Sony has today announced new functionality that will allow newsgatherers to wirelessly stream live footage directly from cameras as they shoot, in a move set to radically speed up production workflows. Building on Sony’s wireless technology, several of the PXW-series XDCAM camcorders 1 will now be capable of streaming footage live, while Sony’s CBK-serieswireless adapters 2 will be able to unlock live streaming for any camera with an SDI connection.
   

Marking a major milestone in ENG, the pioneering technology will help to unlock the agility, flexibility, and efficiency needed in the highly competitive world of modern broadcasting, bringing a cost-effective solution for live streaming to organisations of all sizes. Sony’s wireless adapters and camcorders will enable streaming directly to broadcast stations or mobile production units, from anywhere, via 3G, 4G, LTE, or WiFi transmission to Sony’s PWS-100RX1 Network RX Station.

The entire streaming solution is underpinned by Sony’s QoS (Quality of Service) technology, which prevents packet loss during the streaming process, which can degrade or freeze images and disrupt audio. With signal reliability being absolutely vital for broadcast workflows, this unique technology intelligently adjusts bandwidths and buffering to provide high quality, reliable streaming without the need for users to manually adjust settings.

Users will also be able to upload their content directly to cloud solutions such as Sony’s Ci through constant automatic uploading. By completely automating this process, cameramen will be able to easily create cloud-based backups of all footage. What’s more, Sony’s Catalyst suite of production tools can be used to prepare footage before it reaches editors, including reviewing, logging and transcoding directly from the camera.

«Having worked with broadcasters and cameramen, we have developed a solution which addresses issues that newsgatherers are facing right now,» commented Lucie Wendremaire, product marketing manager, Sony Professional Europe. «We are helping to make ENG as efficient and nimble as possible, as this new live streaming capability will free newsgatherers from cumbersome equipment. Using this technology, a solo newsgatherer could capture events as they unfold and deliver footage ready for broadcast within 1.5 seconds».