TVU Brings Mobile HD Solutions Into The Cloud

TVU Networks, a supplier of electronic news gathering broadcasting solutions, today released TVUPack Cloud, a cloud-based broadcasting platform that lets professional newsgathering organizations of all sizes capture live coverage of news, interviews and events in SD or HD quality and transmit it to a Web audience or station without the need of costly receiving infrastructure.

TVUPack Cloud allows news agencies and freelance reporters to add another tool to their news gathering operation by adopting a cost-effective cloud-based alternative to traditional satellite or microwave broadcasting hardware.

TVU says it eliminates the cost and management of traditional receiving hardware by replacing it with a software-based receiving solution that resides in the cloud. With TVUPack Cloud, live video is captured, optimized and transmitted on the fly via multiple 3G/4G/WiFi/WiMax connections. The signal is received and stored in the cloud, and can then be sent to a content delivery network (CDN) for direct-to-Web broadcasting or TV stations for live broadcast.

This lets reporters distribute live content to Web audiences or TV stations that do not have any receiving infrastructure.

“Freelance reporters and news agencies are looking for better ways of bringing live broadcast content to TV stations or Web audiences with minimum infrastructure investment,” said Paul Shen, CEO of TVU Networks. “TVUPack Cloud gives reporters a powerful tool to deliver the high-quality broadcast content that their audiences demand. TVUPack opens up a number of new content delivery opportunities for organizations, whether they want to broadcast live events direct-to-Web or arm reporters with portable newsgathering solutions for neighborhood or citizen journalism projects for covering local interest stories.”

TVUPack Cloud also provides broadcasters with a number of management and control features including:

• Cloud Service Manager — The Web-based TVU Cloud Service Manager is a full-featured management system that controls and optimizes the broadcast signal into the cloud. Cloud Service Manager provides organizations with fine-grained control of session and stream settings, enabling them to capture, transcode and broadcast the highest quality picture available on the market. The simple management system also enables organizations to broadcast the signal to popular CDNs or other distribution platforms with the click of a button.
• Enhanced Monitor/Control Interface — TVUPack Cloud offers an enhanced monitor and control interface that lets broadcasters monitor each cloud broadcast session remotely, and is accessible through a simple Web interface that is also accessible from any wireless mobile device including iPod, iPad, iPhone, and Android via hotspot from the TVUPack.

TVUPack gives broadcasters satellite/microwave TV truck or van functionality in a lightweight backpack. TVUPack is powered by TVU’s proprietary Inverse StatMux technology, which dynamically segments a live video signal and transmits the segments through multiple independent 3G/4G connections.