ITV News is investing further in LiveU’s IP video systems, aiming to make their teams’ live news gathering more efficient, flexible and economical, to produce more content from the source.
ITV News is expanding the range of devices, software and workflows it deploys from LiveU's IP video capture and transmission systems. Based on its existing relationship with LiveU, ITV has several goals associated with this investment. They also expect to be able to design workflows that will help control costs and, ultimately, improve their operations’ long-term sustainability from both an environmental and a workflow perspective.
Initiated in 2022, the deployment spans the video production chain from contribution and production to distribution. Multiple LiveU portable mobile encoders are deployed nationwide for daily newsgathering, including both the LU800 and LU300 models. Multi-cam LU800 units are used both inside and outside ITV's fleet of news production vehicles (NPVs), which were developed by NEP as plug-in hybrids with onboard batteries.
The LU800s can be detached from the NPVs to be used as autonomous units, avoiding traditional broadcast truck limitations. The deployment of LU300s is large. Acquired for use as roving units, the devices extend ITV News' newsgathering potential to more camera operators due to their compact size, complemented by the LU-Smart mobile app.
Communications
ITV also takes advantage of LiveU's Video Return capabilities, designed to bring video from the studio to people on location. Here, it's being used to assist operators’ interactions with the studio, as well as prompting and cueing video when ITV is carrying out a particularly complex outside broadcast or a presented feed directly from the field.
Audio Connect is also in use so that news anchors and producers in the station can communicate with their team in the field. Similar to an intercom system allowing two-way interaction, it is also useful for one-way, one-to-many and many-to-many communications.
Using LiveU’s smart connectivity algorithms, LiveU Audio Connect maintains low delay and resilient audio communication regardless of network fluctuations. The algorithms, called LiveU Reliable Transport, are optimized to support the bonding of multiple IP connections. Users can route the audio signals in the station to an existing LiveU servers using an audio interface unit, and then configure and control the connection via LiveU Central cloud-based management software for LiveU’s field and studio units.
IP Video Distribution
ITV also uses the LiveU Matrix cloud-native IP video distribution platform for sharing and receiving high-quality, low-latency live feeds across the regions and ITN in London and outside the organization.
It supports the management of an essentially unlimited number of live feeds and shares them with a global audience, without needing dedicated infrastructure. It can not only save on video distribution costs by replacing fibre or satellite uplinks with more affordable distribution over public internet, but also makes it simpler to add destinations and sources. As broadcast requirements change, users are more likely to be able to maintain performance and cost levels.
Regarding connectivity, Steve Teague, Head of Technical Services for ITV News, said, "LiveU as a platform for this live, remote newsgathering project was attractive because it's fundamentally IP. Its flexibility and lack of reliance on hardware or fixed locations of the operators, in contrast to DVB-style baseband transmission, means this approach is very flexible. It also gave us the opportunity to move our relationship with LiveU closer to a service provider model, in which we could evolve together. That was a fundamental aspect of this project."
Dynamic Relationship
The communications side of the project was significant for ITV News. Steve said, "When we looked at the LiveU EcoSystem, we saw a lot of potential, Audio Connect being a case in point. We had a few extra requirements and were working very closely with LiveU. Because we could feed back to their developers what was happening in the field, rather than in the lab, we had a dynamic relationship that sped up the process and made setting up our new processes much more efficient."
Steve remarked that LiveU's systems have developed rapidly over time. “Working this way – with compact, mobile, IP-based devices – has absolutely shaped the way we gather news and the way we go live at ITV. I believe we would really struggle to work without IP bonding now."
Matt Stringer, Sales Director, LiveU said, "The ITV project has seen us further develop the way we work with customers, enhancing both our portfolio and the dynamic way in which we can operate. The development process and the resulting workflows can benefit other broadcasters, too." www.liveutv.net
