21 CONTENT FOCUS Live Streaming
hether it be for marketing purposes, as a supplement to traditional broadcasting, to increase access to live events or for fun among a private group, live video streaming is adding another component to the way
information is communicated. But live streaming is not as easy as you might first imagine. Even the simplest content has an aspect of risk. Errors in the stream are diicult to hide given the live nature of the content, and viewers won’t wait around if there’s an interruption in the stream. Live video streaming is composed of a chain of interlocking parts, including production, connectivity, encoding, CDN and delivery services. These and other elements are being increasingly oered as a package by streaming media companies, some of which also provide bespoke online video players and stream analytics. sub-broadcast quality stream. Video production and live-streaming company Streaming Tank, whose clients include i24News and Eurosport, use Sony EX3 and PMW- 300 and Canon EOS C300 cameras for capture – and have access to larger ENG cameras and capabilities for 4K for more complex events. For its bigger productions or locations with poor network signals, Streaming Tank even runs its own OB truck which oers access to a Dawson Tooway satellite as well as integrated connectivity, vision and sound equipment, including BlackMagic Design’s ATEM Television Studio live production switcher and HyperDeck Studio recorder. Streaming Tank uses a mix of in-house kit and expertise plus external partners and freelancers to put together a video production service to fit the event – from lean single- camera solutions to complex, dynamic shoots required in stadiums, festivals and outdoor events. PRODUCTION These days there’s nothing acceptable about a
DEMANDING AUDIENCE Viewers will not accept any interruption in the stream – even of just a few seconds
CONNECTIVITY Once a video and sound team are in place some companies may want to utilise stand-alone connectivity solutions as a way to get the on-site video stream from venue out to the internet. “In the simplest set-up this means having our own engineers on-site with our encoders connected to a stable broadband connection, but that is not always possible so we work with a number of alternatives,” says Jake Ward, business development director at live-stream specialist Groovy Gecko. These connectivity alternatives include: Satellite bandwidth: Streaming media producers with expertise in IP-over-satellite can set up an on-site broadband connection good enough to stream your webcast with full redundancy. Satellite/fibre acquisition: When the video signal is already being uplinked to a satellite or transmitted over fibre to BT Tower, producers can bring the signal down into a partner satellite acquisition centre and encode your webcast from there. Mobile multiplexing: For webcasting on the move or in diicult environments, backpacks are the best option. LiveU’s units, for example, merge together multiple 3G, 4G and wireless signals and output a high-quality video stream that can be acquired at the streaming provider’s hub and encoded for your webcast. Smaller, lightweight THEY ASSUME THAT A STRONG INTERNET CONNECTION FOR THINGS LIKE WEB BROWSING WILL BE THE SAME FOR LIVE STREAMING
CASE STUDY: BAFTA At the end of last year, Groovy Gecko live-streamed the
beyond that of a static, non- live stream. By combining the eect of live video and the 360° feature, viewers had extended access to an exclusive event and got to follow the celebrities as they walked the red carpet.” After only an hour, Virgin Media’s stream had attracted around one and a half times more viewers than the live stream on the oicial BAFTA Facebook page, which did not feature 360° interactivity. “This suggests our 360 video was more attractive to viewers than a simple live stream, which would not have aorded the same type of immersion for viewers,” says Ward.
Virgin TV BAFTA Television Awards 2017. Interviews from the star-studded red carpet were delivered directly to Virgin Media’s Facebook page, in interactive 360 video. This allowed viewers to look around the red carpet as though they were on it and alter their viewpoint by physically moving their mobile device or using a mouse on a computer/laptop. “The beauty of a 360 stream is the amount of freedom it gives to the audience,” says Jake Ward. “This makes for a highly interactive and immersive experience, far
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