In Broadcast - January 2020 - 39

39

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 10 - Issue 1 | January 2020

InMedia

Nine Network Deploys
Dejero CuePoint System
Australia's Nine Network has become the first broadcaster in Australia and Asia Pacific
to adopt the Dejero CuePoint system...

D

ejero's CuePoint system offers a
solution whereby the return feed
server sends low-latency video with
audio, and teleprompting feeds
to live broadcast production
teams in the field to help
them create compelling live
content. The new CuePoint
system was supplied by Nine's
long-term technology partner, Digistor.
The Nine Network's Michael Sammut
explained: "We had two projects that
required us to deliver streaming video
to remote overseas sites but where
budget and technical constraints
meant we couldn't use traditional
fibre or satellite links. The first was a
semi-permanent studio setup where
all we had was an internet connection.
CuePoint enabled us to deliver a return
programme feed to the presenter,
meaning we can now have them talk to
the pictures that are going to air on the
other side of the world, at a fraction of
the cost of a satellite lease and with
no ongoing costs aside from a normal
internet connection."
Return Feeds
With CuePoint return video and
teleprompting
feeds
from
the
broadcast centre can be seen in
the field by the talent on a tablet or
dedicated screen above or below the
camera, or on multiple mobile devices
by camera operators, field directors

Dejero EnGo

Dejero CuePoint

and technicians. It is also simple to
scale the number of return feeds
needed in the field.
Sammut continued: "The second
was to enable our crews at major
events, for example the upcoming
Tokyo Olympics, to access what we're
putting to air from out in the field
on their smartphones. This means
they can be more mobile and stay
out in the field where they need to
be, without having to return to Nine's
requirements for the CuePoint were
strict and comprehensive as Sammut
explained: "It needed to be extremely
low latency so it could be used in a
production environment and mobile
accessible. It also needed to be flexible
enough that we can provide the feed
to anyone - even people outside our
organisation. For example, if we are
doing a live cross to a studio where
it's not practical to book a return video
feed but we still want the presenter
to be able to talk to the pictures that
are going to air. CuePoint enables us
to increase our production values and
helps the presenter to provide accurate
commentary on what's going to air,
which is great for our viewers - and
our producers. We've given the Return
Video feed to freelance cameramen
doing live crosses for us in places
where they just have a Dejero to link
to us; they simply connect their laptop
to the internet and put it in the talent's
eyeline and we're off and running."
In short, CuePoint solved multiple
pain points for Nine without adding
any major management overhead or
infrastructure requirements.
Sammut
added:
"It's
turned
something that always required a large
investment of time and effort into
something we can simply turn on or off
at a moment's notice."

Ad Hoc Bookings
Nine uses its new Dejero CuePoint
for ad hoc remote studio bookings
where they don't have return video
connectivity, for news crews in the field
on major events and for low cost studio
setups where they aren't able to install
DVN/fibre/satellite connectivity but
still require the return video services
that a full-service studio provides."
Sammut added: "We had an
interesting use case occur after we
installed the system where the social
media producers of a show that was
being filmed overseas needed to see
what was actually going to air after the
day's filming so they could trigger their
social media posts at the appropriate
time. Of course they couldn't receive
our broadcast where they were, so
we simply switched our off air feed
to them on CuePoint so they were
watching it overseas at the
exact same time as our
viewers, enabling them to
optimise viewer social media
engagement. It was a huge
help for them."
In an overseas studio, Nine
have CuePoint connected
to an enGo transmitter
and elsewhere it's usually
viewed via browser on a
laptop
or
smartphone.
This level flexibility and
ease of use is not lost on
Sammut.
He concluded:
"It's just so simple. It didn't
require major investments
of time or effort to install,
and it just works. Other
solutions require lots of
configuration and the feeds
can't be as easily shared
with anyone at short notice.

With CuePoint, all the person at the
other end needs is a browser and a
login - so we can give it to people with
only limited technical knowledge - and
it delivers on its promise of extremely
low latency which is crucial. Having
CuePoint also means we're able to
operate more efficiently. We're able
to provide a better product than our
competitors, at less cost. As soon as we
turned it on and started using it, it went
from being a nice-to-have to a musthave almost overnight. I do also have
to mention and thank Digistor and our
rep Olivier for their part in our success
with CuePoint. They have been and are
with us every step of the way and help
us with anything we need. Having a
partner like Digistor who operates with
integrity and has a long term outlook
for the client-supplier relationship is a
win-win for everyone."

Digistor Account Rep, Olivier Jean,
with Dejero EnGo and backpack
http://www.inbroadcast.com https://www.dejero.com/ https://www.dejero.com/ http://www.digistor.com.au https://www.dejero.com/
In Broadcast - January 2020

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