Live Video Streaming Archives | Haivision

Private 5G Takes Flight: Inside RAI and Haivision’s Groundbreaking Project

Mark Villamor — Wed, 10 Dec 2025 16:00:17 +0000

Launched in 2019, the IBC Accelerator Media Innovation Programme aims to tackle some of the media and entertainment industry’s most urgent technology and business challenges, including the shift to IP workflows, the use of 5G in production and distribution, the evolution of remote strategies, and more.

The program promotes collaboration and innovation through real-world experimentation and features broadcast industry leaders and content providers as “Champions,” while “Participants”, vendors and solution providers like Haivision, work with them to develop and test new and exciting solutions.

For the 2025 IBC Accelerator program, Haivision took part in the “Conquering the Air(waves): Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky” project which consisted of three proof of concepts (PoCs) which took place last summer. After successfully powering the coverage of the coronation of King Charles from a land-based 5G private network, as well as the games in Paris 2024 from a sea-based 5G private network, Haivision and its partners were looking to take 5G to the skies and provide broadcasters with even more versatile ways to capture content and bring audiences closer to the action.

Keep reading this post to learn about the role Haivision played in the first PoC that took place in Italy with Radiotelevisione Italiana (RAI), France Télévisions, Neutral Wireless, and Eutelsat, as the team set out to test how an airborne 5G-powered production workflow can improve flexibility and reduce complexity for broadcasters while still providing strong network connectivity.

The challenges of an airborne private 5G network

For the first trial in the IBC Accelerator project, the Haivision team and project partners were on location in Italy to create an airborne private 5G cell using a tethered drone and a lightweight n77 radio head.

There were several challenges for the team to overcome even before taking to the air. These included navigating the complexity of spectrum regulations, adhering to strict drone flight zone restrictions, ensuring reliable backhaul connectivity, and monitoring weather conditions.

Once those were solved, one of the biggest production challenges was getting a 5G cell into the air attached to an aerial platform that was sturdy enough to hold it, while still light enough to remain in the air and provide connectivity to devices on the ground.

For the drone to fly, the team needed to keep its weight under 110 pounds (50 kilos) while keeping it tethered to a power cable to ensure there was enough flight time to conduct the test.

A collaborative and innovative Haivision solution takes 5G to the skies

The tethered drone was launched up to 50 meters in the air and provided private 5G connectivity to cameras on the ground within a designated drone flying zone. Using this aerial-based private 5G network, a Haivision Falkon X2 5G mobile video transmitter, a Haivision Pro460 field unit, and smartphones equipped with the Haivision MoJoPro camera app successfully sent ultra-low latency live video to the central production center

A Haivision StreamHub receiver located on-site combined all the live feeds as a single multi-viewer video which was then retransmitted over a Low Earth Orbit (LEO) satellite network link using a Haivision Pro460 for distribution to the cloud.

The airborne 5G network allowed the ground-based infrastructure to contribute multiple live video feeds with excellent quality at even better-than-expected range, making the first PoC a massive success. This trial offered valuable insights into performance, range, and stability of airborne private networks, especially in dynamic environments.

Haivision’s suite of mobile live contribution solutions, including the ultra-low latency Falkon X2, were key to demonstrating how 5G-based contribution workflows can be powered from anywhere, including the skies. For distribution, Haivision StreamHub continued its proven track record of providing an effective method of managing and routing live feeds across complex network environments.

A successful test flight for the future of 5G

The success in Turin displayed that unconventional methods of deploying a private 5G network can provide unique, cost-effective, and greener ways to cover dynamic events like mountain races, music festivals, or breaking news stories. These successful PoCs prove that the potential for flexible, rapidly deployable, high-quality broadcast infrastructure is closer to being a reality than ever before.

“For several years, RAI R&D has been engaged in the analysis of private 5G mobile networks to support television production. In this trial, RAI identified a suitable location near Turin to host the POC, providing the frequencies required for the use of the airborne private 5G network and the technical staff for integrating the cell with the drone, as well as for carrying out the first preliminary tests. RAI sees each of these tests as a significant milestone on the path to adopting this technology in production — a breakthrough that we look forward to embracing in the very near future,” said Giulio Stante, R&D engineer at RAI.

For Haivision and the other participants, the IBC Accelerator Programme provided a platform that challenges R&D teams to develop next-generation technologies that enable broadcasters to push creative storytelling beyond the limits of restrictive infrastructure and coverage zones.

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France Télévisions and Haivision Push the Boundaries of Private 5G at the Bretagne Classic

Lamia Milonas — Tue, 02 Dec 2025 16:00:23 +0000

In August 2025, France Télévisions partnered with Haivision and key technology collaborators to conduct a groundbreaking proof of concept (POC) during the Bretagne Classic, one of cycling’s most prestigious WorldTour races.

The goal: to explore how private 5G connectivity could enable more agile, sustainable, and cost-efficient live production workflows.

This large-scale field test brought together Haivision’s live video contribution technology, Neutral Wireless’ private 5G network, and Eutelsat’s LEO satellite connectivity into one unified workflow. The test was part of the 2025 IBC Accelerator Programme project called “Conquering the Air (Waves): Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky.”

The initiative explores how private 5G can support greener live production methods. By reducing reliance on traditional RF systems, private 5G has the potential to lower CO₂ emissions, supporting more sustainable live production practices. In addition to greener production workflows, these trials have also demonstrated how broadcasters can enhance safety and coordination for both broadcast teams and athletes.

The project has focused on developing and testing new mobile and aerial network architectures and innovative backhaul solutions to support high-quality, low latency video and audio streaming, including the development of a drone-based 5G network. Several proof-of-concept trials across Europe this summer, as part of “Conquering the Air (Waves): Private 5G from Land to Sea to Sky”, have demonstrated how private 5G can support more immersive, flexible, and reliable coverage of live events. The findings from this project will inform future implementations of aerial 5G connectivity, paving the way for more flexible, scalable, and immersive media production solutions.

“At France Télévisions, we place our audiences at the heart of our innovations. By exploring solutions such as private 5G and LEO satellites, we are making our productions more agile and responsible, in order to offer ever richer and more accessible coverage of the events that matter to them,” said Skander Ben Attia, CTO at France Télévisions.

Overcoming the Challenges of Live Cycling Coverage

Delivering this POC required solving a series of technical and regulatory challenges. The project team had to:

Identify and secure an aircraft with a licensed pilot and modify the airframe to house private 5G hardware.
Develop and test prototype radio, video, and transcoding equipment.
Negotiate spectrum licensing with ARCEP and the Ministry of Armed Forces.
Design wireless backhaul routes that could operate while the aircraft was in flight.
Weather conditions and strict aviation safety regulations added further complexity, highlighting the difficulty of executing such a cutting-edge trial under real event conditions.

A Hybrid Workflow for Live Production

During the Bretagne Classic, the trial brought together multiple layers of connectivity, including ground, air, and satellite, into a unified live production workflow.

The live production included several motorbike cameras filming the race using traditional RF systems connected to helicopters and a plane. For the POC, one motorbike was equipped with a Haivision Falkon X2 mobile video transmitter and antenna, sending live video to an ultralight aircraft that hosted both the private 5G cell and core network provided by Neutral Wireless.

Onboard the aircraft, a Haivision StreamHub Go was installed to receive the video feeds from the motorbike via the private 5G uplink. The StreamHub Go then used bonded public 4G/5G networks for the downlink, transmitting the streams back to the ground. This required a custom bonding configuration that connected multiple 5G modems to the StreamHub and integrated dedicated antennas into the aircraft’s airframe.

Once received on the ground, the feeds were relayed to a cloud-based Haivision StreamHub, where the video was decoded and made available for remote monitoring and production. The Eutelsat mobile vehicle played a key role in establishing the backhaul, enabling reliable communication between the ultralight and the ground team using both private 5G and satellite connectivity.

The workflow also integrated Haivision Hub 360 for real-time monitoring and secure stream management in the cloud, while Shure microphones captured broadcast-quality audio. Together, this hybrid setup spanning private 5G, public cellular, and satellite links demonstrated a groundbreaking approach to live production that is both flexible and sustainable.

Powering Live Contribution with Haivision

Haivision technology was essential to the Bretagne Classic POC, enabling a reliable end-to-end contribution path for France Télévisions. The Falkon X2 transmitter delivered high-quality, ultra-low latency video from the motorbike over the Neutral Wireless private 5G link on the ultralight aircraft. Onboard, StreamHub Go received and processed the feed before sending it to the ground, where StreamHub and Hub 360 handled decoding, monitoring, and cloud-based distribution.

By supporting contribution over private 5G, bonded cellular, and cloud workflows, Haivision demonstrated how its solutions help broadcasters increase agility, efficiency, and sustainability in live production while advancing the next generation of real-time workflows.

Redefining the Future of Live Production

The Bretagne Classic IBC Accelerator trial proved that integrating private 5G with satellite and bonded cellular technologies can reshape live event broadcasting. France Télévisions and Haivision showed that high-quality coverage can be delivered over lightweight, low-power networks while significantly reducing environmental impact.

This milestone marks a major step toward more accessible, flexible, and sustainable live production, showcasing how innovation in connectivity is redefining the future of broadcast.

Speak With One of Our Experts to Learn More!

Live Broadcast Success at Les Ardentes Festival with Haivision and 5G Slicing

Lamia Milonas — Wed, 03 Sep 2025 15:00:39 +0000

At this year’s Les Ardentes Festival in Liège, Belgium, Proximus NXT and RTBF successfully demonstrated how 5G slicing combined with Haivision Pro mobile video transmitters can enable reliable, secure, and consistent live broadcasting. The demonstration took place in one of the most challenging network environments: a large-scale live event with tens of thousands of attendees.

Les Ardentes is one of Europe’s most prominent popular music festivals, drawing fans from around the world to see top international international hip-hop and rap music acts. For this year’s edition, Proximus NXT, Belgium’s foremost digital service provider known for its advanced fixed and mobile networks and extensive 5G coverage, teamed up with RTBF, the French-speaking public broadcaster renowned for delivering trusted news, sports, cultural programming, and entertainment across multiple platforms. Together, they showcased how 5G slicing and Haivision technology can transform live broadcasting in high-demand environments.

Using a dedicated slice of Proximus’ 5G network, the team transmitted live video from the festival to RTBF’s evening news broadcast. The clean feed was used as part of the live segment, appearing alongside the on-site journalist’s report, providing a prioritized, secure connection with dedicated network resources despite thousands of attendees using mobile devices over the public network.

“This project clearly demonstrated how 5G slicing, combined with low latency video solutions from Haivision, can transform live production. Even in environments where connectivity is unpredictable, we successfully delivered uninterrupted, high-quality coverage,” said Benjamin Dominicy, Transmission Engineer at RTBF.

Reliable live video in high-density environments

Large-scale events like Les Ardentes often push mobile networks to their limits. With so many people connecting at once, bandwidth can quickly be reduced, making it difficult for broadcasters to maintain consistent video quality.

For this technology demonstration, RTBF used a Haivision Pro mobile video transmitter connected to a local production control room. A clean feed, free of graphics or overlays, was encoded and transmitted via a dedicated 5G network slice directly to RTBF for integration into the live news broadcast.

The result: no signal drops, no interruptions, and consistent high-quality, low-latency video contribution, proving the effectiveness of 5G network slicing for live broadcast production.

“The Haivision Pro mobile transmitter is built for exactly these types of scenarios, enabling ultra-low latency, broadcast-quality video contribution in challenging network environments,” said Mark Horchler, Marketing Director, Products and Solutions at Haivision.

Why 5G slicing matters for live broadcasting

5G slicing allows mobile operators to create virtual “fast lanes” within their public networks, allocating dedicated resources to specific applications. For broadcasters, this means:

Guaranteed bandwidth for live video feeds.
Lower latency for real-time production workflows.
Secure transmission, even in crowded and high-traffic environments.

As Proximus NXT noted, the 5G slicing technology has potential applications well beyond live entertainment, including public safety, industrial operations, healthcare, and large-scale sporting events.

Expanding the possibilities

The success at Les Ardentes is just the beginning. With Haivision’s field-proven video transmitters and the advanced capabilities of 5G network slicing, broadcasters can explore new live production workflows that are more agile, resilient, and adaptable, even in the most demanding conditions. This proof of concept also serves as a foundation for further joint testing between Proximus NXT, RTBF, and Haivision, aimed at exploring additional use cases and refining workflows for large-scale live event coverage.

As adoption of 5G slicing grows, opportunities will expand for delivering high-quality, low-latency live video from virtually any location, from major sporting events and concerts to breaking news coverage and critical public safety operations.

By combining robust, purpose-built video contribution technology with the flexibility and reliability of 5G slicing, broadcasters and organizations can be confident in their ability to capture and share the moments that matter most without compromise.

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Cellular Bonding for Broadcast Explained

Lamia Milonas — Tue, 19 Aug 2025 14:50:42 +0000

Curious about cellular bonding, what it is, the benefits it has to offer, and its applications? Look no further!

We love a good explainer post here at Haivision. In fact, we have a whole series of them dedicated to sharing some of the fundamental principles behind the latest video encoding and transmission technologies. In this blog, we’ll be sharing the fundamentals of cellular bonding and how it can support your upcoming live broadcasts. So, without further ado, let’s get started.

What is Cellular Bonding and Why Do I Need it?

Cellular bonding is when two or more cellular data connections are combined to provide increased bandwidth, reliability, and redundancy in situations where there’s either cellular network congestion or when more bandwidth is needed. The key concept here (and a core tenet of all Haivision solutions) is reliability. While it’s entirely possible to stream video from a single cellular connection, bandwidth availability, fluctuations, and network coverage issues caused by location, traffic on the network, weather conditions, and even obstructions (such as buildings and hills), means that relying on a single connection, especially if you’re on the move, poses a significant risk of failure or poor quality. For this reason, streaming over a single cellular network is not well-suited for use cases where clear, consistent communication or high-bandwidth, broadcast-quality video is critical.

Network aggregation is a technique applied by cellular bonding to combine multiple cellular connections to achieve higher data transfer speeds and better reliability. With bonded cellular transmitters for live broadcast contribution, the bandwidth of multiple cellular connections is combined to create a single virtual connection with higher capacity.

Whether you’re covering a live sports event or you’re on the move for newsgathering, a dependable, robust connection is critical. Cellular bonding can mitigate several risks associated with data transfer over a single cellular connection, including network congestion, network outages, unstable connectivity, limited bandwidth from older 3G and 4G networks, and security risks. By combining multiple cellular connections, cellular bonding can achieve a more reliable and faster connection for data transmission.

What Benefits Does Cellular Bonding Offer Broadcasters?

Cellular bonding is a technique that enables video and audio streaming, live broadcasting, and other data-intensive applications to ultimately achieve higher levels of reliability and quality of service.

Benefits bonded cellular can provide for broadcasters:

The ability to broadcast from almost anywhere, even where there’s no available internet
In other words, cellular bonding provides enhanced coverage. By using multiple cellular networks from multiple communication service providers (CSPs), the technology expands the coverage area, which can be particularly helpful in rural or remote locations where signal strength may be weak. With our SST technology, cellular bonding can also be combined with Wi-Fi, Ethernet, and even LEO satellite connections, providing additional resiliency and helping optimize transmission costs.
Less expensive and more versatile than satellite
Cellular bonding can be more cost-effective and easier to set up compared with traditional satellite or wired solutions, making it a viable option for live broadcasting and other data-intensive applications.
Greater bandwidth and a more robust connection
By combining multiple cellular networks, the available bandwidth is increased, which can lead to faster download and upload speeds.
Redundancy and reliability thanks to carrier diversity
If one cellular network goes down or experiences poor signal strength, the other bonded networks can pick up the slack, leading to a more reliable connection overall. What’s more, cellular bonding provides redundancy in case one of the cellular networks fails, which ensures that your connection remains uninterrupted, especially in time-sensitive circumstances.
Lower latency
Latency is always important in the case of live broadcasts. Cellular bonding technology can significantly reduce latency, especially over 5G networks using Haivisions’s ultra-low latency feature, so that production teams can broadcast live as events unfold.

Overall, cellular bonding can provide a reliable, high-bandwidth, and cost-effective solution for broadcasters.

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When is Cellular Bonding a Good Choice for Broadcasters?
In the broadcast industry, cellular bonding is increasingly used for live video streaming and remote broadcasting applications.

Some scenarios when cellular bonding for live broadcast can be useful:

Live events: Bonded cellular can be used to provide dependable live streaming of events, such as sports, concerts, and news coverage. By combining multiple cellular connections, the technology ensures a consistently stable and high-quality transmission of the live video feed, even in areas with poor network coverage.
Remote locations: When broadcasting from remote locations where traditional wired connections are not available, cellular bonding offers a reliable and cost-effective solution, allowing broadcasters to transmit live video feeds from virtually anywhere with cellular coverage.
Breaking news: In the case of breaking news, journalists and reporters can use cellular bonding to transmit live video feeds while simultaneously deliving recorded video from the scene of the event, providing real-time coverage to viewers regardless of location.

To summarize, cellular bonding can be an effective solution for broadcasters who need to transmit live video feeds or instantly deliver on site recordings from remote locations or in situations where traditional wired connections are not available. In contrast to more complex and expensive satellite transmission, bonded cellular provides a more reliable and cost-effective alternative.

SST and Cellular Bonding

Haivision’s Safe Streams Transport (SST) is a double Emmy award-winning protocol that offers reliable and high-quality video quality transmission over 3G, 4G, and 5G cellular networks as well as LAN, Wi-Fi, satellite, and the public internet.

SST is the cornerstone of Haivision’s mobile transmitters and receiver solutions because of its many features:

Forward Error Correction (FEC): SST uses FEC to reduce packet loss and mitigate the impact of network congestion. FEC allows the receiver to reconstruct lost packets by using redundant information contained in other packets.
Adaptive Bitrate Control: SST adjusts the bitrate of the video stream based on the available network bandwidth. This helps to prevent buffering and ensures smooth playback of video.
Low Latency: SST is designed to minimize latency to ensure real-time delivery of the video stream. This is achieved by optimizing the packet size and using advanced packet prioritization techniques.
Encryption: SST uses encryption to secure the video stream from unauthorized access or interception.
Resilience: SST is designed to be resilient to network disruptions, including packet loss and out-of-order delivery. The protocol includes mechanisms to retransmit lost packets and reorder packets that are received out of order.
Multi-Network Bonding: SST can bond cellular, IP, and low-earth orbit (LEO) satellite networks to provide extra resiliency, maintain video quality in challenging conditions, and optimize transmission costs. This multi-network approach provides extra resiliency, ensures consistent video quality in challenging network conditions, and can help optimize transmission costs.
Bidirectional Streaming: SST supports bidirectional streaming for video returns and IP Data Bridge functionality during live transmissions, enabling more versatile remote production workflows.
Direct Point-to-Point Streaming: SST is designed so that you can deliver live streams directly to your production facility without the need to go through a cloud-based routing service.

The SST protocol is designed to address some of the challenges associated with cellular bonding, such as network congestion, network instability, and security risks. By using a combination of FEC, adaptive bitrate control, low latency, encryption, and resilience mechanisms, SST can deliver high-quality video over a range of networks while ensuring security, reliability, and low latency.

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8 Common SRT Myths Busted

Lina Nikols — Wed, 24 Aug 2022 13:30:44 +0000

Secure Reliable Transport (SRT) protocol has been steadily gathering momentum within the broadcast and video streaming industries. Designed to enable secure and reliable transport of data across unpredictable networks, SRT is particularly optimized for live video streaming and is shaping the future when it comes to easing the transition to IP-based solutions. In this post we set out to debunk some of the most common myths that continue to surround SRT. In no particular order, here they are:

SRT Myth #1: SRT Is Not Widely Adopted

Fact: From broadcast heavyweights Sky News, Fox News and NBC Sports, to industry giants such as Sony, AWS, Avid, MediaKind, and Microsoft, SRT is everywhere. Endorsed by growing user and developer communities along with adoption by open source initiatives VLC, GStreamer, Wireshark, and OBS Studio, SRT has become the de facto low latency video streaming standard for the broadcast and streaming industries. There are well over 550 active members (and growing) of the SRT Alliance along with hundreds of SRT-ready solutions – from cameras, encoders and decoders to gateways, OTT transcoding services and CDNs. SRT is currently deployed by thousands of organizations globally in a number of applications and markets. Don’t just take our word for it, read more about how SRT has been making waves in the industry since its public launch at NAB in 2017.

SRT Myth #2: I Need to Buy a License to Use SRT

Fact: Not to be confused with other expensive and closed proprietary protocols, SRT can be implemented using afree, open source code base, keeping costs low for all parties. There are no royalties, long-term contracts or monthly subscription fees required. Being open source encourages SRT’s widespread adoption and helps to ensure both interoperability and longevity for end users while avoiding vendor “lock-in”. It’s collaboration at its finest.

SRT Myth #3: SRT Doesn’t Support All Video Codecs

Fact: Unlike some other protocols that only support specific video and audio formats, SRT does not limit you to a specific container or codec, since it is media or content agnostic. SRT operates at the network transport level, acting as a wrapper around your content. This means it can transport any type ofcodec, resolution orframe rate. This is important because it can future proof workflows by working transparently with MPEG-2, H.264, and HEVC for example.

SRT Myth #4: SRT Can’t Stream 4K Video Over the Internet

Fact: See myth #3. SRT is content agnostic and can fully support 4K UHD and HD video, in standard or high dynamic range color. For example, Haivision’s Makito X4 video encoder designed for ultra-low latency 4K and HD video (in SDR or HDR color) includes native support for the SRT protocol. This makes it ideal for streaming over unpredictable networks such as the public internet. With built-in AES 128/256-bit encryption, SRT allows Maktio X4 users to keep their valuable 4k content safe and secure.

SRT Myth #5: SRT Can Only Be Used Over the Internet

Fact: While it’s true that SRT was originally designed to address the main challenges of streaming video content over the internet, once it was open sourced, developers began implementing SRT on their own hardware and software stacks for all types of networks. Beyond the public internet, SRT can also be used over managed networks such as MPLS as well as satellite, SD-WANs and cellular networks. You can read more about just how versatile SRT is in this blog post: Using SRT to Live Stream Over the Internet and Other Networks.

SRT Myth #6: SRT Isn’t Interoperable With RTP

Fact: SRT allows you to transmit RTP payload reliably and securely, so you can absolutely leverage SRT while maintaining your existing RTP-based broadcast infrastructure.

SRT Myth #7: SRT Only Supports up to 30 MBit/s Bitrates

Fact: Since SRT version (1.3.3) the default max bitrate limit value has been set to 1 gigabit per second. This is a default setting to prevent an SRT stream from congesting an IP network. Though it could be set to an even higher value, typically users will lower the max bitrate to amount equivalent to double the bitrate of the SRT stream. For example, if the SRT stream is transporting HD content at 10 Mbps, the max bitrate might be set to 20 Mbps. For lightly compressed primary contribution content or 4K video at 50 Mbps, the max bitrate can be 100 Mbps, while for highly compressed streams over a bandwidth constrained network, the max bitrate should be set much lower.

SRT Myth #8: SRT Does Not Perform Well at Higher Packet Loss Rates

Fact: In order to accommodate different packet loss scenarios, SRT includes bandwidth overhead and latency buffer settings. Bandwidth overhead is the extra bandwidth needed to resend packets in the event of packet loss. The latency buffer can also be adjusted for packet loss by taking into account the total round-trip time (RTT) of the network connection as well as the amount of packet loss present at a given time.

When streaming over a network connection with low packet loss and a short RTT, the SRT latency buffer setting should be kept as low as possible with the bandwidth header used for packet retransmission. If packet loss is high, at 30% for example, then the bandwidth overhead should be lowered to prevent congestion and the latency buffer increased for more robust packet loss recovery. By correctly adjusting the bandwidth overhead and latency buffer settings, SRT can reliably stream even over networks with extreme levels of packet loss.

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Live X Trusts Haivision and SRT for Flawless Live Remote Production Workflows

Lina Nikols — Wed, 10 Jun 2020 21:45:33 +0000

I recently had the pleasure of speaking to Corey Behnke, co-founder and producer at Live X, a full-service production company based in New York, to find out more about how Live X relies on Haivision technology to deliver high quality remote productions for its clients, including the United States Golf Association (USGA). A keen technology enthusiast, Corey shared his thoughts on SRT, remote production, and more.

Haivision: How did you first hear about Haivision?

Corey: We’ve been using Haivision Makito video encoders and decoders for about three years, but it was what I refer to as the “OG” event, a panel discussion at the 2018 NAB Show for SRT with Haivision, the NFL, ESPN, Microsoft, and Azzurro, that really got me interested. After watching the presentation, I distinctly remember telling my creative producer and head of production at dinner that night “I just saw the future of our company; we need to start using this technology as soon as possible!” Shortly after that, we invested in the equipment and, within a matter of months, we were deploying it for our remote production of the 118th USGA Amateur Championships in Pebble Beach, California.

Haivision: Can you tell us more about the USGA Amateur Championships?

Corey: Yes, for the Amateur Championships, the USGA wanted live, multi-camera coverage of the commentator perched above the 18th green, while additional wireless cameras covered the golf action at key locations. There was no one from our team on the ground in California as we were able to run it entirely remotely from our MCR in New York at a fraction of the cost of a regular OB production. With our new equipment (Azzurro TX and Pin Bridge equipped with Haivision Makito X video encoders and decoders) we successfully transported live low latency (sub-500ms) audio and video feeds over 3000 miles, from six live synched camera feeds. We did everything that we usually do onsite, from controlling cameras to mixing the audio live, but completely remotely. It was pretty epic and last year we successfully repeated the exercise for the 2019 Championships in Pinehurst.

Haivision: What has been your experience with Haivision solutions?

Corey: I’ve used a lot of different video encoders in the past, in fact, I’ve always loved the idea of trying a video encoder shoot-out! We use Haivision Makito video encoders more and more and I love the fact that they have native support for SRT. SRT adoption is on steroids right now which makes using Haivision very appealing. As production people, we use whatever solutions are best of breed, that’s what our clients expect. The Makito video encoders are just that; the UI is simple and easy to use, they offer extremely low latency, and are always rock solid and reliable. These products are mainstays in our studio. We also use the KB Mini encoder/transcoder for some of our workflows and it’s just a workhorse. It’s ridiculous how good it is!

Haivision: What about SRT? You’re clearly a fan!

Corey: It’s true! We had our first SRT moment during the US Open, it really opened our eyes to what SRT could help us achieve. An important point and what I think what people don’t understand is the cool thing about SRT is that it really works. If you work really hard to get really good quality audio and video in, you’ll be rewarded by using SRT compared to other technologies that don’t really deliver. In our set up for the USGA for example, the quality was so good, it was as if I was in the OB truck, rather than 3000 miles away in New York. SRT wasn’t simply a substitute technology; it was a substitute workflow. The point is, with SRT I didn’t have to sacrifice the show for the technology which is often the case with new technology that isn’t 100% reliable.

In case you missed it, Corey shared his unbridled enthusiasm for the Secure Reliable Transport protocol for remote production workflows in our recent webinar, Broadcast Reimagined: SRT – The Simple Solution for Your Remote and At-Home Workflows.

What is Open Source Video Streaming?

Mark Horchler — Wed, 27 May 2020 21:20:09 +0000

Understanding Different Types of Video Streaming Protocol Licenses

When it comes to video streaming, there are many different protocols to choose from. Some are open standards, others are royalty free, and finally there are open source options. We’ve covered the benefits and use cases of each protocol in a previous blog post. In this post, we’re explaining the different types of licenses.

Open Standard

An open standard is a specification that can be used by anyone without a license as they are designed to support interoperability between different streaming and network components. The original data transfer protocols that underpin the internet, TCP and UDP, are both open standards as defined by the IETF. There are no software licenses required, nor have there been any changes to these standards since their initial publication back in 1980 – before the internet was available to the general public.

TCP is primarily used for sharing files while UDP can be used for data streaming. Neither protocol is ideal for video streaming, although the fact that they are open standards has enabled newer streaming protocols to be built on top of them.

Proprietary

Proprietary streaming protocols such as Zixi are owned by a single company. The advantage of proprietary protocols is that the owner is free to introduce new features at any time as they have complete control over its software code. Occasionally they may license the protocol for use by third parties, although this can also be used as a barrier to entry for innovative start-ups or ad-hoc projects by users themselves.

Although there is usually a license fee involved, users can benefit from new features and report bugs, although the protocol’s owner is usually under no obligation to fix them. Also, if the company owning the protocol decides to stop supporting it, then the users are stuck with an outdated protocol and will need to find a replacement.

Royalty Free

Occasionally an owner of a proprietary protocol will make it available free of charge to anyone. Although the software and libraries associated with the protocol remain the property of their owner, other vendors are free to include the royalty free protocol in their products although they may not alter or change the underlying software code. Examples of royalty free video protocols include Adobe’s RTMP for video streaming and Newtek’s NDI for production video over IP.

Open Specification

These types of specifications for protocols are usually crafted by a working group of industry professionals with the goal of enabling interoperability between vendors and perhaps eventually turning into an open standard. A good example of this is RIST which is currently being worked on by the Video Services Forum. RIST is neither a standard nor a software code. Instead it’s a package of specifications that some vendors have implemented within their own products and in some cases have made available as open-source software for their particular implementation. The main difference between an 0pen specification and an open source protocol is that the former can have a multitude of different software implementations, while 0pen source is focused on a single shared library that can be improved upon by anyone.

Open Source

From the user perspective, open source offers many advantages over proprietary software licensing. For starters, users can benefit from being connected to a global community of other users, programmers, and technology enthusiasts via software development platforms such as GitHub. Unlike with proprietary standards where a bug fix or new feature request depends on the vendor’s response, open source software and protocols can rely on the community to provide and share ongoing improvements to the source code and library under open source terms such as the GNU or Mozilla public licenses.

For streaming protocols such as SRT, with a fast-growing community of both users and vendors, this means there are often more resources available for further research and development than with proprietary protocols. In some cases, this can even mean taking the protocol into new directions that the original designers did not foresee. With SRT for example, it was originally designed as a live video streaming protocol, there are now a number of projects underway to use the protocol for other tasks such as fast file transfer, high definition audio streaming, and multiplexed streaming.

Interoperability

Broadcasters and video streamers continue to rely on proprietary software and dedicated hardware for key video processing components such as video encoding, processing, and production as they can pick and choose the very best vendor solution for their specific needs. However, when sharing and distributing streams across different workflow components, choosing a protocol with wide industry adoption can facilitate interoperability between video processing components.

Haivision and SRT Open Source

SRT stands for Secure Reliable Transport and is a video streaming protocol originally developed by Haivision. We decided to make it available as open source in 2017, understanding that we had created an important technology that was solving a critical problem for many organizations and users, but aware of the fact that a proprietary protocol would not gain widespread organic adoption. Fast forward three years, and we are incredibly proud of how successful SRT has become. We could not have anticipated the number of companies who would adopt it so quickly – there are now over 350 members of the SRT Alliance, which is a testament to just how significant a problem SRT helps solve. The ongoing strength of the SRT open source community, including contributors and users, helps ensure that the protocol’s capabilities continue to evolve and grow in accordance with the needs of the industry. We have all come together to make high-quality video contribution and distribution a reality for everyone, and for that, we are eternally grateful.

How Artificial Intelligence Brings Real Benefits to Video Streaming

Catherine Polson — Tue, 10 Mar 2020 11:00:00 +0000

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is a term that has inspired some intimidation, which is understandable, as most people’s first exposure to AI has been in fiction, with antagonists like Skynet and HAL. However, real AI technology is not some omniscient, omnipotent being – nor is it malevolent. Modern AI technology is an effective tool to help optimize many workflows, especially in video streaming.

In this post, we are going to give a brief overview of modern Artificial Intelligence, its unique benefits, and how it can be used to improve your video streaming workflows.

What is Artificial Intelligence?

At its core, Artificial Intelligence uses computers to imitate “human” thinking and decision-making. And while the technology is still a ways away from the independent personalities we have seen in science fiction, (sometimes referred to as ‘General AI,’ a full imitation of a human,) the computational power of these systems is enabling AI to tackle challenges that humans could not before, such as increasingly complex calculations.

AI technology is of course, evolving, to not only be programed to perform functions, but also improve the way that its algorithms function. Machine Learning (ML) is sometimes used interchangeably with AI, but that’s not entirely accurate. ML is actually a rather narrow subset of AI, and is more focused on independent learning. ML is designed to “learn” from past experience, and can adapt its own algorithm accordingly, to improve its performance.

Why Do We Use AI?

The big advantage of AI is that while it can imitate human-like thinking, it is not human. It does not tire, nor does it become distracted, which is why AI shines in applications that require repetitive tasks, such as observing the results of multiple tests with a large data set.

There is also an immense value in the computational power of machines. They can simply process a larger quantity of information, quicker than the human mind can. This gives AI the ability to go through great volumes of video much quicker than humans – as a result, an AI can make observations and make relevant decisions much quicker than previously before.

How Does this Help in Video Streaming?

AI is an ideal solution for optimizing video streaming workflows. This would be a significant boon for those within the video streaming industry, from broadcast to enterprise, as one of the key results of this optimization is cost savings. One of the important ways that AI can do this is by calculating bitrate to optimize bandwidth usage while maintaining an appropriate level of quality. This is something that simply cannot be done by hand; there is too much information to process in the time before network conditions (which are constantly in flux) change again.

The video streaming world is also looking at something called “content-aware encoding” in which an AI can understand what kind of content is being streamed, and optimize bitrate, latency, and protocols, accordingly, whether it’s a quick-moving sports match or a more static “talking head” monologue.

Artificial Intelligence is being used in both live and VOD streaming workflows, and is already saving video streamers serious money by optimizing their bandwidth use. Would you like to learn more about how AI can help your streaming workflows? Take a look at our Haivision Lightflow Solutions for encoding and multi-CDN delivery.

Haivision Play Pro: Watch SRT Streams On The Go, For Free!

Lina Nikols — Mon, 20 Jan 2020 16:58:38 +0000

In case you missed it, last month we were thrilled to share the news about the release of our brand new, FREE and easy to use moblie SRT player, Haivision Play Pro. Now available to download from the Apple App Store and Google Play, the Play Pro app has been designed to offer users a premium SRT viewing experience from anywhere on a mobile device or tablet.

The Definitive Mobile SRT Player

Originally developed by Haivision, the SRT protocol has changed the way the world streams video and Haivision Play Pro is its perfect companion. It’s a must-have app for anyone who needs a reliable and secure way to watch and share low latency SRT streams on the go for monitoring and testing.

Haivision Play Pro provides the following features:

H.264 and HEVC playback
Support for low-latency encrypted SRT, UDP unicast or multicast, and HLS streams up to 4K/UHD 2160p60
SRT secure streaming with AES 128- or 256-bit encryption
Create and save custom channel lists for sharing by email or publishing to a network location to make centrally managed channel lists available throughout the organization
The ability to stream video directly from your mobile device camera with SRT

Peace of Mind for Broadcast Professionals

For broadcasters, Play Pro offers a simple and convenient way to monitor any feed or channel anywhere using the SRT protocol. Broadcast producers, directors, executives, and on-air talent can monitor contribution streams and view return feeds in the field, whether they are live-to-air streams, feeds supporting remote interviews, or even teleprompter feeds directly from the editorial desk.

Play Pro also offers broadcasters peace of mind as it allows engineers to easily see any potential issues with on-air streams so that they can be quickly resolved.

Play Pro is a valuable and cost-effective resource in a broadcasters’ tool kit, allowing users to securely view low-latency, high quality SRT video streams, including streams encrypted with AES 128/256-bit keys. And, thanks to the app’s rock-solid reliability and intuitive interface, field crew and talent are empowered to quickly tune to SRT feeds, or create their own channel lists for monitoring important production feeds.

Chris Smith, News Technology Executive at Sky News, the British free-to-air television news channel and organization, shares how Play Pro will impact its field crews:

“The Haivision Play Pro application will give our journalists and teams around the world an easier, secure, and reliable method to have access to low latency, live video content that they could only previously view from within a newsroom or bureau.”

An Essential Tool For SRT Developers

Play Pro is the ideal app for SRT developers to easily and securely test and view their SRT streams on a mobile device. Play Pro can scale from playing a single SRT stream to creating channel lists on your mobile device, and even to publishing channel lists to a network location for secure access by team members.

Active in the SRT GitHub community, Cinegy develops software solutions for the broadcast and media industry and has integrated SRT into their core product and has been an active participant in the development community. According to Lewis Kirkaldie, Cinegy’s Head of Product Management:

“We see the Haivision Play Pro application as the ultimate demonstration that SRT is an open protocol for any company to use. Every customer-facing Cinegy staff member has a copy on their phone ready to prove instantly to anyone that this is real, looks great and is absolutely inter-vendor compatible. Personally, I never get tired of the look on people’s faces when I tell them the stream is running on my cellular connection and coming from Germany over the Atlantic Ocean too!”

Our Gift to You This Holiday Season: Haivision Play Pro

Marcus Schioler — Wed, 18 Dec 2019 12:15:22 +0000

Happy SRT Holidays from Haivision!

During this festive time of year, thoughts turn to celebration, family, and friends, and, of course, gift-giving! And it’s in this holiday spirit, that we’d like to share a special gift with all of our friends around the world that make up the vibrant community of SRT enthusiasts – streamers, product developers, broadcast engineers, video producers, and everybody else who relies on the SRT protocol for secure, high-quality, and low latency video streaming.

Announcing Haivision Play Pro

We’re extremely excited to present the newest member of the Haivision family of SRT-enabled products. It’s called Haivision Play Pro and it’s an app that provides the easiest way to view live SRT streams on your mobile device or tablet. And, best of all, it’s completely free!

Available for download from both the iOS App Store and on Google Play, Play Pro is designed to give you a premium SRT viewing experience from anywhere. Play Pro’s QuickPlay feature provides quick and easy access to SRT streams. Simply enter a stream IP address and port, and you’re watching a live stream! And because Play Pro supports encrypted playback, simply use the passphrase to view the stream.

View Multiple Streams

If you are a power SRT user, then you can also create a channel list on your device and configure it to view multiple streams. This can be really helpful in live broadcast workflows where you need a way to monitor production feeds with low latency, have access to return feeds for use in the field, or even watch utility content such as teleprompter feeds. You might have multiple live channels that you want to regularly monitor on the go, and Play Pro gives you the power to do so right in the palm of your hand.

Easily Share Access to Streams

You can even share channel lists that you create! So, if you’re an administrator responsible for setting up return or monitoring feeds, you can build a channel list and export it for sharing by email or text message. Or you can upload the channel list to an internet URL for access by multiple “subscribers” in your organization. If you make updates to the central channel list, the updates will be passed on automatically to all the subscribers. And keep in mind that the SRT streams can be encrypted and the channel list can be password protected. It’s a fast and convenient way of giving your entire team access to streams from their mobile devices.

Create Instant SRT Streams

And if that isn’t enough, here’s another cool thing you can do with Play Pro: use your mobile device camera to create an SRT stream with just a few clicks. You can configure the video and audio bitrate, frame rate and resolution, as well as set a destination. Then voila – you’re streaming with SRT! Perfect for when you need to create instant SRT streams for monitoring, testing or other purposes.

So if you haven’t downloaded it yet, what are you waiting for? Download Haivision Play Pro for iOS or Android. If you’re looking for other SRT-enabled products to complement your SRT workflows – video encoders or decoders, gateways, or more – get in touch!

From all of us at Haivision, we’d like to wish you happy holidays and happy SRT playback!