LiveU had several new products at IBC, including the lightweight LU40-S uplink, an iPhone app, new management tools, and an External Antenna that won a TVBEurope Best of IBC award. The new External Antenna is LiveU’s answer to how to provide a cellular signal in congested areas. The antenna has its own SIM cards and has the power of LiveU’s high-end LU70 backpack uplink. It can be situated up to 500m away, so that it can be in a better position to get a good signal. “The antenna can also be used with the LU70 to give up to 14 simultaneous connections if both are used together,” said Ronen Artman, LiveU’s VP of Marketing (pictured with both products). The antenna can also be used on the move, as it can be mounted on top of a vehicle. The LU70 can automatically swap between internal and external antennas as needed, according to the network conditions. The LU70 also has a new internal antenna that supports all of the 4G bands in Europe and the US. The compact new LU40-S uplink no longer uses Aircards (as in the LU40i), but modules with SIM cards. The 700g device has a new proprietary antenna to boost the signal (on WiFi, 3G and 4G) and less than two seconds delay, as well as store and forward and ftp capability. It transmits at rates of up to 4Mbps (compared to 12Mbps for LiveU’s high-end LU60 and LU70 models). Features include: a low latency interview-mode; video and audio indicators; less than one minute boot-up; and control from its touch screen, the server or from any web-enabled device. When used with the External Antenna, the LU40-S handheld unit can support up to 13 network connections. LiveU leases the LU40 for about €950 per month, including an unlimited data plan, 24/7 support, and free upgrades of hardware and software. It has also got together with Panasonic to integrate the new AG-HPX600 P2 camcorder with the LU40i or LU40-S, so that users get all the information from the unit (such as transmission status and video quality) in the viewfinder, making it simpler for a one-person crew to operate. The LU40 supports up to four 4G LTE/3G cellular links, plus additional WiMAX, WiFi and LAN connections, at once. For online media, the LU40i version has been enhanced to support major content delivery networks and online video platforms, for end-to-end live video. In Europe, LiveU is now working with Qbrick (www.qbrick.com), linking up to its OVP and CDN, to offer a simplified live streaming service. Also new is LU Central, a dashboard for MCR, allowing easier management of all LiveU units in the field with a preview of each. Operators will be able to manage each device from the dashboard and take control of them to optimise the signal for the conditions, as part of the new LiveU Total unified management platform. LiveU also has a new iPhone app, bundling WiFi and cellular. It can combine cellular and WiFi to support connection to an external device (such as MiFi), so that users can bond the phones’ internal 3G or 4G signal with external 3G/4G connections. There is also a new desktop application, LU-Lite, that offers what is essentially the same interface as the LU70 on Windows. Users can put in three Aircards and bond them together to go live from a webcam on the PC, or use it to uplink edited or store and forward material. LiveU also demonstrated a live studio at IBC where its technology was integrated with NewTek’s TriCaster. It could provide “more cost-effective live video streaming and production” for broadcasting and online media, said Artman. “With its latest TriCaster introductions, NewTek is helping producers position themselves to satisfy today’s evolving video production demands. Meeting the fast-growing demand for live video, LiveU’s bonded cellular uplink solutions complement perfectly TriCaster’s offering by meeting the markets needs and expectations,” added Franck Lafage, managing director of NewTek’s European distributor, 3D Storm. – David Fox www.liveu.tv
