Vislink showcases 5G and cloud-based wireless solutions in support of 5G broadcast innovations
Vislink has delivered private network 5G technology at the recent Gallagher Premiership Rugby match between Saracens and the Northampton Saints at StoneX Stadium in London. The Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint deployment brings bidirectional IP connectivity right to the edge and delivers operational efficiencies for broadcasters by enabling virtualised production in the cloud.
Vislink supported the BT-led project to highlight the potential for 5G in broadcast contributions, which centred on the connection of the matchday cameras to a standalone private 5G network. These cameras’ output then formed part of the live BT Sport coverage of the match in a UK first — never before have key matchday cameras, as part of a customer broadcast, been enabled in this way. BT Media & Broadcast and BT Sport led the project with support from Broadcast RF, the University of Strathclyde and Neutral Wireless.
Throughout the duration of the rugby match, broadcast live on BT Sport, Vislink deployed private network 5G transmitters alongside COFDM technology to demonstrate how 5G technology is evolving to deliver guaranteed quality, low latency video from wireless cameras to give immersive up-close camera shots of the sporting drama and get viewers right to the heart of the action.
Mobile Viewpoint’s 5G-enabled encoder devices up-linked individual camera feeds directly to the cloud over a combination of a secure, low latency 5G private network and IP LAN. With a direct hand-off to BT Sport’s virtualised production workflow, camera feeds could be selected by the director for the programme feed entirely within a cloud environment. This solely cloud-based implementation proves Mobile Viewpoint’s capability to deliver new cost and operation benefits to create a breakthrough for remote production operations.
“This is the latest example of Vislink’s continued leadership,” said Carleton M Miller, CEO of Vislink. “With COFDM, and public and private 5G wireless solutions, Vislink 5G has the operational advantage to simplify content capture system deployments as they transition to end-to-end bidirectional IP connectivity. Vislink and Mobile Viewpoint are leading the industry on a path to deploy hybrid transmitters using a combination of technologies – enabling a higher density of wireless video feeds and more efficient all-IP remote production virtualised solutions for live events.”