The battle for breaking news has reached a feverish level amongst mainstream media outlets. Traditionally, a news desk gets a lead about a story, sends out a reporter and a camera crew, and if they want to broadcast live they also need to roll-out a broadcast truck. These trucks carry satellite and microwave transmission equipment that is used to send live video over the air and back to the studio. The cost to run and maintain the trucks is very high, and the cost to transmit over satellite is even higher. Most TV news stations can only afford to maintain a few, and they have to pick and choose what stories they want to broadcast live.
Big stories will often draw swarms of reporters, broadcast trucks, helicopters, and eye-witness reports. Usually, whoever gets the story first tends to hold on to that story, which makes it vital to have the tools that let you get the air first. But sending out and setting up satellite truck is timely, and minutes make the difference. So, how do you bridge the gap and gain the competitive edge? You go mobile.
This year at NAB VBrick introduced a Mobile Broadcasting System (MBS) that provides a back-packed sized kit for broadcasting real-time audio and video back to the studio using mobile phone providers data networks. Leveraging 3G and 4G technology, the MBS allows a reporter and camera to go live within minutes of arriving on the scene of a story. In fact the MBS allows reporters to go on-air en route, and from places that broadcast trucks can’t get to.
It is because of this innovation that TV Technology magazine gave the Mobile Broadcasting System it’s STAR Award at National Association of Broadcasters Tradeshow this year.
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