LiveU supplied remote production equipment to film the event
LiveU and Chinese broadcaster Tencent managed to bring some live sport to viewers recently, in the form of speed skating.
The 2020 World Short Track Speed Skating Championships in South Korea were postponed due to the coronavirus pandemic, and in reaction, the China Short Track Speed Skating team organised a ‘simulation’ of the event in Beijing.
This allowed the team to continue its training for the 2022 Winter Olympics, and show some live sport to fans who have been starved of it during the coronavirus pandemic.
LiveU supplied the necessary equipment for remote production on site, including the cameras and wireless transmission units. This involved four LiveU LU600 HEVC bonding units, and a single high-density LiveU server – both of which had the same delay to optimise LiveU’s Precision Timing™.
5G and 4G signals were also available thanks to support from China Unicorn, and all units combined this connectivity to ensure good streaming conditions.
Meanwhile, Tencent handled everything else, including production, contribution, and distribution, from the studio in its technical centre.
In order to keep everyone safe during the event, the stadium was closed to an audience. In addition, essential staff were kept to a minimum.
Chief director of Tencent Sports, Ding Yi, said: “Remote production with fewer facilities and lower costs will undoubtedly become a major trend in sports production in the future. During this difficult virus period, it has showed unique advantage under circumstances which didn’t allow us to use the traditional ways of production.”
Yaal Eshel, general manager of LiveU Asia, added: “Tencent’s coverage of the Simulation Game is truly uplifting, showing how ‘the show can go on’, even with the challenges of this terrible virus.”