IP video transmission specialist TVU Networks and aerial drone manufacturer DJI have jointly announced the release of the Aerial Newsgathering Pack, a platform designed to give news organizations and professional video production crews the ability to transmit live full HD video to any broadcast facility or CDN. The system combines DJI's Inspire 1 drone with TVU's recently introduced TVU One IP video transmitter to deliver a fully-integrated live transmission solution capable of delivering live video from practically any location.
Both the TVU One transmitter and the Inspire 1 drone fit in a portable pack for fast deployment. The solution is capable of transmitting in full HD with sub-second latency with more than 20 minutes of fly time for the drone.
TVU and DJI have also announced a strategic partnership that includes full integration of the entire TVUPack family of IP transmission solutions with each DJI drone solution -- including the Phantom series. As drone technology becomes more accessible to broadcast organizations, the companies say this joint partnership will enable broadcasters to quickly deploy drone technology into their existing production workflows, and use TVUPack's proven live transmission technologies to deliver professional-quality HD video.
With TVUPack, HD video footage can be transmitted from the drone directly to a production facility for live on-air television broadcast or a CDN for live Web broadcasting using any combination of cellular, WiFi, Ethernet, microwave, satellite or MIMO MESH connections.
"DJI is committed to providing the most powerful and flexible drone technology to customers, and we are excited to enter into a partnership with TVU Networks, the industry leader in IP video transmission technology," said Eric Cheng, General Manager, DJI San Francisco. "The ability for TVUPack to deliver live HD video from one of our drones to any broadcast production facility or CDN in the world with sub-second latency is astounding, and provides a powerful tool for DJI customers to integrate drones into their broadcast activities."
The joint platform has already been used in the field, as TVU provided live mobile transmission capabilities to DJI during the launch event for the Phantom 3 drone series. During the event, Phantom 3 drones transmitted live aerial video from Santorini, Singapore and Hollywood to simultaneous live events being held in Munich, London and New York City using TVUPack transmitters and the TVU Grid live IP video distribution solution.
"DJI is recognized as providing the industry standard in drone technology, and we are thrilled to enter into this partnership," concludes Paul Shen, CEO, TVU Networks. "By combining the best available drone technology with TVU's proven, leading IP video transmission solutions, we are once again opening new possibilities for how broadcasters can deliver innovative live video to viewers from more locations than ever before."
The joint platform was showcased by both companies at NAB 2015.