Sony and Deutsche Telekom have successfully tesed a live-video solution based on CAMARA network APIs.
The solution from Sony and its subsidiary Nevion uses Deutsche Telekom’s network APIs to make optimum use of the 5G network and offer unprecedented low latency and reliable bandwidth, which is essential for live, professional video production.
The tests were carried out on a 5G standalone (SA) testbed in a Deutsche Telekom lab environment in Krakow, Poland. As part of the test, Sony used its recently-launched CBK-RPU7 HEVC 4K/HD remote production unit for the video compression, and its new 5G Portable Data Transmitter PDT-FP1 – both attached to a camera.
The network APIs used in the tests follow the standards set by CAMARA, the open-source network API project within the Linux Foundation, of which Deutsche Telekom is an active member.
“Live TV with multiple cameras means high technical requirements. 5G Standalone simplifies this kind of complex media production: Standardised, programmable interfaces ensure low latency times and stable bandwidths. In combination with 5G modems and innovative data compression, the quality of service can be adapted to optimize particularly important video signals. This makes broadcasting operations more efficient. Together with our partner Sony, we have successfully tested this 5G innovation,” said Claudia Nemat, Board Member for Technology and Innovation at Deutsche Telekom.
5G technology is of significant interest to broadcasters, because of its logistical agility and potential savings it provides in live production. However, despite the high performance of 5G networks, challenges remain when using the technology for high-end live production. The broadcasts require huge volumes of video data to be transported in real-time and without fail. Live productions often take place in crowded environments (such as stadiums) with high contention rate and involve many cameras. To ensure an enhanced live TV production with 5G, the feed that is live on air needs to be transferred with optimized latency and bandwidth, a capability successfully demonstrated using Network APIs in the joint test.
Network APIs are defined and standardized by the CAMARA Initiative, announced by the GSMA in February 2022. The initiative consists of network operators, technology providers, cloud providers, operating system providers and application developers.
