Live Remote Broadcasts from Disaster Areas

In the event of a serious storm or unexpected disaster, the best way to get information is still from live television broadcasts.  While slowly developing weather events, like hurricanes and blizzards, can be forecast and tracked in advance, other events, like tornados and earthquakes, often occur suddenly with little if any advance warning.  In both cases, it is important that the public see what is going on, where the damage is, and even if evacuation is needed.  Live remote broadcasts from these locations can supply the this information to a broad audience in real time.

Reporters do not hesitate to go on scene to investigate breaking news where and when it is unfolding, in order to share that information with the general public.  Everyone has seen the TV shot of a reporter battling the wind or snow while doing a live report, but little attention is paid to the technology needed to make this broadcast happen.

At Telairity, we design and manufacture video processing solutions expressly designed to withstand the rigors of live field news reporting. Telairity has been an industry leader in this area for years with our BC8110 28V DC encoder for aircraft, and our BE8110, BE8500, and new Nexgen BE8600 encoders for ground vehicles.  With reliability features like dual power supplies, usability features like “instant on,” and encoding capabilities that include both high bitrate 4:2:2 10-bit mode for capturing the best possible images for archiving and editing, and low bitrate 4:2:0 8-bit mode for backhaul over crowded urban airways or direct-to-viewer distribution, Telairity contribution encoders have been durable, responsive workhorses for all types of ENG (electronic news gathering) vehicles since their introduction in 2008.

For more information on the products Telairity offers that can meet the demands of live remote broadcasts from difficult situations and locations, please contact us.

The Translation of Video Transmission

The modes by which we receive and interact with video as a culture are undergoing a shift.  As internet streaming speeds improve, and a more á la carte approach to television increases, the broadcasting industry is experiencing a potentially radical shift.  Much like the music industry, subscription services are changing the way many consumers understand and enjoy video:  Youtube is ever increasing in popularity; businesses like Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO Go, and Hulu Plus are gaining more traction; and products like the Apple TV, Roku, and the new Chromecast are enabling this rising tide of video to easily reach your TV via the internet.

While some are quick to forecast the end of broadcast TV, the reality is that typical broadcast  services don’t quite overlap with what is available on the web.  There are still some things that subscription and streaming services can’t offer.  News is one example – the digital transmission of live events for a public audience is something uniquely offered by broadcasters.  Additionally, local programming, emergency alert systems, and other real-time services are staples of the broadcasting industry that can’t be as effectively disseminated by any other current method.

The staple of broadcasting is video, the rising tide that increasingly floats all internet boats. The pressing need of the internet age is not for established broadcasters to be replaced by new entrants, providing some analog of the news and other services now offered by today’s cable, satellite, and over-the-air broadcasters. Rather, the need is for broadcasters to fully embrace the internet’s potential as an interactive, world-wide delivery channel in order to adapt, expand, and enhance the services they already know how to provide uniquely well.

It is precisely at these exciting crossroads of change and evolution that businesses involved in  video technology must understand and analyze the shifting nature of today’s landscape in order to better provide their customers with what they want and need.  Though the method and markets for broadcast media are undoubtedly changing, you can be sure that our experts at Telairity are on top of the trends, and intent on providing broadcasters together with all other professional video providers the latest innovative technology to answer the demands of new media.