蜜芽传媒

How a single network connection could signal the end of Outside Broadcast production trucks

Project in 2012

What we are doing

Stagebox is a revolutionary new internet-based technology designed to reduce the number of wired connections and therefore the cost of high definition multi-camera productions.

Why it matters

It replaces up to half a dozen cumbersome cable connections with a single link that can be networked and treated like any internet connection. Each Stagebox can bring together the audio and video signals from a high definition camera, plus talkback, tally lights, timecode and Genlock data, and send it in an industry standard video format fully duplex down a standard cat5 ethernet cable.

Using IP technology means that a Stagebox is not required at both ends of the link; data can be sent to anything that has an internet connection. Multiple data streams can be transferred via a single ethernet or fibre optic link to a computer and managed entirely in software.

Not only does this cut down on expensive equipment, but it also means Outside Broadcasts can be received, directed and mixed remotely, reducing the need for an entire gallery to be brought on location in the form of a production truck.

Outcomes

We have demonstrated how IP technology can dramatically reduce the overheads of staging live productions in particular. We therefore expect this technology to be used in new generation low-cost production environments and in Outside Broadcasts.

We are currently licensing this technology to manufacturers and it should be available on the market from the end of 2012.

How it works

We developed this technology collaboratively, by building on existing open internet standards and working in partnership with broadcast manufacturers , , , and.

The evolution from a number of discrete development initiatives into a set of marketable technologies and products has been rapid. Many of the distinct elements within Stagebox are mature and well-known, but their overall integration has been challenging and required our best expertise.

The result was a prototype camera-back enclosure with a full range of I/O connections and ports and an aerial for wifi connectivity.

Recent trials have demonstrated this technology can be used to link remote outdoor events with facilities in London, Manchester and Glasgow, running continuously for up to 24 hours with no downtime.