MAYAH Communications

Technology Highlights

IO [io] 8000/8001 as an affordable on-site video preview solution.

Growing availability of a broadband IP-networks, including the hi-quality internet access types allow the broadcasters quite a few applications helping to save money on their daily operations. One of the routine tasks in the live outside production is to get the backhaul video from the studio. Normally there are only three options available (Fig. 1).

1. Using a cost-free but highly delayed terrestrial signal (e.g. DVB-T or analogue), which also can be pretty unstable in some areas

2. Using a satellite broadcasting signal, which just like the terrestrial signal has a significant additional delay and also may not present on the currently available satellites on location.

3. Using an additional leased satellite capacity for the backhaul, which at least doubles the price of transmission.

With IO [io] 8000/8001 there are IP / Internet channels can be used for this task (Fig. 2). Extremely high efficiency of MPEG-4 H.264 video encoding allows more than satisfactory preview quality for any content using the bit rates as low as 1,5 Mbit/s and a very good quality for typical "talking heads" contents at bit rates below 1 Mbit/s. Particular architecture of MAYAH IO [io] provide the broadcasters with the solution which can also deliver the studio signal back to the filming location much faster than on the typical route. An on-site preview of the signal from studio rarely requires the best picture quality ever possible. So using MPEG-4 SP option of the IO the end-to-end delay may go below 250 ms – the live interviews between studio and location can then look much more fluent than usually.

An advantage of using a pair of IO [io] MPEG-4 H.264 En/Decoders for this applications is surely their automated operation. They're being re-synced automatically providing a shortest possible interruption in case of an IP route failure. They also can be finely adjusted on the current network conditions. However it is possible to reduce the costs of an installation using a convenient IP-capable set-top-box in the OB Van / on site, to receive the signal from the IO installed in the broadcasting centre. If network configuration allows there can be an advantage of the IP multicasting used to stream the desired contents from the studio to multiple locations.

Of course the IO [io] devices can be used also for the main audio & picture transmission from the location to the broadcasting centre, if there’s enough IP-bandwidth available and the network is sufficiently reliable. (Fig. 3)

Fig. 1

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Fig. 2

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Fig. 3

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