Danish broadcaster TV2 is working with Ericsson, mobile phone company 3, and Sony to test transmitting an international football match via 5G, a first in Denmark.
Tonight’s (Wednesday) international friendly match between Denmark and Sweden will be broadcast live from Copenhagen’s Parken stadium via 5G-mmWave technology, which aims to provide high data rates and reduced signal delay, said TV2.
Morten Brandstrup, head of news technology at TV2, said, “There are many advantages to producing with 5G. Production becomes much more flexible and mobile when everything is done wirelessly.
“This makes setting up cameras for sports matches faster when hundreds of metres of cable do not have to be pulled, and we can use the 5G network that already exists, but now with a completely different security and stability in live production. Therefore, we are very much looking forward to trying this out live for the first time.”
The setup will include a Haivision PRO460 video encoder, equipped with a Sony mobile device, PDT-FP1, 3DK 5G SA data SIM with mmW capability. Video will be produced in 1080p50 with a 35Mbps uplink. The glass-to-glass latency is expected to be sub 250ms, said the companies.
“The fact that you have a camera that is equipped with a wireless 5G connection, and that can send large amounts of high-resolution images in real-time to the production team without a cable, is a very big step in making the TV productions of the future. This will lead to new opportunities to make live broadcasts for the benefit of viewers, who can expect more engaging live content with 5G broadcast TV,” added Claus Pfeifer, head of connected content acquisition at Sony Professional Europe.
Kim Christensen, network manager at 3, said: “With the 5G SA mobile network, 3 can deliver higher speeds with greatly reduced latency, leading to a much better user experience in areas with thousands of people, such as a packed stadium. Transmission via 5G-mm-wave technology also ensures a stable signal, high speeds and uninterrupted production. As this method of broadcasting becomes widespread, it will increasingly benefit viewers and production companies.”
