Satellite newsgathering technology continues to improve at a rapid rate, allowing larger news organizations to cut the costs of providing reports from locations around the globe and also enabling smaller organizations to expand their operations. What technology advancements are on the horizon and how small and capable can newsgathering equipment become?
On-Demand - View Via Satellite’s Digital Satellite Newsgathering Webcast, presented October 21, 2008. View this live webcast and discover the latest SNG technology advancements, how simple operations of SNG units can be made, if there is a choice between small size and more power, the developments on the horizon and more! www.satellitetoday.com/webinars/sng |
Traditional satellite newsgathering (SNG) trucks continue to play an important role in the broadcasting arena, but as the 24-hour news cycle brings more demands for live content from around the globe, small driveaway and man-portable digital SNG (DSNG) units are becoming the must-have tool for news organizations.
Grab-and-Gos and Driveaways
Beginning in the 1990’s, DSNG units slashed the typically required transponder bandwidth by a factor of 4 or more and carrier power requirements by a factor of 8 or more. Today’s improved modulation with DVB-S2 (Digital Video Broadcasting-Satellite-Second Generation) and advanced video compression (AVC), H.264/MPEG-4, more powerful processors, amplifiers, and satellites combined with technologies like GPS and automation are enabling manufacturers to shrink DSNG systems and offer more portability and ease of operation than ever before. RF packages mount on standard vehicle roofs without requiring body work, turning an SUV or minivan into a DSNG truck. Automation points antennas, configures video and uplink transmission parameters, providing the goal of push-button operation by a single non-technical reporter.
Swe-Dish’s IPT Suitcase, used by both military personnel and journalists in Iraq, allows 10 megabits per second (Mbps) IP traffic in a suitcase-sized package. The company’s DA150K Drive-Away looks like a box on top of an SUV or a van until the antenna deploys and automatically points towards the satellite, allowing on-air operation in 10 minutes. A GPS/compass option lets a user press a few buttons and then watch the antenna lock onto the selected satellite and operate high-defintion (HD) MPEG-4, IP streaming or DVB-S2.
ND Satcom’s SkyRay Light IPS system is another example of the growing trend towards one-button touchscreen operation and increased use of VSAT and IP streaming technology. The system employs H.264/MPEG-4 AVC transport over IP for standard-definition or HD and satellite for live video streaming or store-and-forward video from 512 kilobits per second (kbps) to 7 Mbps. "Another advantage for broadcasters is to mix live portions of a story with pre-recorded ones, depending on the desired quality of the content and available bandwidth," says Christian Adolph, director of marketing and communications for ND Satcom. "For instance, the live introduction to the story by a reporter can be streamed with standard-definition resolution, while the main portion is pre-recorded at HD resolution and sent back to the newsroom via video file transfer."
The company’s SkyRay Light antenna system is designed with an aerodynamic carbon fiber casing for quick and easy roof mounting on most van or all-terrain vehicle models and weighs less than 75 kilograms.
Better satellite performance also is a key factor allowing greater portability. A case in point is global mobile satellite operator Inmarsat’s I-4 next-generation satellites. The third I-4 satellite was placed into orbit in August, completing the company’s three-satellite constellation and enabling users to access Inmarsat’s Broadband Global Area Network coverage around the globe. "Inmarsat’s newest I-4 satellite constellation has provided a real step-change in satellite newsgathering capabilities, with lower costs and greatly increased portability," says Frank August, Inmarsat’s director of business development, America. "Compared to Inmarsat’s GAN (Global Area Network) service, BGAN service provides over four times the data speed with 50 percent of the hardware/service cost and 25 percent of the hardware weight."
More capable encoder/decoders and modulator/demodulators packaged in a single box for DSNG yield much higher effective data rates than was practical just a few years ago. Scopus Video Networks’ UE-9818 MPEG-4/AVC DVB-S2 SNG encoder-modulator, "can save operators 65 percent to 70 percent of their current bandwidth expense," says David Shamir, encoder product marketing manager for Scopus.
Solid-state power amplifier (SSPA) technology improvement is another development aiding portability. High-power amplifier manufacturers like Wavestream, Xicom and Anacom, have increased power in their products, helping to make systems more portable. "Because Wavestream SSPAs are about half the size and weight and use one-third less power than conventional Ku-band SSPAs, they are being used in more and more DSNG and portable environments where space, weight and fuel consumption are at a premium and portability is key," says WaveStream’s CEO Chris Branscum. "Multi-hundred watt [traveling wave tube amplifiers] are overkill with today’s satellites at standard video bit rates when a compact SSPAs like our 40- or 80-watt units with internal [block-up converters] can mount directly on the antenna flange and deliver just as much usable linear power."
| "Mobile satellite IP terminals are still relatively expensive to own and operate, regardless of their portability, but are still vastly less expensive than buying a satellite truck or flyaway." — Barnett, CNN |
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