Enjoy the 5G Vista: Inside the successes and challenges of the 5G Broadcast in-stadium project led by the DTG By Heather McLean, Editor
Wednesday, March 9, 2022 - 18:02
Print This Story
The DTG has been the leader of a consortium named 5G Video In Stadia Technical Architecture, or 5G Vista for short, which aimed to develop a 5G-based platform to broadcast live sports events and enhanced content in stadiums and similar locations.
The project, which was focused on using further evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (FeMBMS) also known as 5G Broadcast is one project incubator within 5G Create, run by the UK government's Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS). It won £1.3 million funding just over one year ago towards the project's £2.3 million total cost to find out about how to create and enable the 5G backhaul that will be integrated into today's broadcast systems - from glass to glass - to deliver exciting content for in-stadium viewers of live sporting events.
Recently in February 2022 5G Vista completed a successful trial at a live football match at the 30,400-seat MK Dons football stadium in Milton Keynes, UK. A group of fans at the match between MK Dons and Ipswich Town on 12 February were able to try out a prototype of the 5G Vista app, which provided content for them over a 5G Broadcast network integrated into the TV broadcast network.
Here, we speak to Alex Buchan, strategic technologist from the DTG and project lead, about the successes and challenges for Vista, and what comes next.
Your original objective was in two parts: to test and demonstrate the technical feasibility of using 5G Broadcast technology, and to also work out the consumer benefits. Talking about the technical side firstly, did you achieve that?
Yes. I've been involved in various working groups and meetings about this technology for a long time, and it was always focused on how public service broadcasters like the BBC could use this to deliver BBC1 to TV's in people's houses. But there were never any mobile network operators involved, and yet there were obviously a lot of benefits for using it in a mobile network, for example because [network operators] could really save on capacity and costs for serving places like stadiums.
So this whole project was about showing the commercial use cases for that for a mobile network operator, and then also driving mobile phone uptake [enabled with FeMBMS], because there's no mobile phones that support it; or there wasn't before the project started.
Further evolved multimedia broadcast multicast service (FeMBMS) is a further development of the LTE broadcast mode eMBMS in 3GPP Release 14. It enables 100% of the transmission capacity to be used for broadcasting services
From a technical side what we were trying to achieve was to work out how we integrate camera solutions into the 5G Broadcast network, and then we needed to understand how we would install all that at the stadium.
So [the question was] how would we actually broadcast the content out to the fans in the stadium? [To find that out] we needed to create a whole end to end network from [broadcast] cameras through to the [end users'] phones, glass to glass.
So we did that. We brought in [additional] partners [to the consortium] from TV production and from camera coding, which were Imaginary Pictures and Ateme; we added them into the project and then we integrated their side of it into the Rohde & Schwarz broadcast side of it, and then we used O2's spectrum to send it out and we installed it all in the stadium.
So technically speaking, we created the end to end solution, which was what we wanted to do.
How about the consumer-facing side of the project? How has that gone?
The final part was the commercial side of it, so what do fans think of it? What would they pay for it? How would they pay for it? Do they see themselves using it? What else would they use it for? If they weren't in the stadium, would they use it outside the stadium? And what scenarios could they see themselves using it in?
At the start of the project, we convened a sports fans focus group. We asked them what they thought of this as a concept. We didn't have any app we could show them it was right at the start of the project and they were a bit like, No, I don't want to watch something else while I'm trying to watch the game, it would distract from what I'm there to see, and I've paid the money for . But by the end of the project, once we had them in the stadium and we showed them the app and they were watching it there, they really got it and they understood what this adds to the game.
When things like a shot [at the goal] happened, they could look at it from a different [camera] view. Or when someone got tackled off the ball or something like that, they could see it and they could find out what happened. They all really understood that when you're at a match, there's things that happen and you miss them, and then you've missed them and you can't see them again.
This is about combining that sofa experience with the live experience as well, so they really got it. It was a real achievement for the project, I think, that they really understood it.
So all round, really good successes for the project.
We've written all our findings into a report that's going to be ready by the end of March.
Your original idea was to test the technology, work out how to create the glass to glass network, and then to also demonstrate the consumer benefits of using 5G Broadcast, but you've actually also developed as a by-product of this research a content-based app for consumers?
Yes. We developed an app, and then the technology [for the backhaul] provides a means to do that without having to spend millions of pounds on [increasi
Most recent headlines
04/08/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, is excited to announce Santiago Solanas as its new Chief Executive Officer (CEO)....
03/06/2024
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, a...
04/05/2024
NEW YORK As the Asian Pacific American Heritage Month kicks off in May, Nielsen has released an extensive new report diving into their media habits with data sh...
04/05/2024
PHILADELPHIA As National Military Appreciation Month gets underway, Comcast has announced several new initiatives to help veterans, service members, and their f...
04/05/2024
WASHINGTON, D.C. Federal Communications Commission chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel has announced a tentative agenda for the May Open Commission Meeting scheduled...
04/05/2024
The Broadband Forum has announced major enhancements to key 5G convergence standards that the group said will help advance next-generation applications, improve...
04/05/2024
Spotify Wrapped Campaign Spot Graded With DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Blackmagic Design today announced that Colorist M...
04/05/2024
Three Boston Conservatory at Berklee Alums Nominated for Tony Awards An additional eight alums and two current students performed in nominated productions.
...
03/05/2024
An innovative learning tool to help media and civil society better understand ho...
03/05/2024
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 21: (L-R) Actors K stutis Cic nas and Greta Grinevi i t , Director Marija Kavtaradze and Producer Marija Razgute attend the 2023 Sunda...
03/05/2024
If you aren't familiar with Danny Ocean's music, it's only a matter ...
03/05/2024
Spotify has an unwavering commitment to supporting emerging artists across all genres, to helping them launch and thrive in their careers, and to connecting the...
03/05/2024
Como uno de los sonidos de mayor expansi n en el mundo, la M sica Mexicana va m ...
03/05/2024
As one of the fastest-growing sounds worldwide, M sica Mexicana is more than jus...
03/05/2024
NEW YORK FuboTV reported that it lost 110,000 subs in Q1 2024 but it exceeded its guidance for the quarter with double digit year-over-year increases across key...
03/05/2024
Only 3 Weeks Left To Enter The Creative Industries Most Award
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
Creativepool is giving a last call to the creative i...
03/05/2024
WePlay Studios Transforms the Future of Live Event Storytelling with AJA Gear
Brie Clayton May 3, 2024
0 Comments
By 2032, the esports market is expec...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Shannon Bream, Fox News Sunday anchor and chief legal correspondent, sat for a keynote chat at The Business of TV News, with Tom Umstead, senior co...
03/05/2024
WASHINGTON Asked how important is local news, Martha Raddatz, who has covered foreign conflicts for decades and moderated presidential debates for ABC News, s...
03/05/2024
Sony Pictures and Apollo Global Management have made a $26 billion cash offer fo...
03/05/2024
CBS announced its 2024-2025 primetime schedule, which features the new dramas NCIS: Origins, Matlock and Watson, and new comedies Poppa's House and Georgie ...
03/05/2024
Sports-focused streaming service Fubo said it reduced its red ink in the first quarter, despite losing 110,000 subscribers since the end of the year....
03/05/2024
Walmart is reportedly about to release a new 4K streaming box/smart speaker hybrid device for Google TV that could retail for as low as $50, according to a repo...
03/05/2024
Enhancements to its Delivery Workspace solution provide increased content delivery robustness and security
By Matthew Corrigan
Published: May 3, 2024
Enha...
03/05/2024
According to reports, if the bid is successful, Sony would be the significant majority shareholder of the new private company
By Jenny Priestley
Published: M...
03/05/2024
Located in Manchesters Spinningfields district, the course aims to equip students with the skills, knowledge and industry insight for a career in the creative s...
03/05/2024
Lightbridge has created a new Cine Reflect Lighting System kit, dedicated to enabling artistic lighting with consideration of today's productivity practical...
03/05/2024
Broadcast media systems integrator BeckTV and Lawo worked together on a large-scale AES67 build of radio control rooms at KPBS, San Diego's NPR and PBS memb...
03/05/2024
Raleigh, NC, April 12, 2024 SmallHD announces PageOS 6, a powerful software update free for owners of SmallHD monitors, featuring increased functionality, exp...
03/05/2024
SmallHD announces the Quantum 32 a new 31.5 OLED monitor designed to provide reference HDR/SDR images for post-production final color grading, as well as cri...
03/05/2024
By 2032, the esports market is expected to grow to $9.29 billion, bolstered by a global player count and fan following that both continue to climb. The 2023 Lea...
03/05/2024
Amagi, the global leader in cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV (CTV), today announced that the 11th edition of the Amagi Global FAST Rep...
03/05/2024
Riedel Communications today announced that Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) is relying on a media and intercom network based on Riedel technology for the renewal of...
03/05/2024
Broadpeak , a leading provider of content delivery network (CDN) and video streaming solutions for content providers and pay-TV operators worldwide, announced t...
03/05/2024
Media technology innovator Limecraft will exhibit the latest updates to its online platform on stand G79 at the 15-16 May 2024 Media Production & Technology Sho...
03/05/2024
Audio interface specialist Prism Sound is partnering with console manufacturer Solid State Logic, professional monitor manufacturer PMC and acoustic panel and d...
03/05/2024
Intinor, Sweden's leading developer of products and solutions for high-quality video over the internet, is set to join forces with its UK partner Zest Techn...
03/05/2024
NAKIVO Inc., a fast-growing software company dedicated to protecting physical, virtual, cloud, and SaaS environments, announced its Q1 2024 financial results to...
03/05/2024
Hiltron Communications announces an addition to its range of satellite communication products and systems: a field-upgradable motorisation kit specifically desi...
03/05/2024
Visit LiveU at Stand D30
With this year an exceptional one for major sporting events alongside multiple, key elections, the power and flexibility of LiveU'...
03/05/2024
Agile Content, the leader in the development of technology and solutions for the provision of television services over the Internet, announces Koldo Unanue as i...
03/05/2024
Eight co-signers representing streaming services, pay TV operators and public interest groups have sent a letter to Congressional leaders urging their Committee...
03/05/2024
BOSTON Brightcove has announced that it has implemented Amazon Q Business, a new generative AI assistant on Amazon Web Services (AWS)....
03/05/2024
NEW YORK CBS has declared that it will finish the 2023-24 season as Americas Most-Watched Network in primetime for the 16th consecutive season....
03/05/2024
A new survey indicates that U.S. businesses and consumers had an overall positive attitude towards their technology spending plans in the first quarter of 2024,...
03/05/2024
Sony and Apollo Global Management have sent an offer letter to Paramount Global's board of directors making an $26 billion all cash offer for Paramount Glob...
03/05/2024
EMG / Gravity Media has appointed Charlie Cubbon chief operating officer (COO) and Jamie Hindhaugh regional CEO for the U.K., U.S., Australia and the Middle Eas...
03/05/2024
Final 2024 Season Games to Air Saturdays on WRAL at 10:30am in May, Championship on June 1
Taping for the final episodes of the 2024 season of WRAL-TV's Br...
03/05/2024
Estrella MediaCo said it is expanding its connected TV portfolio by launching three new channels with Curiosity that will first appear on Samsung TV Plus....
Enjoy the 5G Vista: Inside the successes and challenges of the 5G Broadcast in-stadium project led by the DTG By Heather McLean, Editor 
