2018 News Roundup

Looking back at the year’s top news and events always has special significance for LiveU.

That’s because we’re directly involved in covering the stories making the headlines for our global customers. Whether it is a press conference with world leaders, international sports tournaments,s or breaking news stories, the LiveU units are lined up or on the go, delivering live video to the TV and online audiences worldwide.

Of course, LiveU brings live content to other diverse audiences, covering a multitude of interests every day – from environmental campaigns to worship, and from reality shows to gamers and IRL (In Real Life) enthusiasts.

However, if we put the spotlight on the year’s top news and events, here are five (in chronological order) which really stand out – the fourth deserving a special mention because of the heartwarming human story involved.

May: Royal Wedding UK

Prince Harry and Meghan Markle’s wedding captured the imagination of millions around the world. LiveU’s LU600 HEVC technology was used by Sky News for a live UHD/4K broadcast, supported by our UK partner Garland Partners, alongside other leading broadcasters. (Read more.)

June: Trump-Kim Summit Singapore

Live from the historic North Korea – United States summit where US President Trump and the North Korean leader, Kim Jong-un met for the first time, LiveU units were in action in the front row, delivering the historic moment live to viewers around the world. 

July: FIFA World Cup™ Russia

It wasn’t only football fans who got caught up in the excitement and exhilaration of the FIFA World Cup. This year’s tournament inside and outside the stadiums engaged billions of people worldwide. We were there with more presence than ever – with 485 LiveU units used by customers from over 40 countries, delivering over 15,000 hours of flawless transmission – supported by our local partner MediaProject Ltd. (Read more)

July: Thai Boys Rescue

For a few days this summer, the world’s attention turned to a cave complex in Northern Thailand, with millions of people holding their breath to see if 12 boys and their football coach would come out safely. The bravery of the boys and their rescuers, the stoicism of the young coach and the deep sadness around the death of the former Thai navy diver were all captured on screen by broadcasters and other media outlets around the world.

LiveU technology played an important role in the rolling coverage, with the support of our local partner Smart Broadcast and David Foster, owner and chief photographer/ videographer of Jaiyen Digital Media. David was hired by a major European broadcaster to cover the rescue alongside the reporting teams.

David started out using his LiveU broadcast-grade units. As the story grew bigger, his client sent additional crews to achieve simultaneous lives from different locations (the cave and the hospital, for example). He and his team deployed the Solo with 3 SIMs to an RTMP server at the TV station. They were able to cover the various stages of the rescue, including the special moments when the kids were eventually extracted from the cave.

David explained to us, “In the remote cave locations, satellite just wouldn’t have been possible. With the help of LiveU support, using an RMTP connection to the TV studio and 3 SIM cards, we were able to have two LiveU Solo units doing simultaneous lives from 2 locations; Solo performed incredibly well with a minimum delay to the TV station alongside the broadcast units.”

He continued, “It’s known that LiveU offers the best product in the market, with ease of use and great support. There were hundreds of reporters covering the rescue and hundreds of LiveU devices being used at any one time, and all worked flawlessly.”

In the days after the rescue, LiveU units were used outside the hospital, closely following the boys’ recovery. (Facebook post)

August: Presidential Elections Mexico

Last but not least, we delivered an unprecedented 500 simultaneous live streams using our flagship LU600 HEVC technology to cover the highly publicized Mexico Presidential Elections, supported by our Mexican partner, Magnum Soluciones Digitales, breaking our own global transmission record. (Read more)