NBC News recently bought a LiveWave Inc. remote-controlled video system to provide continuous coverage of Ground Zero, site of the Sept. terrorist attacks in New York.
The LiveWave Pro system is currently being used to remotely control the broadcast signal for NBC and MSNBC newscasts. The basic system consists of a 3 RU rackmounted server/encoder with LiveWave camera-control software. The feed from the system also provides pool footage to other news organizations. The system allows NBC to share control of the camera between producers and engineers, providing shot selection and camera engineering from a PC.
The Pro is located in a building next to Ground Zero, and uses a Panasonic AW-E600 broadcast convertible camera and a Fujinon 20x zoom lens with a 2x extender inside a Panasonic PH-600 all-weather housing unit. The camera connects to the Pro via a fiber circuit, creating uncompressed video for distribution. The Pro also encodes a low-latency, high-quality video stream for real-time control over NBC's local area network.
