Dejero, an innovator in cloud-managed solutions that provide Emmy award winning video transport and Internet connectivity while mobile or in remote locations, recently provided five HEVC capable EnGo mobile transmitters and a 4-channel WayPoint receiver to Next Up Digital, for the 8-camera remote coverage of the professional race at Ironman Australia, in Port Macquarie via Ironman’s global social media channels.
The 2019 Ironman Australia race consists of a 3.8 km swim course, a 180 km bike course, and 42.2 km run course. Next Up Digital was tasked with covering all 10 hours of racing which was broadcast live to Facebook’s new platform Facebook Watch. Given the extreme distance and constant movement of such an event, the crew required a flexible and reliable mobile broadcasting solution that could still transmit high-quality live streams while following athletes through the race.
Live broadcasting and streaming specialists, Next Up Digital, were tasked with finding a solution and put Dejero’s EnGo mobile transmitter through rigorous testing to ensure the coverage and production would be reliable given the scope of such a large event.
"We were approached by Ironman Oceania to provide comprehensive outside broadcast coverage of the event that was to be streamed worldwide," said Andrew Forster, video strategist at Next Up Digital. "We knew that Dejero would be up to the task and carried out a series of tests in the lead up to the event, using various forms of mobile broadcast technology. It was clear that the Dejero EnGo was by far the most stable and the superior option for Ironman Australia within the environment the race was taking place. The added challenge of providing broadcast-quality footage directly to various social media channels was one we were confident of meeting with Dejero by our side."
Stephen Kane, production manager, Ironman Oceania, said: "Knowing we were always going to be working within a mobile broadcast environment, the most important thing for us was the technical delivery and access to a network that could support our needs. Prior to the event it was imperative that we went into this production knowing where our coverage issues may appear, as we were widely relying on mobile networks. Moving through various mobile coverage zones, repeaters and antennas was always going to be a challenge and Dejero helped us overcome this with ease. Using Dejero for the first time was effortless, I sat back and watched the magic happen. Mobile broadcasting has come a long way over the years and it will become more and more of a need for our business, as will Dejero – due to their proven reliability. Dejero is stable, reliable, flexible and it delivered beautifully during Ironman Australia."
Reliable and simple to use, EnGo is designed for mobile video contribution professionals who require agility and versatility. The EnGo is an HEVC capable, 5G-ready compact mobile transmitter that encodes high-quality video and transmits over multiple IP connections to reliably deliver exceptional picture quality with extremely low latency—even in challenging network conditions.
"We are delighted to have played a major role in the reliable network connectivity that lead to the successful delivery of coverage from the 2019 Ironman Australia event," said Todd Schneider, chief technology officer, Dejero. "Our industry leading mobile transmitter has yet again proven that it is the most reliable, flexible, and portable solution on the market to ensure high-quality coverage in the most challenging of conditions."
The live broadcast of Ironman Australia reached over 1.5 million viewers in the first day and grew as the world woke up to the event.
