At IBC2010, Inmarsat made the European debut of its new 176kb/s streaming rate for its BGAN service and introduced a range of low-cost media solutions targeted at smaller broadcasters.
The new midrange 176kb/s streaming capability is suitable for talking-head shots, low movement and relatively static backgrounds. It is compatible with existing video codec solutions and accessible through the existing BGAN hardware, such as the Hughes HNS9201 and the Thrane & Thrane Explorer 700.
Launched last year, BGAN X-Stream offers fast, on-demand streaming service at an IP data rate of at least 384kb/s, with an estimated top end of 450kb/s. The enhanced video quality of BGAN X-Stream has enabled broadcasters to defer, or even avoid, the need to use SNG trucks. It has been used for hundreds of live video reports in the harshest and most remote locations on the planet — from the depths of the Amazon to the top of Everest.
