While cellular bonding used to be a technique that was only used by major news organizations, today it is pretty commonplace. Nearly all TV news channels report on live events and breaking news situations using mobile cellular bonding technology – even smaller, local broadcasters. Improvement of networks and technology advancements for cellular bonding solutions has been critical in the development of cellular bonding mobile news-gathering.

Regarding the networks, we’ve seen mobile network capabilities expand from 3G to 4G and beyond, with 5G on the horizon. As consumer demand for high-speed data and high-quality video services have gone up over the years, there has been an increased need for fast broadband Internet access. VidOvation solutions work by detecting and aggregating multiple IP-based networks (e.g., 3G, 4G, WiFi, Ethernet, satellite). As wireless connectivity increases, the VidOvation solutions will enable broadcasters to take advantage of every IP network within their immediate area as they become available. We achieve this through a high-performance mechanism that automatically senses and bonds together all possible IP connectivity, providing broadcasters with the biggest pipe to spread their video content

Significant enhancements are available today in cellular bonding technology. , Some of these include more robust performance, better video quality, high-quality recording for store and forward, ASI outputs, dual hardware encoders, fragmented MPEG4 file recording, decreased power consumption, compact size, and lighter weight. All of these improvements enhance the broadcasters’ ability to move faster as they are not bogged down carrying heavy equipment. The reduced power consumption also helps to decrease operating costs.

Over the years, flexibility has dramatically increased in the field of cellular bonding. In the past, broadcasters and video professionals relied more on traditional satellite-based systems for live news and events coverage; however, these systems can be limited in their scope. With a satellite-based system, users need to keep the ENG camera close to the vehicle, or they will not be able to receive the signal. Using these systems, mobility, and indoor coverage are nearly impossible unless a complex and costly infrastructure is set up. This approach is not ideal in scenarios where broadcasters need to cover breaking news.

For example, to broadcast the Tour de France live using a traditional satellite-based system, one would need a helicopter, an airplane, and a satellite base station. This kind of system is cumbersome, costly, and complex. Therefore, we only see deployments such as this for a small percentage of major sports events in the world. The VidOvation system is now widely used for the annual Tour de France with high reliability and success at a fraction of the cost.

Thanks to recent technology advancements, cellular-based systems offer broadcasters and video professionals the flexibility to broadcast live events in areas that are well covered by 3G or 4G networks. A portable bonded cellular transmitter, coupled with a high-gain cellular antenna array, improves signal resilience and the quality of the live video transmission, providing users with a robust solution for covering live events, such as a marathon or a cycling race, from a motorcycle. By enabling broadcasters and video professionals to broadcast news on the go more efficiently, cellular-based systems dramatically change how the industry covers remote events in a way that was not possible even a few years ago.

emote events in a way that was not possible even a few years ago.  With 3G or 4G network deployment globally, we believe that cellular uplink devices are a future-proof solution that allows easy, affordable coverage of breaking news stories or sports events anytime, anywhere.

Being able to maintain a high video quality from remote corners of the world can be challenging, but not impossible. It requires mastering three types of technologies. The first is network bandwidth. Broadcasters can get the most amount of bandwidth by bonding together all available networks, such as WiFi, 3G/4G, and satellite, and then adapt the video compression according to those available networks, in real-time. The second technology that comes into play is video compression. Advanced video compression techniques (e.g., H.264 and next-generation standards like HEVC) and pre- and post-processing tools (e.g., filtering, video concealment process, etc.) are needed to reduce the required bandwidth for a given video quality level and improve the quality of experience for viewers. Finally, video contribution is key. The transmission must be robust to handle possible errors and packet loss. FEC and packet re-transmission are the most common features to implement to improve the transmission reliability

The way bonded cellular technology can help you save money is by eliminating your Satellite Truck, your ENG Truck or your Mobile Production Truck. Let’s crunch some conservative numbers. Take the daily rental of a Sat Truck, say, $2500 per day. Assume you rent it 25% of the days in the year for your workflow operations. You will come up with a number close to $250,000. Apparently, some people might use a vehicle more or less, so that figure varies. I think you’ll get the idea that bonded cellular solutions are not that expensive. The technology has come such a long way with latency as low as three seconds, we can deliver broadcast quality video live on the air. If it makes sense for your business workflow, if it makes sense for your business model, we’re here to help you maximize your revenue and ease your workflow. At the end of the day, if we can save you a lot of money, that’s a win-win for everyone

The units will have multiple cellular modems in them. There are four major carriers (Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Sprint) here in the U.S. You could have up to 10 modems. Usually, what we’ll do is have two from each of the major carriers. So we’ll have two Verizon, two AT&T, two Sprint and two T-Mobile. Ninety-nine percent of the time, Verizon and AT&T carry most of the load. You want the diversity, if there’s a big crowd in a ball game, you’ll be thankful.
One of the four carriers will give you some throughput. The beautiful thing about bonded cellular, if you only get 200 or 300 kilobits per second per modem, you aggregate that over eight modems, you get two, three, four, five megabits per second through quickly. Broadcasters often get up to a ten megabit per second back to master control with as little as three seconds of latency.

Transmission of up to 15Mbps is possible over the 3G and $g cellular networks. The variable bit rate encoder and adaptive algorithm automatically adjust to network conditions. Here at our corporate offices in Irvine, there are a bunch of canyons up in the hills with a weak cellular signal. The product is rock solid; it will adapt. If necessary, it will even drop down to SD mode. It will still show a 16×9 image. It will upscale to HD in the receiver.

VidOvation is a pioneer providing in portable video-over-cellular technology, addressing all demands for full HD or SD quality, resiliency, availability, mobility and sub-second latency in a highly innovative technological solution. The PRO designed with a cutting-edge adaptive algorithm combining cellular communications and video encoding. The VidOvation solution bonds up to 10 cellular (3G, 4G LTE, WiMAX) modems over multiple carriers, as well as multiple LAN and even BGAN satellite connections. This creates a reliable, broadband video uplink pipe over multiple narrow-band pipes. Using any camera, the fully-integrated self-powered compact unit provides video resolution ranging from CIF through D1 (SD) and up to 1080i HD. The bonded 3G/4G solution aggregates all data connections simultaneously to achieve high bandwidth and smooth transmission, even as bandwidth and signal levels change across the different connections.

This mechanism adapts the video encoding rate continuously according to the changing network conditions. Taking into considerations the continuous real-time measurements of the performance of every available link, the user’s resolution and latency requirements, cellular channel behavior and other parameters, ABR reduce or increases the H.264 video encoding rate. The result: a real-time video rate adaptation mechanism that optimizes the encoding process on-the-fly.

In wireless and cellular environments, packet loss and errors are common inherent phenomena. Adaptive and predictive Forward Error Correction (FEC) mechanisms at the video application level are employed as needed for each specific operating conditions.

Unlike most of our competitors, who offer solutions consisting of a heavy PC in a backpack, VidOvation’s systems are compact and lightweight. In addition, VidOvation’s hardware platforms offer a high MTBF, low power consumption, and unparalleled mobility, making them perfect for breaking news and live events coverage. it’s an encoder that adapts in real time to the bonded cellular network. It looks at the bit rate and it looks at the latency. It’s not only the bandwidth but it’s the delay of the pipes that the device is watching and reacting to. Some of the solutions out there now are basically a PC thrown in a backpack or a PC thrown in a suitcase. This is a dedicated piece of hardware. There are encoders and circuit boards. It’s not a glorified computer, PC, or Linux box. It’s dedicated hardware for live bonded cellular streaming.

The team is composed of engineers from high-tech companies specialized in video, multimedia, and embedded electronics, including Grass Valley, Ericsson Television, Canon, and Sagem, with more than 100 years of cumulative experience in these areas. To provide our customers with superior video quality and the best consumer quality of experience (QoE), the R&D engineers have developed a best-in-class encoder that compresses video according to the real-time characteristics of various bonded networks, their bit rates, and delays. Video resolutions and frame rates can be automatically set up according to a perceived video quality model

In order to ensure high-quality uplink transmissions, our DMNG systems, and custom high-gain antennas maximize the energy transmitted by modems based on CDMA and LTE frequencies and their associated bandwidths. The VSWR (Voltage Standing Wave Ratio) is tuned to obtain best-in-class RF efficiencies, while the use of multiple modems in a reduced space creates coupling between antennas so that the quality of isolation becomes a primary preoccupation. Through the latest software tools for antenna simulation, RF analysis equipment, and periodic measurements in anechoic chambers, our solutions are guaranteed to operate optimally, in any conditions, at all times.