AL JAZEERA IMPROVES LIVE COVERAGE OF INTERNATIONAL ELECTIONS WITH AVIWEST DMNG PRO180
SAINT-GRÉGOIRE, France — Dec. 9, 2014 — AVIWEST, a global provider of videocontribution systems, today announced that Al Jazeera, one of the world’s largest broadcasters, has deployed AVIWEST’s DMNG PRO180 3G/4G uplink solutions to optimize the delivery of live video transmissions for breaking news and events. Recently, Al Jazeera used AVIWEST’s digital mobile newsgathering (DMNG) solutions to simultaneously broadcast live video coverage of the elections in Tunisia, Ukraine, and Brazil to more than 40 million viewers via 3G/4G networks. In addition to maintaining superior signal quality at all times, the DMNG PRO180 systems dramatically reduce Al Jazeera’s operating expenses by eliminating the need for satellite-based solutions.
“Relying on an SNG van to contribute live news coverage is not only expensive, but also timeconsuming and burdensome to deploy onsite due to their large physical size. We needed a more cost-effective and reliable newsgathering method,” said Nick Taylor, manager of newsgathering operations, Al Jazeera English. “We chose AVIWEST’s DMNG PRO180 systems
because of their strong performance in tough environmental conditions, affordability, and ease of use, which is especially beneficial during events such as elections, which require simultaneous reporting from multiple locations.”
Al Jazeera is using DMNG PRO180 to deliver live news updates from various locations across Europe, the Middle East, Asia-Pacific, and Africa to the centralized reception headquarters in Doha, Qatar as well as studios in London and Washington, D.C. The broadcaster has purchased 50 units of the advanced uplink solution. However, as and when needed, Al Jazeera also deploys additional DMNG PRO180 systems by taking advantage of AVIWEST’s worldwide
rental services.
Weighing only about 1 kg, the DMNG PRO180 provides Al Jazeera with a lightweight newsgathering solution that is easy to install on professional cameras, carry, and use in the field. The DMNG PRO180 video uplink systems feature up to 10 cellular connections, including eight 3G/4G internal modems with high-efficiency custom antenna arrays, two USB interfaces, and a built-in Wi-Fi modem. Equipped with dual Gigabit Ethernet outputs, the DMNG PRO180 allows Al Jazeera to stream video signals via LAN, BGAN, Thuraya, or the Ka-band. AVIWEST SafeStream technology guarantees the delivery of live transmissions even in unpredictable cellular network conditions, while an H.264 video encoder ensures that live HD video is streamed in the most efficient manner possible with minimal delay.
“Al Jazeera is world-class broadcaster reporting on live news from numerous corners of the world in multiple languages,” said Erwan Gasc, CEO, AVIWEST. “Our DMNG PRO180 3G/4G uplink solution allows Al Jazeera to deliver crystal clear, quality video images in real time by instantly detecting and utilizing available networks for transmission, making their live election coverage far superior to competitor news organizations.”
