Sunday, February 26, 2012

BBC goes full mobile for Olympic Torch

The BBC has announced that it will be providing live continuous video coverage of the Olympic Torch relay as it travels around the UK beginning on May 19.  The signal will be carried full-time live on the Internet, as well as being picked up by different regional and national BBC channels.
  The coverage will come from the inclusion of a Wireless Multiplex Terminal systems in certain relay support vehicles.  The WMT uses a mix of 4-8 SIM cards from different 3G operators to transmit video through 3G's expanded data channel.  Having multiple cards, along with a software-based parsing system (called Continuous Picture Technology), provides a reliable and stable video connection, even while on the move.  Mixing cards from various 3G service providers also allows coverage to be maintained throughout varying mobile coverage conditions. While the article doesn't mention specifics, the WMT device can accept video through cables from cameras, or can be connected to other systems accepting wireless video feeds.
WMT and similar systems are becoming the preferred solution for live remote news coverage, as they offer a more flexible and increasingly more cost-efficient alternative to satellites or microwave uplinks.

1 comment:

  1. What a cool feature and great idea! I never thought I would say this, but well done BBC! Not a very influential network in my life, BBC continues to be on the cutting edge with software and broadcasting brilliance that is shown in many of my classes and videos here at the University of Tennessee. I am going to get the word out about this broadcasting of the torch as never before done, and certainly will tune in! Great post!

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