MX1, the technical services subsidiary of Astra satellite operator SES, has joined forces with German video distribution solutions provider Smart Mobile Labs (SML) to bundle satellite and LTE technology.
Targeting broadcasters and event organisers, the new service combines MX1 OU Flex’s 150 Mbps of bandwidth supplied by SES’ satellites fleet with SML’s 5G-ready LTE/Wi-Fi hotspot solution, enabling HD and UHD content to be distributed to a specialised mobile application on the smartphones of thousands of event spectators and audiences around the world.
SML’s LTE technology is based on the company’s core technology, Edge Video Orchestrator (EVO), which allows switching of real-time video streams with a low latency and will extend OU Flex connectivity on-location to deliver video, audio, and data streams through a local mobile network for rebroadcasting and Content Delivery Network (CDN) distribution. The combined solution is proven with 4G LTE technology, according to the partners.
OU Flex, which was launched in March 2018, provides a video distribution and bidirectional IP connectivity solution for broadcasters, live event producers, event organisers and remote operators. The solution works even when terrestrial and mobile networks are congested and in remote areas to ensure that over-the-top streaming and social media updates can be executed from the field while also distributing video feeds to TV sets globally.
The new OU Flex feature can be used for a variety of applications. One is extending a network to mobile cameras that deliver focused views of an event to OU Flex-connected spectators onsite and audiences around the world. The mobile application can then offer these shots in a split-screen mode, directed by the viewer’s choice. Additionally, the customer can add sponsor information, graphic elements or social media conversations to the video feed in real time.
“We enhanced the audience experience at a major baseball game with our EVO technology by enabling spectators to use their smartphones or tablets to choose the camera angle from which they’d like to view the game — whether from the pitcher’s, catcher’s, or cheerleader’s point of view,” said Andreas Westhoff, CEO of SML. “By combining our solution into MX1’s OU Flex, we can go further because of satellite’s reliability and reach. Now we will be able to deliver our unique capabilities to customers in remote locations or in network congested situations.”
