The Japanese Nippon TV and TeliaSonera collaborates to provide live TV 4G broadcasts of the Nobel Prize awards to more than ten million people in Japan.
Celebrating innovations
Japanese Nippon TV in London contacted TeliaSonera to check on the possibility of using 4G for live broadcasts from Stockholm during Nobel week. This was a great year for Japan, since two of their countrymen had been awarded the Nobel Prize in Chemistry. Mr Ei-ichi Negishi and Mr Akira Suzuki, together with Mr Richard F. Heck from USA, were awarded `for palladium-catalysed cross couplings in organic synthesis´.
The London team reporting from Stockholm consisted of correspondent Ken Iwasaki, producer Keiko Fujino and cameraman Simon Bradley.
– Our Paris bureau used 4G when reporting from an event in Oslo concerning the Nobel Peace Prize. 4G worked well, so we wanted to give it a try, said producer Keiko Fujino.
The London team tested 4G when reporting from the Nobel press conference in Stockholm and from Mr Ei-ichi Negishi’s and Mr Akira Suzuki’s visit to the Nobel Museum in Stockholm’s Old Town. Everything went well, footage to Tokyo was transmitted swiftly and image quality was solid.
Broadcasting TV via 4G from the street
Cameraman Simon Bradley was pleased.
– 4G opens up new possibilities. We can send material from our laptop in the street. We can be quick to the scene and get data transmitted fast, at reduced cost.
Producer Keiko Fujino is looking forward to having 4G in the UK. `It would be terrific if 4G could come to London soon. Just think what we could do with it at the 2012 Olympics.´
The broadcast from the press conference and museum was early in the Nobel week, and bigger things were to come. The real test was the interview with Mr Ei-ichi Negishi and his wife, to be held at Grand Hotel in Stockholm. A room was booked two days prior to the interview and quality testing started. Everything had to be perfect for this special interview, that was to be broadcasted live to Japan on the Friday evening news. More than ten million people would be watching.
Live with 4G to Tokyo
The team hooked up with Nippon TV in Tokyo and stringent testing went on for an hour. Feedback and demands were received from Tokyo by the minute.
How fast could the team transmit from Stockholm? Was audio lip-synced? Any other motion delays? What happened when zooming in and out? How about capacity; what were the margins of error? As it all turned out, results were fine. The team got the go ahead for Friday´s interview.
As Simon Bradley pointed out, `Upload capacity, which, of course, is of essence when sending data has to be checked thoroughly. Download capacity is often very good, but uploading can be slow. Speed has to be as fast as possible without reducing image and audio quality too much.´
Successful TV broadcast
On Friday everything was on track. Transmission speed, image and sound were up to par. Speed was even faster than when testing on Wednesday. This meant that time and money could be saved. No need for a satellite truck outside Grand Hotel, no extra crew or problems with parking permits.
Nippon TV in Tokyo were very happy with the result. Everything that was needed for this live broadcast was available in the hotel room; a dedicated crew, camera, laptop, 4G, and a splendid Japanese laureate. It all summed up to a great broadcast. It was a true celebration of innovation.