12
NEWS & VIEWS
The importance
of bi-directional
data in the field
With broadcasters under pressure to
produce more content from more loca-
tions with fewer resources, in shorter
spaces of time, remote production
teams in the field are in need of reliable
solutions to integrate their workflows
with the central broadcast facility, and
ultimately increase their productivity.
More specifically, remote teams
are increasingly dependent on reliable
Internet connectivity to access and
exchange data with their newsroom
or production facilities. Accessing the
Internet, private networks and data
secured behind corporate firewalls re-
mains a challenge. Their ability to con-
nect wherever they are — to research
stories, access media assets and transfer
files — is becoming paramount.
In the past, this was often imprac-
tical without advanced planning to
establish links and network engineers
to set them up.
If a reporter is also tasked with edit-
ing in the field, the station will often put
B-roll and graphics on to a disk for a
driver to courier to the breaking news
scene. The driver waits around for the
news package to be edited and then
returns to the station with the disk —
dealing with traffic and varying weather
conditions along the way. This is the old
way of bi-directional data transporta-
tion, which can take hours.
By utilising Dejero’s GateWay con-
nectivity solution, a network blending
router installed in a production vehi-
cle or racked in a mobile REMI cart;
combined with cellular connectivity
services that bring fast, reliable and
secure Internet access in the field, teams
can view return video feeds, connect a
VoIP phone, access MAM systems, or
conduct research online from anywhere
in the world.
A cloud-based management system
enables broadcasters to remotely config-
ure their fleet of routers, no matter where
they are installed. In addition, they can
manage data usage and view analytics.
Delivery of high-bandwidth Inter-
net connectivity is made possible by
Dejero’s network blending technology.
Cellular connections from multiple
carriers are blended to create a virtual
network. Algorithms dynamically and
intelligently manage the fluctuating
bandwidth, packet loss and latency
differences of individual connections
to choose the optimal path to route IP
packets to their destination.
Broadcasters can now essentially
create a large pipe to send and receive
data to and from the remote team. By
providing increased reliability from
Yvonne
Monterroso,
Director
of Product
Management,
Dejero
carrier diversity and greater throughput
that enables faster bi-directional data
transfer, a whole new range of workflows
is possible. Remote crews can now ac-
cess their newsroom or MAMs, send
and receive large files, access cloud
services used for collaboration, and
communicate with their colleagues
back at the studio — making them more
productive in the field.
Broadcasters used to struggle with
the speed of Mi-Fi hotspot devices or
the hotspot capabilities of their phones,
mainly due to the limited bandwidth
available from a single modem, and the
reliance on a single carrier that may
have limited coverage areas. Files that
would have taken over an hour to send
back to base on cellular networks, now
take under a minute to send. In reverse,
content being sent from headquarters
does not have to be couriered on-site
anymore, saving mileage, equipment
wear and tear, and driver fatigue.
At the remote location, a local area
network is created to which laptops,
mobile phones and other devices can
connect. It is much more practical than
existing systems that require extensive
set-up and management, and the data
transmission speeds are as much as 10
times faster than anything currently on
the market.
News organisations strive to be first
on the scene of breaking news, provide
compelling coverage, and to work faster
than their competitors.
Access to a more reliable and more
secure world of Internet connectivity,
especially while mobile and from re-
mote locations, saves broadcasters time,
resources and money.
Field crews no longer need to de-
pend on a single cellular connection
with the inherent bandwidth and avail-
ability constraints. Essentially, they can
do anything that they can do back at
the broadcast facility while in the field.
Not only does this make remote crews
more productive with more integrated
workflows, but it also helps broadcasters
deliver more content. q
June 2018
ConnecTechAsia
accelerates Asia’s
digital transformation
SINGAPORE – For the first time, legacy events
CommunicAsia and BroadcastAsia, alongside the
newly launched NXTAsia, are coming together
to connect, transform and capture the future of
Asia’s media and entertainment industry. Branded as ConnecTechAsia,
the annual tech event welcomes delegates from all around the world
to experience the future where technologies, ideas and business models
converge.
Staging its inaugural edition from June 26-28 across two venues at
Marina Bay Sands and Suntec Singapore, this year’s show is presenting
a media ecosystem where technologies such as IP, 4K/Ultra HD (UHD),
artificial intelligence (AI), augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) and
clo