‘Live PD’ Uses Bonded Cellular to Broadcast from Six Cities

A&E employs bonded cellular transmission for police docu-series, Live PD.

The eight-episode A&E’s series Live PD provides live and unfiltered coverage of police

From left, host Dan Abrams, Kevin Jackson and Rich Emberlin on A&E’s Live PD

officers over a two-hour period as they patrol several American cities. Series host Dan Abrams and Dallas Police detectives Rich Emberlin and Kevin Jackson guide viewers as the show simultaneously follows live the actions of police officers in six different cites via dashcams, drones and handheld cameras.

A&E executive vice president and head of programming Elaine Frontain Bryant explains what the network hopes to accomplish with the series:

“This is bold and innovative. We have six police departments from six different and diverse cities around the country—diverse in region and demographics—coming together to do a live show. We’re embedded with the police departments to give a view of what’s going on in America regarding police and crime. We have a studio with six different cities, and we will go in where the action is happening.”

VidOvation and Haivision partnered with A&E to provide bonded cellular systems for the series, maintaining connectivity in the six cities, all of which have different cellular connection challenges.

Get the facts about bonded cellular

“Bonded cellular technology [is being used] to synchronously stream live video from police cruisers, handheld camera operators, and drones from six cities to master control in New York City,” explains Jim Jachetta, CTO of VidOvation.

Haivision DMNG PRO 180 RA

“The major criteria was to transmit video and audio from up to five cameras in close proximity with perfect lip-sync and video synchronization between all cameras,” Jachetta says.

The production is deploying Haivision’s DMNG PRO180-RA, using 34 systems across six cities. Two camera operators and a drone overhead, each with an HD camera and a DMNG PRO180 8 modem cellular transmitter, are covering the action outside the vehicle.

“What I want to accomplish is to join the conversation by saying, ‘OK America, this is what everyone is talking about,’” Frontain Bryant concludes. “Let’s see six typical American cities on a Friday night.”

Four Haivision Quad Antennas mounted on Trunk of Police Vehicle

Live PD premiered on Oct. 28 and airs every Friday.

Story from Creative Planet Network by R. Thomas Umstead