MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif.—TVU Networks today revealed its support plans for broadcasters covering the 2022 Winter Games in China, including unlimited 5G service.
Several factors may make coverage of the winter event more challenging than the Summer Games in Tokyo, including the possibility of greater COVID spread, potentially stricter travel requirements in China and the mountainous terrain surrounding the Yanqing and Zhangjiakou venue locations.
Among the expected restrictions in Beijing are limited availability of 5G SIM cards, three-week visitor quarantine, rules on equipment transport and limited visitor access to the Great Wall, the company said.
TVU Networks has had offices in Beijing and Shanghai for more than 15 years, and it offers one of the largest teams on the ground to support broadcasters. TVU staff will be on site 24/7 to help with live transmission and remote production technology as well as translation, logistics and cultural challenges, the company said.
“We’ve got a solid support network in place,” said TVU Networks CEO Paul Shen. “Our TVU team will take care of any issues our customers face, so they can focus on producing the best possible coverage in Beijing. While we provided a host of services on the ground in Tokyo, our support will be even more extensive in China based on our lessons learned, and because we believe that conditions in Beijing could make remote coverage there even more challenging. Given our successes in Tokyo, we’re confident in our ability to help broadcasters navigate the complexities of next year’s Winter Games.”
The company is coming off a successful experience in Tokyo, which saw a 100x increase in the use of its TVU Grid of IP-based video switching, routing and distribution and a 10x higher use of its TVU Anywhere mobile app compared to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro, it said.
TVU One mobile transmitters for rent in Beijing will feature: 5G transmission with unlimited 5G data; 4K HDR or 1080p HDR picture quality; sub-second latency; and the aggregation of all available data connections, including cellular, 5G, Wi-Fi, Ethernet and satellite, to ensure broadcast-quality video transmission from any location, it said.
TVU Networks services in Beijing will include:
- Equipment delivery, pick up, set up, technical assistance and exchanges within two to four hours from notification subject to COVID regulations;
- Zero risk booking ensuring a full refund if games are cancelled;
- 24x7 live pool feeds from Beijing;
- Watch Party Solution to easily and cost effectively share live moments between athletes and friends and family remotely;
- Professional Remote Reporting Solution, which provides reporters and producers the ability to conduct remote interviews from their home or studio;
- Complimentary office space in the TVU Beijing office with free high-speed internet access and language assistance;
- All-in-One Interview Kit for mobile journalists that enables high-quality live shots from anywhere.
More information is available on the company’s website.
