Asia-Pacific Broadcasting (APB) April 2018 Volume 35, Issue 3 | Page 30

30 Axon supports CTV 4K/UHD OB fleet CTV Outside Broadcast, a subsidiary of Euro Media Group (EMG), has completed the refurbishment and technical upgrade of three of its outside broadcast (OB) units to 4K/UHD. The new OB vehicle features 24 Sony 4K/UHD cameras, a 160-input Sony MVS-8000X mixer and six EVS server positions. At the heart of the operation is Axon’s Cerebrum monitoring and control platform, which supports three 4K/UHD galleries through a graphical interface and custom-built panels of 42 LED buttons. MX1 unifies live video editing in MX1 360 MX1, a wholly-owned subsidiary of satellite services provider SES, has launched MX1 360, a unified media platform designed to enhance editing processes and introduce new workflows through the remote editing of sports, news and other live events via the cloud. To assist editors working on- the-fly, the system is able to associate external metadata with the live feed, empowering users to locate specific events when producing fast turnaround highlights packages. MX1 360 also allows for the archiving and future repurposing of content and highlights while enabling content to be distributed to broadcast, VoD and OTT platforms worldwide. Next Month @ Distribution Fibre Connectivity April 2018 Mobile disruption sheds new light in broadening DTH opportunities Direct-to-home (DTH) is undoubtedly one of the most reliable and consistent video delivery mechanisms. But as media consumption on mobile devices continues to proliferate, DTH has to continuously evolve in search of its new standing in the future of TV. Josephine Tan writes more. T he keyword for TV of the future is mobile, declares Terry Bleakley, managing director of sales, Asia-Pacific, Intelsat. Long gone were the days where view- ers only watch TV from the comforts of their home, Bleakley tells APB, because consumers will continue to move to- wards watching programmes on-the-go. “Whether it’s watching video on mobile devices as they ride a train to work, or from tablets as they fly from one region to the next, or while riding in a connected car and watching the dashboard, TV of the future has to be accessible anywhere, and at anytime,” he adds. Suggesting that programmers re- quire solutions that will enable them to deliver content quickly and in mul- tiple formats, he highlights that satel- lite technology is “well positioned” to support this TV on-the-go trend alongside DTH, which still continues to be the “most dominant and reliable platform in the Asia-Pacific region as it offers great advantages for pay-TV operators”. With over-the-top (OTT) becom- ing more prominent, delivering OTT Three satellites in Intelsat’s video neighbourhood in the Asia-Pacific region — Intelsat 17, Intelsat 19 and Intelsat 20 — connect operators to cable headends globally, allowing them to distribute content to global markets and expand their businesses rapidly. PANELLISTS Martin Coleman Executive Director Satellite Interference Reduction Group Amitabh Kumar Director, Corporate Zee Network Shalu Wasu Managing Director Eleven Sports Network ❝ The demand for available, uncongested bandwidth is stronger than it has ever been before, and will only continue to increase. Global dependence on satellites will continue to grow as reliable bandwidth is needed to meet the demand. ❞ — Terry Bleakley, Managing Director of Sales, Asia-Pacific, Intelsat content in Asia-Pacific has increasing- ly become a challenge, says Bleakley. “In more developed countries with good fibre infrastructure, OTT will be- come an alternative or complement to DTH. However, the reality is that many Asian countries have poor broadband infrastructure, and rely on their mobile infrastructure to meet broadband de- mands outside of metropolitan areas.” In order to eliminate the strain on these networks, satellite technology with “smart caching” to the edge of the networks is what he calls a “smart play”, and is an area that Intelsat has been working on with ecosystem partners to better support media cus- tomers in the future. And to support the continued evo- lution of TV, three satellites in Intelsat’s video neighbourhood in the Asia- Pacific region — Intelsat 17, Intelsat 19 and Intelsat 20 — are able to connect operators to cable headends around the world, allowing them to distribute content to global markets and expand their businesses rapidly through a “comprehensive” global network and “well-supported” infrastructure. Bleakley elaborates: “Our satellites are designed to deliver connectivity on land, air and at sea, which is where many consumers are watching their preferred programmes. The demand for available, uncongested bandwidth is stronger than it has ever been before, and will only continue to increase. Global dependence on satellites will continue to grow as reliable bandwidth is needed to meet the demand.” Intelsat has also collaborated with Dejero to launch CellSat, a hybrid solution that combines cellular con- nectivity from multiple mobile net- work carriers with Ku-band IP satellite connectivity to broadcast live TV