Zest Technologies helps deliver UHD feeds through lower-capacity fibre for BT Media & Broadcast
The world’s largest global broadcasters rely on BT Media & Broadcast to create and distribute high-capacity content securely and resiliently from camera to screen. Supporting more than 600 media production companies and broadcasters globally, this live UHD TV OB delivery specialist moves 24,000 hours of content per day.
In 2019, BT Media & Broadcast began expanding its capacity by adopting NTT Electronics’ HEVC technology. Members of the Zest Technologies team have been assisting them from the start, recently introducing NTT’s new multi-channel HC32000 encoders into the mix for delivery of UHD sports services, including for English Premier League football, European Club football (Champions League, Europa League, Europa Conference League), International European football (Euros, Nations League), and English rugby and boxing.
The majority of this sports coverage passes over the BT TVOB, Next Gen and Vena fibre networks. BT also regularly transmits over satellite via its TVOB hybrid trucks, and occasionally over 7G digital microwave radio links. This extensive, high-capacity fibre network connects stadiums and other venues around the UK. As sports content is fast moving, UHD is essential for maintaining high-quality video output for viewers.
At top-tier venues, due to the network bandwidth going into customers’ premises, BT need to use HEVC encoding to deliver a UHD feed. To offer its UHD services universally at venues with lower-capacity fibre or no fibre at all, BT needed to adopt its HEVC capability and they needed a way to allow their team to deliver the highest quality UHD services via more cost-efficient use of lower bandwidth. Having NTTs at the venues helped BT improve its remote production services by improving flexibility and workflow efficiency while having minimal presence at the stadiums. BT also needed a long-term, reliable solution that would allow it to easily expand its services capacity over several years.
At the recommendation of Zest, BT began investing in NTT Electronics’ HC11000 single channel encoders and decoders for high-end UHD contribution. BT uses the HC11000s primarily to deliver video provided for UK and international broadcasters for Champions League, European and national league events. The encoders and decoders are used in four of BT’s satellite trucks and four fibre trucks. A fifth fibre truck will have NTT solutions installed later in 2023.
The reliability of NTT’s solutions has kept BT investing in them since the initial installation in 2019. It now has a large pool of NTT encoders and decoders, including a recent investment in the new HC32000 series of multichannel encoders and decoders.
“We appreciate the reliability that NTT’s solutions provide to us. They have been instrumental in helping us build HEVC capability into our portfolio. This allows us to deliver additional UHD production feeds at lower bandwidths, which is of particular benefit for venues with reduced fibre capacity,” said John Sitkowski, head of operations – occasional use, BT Media & Broadcast.