The Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race has been called one of the most difficult and challenging races on the planet. That challenge can be magnified by trying to obtain live video from the race itself. In previous years, up-close race footage was supplied by helicopters equipped with relay links and off shore satellites. This solution was not only very expensive, but the satellite reception was spotty during the race and often interrupted. Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) in Australia recognized the need for a solution to supply affordable, reliable and captivating footage live from the Sydney Hobart Race. In association with producer OSF, SBS looked to Streambox for the answer.
Aboard the 48 foot Sailors with Disabilities yacht, SBS set up three mounted video cameras to capture live footage during the race. As every member of the crew needed to be a certified sailor, no engineers or cameramen were allowed on yacht. Therefore, it was important for SBS to find a solution that provided an easy operating system. The cameras were set to load video to an on-board Mac Book Pro loaded with the Streambox Portable Encoder. The video was sent straight to a Streambox 5200 Decoder at SBS headquarters using an Ericsson wireless 3G modem. Once the video was sent to the broadcaster, it was transcoded directly to the SBS website where a page was dedicated to the Sailors with Disabilities crew and the video of their race. Video was also simultaneously archived to be used in later on-air reports and broadcasts. Streambox provided a seamless and cost effective solution for the challenge of gathering live video from the race.
With the 3G connection in Australia, SBS was able to receive footage to 15 miles offshore with a much higher quality then the previous options of satellites and helicopters. SBS was able to get better video while only spending a fraction of the cost that was spent in previous years. The portable laptops were a perfect option to sustain the harsh sea conditions since, if damaged, the software encoder licenses can be transferred to another unit. With the success and money saved using the Streambox Solution, more ways to use Streambox as an alternative for video transport are being explored in Australia. Stay tuned for more user stories…
