with the TVU One mobile live video transmitter and the TVU Anywhere mobile app. The TVU One is designed to deliver high-quality, low-latency feeds. The TVU Anywhere app, meanwhile, can be used to turn smart devices into live video transmitters.

The equipment will be used to assist students to capture live shots in the field while sending video feeds back to the in-house TVU transceiver for sportscasting productions and streaming.

“By setting up and using this equipment in a true-to-life way, the students were able to understand how these tools worked and can apply the classroom curriculum to real-life scenarios,” said Gus Ramsey, program director of Full Sail University’s Dan Patrick School of Sportscasting.

BARCELONA, SPAIN – July 23, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, will showcase 4K, HDR, 5G and AI advances for live video acquisition, cloud and remote production at its stand at the IBC (International Broadcasting Convention) this fall. TVU Networks will exhibit in Hall 2, Stand B28 during the show.

“We are excited to introduce at IBC our latest solutions and product updates designed to help our customers cover live events faster, easier and more reliably regardless of location,” said David Jorba, Executive Vice President, Managing Director Europe, TVU Networks. “As an industry leader, we are constantly talking with our customers and developing technology for the next breakthrough in a live IP video workflow, such as the latest advances in the application of AI. Our media supply chain from acquisition through distribution guarantees our customers have the highest resolution at the fastest speeds with easily implemented search and viewer engagement tools.”

Live Transmission

Featuring a newly developed H.265 hardware encoding chip, TVU One 4K delivers full broadcast quality 4K, 10-bit true 60 fps HDR video at as low as 3mbps with proven patented Inverse StatMux Plus technology, IS+. TVU One 4K is able to transmit 4K P60 HDR video reliably over mobile infrastructure at merely 0.5 second latency. Designed for broadcasters requiring mobility, TVU One 4K delivers speed, reliability and picture quality in a compact unit using technology that’s been proven in the most demanding cellular environments. As an example, TVU One 4K will be critically important for upcoming high-profile sporting events like next year’s European football championships, the Summer and Winter Games as well as this year’s Rugby World Cup.

TVU will also display its newest IP based rack-mount point-to-point contribution encoder, the TVU G-Link 4K. Combining one of the most advanced HEVC contribution encoders with the proven technology of IS+, TVU G-Link is able to transmit a 4K P60 4:2:2 HDR video signal over a normal Internet connection at as high as 50mbps. TVU G-Link is designed to meet the most demanding requirements for the highest picture quality available.

TVU MediaMind is central to a story-centric workflow and ensuring an efficient and integrated media supply chain. MediaMind helps to make video content visible throughout the supply chain process, allowing all media to become enabled.

CNN Newsource has successfully used TVU Grid to distribute live HD feeds to affiliate stations globally. CNN Newsource is also taking advantage of a part of the MediaMind workflow with the use of metadata descriptions tagged to each of the feeds. As a result, Newsource affiliates will be able to use TVU’s AI based speech and facial recognition to quickly search and find practically any live or archived media content.

The increasing need for more variety and volume of content requires new cost-effective ways to produce from the field. TVU Remote Production System (RPS) enables synchronized multi-camera remote production using a broadcaster’s existing studio control room and a public Internet connection from the field. Camera feeds are transmitted from a remote location back to the studio over IP, reducing the need for extensive on-site production trucks or large crews.

Al Kamel Systems, a leading motor sports live stats broadcast production specialist, uses TVU RPS to add racing graphics from remote sites, and the TVU Nano for video transmitter for real-time transmission of video from the cockpit of cars participating in the Credit Andorrà G-Series electric car Snow Rally Championships.

Transmissions can be sent straight to the cloud. Events can be produced using cloud-based TVU Producer, a solution whose user-friendly web interface allows producers to make quick cuts, insert graphic overlays from Singular.live’s library, switch between multiple sources, manage audio, compile highlights and instant replays, capture slow-motion clips, and push finalized content to TV and the Internet - all over IP.

To maximize quality and reliability of live video transmission despite less-than-ideal environmental circumstances, Spanish public broadcaster RTVE deployed TVU Networks’ TVU Nano Router and TVU Anywhere to send live video from the Paris-Dakar Rally, held in the Peruvian desert, to the RTVE studio in Barcelona. The live IP streaming videos were shot on smartphones and the content aired live over on RTVE flagship channels La 1 and Teledeporte in broadcast quality. 

MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – July 9, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, has announced the purchase of its TVU Anywhere app for capturing and streaming live video with the TVU Server by the Vegas Stats & Information Network (VSiN.) VSiN uses the TVU set up to produce live remote coverage and updates for its growing audience.

Dedicated to delivering actionable sports betting news, information and analysis, VSiN broadcasts live from its studio at the South Point Hotel Casino and Spa in Las Vegas. VSiN’s first use of TVU Anywhere and TVU Server was a live report from Churchill Downs during this year’s Kentucky Derby when a Derby favorite sustained an injury and was unable to compete. That news shifted the gambling odds. Using TVU Anywhere and TVU Server, the VSiN on-site reporter delivered the news immediately on the VSiN network. The TVU solution was also used for the network’s live remote coverage of The 2019 Preakness Stakes at Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore, Maryland.

“With TVU Anywhere and TVU Server we can set up live interviews and updates at a moment’s notice,” said Brian Rogers, Executive Producer at VSiN. “Due to the expansion of sports betting and the number of events in different markets, we must be able to set up quick and seamless live shots in many locations without full crews. Although we just started using our TVU gear in May, we already foresee expanding its use. It’s easy to operate and integrates smoothly into our workflow. We’re producing linear, broadcast-quality, live interviews and hits with iPhones and iPads. And our need for live and remote programming just continues to grow.”

Rogers believes the TVU Anywhere and TVU Server solution’s ability to quickly deliver late-breaking news and live interviews is of significant benefit to both the network and its audience. He said it will also enable VSiN to better cover sports betting markets across the country by allowing additional contributors to provide commentary and live updates prior to and during events.

“We’re thrilled to be part of this exciting venture of which live streaming is such a key component,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Their fan base relies upon timely video updates as well as the expert commentary provided by the VSiN anchors to make informed betting decisions. Broadcast-quality video will attract viewers beyond their core audience to the site. Reliable, live video is absolutely critical to their current and future success.”

TVU Anywhere

Designed to turn a smart device or laptop instantly into a transmitter, TVU Anywhere is an app for capturing and streaming live video from anywhere, delivering picture quality usually reserved for more expensive professional video equipment. TVU Anywhere uses your smart device’s 4G/LTE wireless connection and WiFi when available to stream live video to a TVU Server video decoder. It uses TVU’s proprietary Inverse StatMux Plus (IS+) technology when aggregating all available 4G/LTE and WiFi bandwidth for streaming to ensure a superior picture. Users can go live instantly and monitor and control the stream from an easy-to-use interface. TVU Anywhere also features remote pan-and-zoom allowing an operator in a studio to control the camera remotely without intervention from the user in the field. Pan-and-zoom control allows for professional camera framing and exposure without degrading the HD picture quality.

TVU Server

The TVU Server (dual-channel VS3500/VS3100 models) can receive video signals from any TVU Networks’ transmission device as well as process IP streams of standard transmission protocol, SDI video, and store files in any MAM system. They are professional video hardware decoders designed for the centralized viewing, control and distribution of live video content.

About TVU Networks®

TVU Networks has over 2,500 customers in more than 85 countries. The TVU Networks family of IP transmission and live production solutions gives broadcasters and organizations a powerful and reliable workflow to distribute live video content to broadcast, online and mobile platforms. TVU has become a critical part of the operations of many major media companies. The TVU Networks suite of solutions has been used to acquire, transmit, produce, manage and distribute professional-quality live IP HD footage as an integral part of news, sports and major global events. For more information about TVU Networks solutions, please visit www.tvunetworks.com.

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – May 29, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, has partnered with Singular.live, providers of an advanced digital overlay platform, to give users of TVU Network’s TVU Producer, a cloud-based live production tool, access to Singular’s template-based graphic overlays directly from the TVU Producer interface.

“By incorporating Singular’s platform on TVU Producer, our customers have greater options and ease of use to create the most dynamic live programming possible,” said Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. “Singular has an incredible selection of overlays for all types of applications – sports, news, entertainment. Users never have to leave the TVU Producer interface to work with a Singular overlay. This is part of our commitment to making live video production seamless and effective for all content creators.”

With TVU Producer, video producers can create multi-camera live events for social media and web streaming platforms without expensive hardware, software or training. The requirement is internet access and a standard web browser. TVU Producer is a cloud-based, multi-camera remote production solution with a WYSIWYG user interface and game-changing features, such as graphics and slow-motion video replay. Requiring no extensive hardware or software, any organization can produce multi-camera live events from any location, with perfectly synchronized switching.

The cloud-based Singular platform provides a full suite of dynamic overlays created by industry professionals with a full authoring environment allowing any user to recreate their own design to match their brand. Singular’s REST API enables users to manage live data, trigger animations of live overlays and more and show producers can manipulate overlays remotely from any location. Singular overlays can be used everywhere from web-friendly production tools to any web-enabled device.

“TVU and Singular are taking cloud production to the next level” commented Andrew Heimbold, CEO, Singular.live “The combination of TVU Producer and our dynamic Singular overlays delivers a ground-breaking solution that is easy to use with zero compromise on quality. This partnership leverages complementary, best-in-class technology to provide even more capabilities to benefit both TVU and Singular users. Together we enable anyone doing cloud production to raise the quality of their production, leading to increased viewer engagement and revenue opportunities. We're excited to see the next generation of content created using TVU and Singular.”

About TVU Networks®

TVU Networks has over 2,500 customers in more than 85 countries. The TVU Networks family of IP transmission and live production solutions gives broadcasters and organizations a powerful and reliable workflow to distribute live video content to broadcast, online and mobile platforms. TVU has become a critical part of the operations of many major media companies. The TVU Networks suite of solutions has been used to acquire, transmit, produce, manage and distribute professional-quality live IP HD footage as an integral part of news, sports and major global events. For more information about TVU Networks solutions, please visit www.tvunetworks.com.

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About Singular.live

Singular is the world’s most advanced digital overlay platform and empowers anyone to make their video content more dynamic and engaging. Developed by multi-award winning industry experts, Singular provides the tools for creating live animating overlays quickly and easily from a web browser. No additional hardware, software or downloads required. Singular overlays can be delivered On Stream, On Device or On Demand enabling interactivity and localization. Sign up for a free account at Singular.live

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MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA – April 17, 2019 – TVU Networks, the global technology and innovation leader in live IP solutions, today announced industry-wide recognition of the new 4K version of its TVU One mobile IP transmitter, the TVU MediaMind Appliance AI-based metadata generation and search engine, and its IS+ proprietary transmission algorithm during last week’s 2019 NAB Show held in Las Vegas. TVU also provided mobile cellular transmitter equipment to producers of “NAB Show LIVE,” the official broadcast of the NAB. The live transmissions went flawlessly, and Broadcast Beat, producers of “NAB Show LIVE”, will continue to use TVU equipment at future events and venues.

“We’re thrilled to have these different organizations recognize different sectors of our work,” said Eric Chang, Vice President of Marketing, TVU Networks. “This really points to the depth of our company and to the IP-based solutions we provide to a range of applications occurring in diverse locations. The products and technologies selected are all next-generation improvements and essential in the creation of a story-centric workflow. We’re focused on pushing the limits of what’s possible to meet our customers’ live content production challenges today and in the future. I believe our run of award wins during the past 10 years as an NAB exhibitor is a direct reflection of our continued commitment to live production innovation.”

In the first NAB Show 2019 Product of the Year Awards, TVU Networks won in the AI/Machine Learning category for its TVU MediaMind Appliance - an AI-based metadata generation and search engine that speeds production performance and content reuse. This is an independently judged awards program that recognizes the most significant and promising new products and technologies exhibited during NAB.

TVU MediaMind, is a metadata generation and search engine that speeds production performance and content reuse within an existing broadcast media supply chain. The system uses a combination of time-code and AI-based facial and speech recognition to generate metadata. And an open API lets users connect directly with MAM and NLE systems. Because the MediaMind appliance utilizes both AI and time code to generate search results, it can convert audio and video into structured data in real-time. It’s capable of searching a raw asset at any stage of production – from assignment through to on-air. With the help of TVU’s AI engine, real-time speech recognition lets users find text results even faster than they would searching for images alone. Users simply type in what they’re looking for and the appropriate section of a time code appears. The real-time content search engine uses time code to identify each asset with a unique ID.

TV Technology magazine presented TVU Networks with a Best of Show Award for the TVU One 4K cellular mobile transmitter during the 2019 NAB Show. The awards are judged by a panel of industry experts on the criteria of innovation, feature set, cost efficiency and performance in serving the industry. All nominated products are featured in a special Best of Show Awards Program Guide, which will be distributed in digital edition form to more than 100,000 readers of seven Future publications.

Also introduced during the 2019 NAB Show, the 4K version of the TVU One mobile transmitter, a cellular mobile unit with the ability to transmit Ultra-HD/4Kp60 HEVC content. The TVU One TM1000 is TVU’s flag-ship HEVC cellular 4G/LTE mobile transmitter. “UHD/4Kp60 is a much more technically challenging resolution to achieve in a cellular mobile unit,” explained Chang. “However, we are able to overcome these challenges and encode video in full UHD/4K at 60 frames per second.”

The TVU One offers a robust set of functions to meet the needs of any live video broadcaster. It delivers industry-leading video transmission resiliency and HD picture quality from an ultra-compact and rugged hardware chassis. With TVU One, users can fully leverage the versatility of a lightweight IP-based video transmitter in the field as a part of an end-to-end workflow without sacrificing performance, features, or picture quality.

PRODU presented TVU Networks with a NAB 2019 Tech Award for its IS+ technology. TVU’s proprietary transmission algorithm, IS+ enables users to simultaneously transmit over multiple mediums with sub-second latency. Thanks to IS+, TVU transmitters can simultaneously aggregate any combination of bandwidth mediums including cellular 3G/4G LTE, WiFi, Ethernet, Ka-band and Ku-band satellite, microwave, microwave mesh and BGAN to deliver a reliable and dependable broadcast picture with latency as low as 0.5 seconds. IS+ uses advanced Forward Error Correction technology to produce superior transmission performance. When compared to traditional FEC/ARQ methods, IS+ uses minimal data overhead without latency introduced by packet retransmission. The result is a reliable transmission with high-quality images and ultra-low latency even in a moving vehicle.

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About TVU Networks®
TVU Networks® is the global technology and innovation leader in IP-based live video solutions. With over 2,500 customers in more than 85 countries, TVU Networks family of IP transmission and live production solutions gives broadcasters and organizations a powerful and reliable workflow to distribute live video content to broadcast, online and mobile platforms. The TVU Networks suite of solutions has been used to acquire, transmit, produce, manage and distribute professional-quality live IP HD footage as an integral part of news, sports and major global events. For more information about TVU Networks solutions, please visit www.tvunetworks.com